Podcasts about dole foods

John Cervenka is the CEO and a co-founder of Starfish Social Media Inc. Starfish is a fast growing global social media platform that enables users to promote their good, connect with others that share common interests, and easily connect with the causes they about. Prior to launching Starfish, John was an Institutional Advisor with Morgan Stanley. Before joining Morgan Stanley, John was a producer and writer with FOX Studios, Sony Television, Spike TV and Game Show Network. John attended the University of Southern California and the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He and his wife, Kerry, live in Southern California and have 4 children. Steven Mott, COO and co-founder of Starfish Social Media Inc., is an experienced business professional with a focus on Real Estate Construction and Management. He has worked with Williams-Sonoma and Dole Foods, among other top-tier companies. Founding Starfish Social Media is the result of Steven's desire to create a legacy and make a difference with his time and treasures. Steven believes in the power of giving back through supporting the American Himalayan Foundation, his alma mater UC Berkeley and other nonprofits with needs both big and small. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. 

Part 135 aviation has been plagued with inefficiency from the very start and there are numerous things that tank the productivity and profitability of operators.   There is a way AI and blockchain technology can be leveraged to optimize every aspect of the business, without losing the human element.   But it's not just about using tech to address inefficiencies. It's also about finding where the capital returns are and pursuing them with integrity and intensity. What are the biggest challenges new operators face?   How do you scale your business the smart way? In this episode, I'm joined by the Executive Chairman of Jet.AI Inc, Mike Winston. He shares the fascinating story of his business, the solutions they've created for the industry, and how to solve Part 135 inefficiencies.   Success is just a function of treating our customers well, keeping our expenses tight and edging into things that make sense. -Mike Winston    Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode    - A fascinating origin story How did a finance guy find his way into the world of charter aviation?   - How AI can impact aviation You always need to have a human element for charter booking because it involves safety and a lot of money. Is there a way AI can be brought in to optimize the human aspect?   - The truth about charter operations One of the biggest challenges in the charter business is that a client's aircraft preference never changes. How do operators know what to buy?   Guest Bio   Mike Winston, CFA is the Executive Chairman of Jet.AI Inc. He began his career in 1999 with Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation and later worked as a portfolio manager at Millennium Partners LP where for five years he and a colleague managed a $1 billion merger arbitrage and event driven capital allocation. In 2012, he formed the Sutton View Group of companies, an alternative asset management platform where he advised one of the largest academic endowments in the world. He co-led a successful activist litigation against the board of Dole Foods in its management led buyout and obtained a 35% increase in total consideration on behalf of all stockholders. Institutional Investor Magazine has recognized Mr. Winston for professional excellence; he has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and has appeared on CNBC. Mr. Winston received an MBA in Finance and Real Estate from Columbia Business School in 2005, and a BA in Economics from Cornell University in 1999. While at Cornell he studied for a year at the London School of Economics and at age 18 won a $1 million prize from IBM for his first startup company. Mr. Winston is a CFA Charterholder, and a member of the Economic Club of New York.   Connect with Mike on LinkedIn and send an email to mike@jet.ai.      Learn More About Your Host:   Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well-known aircraft OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers.   Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes, AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.

The national conversation around screentime has continued to boomerang at an alarming rate, and parents' attitudes continue to shift and change. When the pandemic made it an educational necessity, it provided more openness for what technology can offer our children. But as new technology such as AI is being introduced, some parents have begun retreating again. Sara DeWitt says that now is in fact the time to have a deeper, more open dialogue about positive digital media experiences for young children, and how we can use these tools to form good media habits that can address topics like children's mental health, school readiness, critical thinking, and ultimately, the importance of human connection. She is the Senior VP and GM for PBS Kids and joins Michelle to talk about how to use screentime wisely for your kids.Colin Henstock is the Investigations Project Manager for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). He talks with Michelle about how to care for breahing - impaired dogs. French and English bulldogs, Boston terriers, pugs, boxers, and other breathing-impaired breeds (BIBs), who are purposefully bred to have severely distorted airways that make it hard for them to breathe and cause them great discomfort and to pant, snort, and wheeze. Milan Kordestani is an entrepreneur, writer, and founder of several companies oriented toward giving individuals control over their own discourse and creation. Michelle talks to him about his new book, " I'm Just Saying: A Guide To Maintaining Civil Discourse in an Increasingly Divided World.Summer is here and snacks have become even more essential to daily routines. Kids are home, families are planning road trips and vacations and there is always a need for a healthy snack. Snacks are a staple of the American diet, making up nearly 22% of adults' total daily calories, according to recent data from the National Institutes of Health. The trick is to embrace snacking and make smart choices. Most people do not get the recommended number of servings of fruit per day, leaving them without many important nutrients. Snacks like dried fruit can help fill in those gaps. Kimberly Galante, Head of Innovation at Dole, discusses how snacking has become a regular part of the American diet and how people can make healthy choices that are full in flavor and nutrition.

The latest high-profile hack of Dole Foods reinforces the need to upgrade operational technology security, and not just for the manufacturer. The distributors, logistics providers, retailers and end-users that rely so heavily on the role manufacturing plays are beginning to understand how critical and far-reaching the effects of a production-ceasing hack can be.And so do the bad guys.According to a survey from Nozomi Networks, 63 percent of respondents classify current cybersecurity threats targeting industrial control systems as high, severe or critical. This would support findings from Fortinet that 93 percent of manufacturers responded to at least one OT intrusion between 2021-2022, and 78 percent dealt with more than three such incidents. Additionally, the firm found that 61 percent of intrusions targeted OT assets. On this episode we're joined by Carlos-Raul Sanchez, Director of Operational Technology at Fortinet, a leading provider of OT Cybersecurity solutions to discuss these challenges.We're excited to announce that Security Breach is being sponsored by Rockwell Automation. For more information on their cybersecurity solutions, you can go to rockwellautomation.com.To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast. And if you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you'd like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector's New Battlefield, click here.

Joining the ranks of high-profile ransomware attacks at Nissan, Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, Schneider Electric and even Foxconn, is Dole Foods.The global food processor was the victim of a ransomware attack in early February that led to shutting down production systems throughout North America, and halted shipments to numerous retailers and distributors.As if this wasn't enough to help illustrate the continuing rise in ransomware attacks on the manufacturing sector, Dragos recently reported that such attacks surged 87 percent in 2022. Joining us to discuss the Dole Foods attack, and lessons learned from it, is Travis Wong, VP of Risk Engineering and Client Services at Resilience Insurance, a leading provider of cyber risk management solutions.We're also excited to announce that Security Breach is being sponsored by Rockwell Automation. For more information on their cybersecurity solutions, you can go to rockwellautomation.com.To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast. And if you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you'd like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector's New Battlefield, click here.

While the growth of ransomware, phishing schemes and other nefarious cyber activities are obviously not positive developments for the industrial sector, the resulting exposure and fallout from high profile events like Colonial Pipeline, JBS and, most recently, Dole Foods, have mandated a need for more data on attack surfaces, hacker tactics and the bad actors themselves. In this episode, we'll be taking a closer look at all of these topics via findings from IBM Security's most recent Threat Intelligence Index as we sit down with John Dwyer, Head of Research for IBM Security's X-Force.We're also excited to announce that Security Breach is being sponsored by Rockwell Automation. For more information on their cybersecurity solutions, you can go to rockwellautomation.com.For more information on the work IBM Security X Force is doing, you can go to www.ibm.com/security.To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast. If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you'd like to have us explore on Security Breach, reach out at jeff@ien.com.To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector's New Battlefield, click here.

Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alibaba, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, Dole Foods, News Corp and more all need a hug after this week's data breaches report!

Dole Foods announced a ransomware attack has impacted their North America production and distributions. This episode talks about how ransomware can take down such a broad operation and things you can think about to prevent it if you get hit.  Be aware, be safe. Support the show and get access to behind the scenes content as a patron - https://www.patreon.com/SecurityInFive *** Support the podcast with a cup of coffee *** - Ko-Fi Security In Five Mighty Mackenzie - https://www.facebook.com/mightymackie Where you can find Security In Five - https://linktr.ee/binaryblogger Email - bblogger@protonmail.com

Xavier Roussel, sustainability and marketing director at Dole Foods, and Innovation Forum's Toby Webb discuss how augmented reality experiences from QR codes and other technology solutions can help brands use sustainability messages to market products. Roussel explains how the next steps will involve providing consumers information to calculate carbon footprints – many customers are now engaged with the full story behind the products they buy.  

This week: Xavier Roussel, sustainability and marketing director at Dole Foods, talks with Innovation Forum's Toby Webb about how technology is changing how brands can engage with their consumers. Virtual reality and interactivity are to the fore as consumers become better informed, and increasingly expect to know where products come from and how they're grown. Plus an update about the upcoming sustainable commodities and landscapes conference. And, many COP26 delegates yet to get their UK government covid-19 vaccinations; palm oil's stranded assets; Europe's banks too slow on decarbonising, says ShareAction; and, Mondelez International's new €2bn green bond, in the news digest.   Host: Ian Welsh

Patsy Cisneros has presented, trained, and coached individuals and groups from Coca Cola – North America; Federal Express headquarters; ADP University; The Ritz Carlton & JW Marriott hotels; Toyota USA; Hyundai Financial; Dole Foods; Loma Linda University Health System, and many more recognized brands nationwide. Patsy proudly has coached at two of the foremost think tanks in the USA: the Rand Corporation's PhD candidates in public policy and preparing speakers for the Milken Institute's Global Conference. Patsy has confidentially coached political candidates in Interview Image and On-Camera Media preparation for debates. Her clients are senators and governors across the United States. You may recognize Patsy Cisneros from her many television interviews about the image of candidates and politicians on Fox Business “Your World with Neil Cavuto” and “Fox News Reports with Brett Baier”; the CNN International program “The CNN Newsroom”, and a Reuters News interview with global distribution to over a million viewers.  Email:  patsyCEO@CorporateIcon.com; LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/patsycisneros Website: www.CorporateIcon.com

Join the full discussion inside the Women Of Project Management Membership. Listen to part of our conversation on the Women Of Project Management Podcast. If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management. Yes, you can be fabulous & suffer from Imposter Syndrome at the same. damn. time! I’m living proof and so is our featured speaker of the week, Haja Tunkara speaking inside the Women Of Project Management Membership with her on-demand course, “Imposter Syndrome & Project Management”. Get ready for good vibes and practical ways to give yourself some grace in the workplace and know that you are deserving! About Haja. Haja's career as a project manager has evolved over the last 16 years. Having started at the ripe age of 24, Haja did not have the confidence (nor education) to thrive in this field - or so her #impostersyndrome told her. Haja did in fact thrive in this field moving into a senior level project manager role in well renowned companies including Progressive Insurance, Vitamix, Farmers Insurance, Dole Foods and PNC Bank. She has also supported the Cleveland GiveCamp annual initiative to provide IT services to Non-Profit organizations during a 72 hour weekend project culminating in the completion of databases, websites and other technical system implementations. Background. Haja obtained a Bachelors degree in Business Administration graduating with honors from Hiram College in Northeast Ohio. She later obtained her PMP (Project Management Professional) a globally recognized certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). While achievements ran high, Haja still believed she had not earned her place. In an effort to manage her imposter syndrome, Haja became a certified positive psychology practitioner to not only manage her personal imposter thoughts but also to assist her clients and colleagues with managing theirs. Mindset Coaching & PM Training. Haja is working as a project management consultant while also managing her mindset coaching & project management training business for women. Through engagement and mindset practices she helps women address and conquer their #impostersyndrome so they may better serve their families and organizations. She helps women realize they are Deserving! We Discuss… – Who is Haja Tunkara? – Haja’s Project Management Journey – What Was Your 1st Experience In The Project Management Industry? – Imposter Syndrome & How To Find Your Good Vibes! – Are You Getting In Your Own Way? – An Honest Discussion On Being A Black Woman In Project Management – Practical Ways To Navigate Your Career – Haja’s Best Professional Advice For You – Haja’s Definition Of Success In This Industry – Connect With Haja Listen Up! Listen to part of our conversation at Women Of Project Management Podcast everywhere you listen to podcast. Join. Join the full discussion inside the Women Of Project Management Membership. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wopm/support

Along with classmate Rudy Smith, John Douglas '60 starred for the Bates men's track and field team in the late 1950s. Bates became a regional powerhouse during his time in Lewiston, at one point defeating 31 opponents in a row over the course of 21 meets between 1957 and 1959. Douglas competed in numerous events for the Bobcats and his name is still number one in the Bates record books in both the indoor and outdoor long jump, as well as the outdoor triple jump. His indoor record long jump of 25 feet, 0.75 inches took place during his junior year in 1959 at Madison Square Garden, with Jesse Owens -- yes, that Jesse Owens -- officiating. Later that same year, representing Bates in the segregated south, he set the program outdoor long jump record of 25 feet, 1.5 inches. Both jumps also established New England records at the time. During Douglas's years as a Bobcat, the men's track and field team won the state championship every year except 1959, when Douglas missed the meet due to injury. After graduating in 1960 with a degree in physics, Douglas went on to have a remarkable career, working for the likes of Lockheed Research Laboratories, Bank of America and Dole Foods. Then he became a media mogul, starting his own television station and purchasing a number of radio stations as well. Douglas served as a Bates trustee from 1995 to 2000 and he still owns and operates numerous radio stations. And today, John Douglas joins the Bobcast!

Guests:Emin Gün Sirer (@el33th4xor) - debating FOR the motionEdmund Schuster (@Edmund_Schuster) - debating AGAINST the motionHost:Richard Yan (@gentso09)Today's motion concerns tokenization and smart contracts. Smart contracts' value proposition is to facilitate programmable transactions of tokens, in a manner that is decentralized, transparent, and cost-effective. A big part of the value, although not all of the value, in tokenization lies in the fact that disintermediated transactions of these tokens can take place via smart contracts.The only way to experience is the full debate is to listen to the episode in its entirety. Nevertheless for our busy listeners, here is a teaser that reflects part of the content:Gün argues that tokenization can put constraints on relationships to prevent errors and serve as a check on misbehavior. He cites examples that necessitate blockchain, such as the Dole company fiasco where actual number of shares outstanding exceeded the amount recorded. He agrees that tokenization on first-gen blockchain was flawed in divorcing digital assets from real world jurisdictions, but indicates that next-gen blockchain addresses this flaw by introducing a special set of nodes that hold the ledger, thereby allowing enforcement of jurisdictional legal requirements. Gün also discusses how blockchain combats rent-seeking, fosters automation and creates a trustless system unlike traditional client-server paradigms.Edmund contends that blockchain tech cannot encapsulate all the intricate details and complexity of real world, thereby necessitating some backdoor to address edge cases. Without it, a synchronization conflict arises between the state acknowledged by law and the state of the blockchain. He also indicate that lawyers can get creative in structuring arrangements to game a smart contract, rendering it useless. He thinks the next-gen blockchain with "privileged parties" that can rectify and reverse transactions looks similar to status quo, which is a trusted party with a database.Source of select items discussed in the debate:Dole Foods had 12 million more shares than the company thought existed: https://www.coindesk.com/dole-stock-crisis-reigniting-push-blockchainAva Labs: https://www.avalabs.org/"Cloud Crypto Land" paper by Edmund Schuster: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3476678Tokenization of NBA player's salary: https://www.coindesk.com/nba-players-contract-tokenization-plan-can-move-forward-reportsIllinois' smart contract bill: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3575&GAID=15&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=120249&SessionID=108&GA=101Numerai (crowd-sourced hedge fund): https://numer.ai/

It's easy to start a business empire with family money, and stolen(ish) land. At least it was for James Dole, The Pineapple King. It seems less likely that Dole pineapple would be on every grocery store shelf around the world, if James Dole's cousin Sanford hadn't essentially stolen Hawaii. In this episode of Bizography we examine the not-so-humble history of Dole Foods, the history of Hawaii, and the sweet and juicy goodness of right time, right place, right vision that allowed Dole to grow into what it is today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

How do you give useful feedback to people on your team, even when you don't have domain expertise? Do you embrace the feedback process, or run from it? Today, we chat with Ryan Schaefer, a digital agency PM who's worked with brands like Dole Foods and Disney, as he explains how to give great feedback that'll help your teams deliver better work and keep your projects on track.

This week we are covering our favorite high school dropout, veteran and homeless diner owner. He also now owns the Hawaiian island Lanai where Bill Gates got married. This all culminates into labor practices that encourages poisoning their workers for a profit. Enjoy!

In this week's bonus episode, Ernesto Pantua, Jr. (Tito Jun), manager of Kablon Farms in South Cotabato, Philippines tells the story of how his family happened into passion fruit farming, which quickly morphed into a partnership with their neighbors, Dole Foods. Connect With Kablon Farms Online: kablonfarms.com Connect With Chocolate On The Road On Instagram: @chocolateontheroad On Facebook: @chocolateontheroad Show music is Roadtrip by Phil Reavis, and our transition music is We’re Gonna Be Around by People Like Us & Sweet Dreams by Lobo Loco.

Hawai’i has made both their pineapples & their macadamia nuts world famous, despite neither plant being native to the islands. Next up? Theobroma cacao. Over the last decade, cacao farmers on at least four of the islands have begun pushing towards making Hawaiian cacao & chocolate well-known to a wider audience. Visitors to Maui, Kauai, O’ahu, and the Big Island can now find at least one chocolate tour or experience nearby, and this is in part thanks to one unlikely player: Dole Foods. In this episode, we talk to 5 Hawaiian chocolate & cacao industry folks about the evolution of the Hawaiian cacao industry, from trees to bars, and all of the many struggles in between. A transformation over a century in the making, the Hawaiian Islands are well on their way to becoming the Napa Valley of Chocolate. You’re just a hop, skip, and a flight away from cocoa bliss. To read the article version of this episode, click here. Show notes: https://damecacao.com/chocolate-on-the-road-hawaii/ Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

Jake talks rehypothecation, comingling, and securities law with Caitlin Long.   Show notes:  - The “R” And “C” Words Enter the Vocabulary of Bitcoin Enthusiasts  - CFTC Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo Speech in 2016  - "The Blockchain Plunger"  - Rehypothecation at Dole Foods

Follow Linda on Social Media @ Chickfitstudio on Facebook Instagram and Twitter and my website is www.chickfit.me Susan Irby, CFH, CFNS, Author, Public Speaker, Award-winning network television host and radio personality   “Living a healthy lifestyle requires courage, focus, persistence, and motivation.  Your diet and lifestyle goals matter.” – Susan Irby   Certified in Food Healing and Fitness Nutrition, Susan Irby is one of the nation’s foremost experts in plant-based nutrition and food as healing.  An accomplished author, public speaker and media personality, Susan holds a particular expertise in the areas of individualized nutrition programs and recipe development.  Her 17+ years in the culinary industry, the past 14 in healing foods, spiritual wellness and active lifestyles, have earned Susan recognition as the leading healing plant-based and specialized nutrition lifestyle expert empowering others to better understand their personal health needs and empower them to enjoy lasting lifestyle change through her trademark 3-prong approach to mindful healing, health and an active lifestyle.     “Food is the ultimate nourishment and healing for the body.  Remember, what you eat and drink matters.” ~ Susan Irby, CFH   Susan is author of 9 books on wellness that include over 2,500 recipes collectively.  Her 6-week Food Healing Nutrition Program, in conjunction with Ward Bond, PhD, has proven success among both celebrities and non-celebrities and led to the development of her customized 6-week Food Healing Kitchen Makeover program. While not a vegan herself, Susan’s food healing programs and education supports the plant-based diet approach that many of her clients adhere to.    Included in her published works are: Substitute Yourself Skinny, ranked twice by FOXNews.com in the Top 10 Best Diet Books and Amazon quinoa recipe top sellers, The Complete Idiot’s Guide Quinoa Cookbook. Susan’s work as a freelance wellness and nutrition author can be seen monthly in Max Sports and Nutrition of which Susan has been a contributor for over 6 years.  Other freelance works have been featured in prestigious media outlets such as FIRST for Women, Self, The New York Post, and numerous other media outlets both in the USA and internationally acclaimed outlets such as The Mail on Sunday and BBC Radio.  She is the award-winning host of The Bikini Lifestyles® Show which was twice awarded “Best Health and Fitness Television Program” by The TASTE Awards and also aired as a weekly radio program for 5 years on 790 KABC Los Angeles.    Internationally recognized as leader in the “food as healing” approach to a plant-directed healthier lifestyle, Susan has worked with noted schools, colleges, professionals, families and national grocery markets to share how to transform their lives through spiritual wellness, a highly plant-based diet and an active lifestyle.  Among them, Los Angeles Unified School District, Cooking Up Change, American Federation of Teachers, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, grocers such as Whole Foods, Gelson’s and Dole Foods.  Susan has made appearances on FOX11 Good Day LA, ABC7, CBS2, KCAL9, NBC, and numerous syndicated radio shows, international conferences, national magazines, newspapers, and websites.  An award-winning television and radio host, Susan has interviewed culinary and fitness icons and celebrities such as Venus Williams, Billy Bush, Wolfgang Puck, Giada De Laurentiis, Sara Moulton, Chef Art Smith, Gene Simmons, Bill Engvall, Duff Goldman, Barbara Fairchild, Nancy Silverton, Olympic Gold Medalist and LA Sparks' DeLisha Milton Jones, Cincinnati Bengals' Coach Chip Morton, Cincinnati Reds Coach Matt Krause, reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump, teen star Reed Alexander, and more culinary, fitness and celebrity stars.  Susan holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia, is Certified in Food Healing, and is a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist.  She originally developed her culinary skills by working with master chefs in Italy and France.  Susan is the creator of and driving force behind the successful brand, The Bikini Chef® which promotes food that heal through “figure flattering flavors”.  She is the creator, producer and host of The Bikini Lifestyles® Show and Healing Remedies and Recipes.  Extensions of her brands include Bikini Cuisine®, and Bikini Cuisine Power Snax®. What we talked about in this episode: Getting in shape without a gym membership. Step up your workouts and set intention. 52 year old Susan says eating right is 90% of your results. You can't exercise away a poor diet. Don't take your health for granted. Put the best fuel possible into your body. When it comes to your health; you pay now by buying. healthier foods  or you pay later with hefty medical bills. Good healthy food can be like medicine. Healthier ways to cook your favorites. Re-train your taste buds to appreciate the natural flavors of non-processed foods. Great healthy snack substitutions for junk food cravings. The more sugar you eat the more sugar you want. Carbs are not the enemy.  Your PFF'S are your BFF'S.  PFF'S are Lean Protein, Fiber, Good Fats. Your BFF'S stand for Best Friends Forever. Potato chips are not a high fiber food. 7 stalks of celery a day help to lower your blood pressure. You can eat your water instead of drinking it. What healthy fats actually are. The types of nuts that are best. Good Fats keep you saitiated and your blood sugar from dropping, thus creating less cravings. How Susan got her name 'The Bikini Chef" What season of life are you in? Menopause, Perimenopause or 20's or 30's. Your body needs 'REAL" Food. Pre and Post Biotic foods for a healthier gut. Tips for building healthy bones. Exercise for vitality. Move it or lose it. Why Susan doesn't count calories. Put good gas in your car. Your body is your car, food is your fuel. My recipe from The Sisterhood of SWEAT Pumpkin Spice Latte –  You no longer have to stand at the coffee window and drool. Now, you can make your own healthy pumpkin spice latte! Ingredients: 2 cups coconut milk (unsweetened) 2 cups black organic coffee or 2 shots espresso Stevia or coconut palm sugar (sweeten to your taste) 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ginger ¼ teaspoon cloves ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla ½ cup cooked pumpkin Instructions: 1. In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat, mix together the spices, pumpkin, and coconut milk. 2. Stir to keep it from sticking until pumpkin milk is steamy. 3. I like to send my hot milk mixture through the blender to make it nice and frothy. 4. Pour your hot coffee into your pumpkin spice mixture. 5. Stir and serve.

Her friends and family know her as Alice. And, she has an alter ego, Ally. Her trademark cuisine is most aptly described as ‘Bohemian Bold'-simple, yet sophisticated dishes - hippie chic. That means seasonal vegetables, traditional cuts of meats, seafood, fresh herbs, spices and seasonings, fashioned into unlikely combinations resulting in eclectic ‘new' dishes with varied cultural and global influences. Learn more about Ally's inspiring story on this edition of Voices of Vision with Jane Asher.

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media. Good Morning Onward Nation – I’m Stephen Woessner and welcome to Episode 460 – this week’s solocast where I will share the specific step-by-step recipe for how to get a sponsor for your podcast, a lesson that I learned directly from one of today’s leading authorities on the topic of sponsorships. Her name is Linda Hollander, and she is off-the-charts amazing. I’m telling you – the lesson in this solocast is going to help you monetize your podcast in new ways – or – if you already have sponsors – it may give you some new insights so you can sell your sponsorships upwards of $100,000 per year.   Before we get to today’s lesson…I want to thank you.   Thank you for being here – thank you for all of your support – thank you for all of your daily encouragement – thank you for all of the wonderful emails sharing what you like about the show – and just as important – sharing how my team and I can get better – how we can deliver even more value to you and your teammates. I appreciate the emails, the tweets, the Facebook posts, and all of the connection requests on LinkedIn. I want you to know how much you mean to me – how much you and what you share with us energize my team and me. You and your feedback is the lifeblood of the show and so before we dive into today’s lesson – I want you to know how much I deeply appreciate you taking some of your precise 86,400 seconds you were blessed enough to receive today – and sharing your time – your most precious asset – and deciding to share it with me. And because time is the most precious asset for all of us – I have invested my time in building a lesson for you today that will add value in potentially many areas of your business. But I will say – despite the value this lesson will provide you – it may make you uncomfortable. You may feel put on the spot. As you consider the potential of executing on the ideas I share with you this morning – you may immediately begin to talk yourself out of the opportunity. You may second-guess yourself. You may feel that you and your business are not worthy of such lofty goals. So as we move through the lesson…as I share with you the practical and tactical of what you need to do when you work to attract a sponsor for your podcast…and you start to second-guess yourself…and begin to feel that your show or your business is not at that right level…I want you to remember the wise words of Marianne Williamson when she said… But…how do I know this to be true? Because Onward Nation, Marianne’s words struck me to the core the first time I read them. I was hit hard. I knew she was speaking to me and other people who felt the same way as me. In three simple sentences – she beautifully addressed head on the biggest obstacle of success that was blocking my path. So now, instead of praying and focusing on opportunity to come my way…I have shifted the context to be more in-line with being ready to accept the abundance – to be okay in becoming the person I need to become to be the best steward possible – to be open and let the light shine in to cast out the darkness – so that I can see my full destiny unfold. I am sharing all of this with you, in full transparency, so you have an opportunity to get your mindset right – to know you are worthy – that you are ready – that you can be more – that your business is ready for that next level – that your podcast is ready for a sponsorship – and that you are ready to apply all you learn here today. And that I know the points where today’s lesson about attracting sponsorships will make you feel uncomfortable because I have been there. I have felt the uneasiness of “not being ready” first hand. But I am telling you, Onward Nation – if you apply what I share with your this morning, you will push past the fear and leap onward to that next level. For example, when my Predictive ROI team and I launched Onward Nation in June of 2015…some of the first questions from people closest to us had nothing to do with the tactical of how we were able to build the show from scratch and launch it in less than 30-days…or…how we were able to soar to the top of iTunes within just a few short weeks. Nope. Oftentimes, one of the very first questions I received from those closest to me was… “When are you going to sell a sponsorship?” This was a frequently asked question because having a sponsor was an outward sign of success – of legitimacy – that we had made it – that we were on our way to doing something special. But here’s the truth, Onward Nation. The thought of selling a sponsorship early on terrified me. I was afraid of the rejection. I was afraid of sharing what might seem like small numbers for a new show. I didn’t want to waste my time or the time of the prospective sponsors. I was afraid of being embarrassed during the process. And the list goes on and on. But ultimately, I didn’t feel that this show – a couple of years ago – was worthy of a paid sponsorship. But there was something else – and potentially even more paralyzing. I had no idea what to do – I didn’t know the first thing to attracting let alone selling a sponsorship for our podcast. I knew zero. In fact, to say that I knew zero was to give me a compliment – I knew less than zero. So my lack of knowledge – and my emotional insecurity around the topic of sponsorship – caused me to answer those initial questions on the topic as the opportunity of sponsorships didn’t matter as a revenue stream because we were focused on building the core business, which was true…but only a half truth. Here’s what I have learned in the over two years of hard work since that time.   Sponsorships matter.   Sponsorships of course matter from the perspective of revenue – but this is the less important compared to the credibility and cache that a sponsor can bring to your show. For example, let’s say you’re considering listening to Onward Nation for the first time…and you see an ad for… “Onward Nation with Stephen Woessner.” Versus if you happened to hear… “Onward Nation with Stephen Woessner, brought to you by Bank of America.” Which one sounds more credible? Exactly! The opportunity of having a Bank of America or some other large brand connected to your brand provides you with some degree of transference of their credibility over to you and your brand. So, I knew that I needed to figure out the strategy behind sponsorship as a way to take Onward Nation to that next level. But I had no idea where to start. And then – as is the case often in life – I got the push that I needed in order to make the change that I needed to make. AMACOM, my publisher for my book being released in mid-September entitled “Profitable Podcasting,” asked me to write a chapter that provided insights into how to attract and sell a sponsorship for a podcast. “I’m sorry, what was that?” is how I initially felt. Gulp. I had no idea how I would provide value in an area where I had not developed mastery. However, instead of letting the fear of the assignment linger, I quickly told myself that the recipe that would result from the assignment would give me with another example to share how a podcast could be used as a tool to collect the primary research needed so the chapter — a book chapter outside of my expertise — could be done and done efficiently. And in full transparency, doing the research, filled in a skills gap for me so I know have what I need in order to close a big sponsorship deal on behalf of Onward Nation. I will share the news toward the end of this year — but oh my — it’s exciting to think about. Game changing. So, for today’s lesson, I will share the full sponsorship recipe with you. What I learned along the way, from whom I had the honor of learning, and how you can take and apply the same knowledge to attract the right sponsor for your podcast. Okay…so how did I do the research? In order to write a great chapter for the book, I knew that I needed to interview the right expert. So my first call was to Wendy Keller, my exceptional literary agent and great friend. She orbits the distant moon of awesome – she is otherworldly. Yes, I’m kind of a big fan. When I shared my challenge with Wendy, she quickly said to me, “Oh, I know exactly who you should interview for the chapter.” BA-BAM. And that’s another reason why you need the right inner circle, Onward Nation. Why you need to surround yourself with the right experts, the right mentors, and friends who are moving at the same pace and tempo you want to be moving at. Five minutes later, Wendy had connected me with Linda Hollander, one of today’s leading authorities on the topic of sponsorships. Both Inc. Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine have featured Linda as the industry leader in how to sell corporate sponsorships. Linda has over 20-years of experience as a business owner. Her clients and sponsors include Microsoft, FedEx, Citibank, Mattel, Bank of America, Marriott, Health Net, American Airlines, IBM, and Wal-Mart. Her client list reads like a “Who’s Who” in corporate sponsorship. Just go to www.sponsorconcierge.com to find Linda. Wendy suggested I interview Linda then transcribe the interview and turn it into a chapter for the book. Brilliant. I followed Wendy’s blueprint — interviewed Linda — and viola — Chapter 16 with deep expertise from one of the industry’s leading experts on the topic was done. And I was a heck of a lot smarter after having learned directly from Linda. Rock solid awesome!! But in order for that to happen – I had to set my fear and ego aside and focus on the assignment – and let go of the fact that I didn’t know something about the world of podcasting. I am taking you so deep behind the green curtain here because I want you to see – everyone deals with fear – everyone has obstacles – everyone is uncomfortable from time-to-time in their business – everyone deals with the imposter syndrome. Everyone. But the true measure of greatness – is whether you will let it paralyze you – or – will you push past it and walk toward your destiny. I believe in you, Onward Nation. You are just one phone call or one interview with an expert away from finding that missing piece that will ignite your business to the next level. Have the guts to make the calls, Onward Nation. Get out there and leverage your podcast as a tool for collecting primary research from top experts — even if your expertise lies outside the area being researched. The interviews you conduct will provide your podcast listeners and true fans with exceptional value, just as Linda did for you. And the transcripts of your interviews can be converted into chapters for your book. So here we go…let’s dig in to learn how to master a new skill…the skill of attracting the right sponsor for your podcast…a sponsor who can provide financial resources to support your show…but more importantly…a sponsor who can lend their brand to you…and in doing so…provide you and your show with additional credibility. So you can get the full context of what I learned from Linda, I am going to share the specific questions I asked Linda – so you can model them – revise them – and then use them when you interview your industry experts. So here we go… For my first question, I asked Linda… “Please take us back to the beginning and your first event so business owners reading this can have the full context of what you have accomplished.” I asked Linda this for two reasons: 1) it is an easy, soft question that helps develop rapport at the beginning of a conversation when two people are just learning about one another. It would be inappropriate if I asked Linda to share all of her deepest and most valuable sponsorship strategies as the first question. That would be way too abrupt. So focus on building some rapport first. And 2) because I always wanted to know Linda’s backstory because it is wonderful context to know that she came from nothing – and yet – she pushed herself to be more – and despite the odds and the fear – she was successful in securing Bank of America as her first sponsor. She is amazing. So in Linda’s words… She had the privilege of working with some great top tier sponsors but it wasn’t always that way. Many of her clients early on in her business were women so she wanted to start the Women’s Small Business Expo to deliver even more value to clients. But she needed sponsors because putting on an event is cash intensive. Ultimately, her first sponsors were Bank of America, Wal-Mart, and IBM. She had never done an event in her life. She had no idea how to do an event. She had no experience. She had no following. She had her parents on her email list. She put her brother-in-law on her email list, too. They weren’t going to tell her no. If she could have put her cat on there, she would have done that. But despite how she started out, she was able to attract several top tier sponsors. And when her event attendees came, they would ask Linda, “How the heck are you getting these sponsors? We thought you had to be a big company and have all this experience and track record,” and Linda said, “Absolutely no.” Then Linda knew there was a need in the marketplace for training business owners how to attract sponsors. She lost a lot of time and money when she first started to learn the sponsorship game. It took her six months to get my first proposal together and she lost $75,000 in the process. Linda told me, Onward Nation that it was painful, it was excruciating. Some people wouldn’t even talk to her because she was a micro-business. But, there were also people who said to Linda, “You know what? I’ll talk to you. I’ll help you.” Then she said to herself, “When I learn this stuff, I’m going to teach other business owners how to do it.” Amazing backstory don’t you think, Onward Nation? Does that help push some of the fear or apprehension aside for you? She started with nothing – no following – nothing – and she went out and did it anyway. She is rock solid awesome. Okay, let’s press on. Next I asked, Linda… “Let’s start off with some definitions. When we hear “sponsor” that could mean different things depending upon someone’s business model. What does sponsorship mean, what does a sponsor want to sponsor, are they programs, events, or businesses?” Linda shared that the definition of sponsorship is “Connecting a company with people who can buy things.” If you know people who can buy stuff, then you can get sponsors. Linda wants you to know that it is a lot simpler than what most business owners think. In fact…here’s what is “sponsorable.” If you have a business — that could be sponsored. If you host a radio show If you host a podcast If you host a television show or YouTube channel, or a blog All of that can be sponsored. And of course, if you host events like Linda, you can get sponsors because sponsors love live events. If you’re a speaker or an author, you can get sponsored, because as a speaker and an author you have access to an audience — a fanbase of people — who know your work and know your book, and as a speaker you command the platform. Companies don’t have people who can speak, who can command a platform, or capture the attention of an audience. So that is a huge advantage for you, Onward Nation! At this point in my interview with Linda – I started feeling excited and actually really confident. And the fear, you might ask? What fear? HA! Linda had me so completely energized by the possibilities I was learning from her! Next I wanted to learn about the pitfalls – the common mistakes business owners make when they head down the sponsorship path so you, Onward Nation – and me – could try to avoid the same $75,000 mistakes Linda had experienced. So I asked Linda… “What are some of the biggest mistakes you see business owners making time and time again as they pursue sponsorships?” She let me know there are a few mistakes to be weary of, and she’s made all of them, so the lessons she could share were directly from her hands-on experience. The first mistake is, believe it or not, is not asking for enough money. What?!? I thought to myself! Linda went on to explain that asking for too little money can hurt a business owner because they are, in effect, telling a sponsor they don’t have anything of value to offer. Linda often gets calls from business owners who are trying to sell their $500 sponsor package. They’re going to be presenting to a busy, stressed-out person inside a company, and if they see a sponsor package priced at $500, they’re going to think the business owner doesn’t have anything of value. In the sponsorship process, you have what’s called your “Champion,” and this is the person within the sponsoring company who loves you, but they have to sell you and your program to their colleagues, their team, and their boss, and maybe the people working under them to get it approved. Onward Nation, your pricing strategy needs to communicate value in order for them to do that. For most of Linda’s clients, what she sees them typically win is between $10,000 and $100,000 in annual sponsor fees. If you do an event, if you have a podcast, or something else that is episode-to-episode, bundle everything together for the year and sell an annual sponsorship because you’re going to be more successful in properly positioning yourself with sponsors. The second mistake business owners make is not using an industry standard proposal. According to Linda, your sponsor proposal is one of the most important but least understood documents. You have to use an industry standard format or you will not get funded. Your proposal must look amazing and have the right compelling benefits. So to recap, Onward Nation – the two biggest mistakes you need to avoid are asking for too little money and not having a good proposal. Okay, I was really intrigued by what Linda was teaching me, and I knew that in order for the lessons to have the most value to you and to the readers of my book, Linda and I needed to drill in deeper on the topic of sponsorships for podcasting. So I asked Linda… “Let’s say you’re a podcaster. Sounds like you would try to sell an annual sponsorship of your show instead of weekly episodes, but you would also package in your entire platform including social media, email lists, webinars, events, etc., right?” In Linda’s opinion, yes, you want them to sponsor your entire brand — not a single show. It took Linda a while to figure this out because at first she started to have sponsors for her events and then thought, “Wait a minute, I’ve got a whole brand here.” When she had them sponsor her brand, she made a whole lot more money. Instead of a business owner saying, “I’m a podcaster,” you should brand yourself as a “media company” who does podcasting because sponsors are not quite in love with podcasting yet. It’s still new. It’s still cutting edge. But if you say you’re a media company, Onward Nation then their ears are going to perk up. Then they’re going to be interested. Talk about your podcast, but then talk about the other things you do such as, email blasts, social media, maybe even YouTube. Talk about all of the touch points you have. Then Linda took me back to the definition of sponsorship; “Connecting a company to people who buy things.” Onward Nation, you need to tell your prospective sponsors how you can connect them to people who could but their stuff. At this point in the learning from Linda, I was feeling really confident about the steps, the process, the upside, and the mistakes that needed to be avoided in order to save time and cash. Then I had another spark of fear – but in full transparency – it was probably more ego than fear – when I had the thought, “Wait a minute…if I sell a sponsorship for Onward Nation to a Bank of America, for example, doesn’t that diminish our own brand in some way?” So, I took the opportunity to ask Linda because I figured if I was thinking it – and could potentially turn that into a roadblock – then maybe other business owners would be asking themselves the same question. The best way to push that aside was to ask the expert. So Linda… “Do I diminish my own brand if I go get a sponsor?” And she put my mind at ease by letting me know that she is asked that question a lot because as business owners, we want to be independent, we don’t want to have a company influence what we’re going to say, and we don’t want the appearance that we’re biased. Linda has never had a sponsor try to influence her content in 16-years of doing this. And if they ever did, she would just say, “Hey, that’s not part of the program.” Onward Nation, you design your program — the sponsor writes the check — that’s what goes on with sponsorships. Also, the promotion of your sponsor does not have to be outlandish or in your face. The promotion can be elegant and understated, such as signage, banner ads, or things you put on your website. And if you do recommend a company like when Linda was working with Citibank, and she would recommend Citibank, she would disclose it by saying, “I need to disclose that Citibank is my sponsor,” and then you are in integrity by disclosing it. So know Linda was removing trap door after trap door and each and every excuse I was letting creep back into my mind. I was loving this conversation and the opportunity to learn from someone who has been so successful in this arena – but for me – even more important – was that she had scraped her knees, and busted an elbow, a time or two. She had the in-the-trenches experience that I love and really value. And if you have been listening to Onward Nation, you know I am a big fan of success secrets…those things…that if we apply them give us the ability to make stochastic jumps onward to new levels. So I asked Linda… “Are there any secrets to success business owners need to apply in order to be successful in attracting a sponsor?” Linda let me know that a secret is to make your sponsor the star. Most business owners when they try to get a sponsor, they fall into the trap of talking about what their business does, they might say things like, “I’ve have this great podcast, I have this great book, I have a great business, I have a great non-profit, or event, etc.” Business owners can sometimes talk about themselves and that’s not the way to get a sponsor. The way to get a sponsor is to talk to the sponsor about what you can do for them. Say, “Hey, Mr., Ms. Sponsor, I’m going to educate people about your products and your services. I’m going to help you increase your product and your brand loyalty. I’m going to help you grow your customer base. I’m going to help you drive sales and traffic.” Do you see the difference, Onward Nation? You’re saying, “Hey, the sponsor is the star” and your prospective sponsor is going to look at that and say, “Hey, this business owner understands that it’s about me and not about them.” You’ll tell them a little bit about what you do because they have to understand it, but mostly what you’re going to tell the sponsor is “Here’s how I’m going to benefit your company, here’s what I’m going to do for you.” Okay, Onward Nation – at this point in the interview, my confidence was soaring. I was beginning to think through the pitch and presentation – my thoughts were going to sales strategy and other ideas were firing. But, an essential component to any strategy is timing. How long would something like this take to pull together? So I asked Linda for her help about timelines… “Let’s talk timelines. How fast does, or maybe how long, is the sales cycle you typically see for attracting $10,000 to $100,000 sponsorships?” Linda started by reminding me that sponsorships are a relationship business. You need time to develop relationships with companies. Here’s where it’s going to be maybe a little bit of a shock to business owners. Linda recommends eight months to a year before you need the funding to start approaching prospective sponsors. Linda went on to tell me why. If you’re approaching Microsoft, FedEx, Staples (those are called the “Top Tier” sponsors), they have a process. You have to apply and you have to wait for them to approve it. They like to have a lot of lead time because whatever you are doing you have to talk about how you are going to work with their company, what kind of a program you are going to build together, and it takes time to develop that depth of a relationship. It will take time to get your first sponsor. But, Linda also shared some thoughts on how to complete the process quicker. There are “Top Tier” sponsors and then are “Second Tier” sponsors. In the banking industry (and banks are a great place to find sponsorships, by the way), Linda has worked with Bank of America and Citibank. They are top tier. But there may be a local community bank where you live, Onward Nation. There may be an up and coming player in the banking industry you might want to work with. That won’t take as long because it’s easier to get to the decision makers and to get that process of sponsorship started. The amazing thing about sponsorships being a relationship business is that there is something called renewals in sponsorships. And renewals are magic. Renewals are your cash machine because if a sponsor likes you, they can fund you this year, next year, and the next year. Linda has sold multi-year sponsorships with FedEx and Citibank. Her clients have had multi-year contracts with Verizon, Dole Foods, and Black and Decker just to name a few. It’s not a quick cash strategy. It is a long-term strategy to fund your business, Onward Nation. That’s why Linda recommends that business owners go for a one-year contract because one-year is about enough time to really analyze the relationship and if the sponsor wants to continue. If your sponsorship is from event-to-event, or episode-to-episode, a sponsor is not going to see that much growth as far as return on investment, so they are less likely to renew. Now it was time to begin formalizing the recipe – I could see the individual ingredients – but I needed Linda’s master skills with the recipe to help pull it all together so I could see the result outcome she was already envisioning. So I asked Linda… “Let’s get tactical and think about key steps in the process, the action plan, things that are going to improve the probability of success. If you were to give business owners one, two, or three things they need to do, what would those steps be?” Linda was kind enough to share a three-step process to attracting a sponsor. The first part is to do what she calls the “Sponsor Wish List.” The wish list is the list of companies that you would like to have as sponsors. Remember in your sponsor wish list to include both Top Tier and the Second Tier sponsors. Most business owners when they start their wish list think only of Top Tier sponsors. Go deeper. Since Linda and I had already talked about the banking industry, she then shifted to talk insurance. Yes, banking and insurance may be perceived by some business owners as boring industries. Everyone wants glam sponsors like fashion, cosmetics, and accessories. But the boring companies have the money. Let’s take the insurance category, you’re going to think of State Farm, and AFLAC, and all the ones that have paid to be top of mind. Then go a little deeper by doing some Google searches into smaller insurance companies, the up and coming brands, because the up and coming brands need you to get their name out. Linda told me that these second tier companies are outstanding prospects because they don’t have the brand awareness of the big brands and will be more open to what you have to offer, Onward Nation. Linda then shared a tangible example of that in practice. She worked with a company called Evolution Insurance Brokers. Nobody has ever heard of Evolution Insurance Brokers, and that is exactly why they sponsored her. They wanted to get the word out about their company. They’re not AFLAC, they’re not State Farm, they’re not the big players in the industry. But, Onward Nation…the second tiers have money to invest. Linda was not able to disclose exactly the value of the sponsorship with Evolution Insurance Brokers, but it was 5-figures. Step two is preparing your professional proposal. Linda recommends writing what she calls an “Industry Standard Sponsor Proposal.” The full sponsor proposal is about eight to ten pages in length and here’s what it includes: A description of your “property.” Onward Nation, write down the word “property” because what you do now is called the “property.” Your podcast is a property. Your book is a property. Your speaking business is a property. Your business, your event, your non-profit, whatever you are doing is called a property. You want to describe that. You should include your sponsor’s goals, which should be similar to what we talked about earlier in this chapter, such as increasing brand loyalty and customer base, and educating people, and driving traffic and sales, and all that. You should include a one-page marketing plan. It includes all the ways you’re going to get the word out about the sponsor. Sponsors are interested in this because marketing is the difference between a good idea someone has in their head and something that actually has legs and is sustainable. You should include your demographics. Whether your demographics are mothers, the parent market, the entrepreneurial market, the urban youth, the baby boomer market, you need to describe your demographics. Include any testimonials you have. You should include your sponsor fees like the ones we’ve talked about. The last thing, and here is how Linda and her team write proposals differently than anyone else in the country, is storytelling. You want to have good storytelling inside your proposal. Linda calls it “passion points.” Linda is able to sells sponsors because she doesn’t just put in the proposal what’s called your “pretty bio.” The pretty bio is your education, and the awards you won, and your experience. All of that is nice but what you want is to be vulnerable, you need to make a human connection, because you’re not just pitching to a faceless cooperation. You are pitching to a person, a human being, and you want to show your humanity. In Linda’s story, she talks about how she was in the poverty trap. She talks about how she was in an abusive relationship. Her story has helped her secure sponsors because you want them to see you as a real person. The emotional connection is important, Onward Nation. You want to put beautiful storytelling in there. If you don’t want to include your own story, put the story of someone you’ve helped through the work you do. Be sure to include some emotion. Business owners often make the mistake of thinking, “Oh, I’m going to impress them, and I’m going to put facts, and figures, and statistics in there.” But unfortunately, that is not going help you rise above the competition. Be human. All of the proposal ingredients from Linda really had me energized, Onward Nation. But then I started thinking about tools and other resources that I might also need to know about in order to make the process of selling a top tier sponsor as efficient as possible from a time perspective. So I asked Linda… “Are there any other tools, any other resources you think business owners ought to study to make this process as efficient and effective as possible?” Linda shared that her website at www.sponsorconcierge.com includes two free gifts. One is the “Number 1 Secret to Getting Corporate Sponsors.” And the second is that she does free sponsor strategy sessions with business owners so they can book a sponsor strategy session with me. During the sessions, she takes a look at what you’re currently doing, and together, you develop a success strategy to attract the right sponsor. To close out the interview, I asked Linda if she had any final advice that she thought we might have missed during our discussion. Linda closed by sharing how important it was for business owners to know that they can do this. The number one question Linda is most often asked is, “Why would a sponsor want to work with little ole’ me? I’m just getting started. I’m not a big company. I don’t have a track record. I don’t have a big following.” And Linda said to me, “Stephen, please know you can do this. You have value. You have things a sponsor is going to be attracted to. You just need to package it in the right way.” She reinforced the point by telling me the story about how she got her first sponsor… Linda lives in Los Angeles, California, so when she first had the idea to do her initial event, she was driving around in her clunker car and she of course was stuck in a traffic jam. She looked up and see a billboard for Bank of America and there’s a woman featured within the billboard design, so Linda thinks to herself, “Okay, they’re trying to get the women’s market.” Immediately, she starts doing self-sabotaging and thinking, “Why the heck would they talk to me? I’m just working from my home from my kitchen table. I’m not a big company. What the heck am I going to offer Bank of America?” But Linda’s dream and mission to help people was so strong that she couldn’t get it out of her head. So she got the courage to make a call to Bank of America and finally got the person who could greenlight the sponsorships. She finished her proposal, got everything done, and had an appointment at their office – and she was super nervous. Then he said to Linda, “Well, let’s see your proposal,” and she handed it to him. And he said, “Okay, well we’re going to go for this level of sponsorship,” and it was a five-figure sponsorship. Linda had to act like she did this all the time so she said, “Oh, great,” and then had to shake his hand but her hand was so clammy she had to wipe it off! She got back in my car and did the happy dance right there in the parking lot! She drove home and waved to all the Bank of America branches on her way home. You never know what’s going to happen, Onward Nation. It all starts with a thought. It starts with a dream. It starts with a vision. We’re taught to have these big dreams but we’re not taught how to finance the dreams, and dreams take money, and that’s where sponsors come in. You can do this! Hold your head up high. Know that you have quality and you bring value to your sponsors — and — you can fund your dreams. So with that said, Onward Nation… I want to thank you for taking the time to be here with me today. It is an honor to have you here — thank you for tuning in — your time is sacred and I am delighted you chose this episode to be what you listen to, study, and take with you on your morning run, or maybe Onward Nation has become part of your daily commute, or in some other way has become part of your morning routine. However our daily podcast fits into your daily routine — I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your invaluable 86,400 seconds you have in your day with me and the strategies we learn and share each day from today’s top business owners. And if you haven’t already downloaded your copy of our 12 Success Strategies eBook, just text the word “onward” to 6-6-8-6-6. Again, text the word “onward” to 6-6-8-6-6 and we will send it right to your Inbox. Onward with gusto!

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Stuart McAllister, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Food Service Segment of Dole Packaged Foods, about Dole’s partnership with celebrity chef Roy Choi on starting a healthy eating movement in Los Angeles. They discuss: How the partnership between Dole and Roy began because of Stuart’s love of Roy’s food! How Dole’s involvement began with a student-run cafe selling smoothies to a storefront to a food truck, which is staffed with interns from the Coalition for Responsible Community Development. Why an international conglomerate like Dole decided to launch a hyper-local program in Los Angeles. How Dole supports the program and its aspirations to expand the other program to other markets How Dole’s support for the cause benefits the Dole Foods brand. How Dole is supporting other causes around the world. Links & Notes Dole Packaged Foods Dole CSR Chef Roy Choi Coalition for Responsible Community Development

On February 7, President Obama signed the Farm Bill into law, which will govern our food policy for the next five years. In the new law are cuts to food stamps, an expansion of an extremely generous crop insurance program, bailouts for livestock producers, a big favor for chemical companies, and much more. Music in This Episode: Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Have You Had Enough by rotflmao (found on Music Alley by mevio) I'm Farming and I Grow It by The Peterson Farm Bros Farming in the United States We often hear that most United States farms are "family farms", which is true; in 2011, 96 percent of U.S. crop farms were family farms, and they accounted for 87 percent of the value of crop production. The term is misleading, however, because family farms can be sole proprietorships, partnerships or corporations. Using the term 'family farm' implies a small farm like the one Auntie Em owned in the Wizard of Oz. In reality, family farms are often enormous and are owned by wealthy individuals; 86 percent of farms with at least 10,000 acres of cropland are family operations. The way these large farms qualify as 'family farms' but actually produce the products of giant corporations is through the use of contracts. The farms themselves are owned and operated by individuals, but their crops belong to and are sold by a corporation. For example, Dole Foods leases 14,000 acres in Arizona and California from landowners who purchased the land from Dole Foods. Most of that land is now farmed by independent growers, most of which are family operations, under contract arrangements with Dole. According to the USDA, larger operations are more likely to use contracts, which can reduce the price and marketing risks faced by farmers. Large farms now dominate crop production in the United States. From 1987-2007, consolidation lead to larger farms for every major crop except for cantaloupe and plums. Between 1950 and 1997, consolidation caused the number of farms in the U.S. to decline dramatically—from 5.4 million to 1.9 million. A report by the USDA in 2013 concluded that this consolidation is due in part to the expansion of crop insurance in the United States. By reducing risk to farmers, crop insurance encourages farmers to invest more in labor-reducing equipment and to specialize in specific crops instead of diversifying crops and livestock as had been traditional in the past. Crop insurance also guarantees a certain amount of income to farmers which allows the large farms with only one crop to survive even if their product is devastated by drought, fire, or other national disaster. This guaranteed financial return has allowed larger farms to gobble up smaller farms, leading to the rapid consolidation of the last 60 years. Wealthy farmers' ability to buy vast amounts of land and huge equipment has increased production so much that now very few people are needed to do the actual work. In 1945, it took 14 labor hours to produce 100 bushels of corn on 2 acres of land; in 2002, it took just 3 labor hours to produce the same amount of corn on less than half the amount of land. That increased productivity resulted from bigger, more powerful machines, commercial fertilizers, genetically modified seeds, and other technologies. As a consequence of the substitution of equipment and chemicals for human labor, fewer than 2 percent of Americans farm for a living today. H.R. 2642: The Farm Bill The Farm Bill was signed into law on Friday, February 7, 2014. It will govern food policy in the United States for the next five years. Cuts to SNAP: Food Assistance for Needy Families The farm bill cuts $8 billion from SNAP (which is less than the $40 billion in cuts the House Republicans originally planned); the cut will take about $90 per month away from a typical poor family. The law kept the mean, unnecessary, and probably unenforceable provision that prevents food stamp recipients from recycling for cash the bottles and cans they bought with food stamps (Section 4001). Stores and restaurants that accept food stamps will be forced to pay for 100% of the electronic equipment and supplies needed to process food stamp cards while the law also prohibits manual vouchers (Section 4002). Murderers and sex offenders will not be eligible for food stamps (Section 4008). Government sponsored advertisements for the food stamp program will be prohibited (Section 4018). Direct Payments Direct payments - tax money given to food manufacturers for each acre they owned, regardless of production - were eliminated (Section 1101). Direct payments had cost approximately $4.5 billion per year. The House version had kept direct payments to upland cotton growers until 2016; the law will not. Crop Insurance The farm bill shifted the gifts to Agribusiness from direct payments to crop insurance, a program that will cost $90 billion per year, an increase of $7 billion, likely more. The increase in crop insurance cancels out all savings generated by eliminating direct payments, and then some. $17 billion in taxpayer money was paid out for crop insurance due to the 2012 drought. No person or "legal entity" can receive more than $125,000 per year, but more than one person or entity can be paid per farm (Section 1603). Individuals who make over $900,000 a year are ineligible for commodity and conservation program money, but are still eligible for crop insurance payments (Section 1605). Food manufacturers who do not purchase insurance will be able to get payments equal to catastrophic insurance levels - also capped at $125,000 per year- if they back-pay premiums (Section 12305). The insurance program is managed by private insurance companies for a profit but claims will be paid with taxpayer money. Taxpayers reimburse private insurance companies for their costs (Section 11021). Private insurers have pocketed surplus premiums in all but two years since 1993; in that time, private insurers have made $10 billion in profit while the taxpayers have absorbed $70 million in losses. Any savings generated by renegotiating terms with the private insurance companies will be given to the insurance companies (Section 11012). Federal subsidies for premiums totaled $7.15 billion in 2012, and Federal support for insurance company expenses were $1.38 billion (USDA report from 2013). "But we are also telling private crop insurance companies, we are going to guarantee you a 14  percent profit margin. We are going to pay your entire administrative and operating expenses. And, by the way, you are going to bear very little risk in offering these policies. The American taxpayer will still bear that risk." - Rep. Ron Kind (WI), Congressional Record for January 29, 2014 We will also pay the food manufacturers' premiums. Taxpayers will pay 65% of insurance premiums in some cases (Section 11003). For beginning farmers and ranchers, we will pay 75% of their premiums (Section 11016). For the dairy program, the lowest level of coverage requires no premium payments (Section 1407). Organic farmers will be eligible for insurance no later than 2015 (Section 11023). "In case folks do not know, the fact of the matter is that Americans subsidize crop insurance. We pick up over 60 percent of the cost of the premiums on crop insurance. We pay 100 percent of the administrative costs in terms of crop insurance. We have 26 individuals who get at least $1 million in a crop insurance subsidy, and we can't find out who they are." -Rep. Rose DeLauro (CT), Congressional Record from January 29, 2013 Multiple insurance options - price loss coverage and agriculture risk coverage- are available only to food manufacturers with over 10 acres (Sections 1115-1117). Price loss coverage: Food manufacturers are paid with tax money when the real price of their crops is less than expected. Agriculture risk coverage: Food manufacturers are paid with tax money when they make less in revenue than they expected; it essentially pays their insurance deductibles. The Numbers Are Rigged Methods used to calculate average crops for the purpose of insurance payouts inflate the average crop size, which in turn will trigger larger taxpayer-funded insurance payouts. In determining the expected crop, any year in the previous five - which is used to determine the average- when the crop yield is less than 70% of the historical yield, that year will count as 70% (Section 1117). Food manufacturers can exclude years during which their yield was 50% below the average of the previous ten years (Section 11009). For the dairy program, the production history for the milk manufacturers' will be their highest production rate in the years 2011, 2012, or 2013 instead of an average (Section 1405). Bailouts for Food Manufacturers Unlimited tax money will be used to pay individuals and corporations for livestock losses caused by attacks by wolves and other Federally protected predator species, disease, and natural disasters such as drought, flood, blizzards, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters (Section 1501). We will pay the person or corporation 75% of the value of the dead animals. We will pay 60% of a livestock producers' feed costs in the case of drought, 80% if they disposed of livestock because of drought in one or both of the previous years. Drought payments will be multiplied by the severity of drought. D3 level drought will give the livestock producer three times the standard monthly payment, D4 level drought will give the livestock producer four times the standard monthly payment, and D4 level drought that lasts longer than four weeks will pay out five times the standard monthly payment. Assistance is capped at $125,000 per person or "legal entity" per year. We will also pay tree manufacturers for 65% of their replanting costs if more than 15% of their trees were destroyed due to a natural disaster, capped at $125,000 per year for no more than 500 acres. Research We will pay for research into improving the "digestibility, nutritional value, and efficiency of the use of corn, soybean meal, cereal grains, and grain byproducts for the poultry and food animal production industries" (Section 7209). Cows are not supposed to eat corn; the dietary change makes them unhealthier food for humans but changes their growth time from five years to 14 months, leading to faster profits for industry. Corn production in 2010 consumed 9 million tons of fertilizer & led to 42 million tons of CO2 greenhouse gas emission. The budget signed two weeks ago prohibits regulation of carbon dioxide and methane caused by livestock production. Due to their unhealthy diets, 80% of antibiotics in the United States are given to U.S. farm animals, according to Princeton University. The "Red Meat Safety Research Center" is repealed in this law (Section 7215). When publishing a final rule for "Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption", the Secretary of Health and Human Services must evaluate the economic impact on industry and develop a plan to respond to business concerns (Section 12311). Genetically Modified Food Plants that secrete poison - "plant-incorporated protectants" - can be imported into the United States without the knowledge of the government as long as that poison is registered in the United States or has received an experimental use permit (Section 10008). This section was slipped into the final version of the bill. Labeling Country of origin labeling was not prevented by this law; the law orders a study on the economic impact of the new regulations (Section 12104). Certified organic farm will have to keep records for five years detailing the substances they use in their fields, the name and address of the person who applied it, and the date, rate, and method of application for each substance (Section 10005). Penalties for mis-labeling a product will be capped at $10,000. Protection for Chemical Companies The EPA will be forced to exclude fluoride from studies assessing tolerances to pesticides (Section 10015). In 2011, the EPA recommends a phased withdrawal of the use of sulfuryl fluoride as a pesticide because the combination of pesticides on food when added to the exposure we get from drinking water and toothpaste exceed the legal limit. If they don't assess the tolerance level anymore, then fluoride can still be considered "safe" to use as a pesticide. Sulfuryl flouride is a product of Dow Chemical, which spent over $10 million lobbying in 2013. Marketing We will pay $25 million to "address the critical needs to the pulse crop industry" with an information campaign designed to get us to buy more dry beans, dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas (Section 7209). We will also pay for research into "improving pulse crop productivity" using plant breeding, genetics, and genomics." We will pay $20 million per year to promote and expand production of maple syrup (Section 12306). Conservation Programs Overall, the law will consolidate 23 conservation programs into 13 programs and cut $6 billion from conservation over the next ten years. Food manufacturers will have to comply with conservation rules in order to get taxpayers to  pay their insurance premiums (Section 2611). Payment in Peanuts Peanut producers are able to get loans from the Federal government by putting up physical peanuts for collateral. When they repay the loan, they are supposed to pay us back for the storage and handling; however, if the loan can not be re-paid, the taxpayer is on the hook for the storage, handling, and will be the proud owner of a warehouse(s) full of peanuts (Section 1201). Elimination of Mineral Rights The following section of current law, says if a landowner's mineral rights aren't included in the appraisal for a loan, the mineral rights can't be considered collateral. This section is eliminated which may mean that if a landowner's mineral rights are not included in the appraisal for a loan, those mineral rights CAN be seized as collateral on the loan (Section 5004). (d) Mineral rights as collateral With respect to a farm ownership loan made after December 23, 1985, unless appraised values of the rights to oil, gas, or other minerals are specifically included as part of the appraised value of collateral securing the loan, the rights to oil, gas, or other minerals located under the property shall not be considered part of the collateral securing the loan. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the inclusion of, as part of the collateral securing the loan, any payment or other compensation the borrower may receive for damages to the surface of the collateral real estate resulting from the exploration for or recovery of minerals. Marijuana Universities and States may grow hemp as part of a pilot program to research the growth, cultivation, or marketing of industrial hemp (Section 7606). Medical marijuana cannot be treated as a medical expense for a medical expense deduction (Section 4005). Animal Fighting It will now be illegal to attend an animal fight; doing so will be punishable by a fine and/or up to one year in prison. Deleted A provision in previous versions would have required members of Congress, their immediate families, and the President's Cabinet to report any payouts they receive from crop insurance; it was deleted from the bill.