Podcasts about drugs

Ladygang we have horrible news, apparently we were supposed to be "scooping" out our periods this whole time. Plus, a Becca rant about group photos, and her realization that THIS WHOLE TIME what she thought was a beta blocker was a.... (OMG!) In this epiosde we have the longest good week bad week ever and girl chat just us! We have spring deals for YOU!Hers: Ready to reach your goals? Visit ForHers.com/ladygang for personalized, affordable care that gets YOU.Clean Simple Eats: Shop the best tasting protein powders at CleanSimpleEats.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You are not eating because you are hungry. You are eating because you have been trained to, and the food industry designed it that way. This episode dismantles everything you thought you knew about hunger, weight loss, and metabolism, and gives you a science-backed framework to finally stop fighting your own biology. -Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR Host Dave Asprey sits down with Dr. Jason Fung, a New York Times bestselling author, practicing nephrologist, and one of the most trusted voices in functional medicine and metabolic health. Dr. Fung completed medical school at the University of Toronto and a fellowship in nephrology at Stanford University. He is the author of multiple critically acclaimed books including The Obesity Code, The Diabetes Code, and his newest release The Hunger Code, and is the co-founder of The Fasting Method, a program designed to help people lose weight and reverse type 2 diabetes through fasting and real food nutrition. His work has helped millions break free from calorie restriction dogma for good. Together, Dave and Dr. Fung expose the three types of hunger driving the obesity epidemic, why calorie restriction fails almost every time, and what ultra-processed foods actually do to your brain's reward system. They get into the real science of fasting, metabolism, hormonal signaling, GLP-1 drugs, food addiction, conditioned eating behavior, and how your physical environment is quietly sabotaging your results. If you are serious about biohacking your hunger, optimizing your body composition, and taking control of your biology without white-knuckling willpower, this episode delivers the tools you need. This is essential listening for anyone focused on biohacking, longevity, human performance, fasting, metabolism, anti-aging, sleep optimization, brain optimization, functional medicine, and eating smarter not harder. You'll Learn: Why calorie restriction fails and what actually controls how much you eat The three types of hunger: homeostatic, hedonic, and conditioned, and how each one drives overeating How ultra-processed foods hijack your dopamine system and destroy satiety signals Why wiring your jaw shut or cutting your stomach still does not produce long-term weight loss What GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic actually reveal about hunger, metabolism, and the body fat thermostat How conditioned hunger works like Pavlov's dogs and practical strategies to reverse it The role of your physical environment in controlling food noise and cravings Why food addiction is real, and which foods are engineered to keep you hooked How fasting resets hunger signals, improves metabolic flexibility, and supports ketosis The mindset shift that makes healthy eating feel effortless instead of like deprivation Thank you to our sponsors! - OneSkin | Get 15% off OneSkin with code DAVE at oneskin.co/DAVE. - iRestore | Reverse hair loss with www.irestore.com/DAVE and get exclusive savings on the iRestore Elite, use code DAVE - Our Place | Stop cooking with toxic cookware and upgrade to Our Place today. With a 100-day risk-free trial, plus free shipping and returns, you can experience this game-changing cookware with zero risk. Visit: fromourplace.com/DAVE Use code: DAVE for 10% off sitewide - fatty15 | Go to https://fatty15.com/dave and save an extra $15 when you subscribe with code DAVE. Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights inhealth, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient. Keywords: Jason Fung, The Hunger Code, fasting, intermittent fasting, hunger, food addiction, ultra-processed foods, calorie restriction, weight loss, obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolism, insulin, leptin, hedonic hunger, conditioned hunger, food noise, GLP-1, Ozempic, dopamine, satiety, body fat thermostat, food environment, behavioral psychology, real food Resources: • Check out all of Dr. Fung's books and content at: https://www.doctorjasonfung.com/ • Get My 2026 Clean Nicotine Roadmap | Enroll for free at https://daveasprey.com/2026-clean-nicotine-roadmap/ • Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 • My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off) • Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off) • Dave Asprey's BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com • Dave Asprey's New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated • Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/ • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com Timestamps: 0:00 – Trailer 1:01 – Introduction 2:29 – The 3 Types of Hunger 4:41 – Conditioned Hunger 6:51 – Ultra-Processed Foods 11:47 – Dave's Personal Story 14:06 – The Calorie Debate 16:32 – Restricting Calories Doesn't Work 18:38 – The 3 Whys Framework 20:21 – Shame in Weight Loss 25:05 – GLP-1 Drugs 27:53 – Ranking the 3 Hungers 33:43 – Food Addiction 38:31 – Fake Fats & Fake Sweeteners 45:03 – 3 Golden Rules for Weight Loss 47:42 – Deprogramming Hunger 50:36 – Pavlok & Behavior Hacking 59:26 – Outro See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast This week on the teaser: A special guestis back and we spiral immediately—bassoon repair shops, weird road trips, and why I told him to stop shoving bassoons in my face. I break down LA, interviewing Andy Dick (who calls me fat repeatedly), Dopeywood fallout, and the insanity of doing 11 interviews in 4 days. Then things get extra Dopey: we discover a gay app called Blowey that's basically Yelp for blowjobs, Ray refuses to admit anything about his sex life, and we somehow end up talking about fear of escalators, driving anxiety, and being old. We wrap with Dopey Nation updates, Spotify comments, Jeremy love/hate, and Drugs, sex, fear, bassoons, and Andy Dick being Andy Dick Plus Ba Ba Boohi!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our listeners can buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional pairs at ⁠http://warbyparker.com/KINDAFUNNY⁠ — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad Thank you for the support! Run of Show - - A Sit Down with the Kids - Greeting Cards - Skateboarding - Greg is Old Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Viera joins Ralph Sutton and Aaron Berg and they discuss Mark Viera's move to Florida and all the animals he sees there, where his love of comedy came from, being inspired by John Ritter, dealing with disrespectful hecklers, using "snapping" to learn to be funny, performing in front of aerobics classes then being asked to perform at Showtime at the Apollo, opening for Marc Anthony and working with Gabriel Iglesias, working with charities and performing for the troops, Mark Viera's time as a bodybuilder, Blind Ranking bald men, Mark Viera's first concert, first drug and first sexual experience and so much more!Air Date: 04/15/26To advertise your product or service on GaS Digital podcasts please go to TheADSide.com and click on "Advertisers" for more information!You can watch The SDR Show LIVE for FREE every Wednesday and Saturday at 9pm ET at GaSDigitalNetwork.com/LIVEOnce you're there you can sign up at GaSDigitalNetwork.com with promo code: SDR for discount on your subscription which will give you access to every SDR show ever recorded! On top of that you'll also have the same access to ALL the shows that GaS Digital Network has to offer!Follow the whole show on social media!Mark VieraTwitter: https://twitter.com/MarkVieraComedyInstagram: https://instagram.com/MarkVieraComedyAaron BergTwitter: https://twitter.com/aaronbergcomedyInstagram: https://instagram.com/aaronbergcomedyRalph SuttonTwitter: https://twitter.com/iamralphsuttonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamralphsutton/Shannon LeeTwitter: https://twitter.com/IMShannonLeeInstagram: https://instagram.com/ShannonLee6982The SDR ShowTwitter: https://twitter.com/theSDRshowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Philosopher Stefan Molyneux breaks down a caller's 14-year addiction in family dysfunction, smashing homebound parental repeats to claim independence, heal emotions and forge healthy bonds.GET FREEDOMAIN MERCH! https://shop.freedomain.com/SUBSCRIBE TO ME ON X! https://x.com/StefanMolyneuxFollow me on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/@freedomain1GET MY NEW BOOK 'PEACEFUL PARENTING', THE INTERACTIVE PEACEFUL PARENTING AI, AND THE FULL AUDIOBOOK!https://peacefulparenting.com/Join the PREMIUM philosophy community on the web for free!Subscribers get 12 HOURS on the "Truth About the French Revolution," multiple interactive multi-lingual philosophy AIs trained on thousands of hours of my material - as well as AIs for Real-Time Relationships, Bitcoin, Peaceful Parenting, and Call-In Shows!You also receive private livestreams, HUNDREDS of exclusive premium shows, early release podcasts, the 22 Part History of Philosophers series and much more!See you soon!https://freedomain.locals.com/support/promo/UPB2025

Super Groupies were a hot topic in the 1960s and 1970s, and definitely still are around here on Trashy Divorces. In this episode, Alicia gets into the life, work, and spiderwebs of Cynthia Albritton, known in the day as Cynthia Plaster Caster. Her art was unusual, certainly, but Cynthia went to great lengths to make her creative work her own. Cynthia was truly a Super Groupie, and is remembered in an alternate way than most of the other gals hanging around the scene. Pamela de Barres perhaps summed it up best about her fellow groupie sister Cynthia by saying "She was the Michelangelo of Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll." Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at patreon.com/trashydivorces! Want a personalized message for someone in your life? Check us out on Cameo! To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to info@amplitudemediapartners.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeffrey recaps WrestleMania. Are peanut allergies real? Hundreds of activists are pepper sprayed in violent clash with deputies at beagle research facility. Skid Row homeless people are testing their drugs on dogs. Chinese automaker is putting a toilet in their vehicle. 62 million men are enrolled in a rape academy.

Dave Crosland & Scott McNally break down how postal inspectors track illegal shipments and what really happens when a package gets seized. Learn the tools used to monitor mail, legal risks, and how carriers like USPS, FedEx, and UPS differ. Plus bodybuilding Q&A on insulin use, TRT, cycles, and real-world coaching insights. 0:00 Postal Inspectors EXPOSED – How They Track Illegal Shipments 1:00 China Crackdown on Exports – Why It's Harder to Get Gear 5:45 What Is a U.S. Postal Inspector? Powers Explained 7:00 Can the Government Open Your Mail? Laws & Reality 8:15 Mail Surveillance Tools – How Packages Get Flagged 13:30 FedEx vs UPS vs USPS – Who Needs a Warrant? 16:00 Seized Package Letter – What It Means & What To Do 20:30 Bloodwork Q&A – Dave Reviews Listener Labs 21:30 Injection Sites – Should You Pin Arms? 24:30 Fast-Acting Insulin in a Calorie Deficit 26:30 Insulin Before Fasted Cardio – Smart or Risky? 28:30 Tren + Deca Together – Why It's a Bad Idea 34:45 Postal Inspector Units – How They Operate 36:00 Underdosed Gear – Should You Just Take More? 38:30 Extreme Bodybuilding Methods That Actually Work 42:00 Estrogen Issues on TRT – What's Going Wrong 43:45 Masteron Prop for Contest Prep – Worth It? 47:20 Long-Term Fat Loss While Using Gear 50:20 Rate My Cycle – Hair Loss Concerns Explained 54:00 Dave Tears His Bicep – What Happened 57:45 Is Everyone Using Peptides & Tren Now? 59:40 Uncle Dave's Advice UK Blood Work Get your Labs done by Dave in the UK : https://evalbloodanalysis.com/home/ Support the Podcast Patreon — Help keep the show growing. Even $5/month makes a difference. https://www.patreon.com/thinkbigbodybuilding Sponsors TRUE NUTRITION — Custom supplements for serious lifters Use code THINK to save https://www.truenutrition.com/THINK STROM SPORTS — Performance supplements trusted by athletes UK: https://tinyurl.com/ydmbfa54 US: https://stromsportsus.com Supplement Source Canada — Top brand supplements with fast shipping http://www.supplementsource.ca Merch Official THINK BIG Merch — Train, represent, support the brand https://think-big.printify.me/products Merch Official THINK BIG Merch — Train, represent, support the brand https://think-big.printify.me/products

Are psychedelics & mind-altering substances like ayahuasca, DMT, psilocybin and ketamine a path to healing and spiritual awakening? Or a dangerous shortcut to enlightenment? Let's look back on how Neal Brennan, Pete Holmes, Reggie Watts, Josh Radnor, Arthur Brooks, and Dr. Joe Dispenza debate the benefits, risks, and meaning behind psychedelic experiences, from ego death to divine connection. We dig deep into consciousness, addiction, spirituality, and whether true transformation can come from a substance or must be earned through deeper inner work. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⏯️ SUBSCRIBE!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch: https://youtu.be/IpCgXRh2eKEAPR Health Solutions Peptides: www.aprhealthsolutions.com - code nyleOptimize HRT Clinic: https://members.optimize-hp.com - code nyleMerch: https://www.aykons.com/nylePlease share this episode if you liked it. To support the podcast, the best cost-free way is to subscribe and please rate the podcast 5* wherever you find your podcasts. Thanks for watching.To be part of any Q&A, follow trensparentpodcast or nylenayga on instagram and watch for Q&A prompts on the story  https://www.instagram.com/trensparentpodcast/Huge Supplements (Protein, Pre, Defend Cycle Support, Utilize GDA, Vital, Astragalus, Citrus Bergamot): https://www.hugesupplements.com/discount/NYLESupport code 'nyle' 10% off - proceeds go towards upgrading content productionYoungLA Clothes: https://www.youngla.com/discount/nyleCode ‘nyle' to support the podcastLet's chat about the Podcast:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trensparentpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transparentpodcastPersonalized Bodybuilding Program:  https://www.nylenaygafitness.comRP Hypertrophy Training App: rpstrength.com/nyle00:00:00 Intro00:02:13 Radical Transparency and Respect 00:04:31 The Social Bonding of Recovery 00:05:08 Rehab as a Mental Vacation 00:06:53 The Arnold Shield: Childhood Trauma 00:08:52 The Search for Value and Validation 00:10:15 The "Not Good Enough" Machine 00:11:12 The First Pill: Finding Relief 00:13:07 The Urge to Use: Explaining Cravings 00:15:26 Transparent Merch and Metal Styles 00:16:51 Binge Eating, Bulimia, and Compulsion 00:17:36 The Kratom and Ketamine Hurdles 00:19:32 Playing the Tape to the End 00:22:17 The Danger of Isolation and Singlehood 00:25:28 Sadness Disguised as Anger 00:27:24 HALT: The Addict's Self-Check 00:29:51 Emotional Reactivity and Family Repair 00:31:29 Building the Man for the Future 00:32:51 Fatherhood: The Ultimate Purpose 00:36:23 The Trap of the "One Drink." 00:40:04 Bodybuilding as an Addict's Sport 00:41:55 The Olympia Train and Relapse 00:43:22 Peptides, Bloodwork, and Longevity 00:46:04 Cold Showers and Dopamine Management 00:49:41 Helping the DMs: Service in Recovery 00:52:16 Shaking in Front of the Mothers 00:54:49 The Vision for a Non-Profit Rehab 00:55:40 The First Cycle: Winstrol at 18 00:58:24 PEDs, Ego, and Early Recovery 01:01:21 The John Meadows Era: 200mg Propionate 01:03:41 High Blood Pressure and Relapse Risks 01:07:42 Saving Lives with Heart Calcium Scans 01:10:53 Height Trolls and Goku Hair 01:12:35 Anime, Crunchyroll, and Cardio 01:16:03 Podcasting for the Cardio Crew 01:21:20 Master's Olympia Comeback Thoughts 01:22:39 Genetics: God Mode vs. Hard Mode 01:25:17 Building Massive Capped Shoulders 01:28:51 The Board Shorts Controversy 01:31:07 Influencer Economics and Revenue 01:33:34 Shelter to Olympia: The Comeback 01:35:16 Live Techno and Drum Machines 01:40:14 One Final Message to the World

Don sits down with friend of the show Dr. Frita to break down the latest developments in pharmaceuticals, and the policy shifts shaping them. From growing skepticism around antidepressants to reports of unconventional partnerships influencing drug approvals, the Trump administration is making moves that are raising serious questions. What's driving these decisions, and what could they mean for patients and public health moving forward? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world isn't as chaotic as it seems. The same patterns that shaped ancient civilizations are still unfolding today… just under new names.The Prometheus Report breaks down current events through biblical, mythological, and symbolic frameworks to uncover what's really happening beneath the surface. This isn't reaction content.This is pattern recognition. If you've ever felt like “something deeper is going on”… you're not wrong.====================ABOUT:Join us as we talk about the recent news of President Donald Trump and Joe Rogan's collaboration on legalizing psychodelics for various treatments like PTSD and opoid addiction. ====================

A stolen car. A freeway crash. And a life that spiraled fast.Episode 108 of The Wild Chaos Podcast features Michael, who shares a raw story of growing up in Long Beach, getting pulled into gang life, addiction, and the prison system — and what it actually takes to change. From juvenile hall at 12 to California prisons, riots, and addiction, Michael explains how quickly identity can get trapped in “the program” and how drugs like meth and heroin accelerate the cycle.But this story doesn't end there.After being transferred through out-of-state prisons and experiencing the reality of corruption and contraband, a single moment changed everything — a book on self-discipline that led to education, growth, and a new purpose.Today, Michael helps lead RISE, a program focused on prison leadership, rehabilitation, and bridging the gap between correctional officers and incarcerated individuals. We break down:• Gang life and prison politics• Addiction and identity inside prison• The role of emotional intelligence in rehabilitation• Communication between COs and inmates• What actually reduces recidivism• Why real change is possibleIf you want to understand prison reform, addiction recovery, and the human side of incarceration, this episode will challenge your perspective.

The obesity medication landscape just changed — again. One brand-new pill is already in pharmacies, and five more are in various stages of approval. But the real story isn't the drugs themselves: it's what they're revealing about how your metabolism actually works, and why willpower was never the problem.This week on Fat Science, Dr. Emily Cooper, Mark Wright, and Andrea Taylor break down six metabolic medications — two newly FDA-approved and four in the pipeline — covering everything from a flexible new oral GLP-1 pill to drugs that target the brain's central metabolic pathway directly. Dr. Cooper explains the science behind each one, who might benefit, and what the pipeline tells us about the future of metabolic care. This is the most comprehensive drug update the show has done, and it arrives at a moment when the field is moving faster than ever.Key TakeawaysFoundayo (orforglipron), approved April 1st, is the first small molecule oral GLP-1 — no empty stomach requirement, no cold chain, and potentially lower production costs long-term.The amylin hormone may uniquely address both "I'm nourished" and "I weigh enough" signals in the brain — making the amylin pathway a powerful and underutilized target.Retatrutide (Lilly's triple agonist targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors) is showing unprecedented effectiveness plus significant non-scale benefits, including fatty liver reduction — but is still years from approval.The brain's melanocortin 4 receptor is the CEO of metabolism — regulating energy expenditure, appetite, and insulin — and new drugs targeting it represent the deepest intervention yet.Many of these medications are showing weight-independent benefits, including improvements in kidney, liver, cardiovascular risk, sleep apnea, and joint health that have nothing to do with how much weight is lost.Notable Quote"Everybody focuses on appetite, and you just need to eat less. But now with these medications and how they actually affect our biology, it becomes very clear that there's so much more to this." — Dr. Emily CooperLinks & ResourcesPodcast Home: fatsciencepodcast.comCooper Center for Metabolism: coopermetabolic.comResources from Dr. Cooper: coopermetabolic.com/resourcesJoin Our Community: patreon.com/cw/FatSciencePodcastSubmit Your Question: questions@fatsciencepodcast.com or dr.c@fatsciencepodcast.comFat Science is supported by the Diabesity Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to effective, science-based metabolic care.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized recommendations.

Opioid detections in workplaces are rising sharply. Workplace testing firm the Drug Detection Agency says detections of opioids like morphine and fentanyl has increased by more than a third in the past year. In Taranaki, it's recording almost five times as many opioids as the previous year. Chief Executive Glenn Dobson told Mike Hosking the stats will vary in comparison to wastewater, but they're certainly a reflection of a subset of society. He says anecdotally, they're hearing a softening attitude around some drug taking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Syed Edwards joins Locked In with Ian Bick to share his story of growing up in New Jersey, losing both of his parents at a young age, and being raised by his grandmother before the streets took over. After starting to hustle as a teenager, everything escalated when his grandmother passed away, pushing him deeper into the drug game where he began manufacturing and built a $5,000-a-day operation in the late 90s and early 2000s. In this episode, Syed breaks down how he ran his operation, what life in the streets was really like, and how the feds eventually caught up to him, leading to nearly two years in a New Jersey county jail. _____________________________________________ #DrugDealer #FederalCase #TrueCrime #StreetLife #Feds #PrisonStory #CrimeStory #lockedinpodcast _____________________________________________ Connect with Syed Edwards: https://www.instagram.com/thereals550?igsh=bThsY3l5N3N3NTcw _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 From the Streets to the Feds (Full Story) 01:40 Growing Up in New Jersey's Diamond District 04:44 Losing Family & Early Life Struggles 08:22 Childhood Before the Streets 09:53 First Hustles & Entering the Streets 13:39 Grandmother's Influence & Loss 14:18 Dropping Out & Chasing Fast Money 15:49 High School Drug Dealing Begins 18:39 Learning the Drug Game: Risks & Rewards 20:22 The Street Economy: Millions on the Block 23:00 Making Real Money: Cooking & Street Credit 26:06 Avoiding Gangs & Staying Neutral 29:01 Regrets & Reality of the Fast Life 33:33 Violence, Competition & Street Risks 36:04 Street Life Then vs Now 42:00 Arrests, Betrayal & Everything Falls Apart 47:47 Federal Case: Surveillance, Setup & Arrest 53:04 County Jail: Survival & Mental Battles 01:09:50 Release, Redemption & Staying Free 01:16:52 Mentorship, Music & New Purpose 01:20:12 Advice for the Next Generation _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What starts as a childhood in East Los Angeles turns into a life shaped by gangs, prison, and violence. In this raw and unfiltered interview, a former Mexican Mafia member—Mundo—breaks down his journey from rebellion and low self-esteem to becoming deeply embedded in one of the most feared prison organizations in the United States. He shares firsthand stories about growing up in gang-infested neighborhoods, his first time in juvenile hall, and how prison culture transformed him. From brutal violence and survival tactics behind bars to the psychology of gang loyalty, identity, and fear—this is a rare inside look into a world few ever truly understand. In this episode: -Growing up in East LA and early influences -Why people really join gangs (it's not what you think) -First time in juvenile hall and adapting to survive -The moment everything changed: first homicide -Prison politics, race dynamics, and gang structure -The rise and influence of the Mexican Mafia -How violence becomes normalized behind bars -The reality of loyalty, fear, and identity in gang life This isn't glamorized. It's real. And it's a story about consequences. Go Support Mundo! Books: https://www.policeandfirepublishing.com/ YouTube: @convictsandcops Movie: https://www.amazon.com/Mundo-Vince-Romo/dp/B07MMP45GC This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: GLD! New customers get 40% Off with code MITCHELL at https://GLD.com Superpower! Head to https://superpower.com and use code CONNECT at checkout for $20 off your membership. Unlock your new health intelligence. 100+ biomarkers. Every year. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpod BetterHelp! When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/connect Hims! To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://hims.com/connect Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Mundo's Violent Life Begins 02:00 Introducing Ramon "Mundo" Mendoza 03:30 Why Mundo Wears a Mask & His Early Life 06:30 Growing Up in Boyle Heights and Gang Culture 09:00 Juvenile Hall and the Onset of Violence 13:00 Gang Identity and Early Violence 17:00 Life in Juvenile Hall: Survival and Respect 20:38 This Episode Is Sponsored By GLD 22:13 First Major Gang Beefs & Beatings 26:00 Mundo's First Homicide and Its Impact 31:00 Retaliation, Machine Guns & Escalation 37:34 This Episode Is Sponsored By Superpower 39:01 Going to Prison: The Start of a New Chapter 44:00 Early Days in Prison: Riots and Survival 51:00 Prison Politics: Gangs, Drugs & Race 56:00 Murder in Prison and Evasion of Justice 58:35 This Episode Is Sponsored By BetterHelp 59:14 Killing Inside: Desensitization & Prison Life 01:10:00 From Prison Violence to the Outside World 01:14:12 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims 01:15:44 Joining the Mexican Mafia: Becoming a Member 01:23:00 Life as a Made Member: Hits, Power & Respect 01:31:00 The Evolution and Expansion of La Eme 01:39:00 Organized Crime: Heroin, Money & Murder Inc. 01:47:00 Structure of Surenos & Influence Over California 01:54:00 La Eme, the Cartels, and National Influence 02:01:00 Collection, Power, and Street-Level Operations 02:07:00 The Murder Case That Changed Everything 02:15:00 Conversion, Remorse, and Turning Point 02:21:00 Leaving the Mafia & Finding a New Path 02:24:00 Becoming an Author & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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John talks with Frank Tarentino, Associate Chief of Operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration's Northeast Region, about decreases in overdose deaths and National Prescription Takeback Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Walsh says hundreds of undelivered King County ballots were dumped near a Renton strip mall. Work zone speed camera program set to expand, boosting safety and adding fines // September 1995 – Denver, CO, Phil Schneider recounts his alleged underground encounter. Rumsfeld on why the DoD cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions. What happened to the $2.3 trillion?  Records were destroyed on Sept 11th, 2001. Just minutes ago, Trump again announced he would release all the Govt. UAP files //  "I went to an AA meeting ... the next thing I know, I'm doing cocaine, drinking and smoking pot," says man arrested attempting to climb on airplanes 

Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird joins Ralph Sutton and Aaron Berg. From growing up on Toddlers & Tiaras to life after reality TV, Pumpkin shares what it was really like behind the scenes and how things weren't always as they seemed. She gets candid about controversial takes on pageants, starting an OnlyFans, and navigating relationships while in the spotlight. The episode also touches on family life, major personal changes, and what's kept hidden from the cameras. Plus, it wraps with a chaotic game of “Would Mama June approve or call the cops?” full of wild and funny moments.(Air Date: 04/11/26)Support our sponsors!YoKratom.com - Check out Yo Kratom (the home of the $60 kilo) for all your kratom needs!To advertise your product or service on GaS Digital podcasts please go to TheADSide.com and click on "Advertisers" for more information!You can watch The SDR Show LIVE for FREE every Wednesday and Saturday at 9pm ET at GaSDigitalNetwork.com/LIVEOnce you're there you can sign up at GaSDigitalNetwork.com with promo code: SDR for discount on your subscription which will give you access to every SDR show ever recorded! On top of that you'll also have the same access to ALL the shows that GaS Digital Network has to offer!Follow the whole show on social media!PumpkinInstagram: https://instagram.com/PumpkinAaron BergTwitter: https://twitter.com/aaronbergcomedyInstagram: https://instagram.com/aaronbergcomedyRalph SuttonTwitter: https://twitter.com/iamralphsuttonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamralphsutton/Shannon LeeTwitter: https://twitter.com/IMShannonLeeInstagram: https://instagram.com/ShannonLee6982The SDR ShowTwitter: https://twitter.com/theSDRshowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we look at UK Alzheimer's drugs and the latest debate over whether new treatments are a genuine breakthrough or overhyped, alongside a striking HIV case from Oslo that has raised fresh questions in medical research. We also explore new findings on gut health and its link to hormones and modern disease in industrialised societies, before turning to the skies for the Lyrid meteor shower 2026 and when to see it in the UK... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The Friday Five for April 17, 2026:   [00:57] CMS 2027 MA and Part D Final Rule [02:09] Google Announces New Chrome Features [04:56] March 2026 CPI/2026 FOMC Calendar [07:03] Protective Life Corporation Study on Gaps in Medicare Knowledge [10:17] CMS 2026 Prior Authorization Proposed Rule   Get Connected:

I used to look back and wonder why I was put through so many challenges in my life.    Adoption.    Abuse,    Abandonment.    Drugs.    Jail.    Divorce.    Heartbreak after heartbreak.    I used to get tired of being the whipping post in life, but as I grew, built businesses, created a family, I came to realize that I can let my pain hold me down or use it to power me through to the next phase of my life.    About the ReWire Podcast The ReWire Podcast with Ryan Stewman – Dive into powerful insights as Ryan Stewman, the HardCore Closer, breaks down mental barriers and shares actionable steps to rewire your thoughts. Each episode is a fast-paced journey designed to reshape your mindset, align your actions, and guide you toward becoming the best version of yourself. Join in for a daily dose of real talk that empowers you to embrace change and unlock your full potential.    Learn how you can become a member of a powerful community consistently rewiring itself for success at https://www.jointheapex.com/   Rise Above 

Are Those Drugs?

A round-up of the main headlines in Sweden on April 16th 2026. You can hear more reports on our homepage www.radiosweden.se, or in the app Sveriges Radio. Presenter and producer: Michael Walsh

Retired agent Ed Mireles reviews several true stories from his 15-plus years of undercover work using the alias Lalo. He recounts his assignments posing as a notorious drug trafficker, transporter, and money launderer in Miami, El Paso, Tucson, and other areas along the Southwest border between Mexico and the United States. Ed, aka Lalo, managed several warehouses in Miami, Florida, and he expanded to operate a transportation business and later a trucking company. The quantity of drugs he reportedly moved made him highly sought-after by the cartels and law enforcement. Ed and his wife, Elizabeth "Liz" Mireles, who is also a retired FBI agent, are the authors of LALO: Undercover Tales of Money, Drugs and Lies, a book based on the many true stories about Ed's undercover roles.  Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles: https://jerriwilliams.com/394-ed-mireles-undercover-tales-of-money-drugs-and-lies/ Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL    Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Who is Owsley Stanley and why should we all know his name?  Come with Brandon down the rabbit hole and learn about the King of Acid, the man who helped define an entire generation that most people have never heard of.Email: downtherh@protonmail.com

A new phase of the Iran war, Israel and Lebanon begin ceasefire talks, a call for stronger enforcement of abortion drugs, and a musical experience for young listeners. Plus, Denny Burk on blasphemy and the misuse of what is holy, a chocolate heist, and the Tuesday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from the Joshua Program at St. Dunstan's Academy in the Blue Ridge Mountains: work, prayer, and adventure for young men. stdunstansacademy.orgFrom WatersEdge. Strengthening Ministry One Investment at a Time. 4.55% APY on a 13-month term. Watersedge.com/invest WatersEdge securities are subject to certain risk factors as described in our Offering Circular and are not FDIC or SIPC insured. This is not an offer to sell or solicit securities. WatersEdge offers and sells securities only where authorized; this offering is made solely by our Offering Circular.And from Boyce College—offereing a Christ-centered education built on the truth of God's Word. Every student—no matter their major—takes 30 hours of Bible and theology, learning how to think biblically, live faithfully, and lead with conviction.Formed from the 160-year legacy of Southern Seminary, Boyce College prepares students for maximum faithfulness in the world, the workplace, the church, and the family.Learn more at boycecollege.com

Brenna McKenna and Isla Wild join Chris Faga along with Ralph Sutton and Aaron Berg for the long awaited Dildolympics! Brenna and Isla compete in 4 rounds to see who can handle a dildo the best...Ralph and Aaron also do a dildo competition of their own! This is an SDR Show instant classic!Air Date: 04/08/26Support our sponsors!Lucy - Save 20% on your first online order at http://lucy.co/SDR with promo code SDR!To advertise your product or service on GaS Digital podcasts please go to TheADSide.com and click on "Advertisers" for more information!You can watch The SDR Show LIVE for FREE every Wednesday and Saturday at 9pm ET at GaSDigitalNetwork.com/LIVEOnce you're there you can sign up at GaSDigitalNetwork.com with promo code: SDR for discount on your subscription which will give you access to every SDR show ever recorded! On top of that you'll also have the same access to ALL the shows that GaS Digital Network has to offer!Follow the whole show on social media!Brenna McKennaTwitter: https://twitter.com/BrennvMcKennvInstagram: https://instagram.com/BrennvMcKennvIsla WildInstagram: https://instagram.com/IslaWildxxChris FagaTwitter: https://twitter.com/chrisfrombklynInstagram: https://instagram.com/chrisfrombklynYouTube Special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxIHJU2LotUAaron BergTwitter: https://twitter.com/aaronbergcomedyInstagram: https://instagram.com/aaronbergcomedyRalph SuttonTwitter: https://twitter.com/iamralphsuttonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamralphsutton/Shannon LeeTwitter: https://twitter.com/IMShannonLeeInstagram: https://instagram.com/ShannonLee6982The SDR ShowTwitter: https://twitter.com/theSDRshowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Link Up w/The Morning Sickness Digitally All Over:Instagram: @hms_98_official, @bosskupd, @bretvesely, @dickToledoX/Twitter: @HMSon98, @DickToledo, @bretveselyFacebook: @HMSKUPDYouTube: @hmspodcast9320, @98kupdRequest/Call in/Wakeup Song line:(IN AZ) 602.585.9800More HMS: holmbergpodcast.com, 98kupd.comEmail: dtoledo@98kupd.com, bvesely@98kupd.com, bbogen@98kupd.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Forget the cliché advice to "get out" of your comfort zone; digital nomad Billy Lahr reveals why you should actually be working harder to get into it. In this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast, mindfulness coach and former dean joins Lesley Logan to challenge the "hustle culture" obsession with escaping comfort, arguing instead that we must distinguish it from the "complacency zone" by expanding our capacity from the inside out, much like stretching a pizza dough. Billy brings a refreshing, no-nonsense perspective on identity, curiosity, and the importance of maintaining a "centered self."   If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Master the art of curiosity to build deeper human connections. Differentiate between a healthy comfort zone and dangerous complacency. Reclaim your personal identity by identifying your ten life roles.Use mindfulness as a practical tool to manage high-intensity anxiety. Turn your unique strengths into a sustainable and purposeful life.Episode References/Links:Mindful Midlife Crisis - https://www.mindfulmidlifecrisis.comBilly Lahr Official Website - https://billylahr.comBilly Lahr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mindful_midlife_crisisJumpstart Conversation - https://beitpod.com/billylahrjumpstartconvoJumpstart Your Midlife Workbook - https://www.mindfulmidlifecrisis.comThe Selfish Woman Podcast - https://valeriejones.ca/podcastEd Latimore - https://edlatimore.comYoga Ananda Chiang Mai - https://www.yogaananda.net/about-kru-nokGen X Jukebox - https://www.genxjukebox.comGuest Bio:Billy Lahr is certified mindfulness meditation coach, certified personal trainer, behavior change specialist, former educator, serial overthinker, and host of The Mindful Midlife Crisis, a podcast for people navigating the complexities and possibilities of life's second half. In 2013, Billy started practicing mindfulness as a way to manage mounting mental health issues brought on by professional burnout, social media harassment from students, and a lack of job satisfaction. In 2021, Billy left his job as dean of students in order to travel the world in search of more meaningful experiences and community. Since then, he's been a GPS for individuals aiming to live more mindfully and intentionally through recognizing and harnessing their strengths, exploring their curiosities, growing and synergizing with their network by fostering consistency, discipline, patience, and self-compassion. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Billy Lahr 0:00  I'll tell you that the conversations that I've had with digital nomads is that being a nomad is incredibly lonely and isolating, because what you're doing is a lot of times, because it's such a transient community, is you're building these superficial relationships and people come and go out of your life. And I can tell you, just from my own personal experience, that a lot of that has exacerbated this feeling of isolation and loneliness and this longing for a deeper connection.Lesley Logan 0:31  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:13  All right, Be It babe. I'm really stoked for today's episode we had, I have the most fun talking to Billy Lahr as our guest, and it was really funny. We didn't talk about what he does until halfway through the podcast. And I don't want to ruin it. I don't want to spoil it for you, but we actually talked about comfort zones, and should you stay in them? Should you get out of them? And a whole lot more insights and I just think it's really fun. We talk about curiosity. And so I think you're just going to enjoy all of this. Oh, and the Be It Action Items at the end, fucking fabulous. You'll love them. So here you go. Here's Billy Lahr.Lesley Logan 1:45  All right, Be It babe. I'm super excited we have a total, like, true digital nomad as our guest today. Billy Lahr is here, and I kind of am obsessed. Because before I bought a house, and, like, settled in and like, loved being at home, my husband and I used to be nomads. Someone thought like we'll just be nomadic people. So we just dabble in it. But you do it full time. Can you tell us what you rock at and why you why you're a digital nomad?Billy Lahr 2:11  I rock at curiosity. I would say that's my superpower. I like to ask questions. I never, ever, whenever I meet people, I never asked the question, what do you do? That's the most boring question in the world. And there's a couple of reasons why I don't ask that. I actually got that tip from past guests on my podcast named Jesse Ross, and the way I look at it is, what you do, one, is usually the least interesting thing about you, like I taught, I taught English for 21 years. Everyone had one of me. Everyone knows what I did. So that's it's not fun for me to talk about that. Secondly, people generally don't like to talk about work outside of work unless they're super involved and they love what they do. Most people do what they do because it pays the bills. And there's nothing wrong with that. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, and we'll come back to that a little bit later. But the third reason is, I think people over identify with their roles, their jobs. I live in Korea now, and I see that a lot, there is a pressure to have a certain status. And I feel like whenever you talk to people about what do you do, you can feel them recoil because they don't want to talk about it. So the first question I always ask all of my guests is, what are 10 roles that you play in your life? To me, that's a more interesting question. Now, the first four or five answers are always something familial. You know, for me, I'm a brother, I'm a son, I'm an uncle. Those things come like that. Then when you get into those later examples, you have to dig deep into what roles you actually play. So for me, digital nomad, Pearl Jam fanatic. I've seen Pearl Jam 54 times in nine states. I'm an avid paddle boarder. I've paddle boarded off five continent coasts. So those are the kind of things that are interesting and lead to better conversation. And because of my curiosity, I'm able to kind of wiggle my way through the mundane to get to those types of conversations.Lesley Logan 4:32  Yeah. I mean, I think, like, first of all, you're not wrong there. I go to a lot of parties, and of course, like, people are asking, what do you do? And this for me, most of the time, when people do ask me that I'm on a plane going somewhere and I and I'm like, well, it's gonna be really weird when I tell you what I actually do, because you're like, then why are you going to where you're going? That doesn't make sense. So it can be interesting and weird, but also, like not many people want to talk about their job, like you said, or it's like, it is the least interesting thing about them, or it's it is something that pays the bills. And so there are other things, but they're never asked that questions. They don't even know how to describe themselves or talk about themselves. And the fact that you're curious must mean that you meet cooler versions of people, like we can meet the same people, but because you can be more curious than me, you're gonna meet a version of them that, like I might have, like, missed because I asked the wrong question, or I didn't ask or not even the wrong question. I just asked a better question.Billy Lahr 5:27  My general rule when I talk to people, and this is going to sound a bit arrogant, but whatever. My general rule is, you need to be at least as interesting as I am, because I've lived a pretty interesting life, and if you have nothing to contribute, then, like, what value do you have for me in the conversation? So I'm going to dig around. I'm going to ask questions that maybe the normal person isn't going to ask. I had this situation pop up the other week, and there were two women who are like, I can't believe you just asked that. And I'm like, listen, if you don't ask, then you don't get the answers. So my dad always told me ask the worst anyone could ever say is no. So I ask, and those lead to better conversations.Lesley Logan 6:15  Yeah, yeah. I think, I mean, it is true, like I was taught that as well. It's like, if you don't ask, you got to know, and so you may as well ask, because if you get a no, then you know, and you can go find another way, but you could get a yes, and then it's like, oh my god, like you could get that. So I I completely agree. And I also think, like, you know, a lot of people are feeling lonely these days. I have to imagine, like, traveling the world if you're curious, you're never lonely, because you're always finding ways to talk to people and, like, get to know them. But people are lonely and they don't travel and they're surrounded by people, but I think it's because they're they're not getting to a deeper version of a person that they're talking to. So everything has surfaced all of the time.Billy Lahr 6:56  I'll tell you that the conversations that I've had with digital nomads is that being a nomad is incredibly lonely and isolating, because what you're doing is a lot of times, because it's such a transient community, is you're building these superficial relationships and people come and go out of your life. And I can tell you, just from my own personal experience, that a lot of that has exacerbated this feeling of isolation and loneliness and this longing for a deeper connection. It's very hard to maintain romantic relationships when you're on the move like this. So there is a part of me that does desire to just be in one spot. I'm someone who craves stability. I'm someone who craves structure. I crave routine. That's where I thrive. I used to work in education. Bells told me when to start and stop my day. So this is a huge leap, and I'm not not a fan of this idea of get out of your comfort zone. Shut up. I've been working really hard to get into my comfort zone. Let me sit in my comfort zone, but where I tell people to be cautious of is when we start to get into the complacency zone. So when things start to feel complacent, that's when we need to stretch our comfort zone like it's pizza dough. And you don't pull pizza dough from the outside. Only heathens do that. You push pizza dough from the inside, and where you see it's thin, you put some flour, you put a little bit more dough, and you massage that in there, and you stretch out that pizza dough. If someone tells you to get out of their comfort zone, I don't know if we can swear on here, you can just tell them, you know, shut the fuck up. I'm good in my comfort zone, but you need to take a look at, am I in my comfort zone, or am I, am I in my complacency zone? Right now, I'm definitely stretching my pizza dough because I was working a full time job. Now I'm back to freelance, and things are a bit more, you know, unstable. So, you know, I'm I'm trying to build some things, I'm trying to rebrand some things, and it all takes a lot of hard work, and there's a lot of uncertainty in there. And listen uncertainty as a very anxious person, as a very high intensity person, uncertainty does not sit well with me. So I'm very much navigating through all of this.Lesley Logan 9:31  This is so interesting. You are an enigma. But okay, first of all, I actually agree. I think there's something about getting out of your comfort zone all the time that the overachiever is listening to, that's the causing burnout, and it's causing extra stress. It's like, my if you're a high achiever, you're rocking it. That just means you like big things and you're doing those things, the overachievers, that's when you're like, I got to get outside of my comfort zone. It's like, but you haven't like you just said, I want to try to get in my comfort zone. It's like, that's interesting. How often have I just, like, sat still and, like, enjoyed the comfort that I created, you know, like, but do you mind? Can we dive into the complacency zone? Like, when you say that, like, the signs and symptoms you're in a complacency zone, the what, what came to mind is, like, you complain about the comfort zone. You kind of come like, you kind of complain about your, oh, the things in your life, or the things around your life, like that might be, to me, a sign, or sometimes you're in complacency, like you're good at what you do when you're still complaining about it. Is that one like, what are some signs that you're in complacency?Billy Lahr 10:30  That's a great question. So here's a perfect example, when I have new clients when so I was teaching business English here in Korea, so I wasn't teaching at a hagwon with elementary school kids. I've done with public education in that regard, I want to work with adults. So I was working at Hyundai and Kia and teaching their employees Business English. And so when I first meet them, I want to know, hey, what are your hobbies? And a lot of them will say, especially if they're parents, especially if they're new parents, my hobby is my child. Ding, ding, ding, complacency zone. So listen, let me, let me preface this by saying I'm not a parent, so I don't know what it's like to have a child. I don't know what it's like to sacrifice those things. What I do know is that my parents still did things despite having three kids. My dad sang in an all men's choir. Both my mom and my dad played softball throughout the week. They did things that still interested them so that they could socialize with people. So I think especially here, there is this emphasis on making sure that your child grows up and has a more successful future than what you have. And what I notice is that there's a lot of snowplow parents, we'll call them. Lesley Logan 12:00  Yeah, we have them in the States. Billy Lahr 12:02  Yeah, yeah. So I feel like when that happens, you lose your sense of identity again. We come back to this idea of identity, yeah. So where can you find identity? And it's through curiosity. And remember, it's you're not just one identity. You're playing many roles. So if you take a look at those 10 roles, and if you can't come up with 10 roles, that's another perfect example of, hey, maybe you're in this complacency zone. When was the last time you participated in one of those roles? Are all of these roles about someone else, because if they are, you're losing that sense of identity. So how do you go out and explore those? Easier said than done but that comes, that comes from self-awareness. It comes from sitting with your thoughts, your feelings and your emotions, sitting with what you want, and coming to a realization that, okay, I feel like, you know, we talk about being selfish and we talk about being selfless. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with being selfish if you've been overly selfless. So in the middle, you know, we talk about self-centered Well, what about centered self? That's ultimately where we want to be and when we want to be a centered self, it means that we need to be able to provide for others while also providing for ourself. Lesley Logan 13:34  Yeah, I agree, like we've talked on this podcast before, how I think selfish has to do a rebrand, because, like, very rarely have I experienced the people that I have talked to, the stories that I've heard, or the listeners that we have actually being selfish assholes, like most of the time when they think they're being selfish, they're just prioritizing their self. Billy Lahr 13:54  I want to direct everybody to Valerie Jones. Valerie Jones has a podcast called The Selfish Woman. She was a guest on the mindful midlife crisis. I think it's episode 57. Valerie is great, and she's done this excellent job of rebranding this idea of what it means to be selfish. So check that out.Lesley Logan 14:14  Yeah, okay, I might want an intro to her, because, like. Billy Lahr 14:17  You have to she's great. Lesley Logan 14:18  Done. We're doing it after this. Okay. Because, like, but I think like the centered self also, like I do, I do love that you challenge people who who are, who are parents, as a role, that if they don't have something outside of their kids, it, it doesn't actually help your kiddo out. Like we have seen these kids get older. We now have the Gen Z kids and these kids, and they haven't experienced disappointment, they haven't experienced a loss. They have it at a young age, because you just snow plowed all of it for them. And so now they're 20 something years old, and they're learning for the first time what it's like to fail at something that is a hard thing to do, that's hard. You got to learn it when you're younger. So I'm with you.Billy Lahr 14:57  And here's the I know people are like dude, you don't have kids. Mind your business. Okay. Let me give you another example. My former co host, Brian on the Bass. We call him Brian on the Bass because he plays bass in every band in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. He decided to, like I said, he's been playing bass in all of these bands. He records here and there. He developed. He he branded this new band called Gen X Jukebox. This is a guy who has three boys, boys, just or sharknadoes spinning around his house. They had a whoopsie. All right, they had a bonus baby. Sorry, they had a bonus baby when they were in their 40s, but he's still doing all of these things. They bought a bus and they turned it into a schooly, it's something that he and his wife did together. So listen, if you're listening to me and you're like, you childless, you childless piece of shit, you don't know what you're talking about. Okay, fine, fine, fine. Who are the other examples out there who are fulfilling these these roles, and take a look at your own and just say, Okay, what are things that I used to do that I don't do anymore? Or what am I curious about today that I want to learn more of?Lesley Logan 16:16  Yeah, I think that's so true. And I, for people, been listening to this podcast for a really long time, like the first three years of the podcast, I was like, I'm on a hobby hunt. And then people like you don't have hobby like you have so many hobbies. I'm like, No, I have a lot of hobbies that turned into pay. Like I got paid to do them, and the moment I'm getting paid to do them, I don't feel them as a hobby anymore. It's now a job. And I love what I do. I have no complaints. I love all of the aspects of my job, because I get to decide if I don't want to do them anymore, but I want to find a hobby, and I recently found one in the last year. And people are like, Oh, well, because I'm like, way up in Tarot right now. So however people feel about that, I don't care. I love it. I'm having the best time. And people like, Oh, are you gonna do a reading for me? And I was like, No, it's my fucking hobby. You can get your own reading. Go pay someone like, so I find that, like, it's really easy for people to, like, start doing something, and then people go, Oh, then you could do it for me. And it's like, I do find things that you could be curious about and, and I don't care if people want you to do it for them. You don't have to full permission from the pod permit. You get to just like, be curious about them and let them be with their or you can also change your mind. I do think that's another thing people have to realize. Like, you could be go, oh, I used to love to snowboard. And then you can go and go, Oh, I hate it now. That's fine. You can just don't worry about the sunk cost. Billy, you've mentioned your dad a couple of times, and I know that, like your dad had said something to you when you were a teacher, like, do you mind? Can we dive into that? And like, how that has shaped where you are today?Billy Lahr 17:42  Yeah, yeah. So, you know, my dad is a character. He's like Rodney Dangerfield in every movie. He's got the sexual innuendos. But you know, everybody knows who he is. Everybody calls him uncle D. So you know that this is just kind of guy that my dad is, but I remember him, my dad. He's a he's a farmer, he's a tinkerer, he he is a natural salesman. This guy is a renaissance man, and I think there's a small part of him, and he'll never admit this, that's maybe a little disappointed that I didn't get into, you know, being the the farm kid, or being the hunter or that sort of stuff. And instead, I got into I played sports, and I really got into books, and I got into writing. So I became an English teacher and and I remember one time he said to me, I hope you're a good English teacher, because you will starve if you have to do anything else. And he said it with love. He said it with love. He said it jokingly. But this is that's kind of what I've been figuring out here the last four years, because I left education in 2021 and I've been trying to figure out, okay, what is it that I'm good at that I can monetize? Is because there are and by monetize is being get paid for, right? Lesley Logan 19:05  Yeah, well, because the world we requires us to pay bills and so we have to figure a way to monetize something that we're willing to do for many hours of a week yeah. Billy Lahr 19:14  Yeah. And I think that's, you know, I've been, I've been figuring that out the last four years now I feel very, very lucky, very privileged, that one thing that he taught me was how to save and how to invest. So I've been able to travel around here the last four years with the money that I've saved, with the money that I've invested. I took this last year to work in Korea full time, because, like I said, I needed that stability, I needed that structure, I needed that routine. So in all of that, I've been experimenting. My wonderful friend Jill Daler talks about using the world as her laboratory and just seeing what works. And listen, lot of things have failed that I've done the last few years, and I think a big part of that is because I don't know how to market myself, and I don't want to play the algorithm game, because I grew up in the 90s, and the biggest sin in the 90s was selling out.Lesley Logan 20:20  Oh yeah, okay, so what? You're a little older than me, I think, but I do recall, you know, hearing people.Billy Lahr 20:26  I told you, Pearl Jam is my favorite band all those Seattle grunge bands. What did they teach us? They taught us don't sell out. Selling out is the greatest sin of it all, and this idea of marketing and playing the algorithm game and using clickbaity titles, it's so vomitus to me, and it feels disingenuous to who I am as a creative spirit. But then there are a lot of starving artists out there, so as I'm going through this rebrand, I'm thinking to myself, listen, maybe you need to play the game, because the last time I saw Pearl Jam, you want to know who was sponsoring the show, Amazon Music. Okay, so if Pearl Jam can come around to, you know, corporate, corporate suggestion, corporate support, then, then maybe I can play the game too, because, you know, who am I to Pearl Jam? Lesley Logan 21:22  But also, and here's the thing, like, I completely agree with that on a I own, on my own way, and that, like, the way that I could have had more followers, more subscribers on YouTube much sooner, given the industry I am, is to just be a little bit skinnier and make sure that I only work out in a tiny sports bra and tiny shorts. And like everything is about abs and glutes, abs and glutes, abs and glutes, and it's like, but that's not the way I teach. That's not the Pilates I teach. I actually am extremely like conscious that people just feel good in their body, that they don't think that fitness actually is how you lose weight, because it's not, it's how you eat and hormones and all that stuff, sleep, water and all these different things. However, 10 years into my YouTube channel, I just have 40,000 subscribers, and my friends have millions. So what I had to figure out is like, How can I understand what the titles have to be, and then be fucking honest with people in the video? So can you lose weight with Pilates? Is not like or like Pilates and weight loss like something that'd be so clickbait against me. It's like, okay, so let's talk about what real, actual weight loss is, if you how do you know you need it? And if Pilates can do it. And so I had to find a way to like, Okay, how do I digest the click bait? But then be honest and authentic. Because the other reality is, is like, No, you said starving artists, but like the impact that you and I want to make on this world, no one hears about it if it doesn't get put in front of their face and so and so you either have time or you have money. And the thing about the algorithms is you can have no dollars, but get your message out there. That's not something we could do in the 90s. Pearl Jam would have to pay for ad space and radio space and all this stuff. So I do feel like there is some swallowing of of some of it to go. Okay, well, what can I live with? Like, what's my value process there? And it has helped me immensely, because while I still don't have millions of subscribers, all the ones I do have, I got organically, and they actually like the message I have, you know, and even if they didn't subscribe, it at least got the truth, and then they can go do with what they want, you know. So that it's an interesting thing, but it is hard, because I fucking hate the game of the algorithms. I think it's annoying. It's frustrating, but also people are overwhelmed and exhausted and in complacency, and so how do we get them out? I don't know.Billy Lahr 23:38  Yeah, yeah, it's funny. It just dawned on me that I haven't talked about, like, what service I provide and and I think this is gonna be funny. This is gonna be funny now, if people have listened to me throughout this and they're like, this guy's kind of a spaz, that's why I'm a certified mindfulness meditation teacher.Lesley Logan 24:01  Well, your message, your message.Billy Lahr 24:03  Right, right. So what I tell people because people will tell me, like, you're pretty intense for you a meditation teacher, yes, I practice mindfulness so that I can be this obnoxious, because if I wasn't, I'd be a complete and total asshole. So I practiced it so that I can stay here in this area, because when I wasn't practicing, then I was very anxious, and that was manifesting in the depression, and that was manifesting in some other darker thoughts. So this brand of mindfulness that I share, it isn't it isn't granola. It is, it is, it's, it's more just like, hey, here's what we need to do. I'm not going to tell you to follow your passions. I'm not going to tell you that everything happens for a reason, because I don't believe in those things. But here's what I do think is practical, and here's an easy first step. And that, then, in turn, allows me to be genuine. And I like what you said there, like, yeah, we can have a clickbaity title as long as the content within the video is genuine and it's and it's authentic to who we are. When you listen to my meditations, I can be very can go into that meditation voice, and I can be very soothing, and I know that's what that audience needs, if they click on that meditation but if they're listening to an interview, you're going to get me at high energy, because I love being behind a microphone. That's why, like, I found ways to emcee events here in Seoul, just by, you know, you talk about, see it till you be it like or be it till, which one is it? Lesley Logan 25:50  I like the way you said it, I think it's great. Billy Lahr 25:52  No, no, because I actually wrote about this in one of my newsletters, because once your team reached out to me, I was like, see it till you, be it, does that make more sense? But then you were talking about, be it till you see it. And I was, I was volunteering as my volunteering with my services as an emcee for these live music events around here, not getting paid for it, but not expecting to. I was just doing it because it was fun. And then over time, the band that I was emceeing for, they're a band called The Johnny Birds. You can check them out on Spotify. Please do people. They were like, hey, every time you emcee, people donate more money, so we want to include you in on that. And I was like, oh, whoa. Like, I did not expect that, but it was so generous and thoughtful of them to be like, no, you're part of this band. It as part of the live show to some degree. So we want to make sure that we show our appreciation. And that was just me being it, yeah, and then all of a sudden, you know, I saw the money.Lesley Logan 27:04  I so first of all, I pretty sure you, you did write a newsletter, and you sent it to my team, and I got it, and I was like, this is so cool. I haven't met the person yet. Look at the impact we're having. I really love that, because I love that story, because I do think so many people are, like, waiting for it to be all figured out and figuring out how much do I charge for this, and what's the process? And it's like, but that has never been how anything has happened for me. Everything has happened by like, acting like I have an idea of what the fuck I'm doing, even if I don't doing the best I can, and then, like, seeing what happens, and all of a sudden it's like, oh, I'm four steps up the stairwell already, like it just happened, and then other people see it, and then see you do it, and they're inspired by that. And then they're like, Oh, you must know what you're doing. I'm gonna hire you for this thing, or whatever it is. And so I think a lot of people are waiting until they have their business card ready and they practice in front of the mirror. So I love that story so much, and I think it's really cool. And also, you have an innate thing, and we talked about this before, but like, you are a really good cheerleader for other people. You have a really good and that kind of goes back to, like, you have a hard kind of time. It's not selling out, but like, marketing yourself, as you said, because, like, you almost are like, the backup babe for so many people. You're like, ready to launch all their stuff.Billy Lahr 28:19  Oh yeah, give me the pompoms, man. I'll be the cheerleader. I'll be the cheerleader if you're doing good things, I'll absolutely be the cheerleader for you. And that's, I think that's where I went wrong with my own podcast, because I started off by giving people a platform to share their experiences and expertise, and I was having these really fascinating conversations. And then I started working with a podcast business coach, and bless his heart, he's he's a really great dude, but we didn't share the same vision. My vision was to give people a platform to share their experiences and expertise to my listeners, so that, and I just wanted to have those conversations with really fascinating people. And his idea was, well, hey, the only way that you're going to make money is if you market your coaching services. So it went completely and I hate sales. I hate them. I hate them. I hate them. I don't have my dad's sales acumen. It's I just would rather talk to other people and celebrate other people. And, you know, I feel like, you know, then people are like, oh, you know you're really good at the interview part. Oh, thank you. Like, that feeds my, my need for words of affirmations, like, You're really good. I'll tell you that I had Ed Latimore on my podcast. And Ed does thousands of podcasts in his lifetime. He's an author. People, check out Ed Latimore. He's got a book now called. Lesley Logan 29:53  You're doing it right now, Billy, you are promoting someone else. Billy Lahr 29:57  He said and here's the I've never met Ed in person, I've only met him through Zoom, but he's a really fascinating dude. And when we got done, he said, You know what? You're really good at this. And it kind of caught me by surprise, because Ed, Ed grew up like in the mean streets of Philadelphia, and, like, he was a professional boxer, you know, he literally doesn't pull punches, so he tells it like how he sees it. And that, to me, was one of the nicest compliments I've ever received. And I said, that means a lot to me, because I feel like you've done a lot of these. And he said, I have done a lot of these and and you're really good at this. And that, to me, again, goes back to the be it till you see it like I was just, I'm just asking questions. I'm doing the research and and asking questions. I hate when people send me their media flyers and like you can ask these questions. Guess what? That's a guarantee I'm not going to ask any of those questions, because then you have canned responses. I'm going to go and listen to the podcast that you did on other shows, and I'm going to write down all of the follow up questions that I think that the host should have asked you. I'm going to go to your website and I'm going to ask you specific things about your website. I'm going to read your book, and I'm going to ask you things that stand out to me in your book, because that's where real conversation comes. It doesn't come from these canned questions. And like the more that we understand other people, the more curious we are, and the more you know, harmonious of a society we can be.Lesley Logan 31:36  I think it goes back to like being you're a mindfulness coach like you being curious about other people and them being able to, like, hear that conversation requires mindfulness, because it requires them to be aware of any of the fucking things that they actually do in their life. Like, it's like, I think a lot of people go through the day, and so it actually doesn't surprise me that that's what you coach on. And also like, why you're a curious person. To me, they kind of go hand in hand. I also like, look, because we we coach Pilates instructors who are like, I just want to teach, you know, because I love what I do. And I'm like, the IRS doesn't care that you love what you do. If you have a business, they are going to audit you if you haven't paid taxes a couple years like they expect. They're going to give you a couple years to fuck around, and then they're going to expect their money. So I love that, and also I have to make sure that you, like, can pay your bills. So I appreciate your coach going. I want you to make your night, but there are so many different ways to make money around things. And you know you being until you see it in the beginning is a perfect way to, like, kick off your podcast and figure it out, because I don't think there's one way to make money with podcasts. I think there's a billion ways, and you'll find the one that works for you. And you don't have to be an actual, like, quote, unquote salesperson to do it. So I see it happening, and it probably already has, because you're still doing why would you podcast if it wasn't working for you? Billy Lahr 32:56  I'll be honest, I hauled I put a pause on the podcast back in March because it, it was, it was, like, in a toxic relationship, because, like, I couldn't quit it. I was, you know, I would, I would pause, and then I would keep going back to it, and I would pause, and I keep going back to it, and I pause it, and I haven't recorded in a while, and I don't have any intention of going back to recording it at this time, if things were to change then, then I would maybe, maybe this rebranding, you know, blows up. Then it's like, oh, okay, now I can go back to doing this, but I don't miss it, but at the same time, I feel really good about what we created. Like, we recorded over 100 episodes, and most of those were episodes with guests. And I'm really proud to look at that guest list and be like, Okay, we were 50-50, with men and women. We, you know, we were when it was, when it was me and Brian on the Bass, you know, it was two straight white guys, right? But we had a very diverse collection of people from the LGBT community, people of color, like, you know, we really sought out or, like, it was my show, I sought out people and different voices. And I think that that that's really important, because we need to get out of that, of that silo of what we see in here, and I think that's another sign, too, of complacency, if we go back to that, that if you're looking at and you're getting the same messages, whether, whether it's MSNBC, whether it's Fox News or whatnot, not even a news channel, if it's just the same messages over and over and over again, who's challenging that, and in then, in what way are you being curious?Lesley Logan 34:48  Yeah, yeah. I think, I think that's really true. I think a lot of people, they well, it's hard when your thoughts are challenged. It's much easier to just go, oh no, everyone around me thinks this way, and it's definitely challenging. I have family members that we have conversations, and I can tell what they're listening to, and I'm like, What are you like? What? Okay, let's for example, it was just Halloween. Here we're recording this, and I had someone tell me, Oh, this. They are this tool where you can easily see if there's drugs in the kids candy. And I said, I'm so sorry. I just have to ask, who the fuck is putting drugs in the candy? Who is doing this? People do. No one does. How would that kid get hooked on that drug and know which house it came from? It isn't a bag. Drugs are very expensive. No drug dealer is just giving drugs out for free in hopes that he hooks these children on drugs and then they'll then come looking for said drugs. Like, they wouldn't even know what drug they had to go buy it. They wouldn't even know what high they're on. This makes zero sense to me. I cannot participate in this fear mongering bullshit. I'm like, you have to like, you don't have to like, just go think about it. But no, every Halloween I have to hear it, there's probably drugs or needles. There's needles. I'm like, you can Google, are there needles in kids candy? And it will say no,Billy Lahr 36:06  it happened once. So it must happen all the time.Lesley Logan 36:08  Happens all the time. There are people like, what are so anyways, I but I do think people don't want to challenge their thoughts, because we're because there is something comfortable about being complacent, you know. So I think it requires people to be ready to be challenged in that way and want something different. I think it's also really cool. You know, it's not easy to start or stop anything like some people can don't get started. Some people get started, but they never stop. And podcasts, y'all are hungry babies. My YouTube channel is a hungry baby, and it never grows up. It will never, it'll never produce its own content. It will always require people me to show up and be present, people to want to be on this podcast, people to listen to the podcast. It will always require those things. And so it's pretty like, it's a pretty challenging thing to make a decision like that, and then, like, figure out what you want to do from it. So I don't know. I think it's cool, you know, what you're doing, what you're exploring. I would love to know, what are you like, are you excited about anything right now? Do you have a new country on your plate? Like, what's coming up next for you, Billy?Billy Lahr 37:09  Yeah, so I'm current, like I said, I'm in I'm in Seoul right now, but I am heading to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. I have yet to be to Malaysia, and then I'm gonna go to Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur was on my original list four years ago, and then it just kind of fell to the wayside. So going there, and then I'm going back to Chiangmai, because I love Chiangmai. You know, if you're Pilates, you probably have a lot of people who are like yogis, that travel around, so come to Chiangmai, and if you're in Chiangmai in January and mid February, let's go take a class together at Yoga Ananda. Because Kru Nok is the single greatest yoga teacher in the history of yoga teachers. She has this presence about her, like it's, I'm almost like a teenage girl outside of TRL on Backstreet Boy day every time she walks into the room, because I'm just like, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. And it's not she's strikingly beautiful, of course, but it's her presence, and it's the way that she leads the class where I'm just like it, I'm just so impressed with with just the way that she instructs and the way that she adjusts, and it's really impressive. So yogi's out there.Lesley Logan 38:31  How natural, I have to follow up with you because we do like Chiangmai. We were just there last a year ago, and we were there after the floods. And it's, it's a beautiful, beautiful place. We were in Chiang Rai before that, and I kind of like Chiangrai, but my husband Chiangrai, but my husband really liked Chiang Mai, so I feel like we'll probably be back in Chiangmai, but that's cool.Billy Lahr 38:47  Yeah, but then I'll be back, I'll be back in the States, in case anybody is like, you know, I actually want to, I want to, I want to meet this guy, or I want to be in the same time zone as this guy. I'll be back in the States in April, because my niece is getting married in May. If she wasn't getting married, I would have no intentions of coming back to the States. But, yeah, you know, I suppose I should be there for that I should be the funcle.Lesley Logan 39:07  Also, also, it'll be it's always good to, like, step back into the place that you came from just to kind of see how far you've gone. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it's easy. It's an easier way to look in the rear view mirror. We're gonna take a brief break and find out how more people can find you online, instead of running into in Chiangmai and your Be It Action Items. Lesley Logan 39:28  All right, Billy, where, so you're a mindfulness coach. Where can they connect with you, meet you, work with you on Zoom. What do you got?Billy Lahr 39:35  Yeah, if you want more from the podcast, you can go to www.mindfulmidlifecrisis.com and you can sign up for the Jumpstart Your Midlife Workbook, and you'll be part of my newsletter too. That way, you can hear all all the times that I talk about Lesley's show, and you can find out where I go. I talk about my travels in there as well. I kind of give recaps of life lessons from the past episodes in that newsletter as well. If you're curious about what I do, you can go to www.billylahr.com it's L-A-H-R. If you want to check that out, I have a YouTube you can check out those. And I'm rebranding all those, so they're gonna be all sort of clickbaity titles. In case you don't like my esoteric titles that I've been using in the past. You can follow me on Instagram, mindful_midlife_crisis and you can follow me on LinkedIn, Billy Lahr, yeah, come check me out. Say hi. Let me know if there were any takeaways from this episode, things that I said that you were like, oh, I really like that, or things that I said where you're like, dude, you're full of shit. Let's talk about it. Lesley Logan 40:42  I think that both are great, though both has strike wonderful, curious conversations. I also want to say, way to go, way to promote all the things look at you. Look at you, Billy.Billy Lahr 40:52  I mean, I invested in that stuff. I might as well, yes, I might as well talk about them. So, yeah, absolutelyLesley Logan 40:59  Okay, you've actually given us some great stuff, but we always do the always do the the I totally listen, but I still want action steps at the end, be it, bold, executable, intrinsic or targets that people can take to be it till they see it. What do you have for us? Billy Lahr 41:11  Yeah. So the first thing that I tell people is to figure out what are your strengths, right? So this whole idea we talked about, follow your passion is complete and utter nonsense, passion is not a starting point. Passion is a byproduct, and it is a byproduct of this formula. Remember, I like structures, so we're going to have formulas. So step one, figure out what you're good at. Where are your strengths? If you don't know, ask somebody. Take a personality profile test. I actually have one in the Jumpstart Your Midlife Workbook that you can take. That's what this whole the whole workbook is about. This, these steps right here. Secondly, what are you curious about, and how can you leverage those skills and those strengths to learn more? And then third, find a community, find people that you can connect with, all of that will help you identify your purpose. And then, if you want to turn purpose into passion, you just multiply that by consistency, discipline, patience and self-compassion. Everybody talks about the consistency and and the the discipline, nobody ever talks about, the patience and the self-compassion, you got to have those two. And then what you'll find is, oh, you figure out what it is that you're passionate about. To me, passion is something that you will do on the weekend for free because you enjoy it so much, don't monetize it. You don't have to monetize it. Just do it for you. Do it for fun. And if, over time, you've like, oh, okay, like, maybe, maybe I can make a little side hustle with this. Go for it. But then remember, it's no longer a passion, it's a job. So keep those things in mind and just follow those steps, especially those first three, those are the big three right there. And you'll it'll give your life a little bit more meaning, and it will help you stretch that comfort zone. Lesley Logan 43:12  Yeah. So good. Way to go. Thanks, Billy. This is so fun. Billy Lahr 43:18  Yeah, thank you for having me. Yeah, I've enjoyed it. Lesley Logan 43:19  Yeah, everyone. How are you gonna use these tips in your life? Let Billy know. Let the Be It Pod know and send this to a friend who needs to hear it. Send it to a complacent friend. Be their kickstart. It'll help them stretch their dough and until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 43:33  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 44:15  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 44:20  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 44:24  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 44:32  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 44:35  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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As recently as a few years ago, the idea of a self-administered injection that would deliver proven weight-loss results might have sounded fantastical. Today, these medications are a reality and a global phenomenon; hailed in many quarters as “miracle drugs" for their success in treating obesity and diabetes. They do this by replicating a gut hormone called GLP‑1, which tells the brain you've eaten enough and nudges the pancreas to release insulin; and this hormone was discovered and decoded thanks to years of work by today's guest.Jens Juul Holst is a Professor of Medical Physiology and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. His efforts laid the groundwork for today's weight loss jabs, earning him a slew of high-profile accolades and awards. Now it seems they might not only have positive impacts on obesity and diabetes, but also other health issues...But alongside the big success comes some big questions: including concerns over side effects, weight regain post-treatment, the black market in such drugs, and their cost and accessibility. In a frank conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Jens address these issues and shares his hopes for the future of GLP-1-focused research. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor A BBC Studios production

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Western Philosophy on Drugs: Consciousness, Dreams, and Reality In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Justin Smith-Ruiu about how psychedelic experiences challenge long-standing assumptions about consciousness, perception, and reality. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-351/?ref=278  Justin explains how Western philosophy has historically privileged rational, sober, and waking states of mind, often dismissing dreams and altered states as unreliable. He explores how psychedelic experiences push against these assumptions, raising deeper questions about knowledge, language, and what counts as real. The conversation also examines the tension between therapeutic and existential uses of psychedelics, and how medicalization may shape the cultural role these substances play moving forward. Justin Smith-Ruiu is a professor of history and philosophy of science at the Université Paris Cité and author of On Drugs: Psychedelics, Philosophy, and the Nature of Reality. His work explores intellectual history, consciousness, and the limits of rational thought, and he writes regularly for Harper's, WIRED, and The New York Times. Highlights: How philosophy excludes altered states Why dreams are dismissed as unreliable Psychedelics and limits of rationality Language and ineffability of experience Therapeutic vs existential frameworks Medicalization and cultural impact Philosophy beyond sober cognition Episode Links: Justin Smith-Ruiu's website Episode Sponsors: The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute. The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute. Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization. Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.  

From Gangster to Child of God with Brian Butler (Episode 290)   Disclaimer: This episode contains thematic material. Listener discretion advised.   2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”   *Transcription Below*   Brian Butler married his wife Pam in 2011. They have four children and eight grandchildren. Brian received his Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana State University in 2009. Arriving in Peoria, Illinois in 2009 Brian began his career working with the impoverished in his community as a Safety Net Monitor at The Salvation Army. He was afforded the opportunity to work with individuals in the community for four years providing case management assisting people to learn the value of work through work therapy and securing income and eventually housing. Brian was called to Peoria Rescue Ministries in 2014 and began his career there as the Assistant Director of the Rescue Mission. In 2018 Brian became the Program Director and in 2021 became the Director of Residential Ministries. In 2024 Peoria Rescue Ministries became Pathway Ministries. Coming from a former lifestyle of drug and alcohol addiction Brian has been able to transform programs at Pathway Ministries that address the needs of the impoverished community he serves to create pathways out of poverty through Jesus with his neighbors in need. Pathway Ministries provides emergency shelter, residential programs, and community services with a focus on counseling, education, and work to help the men and women they serve make transformative changes in their lives. Pathway Ministries is a social enterprise organization and has a partnership with Caterpillar – they reclaim discarded wood and turn it into pallets, mulch for industrial and commercial use, and home décor. Their residents are employed in these businesses while participating in their program.    Pathway Ministries Website   Thank you to our sponsor for today's episode: Midwest Food Bank   Topics We Cover: Growing up in an abusive home Lifestyle choices leading to prison God's miraculous redemption and restoration   Related Savvy Sauce Episode: 143 Prodigal Story: Sexuality, Drugs, and Scripture with Dr. Christopher Yuan   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:08)   Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 3:30) Hey friends! Thank you so much for joining us today. If you're watching this, you may notice that there's a unique screen that's going to pop up periodically.   So, here's the backstory. We delight in getting to do this work, and we do believe it's what God has called our team to do. And yet, we have a very present and active enemy.   And Satan has tried to thwart the progress of these podcast episodes in so many ways.  It's almost uncanny what will happen before a podcast recording. There's almost always something, yet it's different every time.   So, the way it showed up with this episode, first of all, when Brian and I tried to connect, somebody was working in our yard, and they accidentally cut our line for internet.  And so, we had to cancel that and reschedule. And then, when we got the episode rescheduled, Brian and I were chatting, and we haven't recorded.   We were just talking for a little while before the official interview began, and everything was great. And then, as soon as I said, “Welcome to The Savvy Sauce.” The screen went a little wavy, and something happened, and my audio quality was completely distorted. So, sorry for the lengthy explanation, but I wanted you to know how much work has gone into this episode.   So, if you ever have somebody that you want to thank, it should be Natalie, our editor, who had to go back and replace everything that I said to cover up the very convoluted form that was originally recorded. So, I hope it doesn't interrupt this episode or make it difficult for you to listen to, because Brian's story is so powerful, and I believe God has you here listening to this right now for a reason. So, please continue.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living.  I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Today's episode includes some thematic material. I want you to be aware before you listen in the presence of little ears.   Thank you to an anonymous donor to Midwest Food Bank who paid the sponsorship fee in hopes of spreading awareness. Learn more about this non-profit organization at MidwestFoodBank.org.   Brian Butler is my outstanding guest for today, and he's going to take us on a very real journey with him from an extremely abusive childhood to a life of addictions and eventually to redemption and restoration all because of Jesus Christ. Brian's humility is so Christ-like, and I think that you're going to leave this conversation as a changed person. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Brian.   Brian Butler: (3:31 - 3:33) Thank you so much for having me here. I appreciate it.   Laura Dugger: (3:34 - 3:42) Well, I would just love to start backwards. Where did you grow up, and what was childhood like for you?   Brian Butler: (3:43 - 9:46) I grew up all over the place, really. I'd spent several years in Danville as a child, Hartsburg, Illinois, eventually settled down in southern Illinois in a little town called Bridgeport. My dad was a professor at a local college, and he ended up being a high school teacher.   Where I went to school, my mom and dad were continually in chaos with their marriage.  My dad had some severe mental health issues. He was a pretty rough guy to be around.    He was a chronic alcoholic. He was abusive, and I'll just say for this podcast, in every kind of way you can imagine how a little boy might be abused by his daddy, that was my dad. Yet, that was just our normal.   I didn't know if it was bad, if it was wrong, whatever. He was very verbally abusive to the whole family, him and my mom. I think my mother, the whole time growing up, was just trying to salvage her marriage and to save face with her family, so on and so forth.   It was a pretty rough childhood, but I want to say that in those moments, it was just the way it was.  We didn't know good from bad. That was still my dad.   I believe that in some weird way that he loved us and cared for us, but there were so many mental health and substance abuse issues with him and the perversion that he had in his life that just leaked over to my little brother and me.  It was a different relationship with my little brother. He was very abusive to my little brother.   My little brother had a lot of behavioral issues and rebellion issues.  I was more of the compliant, the good kid in school. I made the good grades.    I wanted to please my dad, and yet I hated him from the inside. I just couldn't stand him. I rebelled against him.    There were a lot of drugs and alcohol my parents were. My mother was not an abuser by any means. My mother was not an alcoholic by any means, but my mother went along with my dad.   My whole childhood evolved around parties. My dad was a pretty social guy. He was into politics and those kinds of things.   I was exposed to a lot of stuff at an early age. I can remember being seven, eight years old, going around in parties and just sipping whatever it was out of unknown glasses and enjoying the effect that it had on me as a little kid. I was a big fan of Billy Bear.   I didn't even know what Billy Bear was, but I was drinking Billy Bear. That's a Jimmy Carter beer, so that takes you back in the day. All the music that we listened to back in those days all evolved around afternoon delight and getting high in some kind of form or fashion.   That was just what I clung to as a little boy and as a young man.  I was a full-fledged blackout alcoholic by the time I was a sophomore in high school. I was drinking regularly.   I was able to fly under the radar pretty good because mom and dad were always in the middle of crisis. As long as I wasn't in a lot of trouble, that was easily hidden, even though it was really out in the light, if that makes any kind of sense. It was pretty rough.    Looking back on it, it was rough. In today's standards, we would have been taken away from our homes, and those kinds of things would have been exposed. We just didn't know.   That's just kind of the way it was, but it did lead me into a lifestyle.  I don't want to say they led me into it. I really chose to and clung to a lifestyle.   When I was a little boy, Laura, I grew up Catholic.  We went to parochial schools until I was in fourth grade. I can remember even now.    I loved God. I loved God. He was my refuge.    I didn't know what a refuge meant. I can just say it by language now. I can remember having my crucifix above my bed and I would pray.    I wanted to be a priest. I really did. By the time I got to about 10, 11, 12 years old, the things that had happened and the things that had occurred in my life and my behavior as well just led me to believe that if God was even real because I cried out to him a lot and it didn't seem like he was there.   If he was real, then he really didn't want anything to do with me anyway.  I became kind of anti-God, anti-rebellious. I was just a very rebellious young man.    I went to high school. I mean, I'm getting pretty good grades in high school. My dad was a high school teacher in the same high school I went to.    It was very tumultuous. You can imagine our house. There were split-ups and break-ups, this and that. My dad was a party guy. All the students loved him. I hated him for that.    He was separated from my mom. He was a cheater and a liar. There were a lot of things that bothered me.   After I graduated high school, I had a partial scholarship to go to Eastern Illinois University, but I showed my dad. I got in my little car and drove to Wyoming. That just became my lifestyle, drinking, drugging, roaming all around the country as a young man.    Then I eventually got married to a gal I met down in Kentucky. We had three children really fast. I would say that we got along about three times. That was Emily, Amy, and Mark. We were divorced after five years. Then I was just as a young man and a young adult, just wild and crazy.   Laura Dugger: (9:48 - 10:05) Wow. Brian, thank you for sharing a glimpse of your childhood and even into adulthood. Just for clarification then, when you did get divorced, did you stay in the same state or how did all of that work with your children?   Brian Butler: (10:08 - 16:52) Yeah. No. Like I said, when I was 18, I was out in California for a while.  I was in Wyoming for a while. I landed in Kentucky and met my first wife. We had three kids really fast, divorced after five years.   Then I always wanted to be in a relationship with my children. I don't know if there's anybody out there listening, but I was really stuck in an addictive lifestyle. I was alcohol and drugs, just crazy in it.    I still loved my kids. Now, people on the outside looking in would say, oh, he doesn't love his kids by his lifestyle, but I still love my kids. I paid child support, crying out loud.   I really did. My relationship with my ex-wife was so volatile that she would prevent me from seeing the kids. After several years, I just gave up.   I just didn't give up on the visits and so on and so forth.  I was in Tennessee for a few years. I was all around the country.   Eventually, in the late 90s, I did actually get temporary custody of my kids because my ex-wife had went off the rails bad.  I had my kids for about a year that they lived with me. That was a sweet time.   Once again, my alcoholism and drug addiction and the mom came back into play.  There were just so many issues there. That's when I really got into it.   After the kids went back to their mom, I got into hard drugs, really hard drugs.  I started manufacturing methamphetamine, so on and so forth. There was a time, I'll back this up.   With my childhood and everything that happened there with my dad, before I got divorced from my ex-wife, one of the pivotal moments, I believe, looking back on my life and what led me into just this trajectory of anger and malice and hating God and anything that was good was the moment that my dad called us all together for a family meeting because him and my mom were officially going to get divorced. I was like 21 years old, something like that.   My dad came to tell us that he was a homosexual and that he had been living a homosexual lie for his whole life and that this was the lifestyle that he was choosing. For me, at that age, everything prior to that moment in my life just became a lie. I can't begin to even put into words what that did to me inside because of the perversion that I've experienced with my dad.   My father had made several comments along the way that I was gay, that I was going to be a little queer, a little this and that. I wasn't, but the things that he had done, then you've wrestled with all that stuff. I just became so angry and so fueled with resentment that I really started on this trajectory with my drug and alcohol use that even though I still liked it, I don't want to remove that from it.    I liked being high. I liked being drunk. I enjoyed all the aspects of that lifestyle at the time.   I went at it in a much different way because I didn't really care anymore.  That's just from a looking back perspective. In the moment, I think I cared a lot about everything, but I just had really taken this perspective on in my personal life that nothing matters as much as it did.    It just really didn't matter. I was just going to keep moving forward and doing the things that I to the extreme. I was very extreme on everything.   If it was drinking, I'm going to drink more than you are. If it was smoking something, I'm going to smoke more than you are. If it was snorting, look at the schmoz.    That's just the way I lived my lifestyle. It really took on that trajectory in my adult life until the law started becoming an issue when I was in my 30s. After I'd had the kids for all my life, I tell folks, in those times, I was like a functioning zombie.   I was still getting high, still drinking, but golly, I was the dad that got up and had breakfast for the kids.  I was a strict disciplinarian. I was over the top on so many things.   I was abusive in some ways like my dad was, the way that I spoke to the kids, the way that I treated my children. I didn't certainly know sexual abuse or anything like that with my own children, but I was a really strict disciplinarian. I regret that now.   It's one of my biggest regrets ever, the way that I treated those kids. I tried to make a good life for about a year. Then when they went back to their mom, it just really, really flew apart my life.   It was me doing it. I was flying it apart. I just destroyed everything around me.   If you've cared about me, then that would make me hate you even more. Anyone that cared about me, I would get you to care about me, and then I would hate you for caring about me. It's crazy making stuff, but that's the way that I live my life.    I eventually was introduced to a fellow that knew how to manufacture methamphetamine. He taught me the method. Of course, being the extreme person that I am, I went all in.   I became a methamphetamine manufacturer and dealer and lived that lifestyle for quite some time. It's not like it is now where you're driving around in cornfields with a five-gallon bucket making methamphetamine or Mexican methamphetamine. I had a lab down in Southern Illinois, and I sold a lot of methamphetamines, which is disastrous to me now, but I really became an in-my-own-mind gangster kind of person.    It was a very violent lifestyle. It was very awful, certainly nothing that you would want to glorify, but that's just who I became. And I lived my life for a number of years, and it was disastrous.   Laura Dugger: (16:53 - 19:27) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Midwest Food Bank exists to provide industry-leading food relief to those in need while feeding them spiritually. They are a food charity with a desire to demonstrate God's love by providing help to those in need.   Unlike other parts of the world where there's not enough food, in America, the resources actually do exist. That's why food pantries and food banks like Midwest Food Bank are so important. The goods that they deliver to their agency partners help to supplement the food supply for families and individuals across our country, aiding those whose resources are beyond stretched.   Midwest Food Bank also supports people globally through their locations in Haiti and East Africa, which are some of the areas hardest hit by hunger arising from poverty. This ministry reaches millions of people every year, and thanks to the Lord's provision, 99% of every donation goes directly toward providing food to people in need. The remaining 1% of income is used for fundraising, costs of leadership, oversight, and other administrative expenses.   Donations, volunteers, and prayers are always appreciated for Midwest Food Bank. To learn more, visit midwestfoodbank.org or listen to episode 83 of The Savvy Sauce, where the founder, David Kieser, shares miracles of God that he's witnessed through this nonprofit organization. I hope you check them out today.   Well, I'm hearing all of this for the first time, and it's unimaginable what you were endured growing up, and my heart just aches to hear what happened and then hear the choices that were produced out of that and see where that lifestyle was leading you. But Brian, I just appreciate you for so many reasons, and one of those is for being transparent and vulnerable but also sharing the truth that there was some pleasure in it. You were enjoying it for a while, and the Bible does talk about pleasures of sin for a season, but we all know that that trajectory leads to death, even if it's death of relationships.   So, looking at your relationships at that time, were you still in contact with your mom or your brother or your dad throughout all of this?   Brian Butler: (19:28 - 21:37) No, not really. My brother, it's an interesting story. My brother had married a gal right out of high school.    He got born again. He became a Christian. So poor guy, I just tortured him my whole adult life.   I just made fun of him, and I called him weak, and he was a crutch, and we got in even physical fights over it a couple times, but we didn't have much of a relationship as you can imagine. I think that there were several times that we tried to reach out and be in contact, but it just didn't work due to my addictions and my alcoholism and his pride and all those other kinds of things. My mom held on to me for years.   I put my mother through, I tortured her. I was arrested seven times for driving under the influence. I had five DUI convictions.   I was in and out of trouble. I was always in the forefront of her mind, and I've experienced this with my own children after I came to Christ, continually worried that she wouldn't get the phone call that her son was dead, basically. The last two or three years of my being out there, I had no contact with my mom because she finally said, you're dead to me.   I'm done. You're not my son. I don't want to hear from you, and I was like, cool.   I don't care. You've been dead to me for 40 years, right? I blamed her for allowing things to happen.   It just wasn't true, right? I mean, it wasn't her fault at all of any of my childhood, and she was just trying to be a good mom and save her marriage, and she was being abused mentally and stuff that whole time. But you know how we are as sinful creatures.   I didn't want to take the blame on me because it wasn't my fault, so I was blaming everybody else around me. So, I didn't really have any solid relationships as far as family, anything like that goes while I was out there in my addiction. It all changed when I was arrested in 2003.   So that's a story.   Laura Dugger: (21:38 - 21:43) Are you willing to take us back to 2003 and share that story?   Brian Butler: (21:45 - 38:08) Yeah, yeah. So I was, like I said, I had become, you know, I was living a gangster life, so I was in the drug world, and I don't know if anybody knows anything about the drug world, but it's not like the movies. It's worse.    It's worse than they depict in movies. So, I was living that lifestyle for several years. I had a lot of money. I had a lot of guns. I had a lot of property. I had all the methamphetamine I could possibly use because I was manufacturing it.    I was selling more than I could possibly imagine. I was using more than that. I was king of the world is what I thought while everything around me was burning.    I was the king, if that makes any sense. And so that was the lifestyle that had led up to 2003. I'll never forget one time I had married another gal after my first wife and I had divorced several years later, and that was just a relationship based on lies and substance abuse.   So, it really wasn't a marriage at all, but I had been arrested in Vincennes, Indiana for dealing narcotics, and I had some other arrests down in Kentucky for dealing narcotics, and I made bail and all this. And so, what happened was in 2002, I went on the run. I still had my meth lab, and I was still selling lots of methamphetamine, but I had these warrants, and I was king of the world in my mind, and nobody was going to catch me, and I was going out like a gangster.    They were never going to take me alive, this fact. So, she went with me, which is great. She was crazy.    And we went on the run, and we just lived from casino to casino. I would make methamphetamine. I would sell $20,000 worth, and then we just kind of traveled around and lived that kind of lifestyle.    And I'll never forget one time down at the Casino Queen in St. Louis, Missouri. There's a casino down there. I just done a pretty big dope deal, and the casino was hot, and the air conditioning was down, and it was like 5 o'clock in the morning, and I just had to get out of there.   I just had to get away, and I got in my van and took a spin down in Belleville, Illinois, and I ended up in a cemetery on top of this cemetery, and it was looking down this great big hill. And I haven't been there since, but people from that area are like, yeah, I know that cemetery. I'm like, yeah, well, that's where I really had my Lieutenant Dan moment with God almost.    I sat on top of that. I was so, I can't explain it. I had lived my life in that addiction, loving that addiction, and loving getting high, loving drinking.   At that point in my life, I was still doing it. I hated myself, and I wanted to die, and I didn't like it so much anymore. I just wanted it to be over, and I kind of had it out with God.   I was drinking a fifth of whiskey, and I'm smoking methamphetamine. I'm a nine-millimeter pistol, and I'm putting it in my mouth. I was too much of a coward to pull the trigger, so that made me even more angry, and I thought for a moment that God might be real, and that there might be something worth living, but it was just a moment, and I kind of gathered myself together, and I went back to the casino, and just like as if nothing had happened, and just a few weeks later, I was arrested in Washington, Indiana.    I had made arrangements to see my kids. I had my kids for the weekend, which is crazy to think that I was in any kind of shape to be around my kids, but I was. I was always a functioning guy, and I was a gangster, so we had the kids for a weekend, and when the kids left the location I was at, my ex-wife called the police and told them where I was, and so that led into a great big chase, and there was all kinds of SWAT teams and all kinds of things.   I was holed up in a house at one point, and police were banging on the windows and trying to get in the house, and eventually they called on the telephone, and it just kept ringing and kept ringing and kept ringing.  I'm stuck in this house. I didn't have my guns.    I didn't have any drugs. I didn't have a cigarette, right, and the crazy thing about that whole thing is, I'll just back to the subject, so I'm in this chase, right, on foot from the police. I tried to pull a guy out of his pickup truck.   Of all things, God put this guy in the pickup truck. He was an off-duty police officer, and so I'm trying to carjack an off-duty police officer. He's having none of it.    I get away from him. I get in this. I'm running through a residential neighborhood trying to get any door open that I possibly could to get away from the police who were chasing me, and I made it to an open door, and I opened up that door, and it was an insurance company, and there were a bunch of little ladies sitting around computers in this room, and I was just like, hey, can I get a glass of water, and out there I am sweating profusely just in 10 o'clock in the morning with Harley Davidson boots, Hawaiian t-shirt, obviously in distress, and I scared these ladies to death, and I'm hearing them call the police anyway, and I just grabbed a glass of water and went out on that front porch, and some fella drove up in a pickup truck and got out of the truck to come in to do business with the insurance company, and I went and stole his truck, and I was able to get away and get to a safe spot.   I think it's safe because I'm only there for about three or four minutes, and the police show up all the way around that house, and so they're calling.  They're banging on the windows. We know it's you in there.   You need to come out, and eventually after about an hour or so of that, I did answer the phone, and the police officer said, I had a fake ID, and they were like, we know you're not Bill Berkshire.  We know that you're Brian Butler. You need to come out of that house.   You need to come out of there now, or we're going to come and get you, and I said, well, try it, because I'll kill the first three of you through the door. Now, they had already confiscated my fan and guns and all that kind of stuff, but they didn't know what I had. I didn't have anything.   There was a six-foot decorative simmer I swore on the wall that couldn't cut butter that I was arming myself with, and it took about another hour or two, and the SWAT team showed up, and they eventually got me out of that house. I was arrested and facing 120 years in the 20th century. I had multiple carjacking, dealing, manufacturing, every possible imaginable that you could possibly imagine of illegal substances.   I had those on me in my van and the property, and so there was the chase and all that happened, so they were unwilling to run any of those charges concurrent. They took four major charges and said, we're going to run a consecutive, and I was facing 120 years in prison. Honestly, when I was in jail, it was kind of like a relief in a way.    I was so angry. I was delusional. I really thought that the people who owed me money were going to break me out.    That's how delusional I was. They didn't, but that's where I had a moment, and I come back to my mom. I'd been in jail about a month, and what had happened was my mom came to the jail, and she didn't come there for a visit.   She came on a Saturday morning, and the police let her in, and she wanted to know if I would sign papers because I still had temporary custody of my children on paper and if my brother could have legal custody over my kids while all this was going on. Because my children, I'll back that up, my children were in Kentucky with their mom, my youngest daughter at that time. I was 14 years old, and she was using methamphetamine.    She was into alcohol. She wasn't being supervised. She was in abusive relationships with her mother's friends.   She was cutting herself because her daddy was going away forever. That was my daughter, and I loved her, and I was just taken aback that my brother would go down and rescue her. The whole story of how I came to Christ is all involved in this.   I'm kind of all over the place, but the Friday night prior to my mom showing up at the jail, back in those days in jail, there was no overcrowding in Indiana, and there were 16 of us in a six-man cell, and I had been in that jail for, like I said, three or four weeks, and on Friday nights, they would have the Gideons come in. Now, the only thing I knew about a Gideon was those Bibles that they put in hotels, and I was none too interested in any God talk. I didn't believe in that.   I just didn't want anything to do with that. As a matter of fact, I was mad about it, but after three or four weeks of being in there smelling nothing but feet and urine, I was willing to do anything for 15 minutes to get out of that cell, and so I agreed to go, and me and two other guys went up to a visitation booth, and there was a little fella in there, and he was very nice, but I couldn't tell you anything he said for the 15 minutes, nothing.    I wasn't paying attention. I was just sitting there looking around, just glad to be out of that cell, but at the end of that 15 minutes, he knocked on the window, and he pointed at me. He said, can I pray for you, and I said, hell no, you can't pray for me.   I don't want your prayers. I'm not here for your prayer, and whatever language it was, I was very vile. I said, but if you want to pray for something, you think that God of yours is listening, you pray for my daughter, and I kind of told her a little bit about what's going on with my kid.   I said, and so you pray for her, and he did, and I can't tell you what he prayed because I really wasn't listening, but it was nice, and I remember that night going back to my cell, and with my Catholic upbringing and everything that had happened, I think I probably said a little prayer myself that night to this God that I didn't believe in, and then a week later, my mom shows up telling me that my brother in Cleveland, Ohio, born again Christian, that the very night that this guy was praying, my brother and his wife decided to come down to Vincent's, Indiana, and they got my mom, and they drove to Owensburg, Kentucky, and literally kidnapped my daughter and took her back to live with them, and I wasn't, I was just kind of in a haze.   I wasn't putting all that together in the moment, and like I said, mom wasn't there for a visit, and I was just like Mark, would you do that for me?  He went and got Amy. I just couldn't believe it, and she's like, yes, I just need you to sign the paper so I can get out of here, and so I did, and that night, I was back in that jail cell, and all those lights were off, and man, the Holy Spirit of God fell on me, and he told me he was real, and to the best of my ability, I confessed my sins.    I repented for my sins. I was just, I just spent the whole night as a 40-year-old gangster, blubber, and idiot in a jail cell just crying about everything, just about my dad, about my lifestyle. I missed my kids.   It just came crashing down on me, and I believe that that was the night that I was truly born again. I believe that God had his hand on me before the foundation of the world. He knew me, and that he loved me, and he chose me, and that I loved him as a little boy, and for whatever happened in my life that I chose to ignore him and run away from him and hate him, but through his mercy and grace and through even facing 120 years in the penitentiary that he saved me, and I believe that night that I got saved, and I just told him, I know we're not supposed to make a deal with God, but it was just kind of like, man, I believe you're real. I don't know anything about you.   I don't know what, you know, my Catholic brother, I don't know if Mary has anything to do with this. I don't know nothing about you, but I believe you're real, and I'll do anything you tell me for the rest of my life if you just take this taste out of my mouth. I just don't want this addiction. I don't want all this crap anymore, and in that moment, he did.   I really believe that he took that away from me, and I've been following him kind of ever since. The next morning when they opened up the cell, we went out to the day room.  I'll never forget. There was a Bible there. Now, that Bible's been there the whole time, but it's the first time I see the Bible, and I kind of, you know, I'm still struggling.   I've been up all night, and I'm kind of wiped out anyway, drinking instant coffee and, you know, having a God experience, and there's a Bible, and I pick up this Bible, and it was in Romans chapter five. I'll never get it, and I'll just paraphrase, but I remember reading the verses that having been justified by faith, and it just kind of hit me that I wish I really believed God was real, and I don't know what that means, and I don't know anything about it, but I went on to read that I was no longer his enemy and that I could have peace with him and that he was going to give me good character and that I could persevere. It didn't matter what I had in front of me, so it was just God speaking to me in those moments that I'm going to be with you through all this, and it was just a wonderful, life-changing experience. It didn't, you know, sanctification takes a long time.   I still was sentenced to 15 years in prison, which was a miracle, right? I was facing 120, and there it was nothing that I had done prior to my conversion. I had been in front of a judge, and I had a $1 million full cash bond.   I was in front of the judge, and I'm like, I want a bond reduction. The judge is like; you're telling me you're going to pay $100,000 to get out of jail. I said, angrily, you could reduce my bond, and he said, denied.   We're not going to do that, and that was the last time I really talked to a judge or an attorney, and I sat in jail for six or seven months, and this attorney that was appointed to me after the one that I fired, he came to me one time and said, hey, they're willing to give you a 15-year sentence in prison if that's what you want to do, and I said, okay.  I wasn't concerned about prison. I wasn't concerned.   I just wanted to do what the Lord wanted me to, and that's been my whole life since.  People will ask me about prison. It was horrible, as you can imagine.    I was in the state of Indiana. There were no separation of offenders at that time. I was in a medium-max facility, so I was doing time with guys who were doing life, which were the best guys to do it with because they were just doing life, and then little gangbangers from Indianapolis.   It was a terrible affair. Every kind of drug possible, every kind of perversion possible was there, but it's where I met Jesus, and it's where I learned to follow Christ, and I had a godly man come alongside of me in the prison, Pastor Woodcocks, who just assigned my guy, and he helped me to work through so many things and to be a man of truth and integrity and all the different things that he taught me, so while I look back at that, and I say, yeah, prison sucked.   It was awful, and I never want to go back again in that capacity, but it's where I learned to follow Christ, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I needed every ounce of that time to become closer to him and to be less about me, and then I got out of prison in 2009.   It was a shock probation here to Peoria, Illinois, where my oldest daughter was at that time, and I moved in with her.  She's been following Jesus ever since. It's not been an easy road, right?   It's not been being a convicted felon and having all those things, but God does, if he is for us, who can be against us, right?  He has really, really, really been by my side. There's been so many things that have happened.   I could go on for hours and hours and hours, but that's how I came to Jesus and where I got to know Jesus and where I really solidified my relationship with, I believe, and he's saved.   Laura Dugger: (38:10 - 38:55) What an incredible journey he took you on.   Did you know you could receive a free email with monthly encouragement, practical tips, and plenty of questions to ask to take your conversation a level deeper, whether that's in parenting or on date nights? Make sure you access all of this at thesavvysauce.com by clicking the button that says join our email list so that you can follow the prompts and begin receiving these emails at the beginning of each month.  Enjoy.   So, then Brian, as a freed man at that point, once you were out of prison, how did you eventually find your way to what is now Pathway Ministries?   Brian Butler: (38:57 - 45:56) It's been a wild ride. I got out of prison thinking I was going to be a prison minister and there was going to be all kinds of things that were going to happen. You kind of buy into that prosperity stuff while I was locked up.   I really thought that there were big things in store. After I was out of prison for about three months, it was 2009, and so the economy in Peoria was really bad. The cap shut down.    Places weren't hiring. I couldn't find a job anywhere. I remember going to Kroger in Madison Park.   If anybody remembers Madison Park Kroger in Peoria, it was a really rough part of town.  They were banging out in the parking lot. I'm here.   I called the manager and he said set up a time for an interview.  I went to the interview, and I took him my resume. They taught us in the penitentiary and in classes.   I got a bachelor's degree in prison, by the way. I filled out my resume, and I filled the time up in my resume with the prison ministry I was involved in. Just so you don't have that slack of time.   The manager said, oh, I see that you were in a prison ministry. Man, that's amazing. Did they let you in there every day?    Well, I lived there. I was in prison at that time. This is what I was doing while I was in prison.   His words to me shook me to the core because he handed me back that resume and he said, “We don't hire your kind here.” I'm telling you, after all the disappointment I have for two or three months of not being able to find a job and rejection after rejection, I walked out in the parking lot. My daughter took me back to her house and I remember sitting on the end of her bed.   I'm not a crier, really, but at that time I think I might have been crying a little bit. She was bawling and I was just like, “Just take me down to the shelter. I don't want to be any more of a burden to this family. Please, I got to go.”   She's like, “Don't give up, dad, don't give up.” I'm like, “I'll give it up, oh God, I just don't want to be a burden.”    She said, “Just wait, just wait, just give it a little more time.” I agreed to do that. That week, through the grapevine, one of the friends of a guy that she went to church with, John McCormick, at McCormick Auto Place in Belleville, Illinois, called and said, “Hey, I heard through the grapevine you're having a hard time getting a job. I need somebody washing cars.”   That was a far cry from, you know, I'm a 46-year-old man and I'd walk around with briefcases full of money. It was a humbling experience, but I went to work for John, and he ended up, you know, as a Christian, he was just a Christ follower.    He accepted me into his family. I went from 10 hours a week to part-time. I eventually got a part-time job at the Salvation Army.    They called me. It was one of the first places I put in a resume. Paul Cousin called me from the Salvation Army.   He's like, “Hey, I don't know why we never saw your resume before, but we need help. Would you like to come to work at the safety net working with homeless guys?” I'm thinking, well, you know, I've been homeless, so sure.   And I went down there and I started working there.  And so eventually that turned into a full-time job at the Salvation Army. And I stayed working washing cars.    I washed cars for 12 years with John. He's just so great. He's one of the greatest Christian dudes you ever met.    He just, he was so vital in my Christian walk in my life. But I was at the Salvation Army. I was running, believe it or not, the lead case manager of Drop-In Center for the Homeless.    And I had conversations with Peoria Rescue Mission at that time, Peoria Rescue Ministries. Now, I'd never been there. I thought they were religious zealots.    You know, it was everything. It was so religious that the guys couldn't be there. But I did know that they did not allow drugs or alcohol.   And so, when I would meet a man that was struggling with addiction and they wanted to get out of them, I would call and talk to Lee and say, “Hey, listen, I got a guy I think would be good for your fit. Can I send him down there?” And so, we kind of built this bond.    Lee and I had this relationship over the phone. I'd never met the guy ever. Back in those days, Lee was really into sending those funny little emails.   You know, they always have a little cartoon or a little message. You know, the email knows that when you're really busy at work, you kind of start deleting after a while. And one day he sent me an email, and it said, “Are you interested?”    And for some reason, I opened it. And I know the reason is God. And he said that they had a position as the assistant director of the rescue mission, but I'd be interested in coming down and applying for the job.    And I went down and met with Lee. And one thing led to another. My wife, Pam, who I'm married to now, I consider my wife.   I can't believe that I'm married to somebody who loves God. Now, I know we're supposed to stay the way that we are, biblically a single and all these things scripturally as we come to Christ to stay that way. But this is my first marriage.    This is my marriage. In Christ, we're in marriage. She is the most wonderful. She's my gift that God just kind of gave me to care for and to nurture and to love her the way that I should.  But she really encouraged me. At the time of the Salvation Army, we were HUD funded.    I couldn't openly share my faith. I always had to take back doors to it. And she's like, this is what you've always prayed for.    They'll let you do that there, take the job. And so, I did. And that's how I came on at Peoria Rescue Ministries.    Eventually it became Pathway Ministries. I just kind of worked as Mr. Rokey, came on board in 2016. And then in 2018, we're really trying to do some things back there.   And from the way we used to do them, meeting people in crisis, I had a lot of good ideas.  And John had a lot of great ideas. And we're on the same page.    And he asked me to be program director. And I'm like, well, I'd love to, if I can write a program. And so, he just gave me free reign.   And then now I'm the director of residential ministries at Pathway Ministries. Just being able to allow God to blow that whole thing up. And he has to meet people just like me, just like so many other sons and daughters out there that need to have a God block put in front of them while they're in their crisis.    And so, it's just been a beautiful thing. And I just praise God for all the leadership and just what we've been able to do. And that's how I came to Pathway Ministries.    Just being able to do God's work there. It's incredible. It's crazy.   Putting it in a nutshell is really hard because there's been so many things that the Lord has done personally and through the ministry. It has just been incredible, the path that he's had me.   Laura Dugger: (45:57 - 46:35) You do such an amazing work there, and it is a worthy ministry to support. We'll definitely put links in the show notes for today's episode for Pathway Ministries. And that's a whole other conversation to talk about the miracles witnessed there.   But just to go back and close a few loops, I'm sorry, I'm going to throw a few things at you.  So, when did Pam come into the picture? And what's a current snapshot of your life with your children now?   And what did forgiveness look like with your family of origin?   Brian Butler: (46:37 - 52:04) Yeah, so my father passed away while I was in prison. It was an amazing story with my dad. He met me in prison and wanted to meet with me.   And I hadn't seen my father in years, and he came to the prison lot. I had worked through the forgiveness of my dad, I think, before we met, but he came to ask my forgiveness. And I'll never forget, he said, Brian, I made the wrong choice.    My whole life, I've made the wrong choices. And I'm just really sorry. And so, it was a sweet moment with me and him.   I'm not saying that we had a, you know, it wasn't like we're father, son kind of stuff.  But when he passed away, there's no false guilt. There's no guilt.    There's nothing I'm trusting. He even actually became a minister of the Catholic Church in the place that he lived. And I believe that he came to faith in Christ and Christ alone.   So, it was really something to see that transformation in my dad, even though he was, you know, he saw a lot of stuff. But I truly believe that the father entered his heart. My mom, shortly after I was incarcerated, after that experience at the jail, started to come around a little bit and supported me.   You know, and I think the biggest thing that helped me in or helped our relationship in the prison was I didn't ask for things. When I was able to talk to my mother, I was able to say, how are you? And just kind of relieve her of the burden.   It was bad enough that her son was in prison. It was bad enough that she had to see her son on the evening news and everything that I put her through. I just wanted to mend that and just to comfort my mom and just love my mom the best possible.    So, our relationship really grew through those days. And it's so amazing. So, here's a woman that said, you're dead to me, and I don't want around anymore.    In 2019, my mom and stepdad have been since Indiana, and they're aging now. They're in their early 80s. But in 2019, we had a family conversation, and she wanted to move to Peoria, Illinois, so that my wife and I could take care of her and him in their old age.    So, they lived two miles away from us, and we were able to meet my mom. It's crazy. And just to be able to be in a relationship with her and to be able to care for her, getting ready to take a trip down to Kentucky to see her sister, and all that entails.   So, it's just been a wonderful blessing for a relationship. My mom knows God's real because he's changed me and my children. While I didn't beat them over the head with the Bible, they know that God is real because they've seen him work in me.   They've all struggled with addiction and all those kinds of things. But I'm happy to say that all three of them are clean and sober. Right now, my son followed in my footsteps.    Unfortunately, he grew up, even though I wasn't there. I was divorced from his mother when he was two years old. But he always looked to me, and he always saw the tough guy and the gangster.   And I think that's what he really wanted to be. He ended up getting a prison sentence, and he spent 13 years in prison. And he is getting out in February.    So that's encouraging. But all three of them are clean and sober, and those relationships have been restored. Pam and I, you can imagine, Pam had no idea about addiction or lifestyle or gangsters.   So I am completely off the rails, foreign to her.  But she tells me all the time, she doesn't know that old guy. All she knows is me.   And she can hear stories, and she can hear testimonies. And of course, my mom is very open to share anything at a family dinner about Brian, which I'm like, please, mom, don't talk. But she hears those stories, and she just says, I don't know that man.    I don't know who that was. This is the man I'm married to. And so, it's just, we have a wonderful relationship.    She's my biggest supporter, my biggest fan. We pray together. We love the Lord together.  It's really something. I'm not saying that we haven't had a lot of hurt because my kids have been in addiction. I'm saying it hasn't been really, really hard.   But through those sufferings, that's how Jesus makes it more like him, through those sufferings and through those hard times.  And he's given me an avenue personally to be able to help others. So, I love that scripture.    It gives us this comfort. We needed the comfort so that one day you can comfort others with that same kind of comfort. So, he's enabled me to be in a position where I can comfort other folks in addiction and build great teams here at Pathway that are ministering to the folks that we serve in a meaningful way for the Lord.    And then I've been able to serve my wife. I've been able to serve her and that's what I want to do.   Laura Dugger: (52:05 - 52:31) Oh, it is evident to see you two at church and see you two holding hands and just your gentle way of interacting with each other is even a testimony. So how incredible that God has restored so much that was broken. And even going back to your brother Mark, was he rejoicing to hear you were now walking with Jesus as your Lord and Savior?   Brian Butler: (52:32 - 54:07) Yeah, well, at first it was kind of like the prodigal son story, and he was the big brother rather than me. I think at first there was a lot of, and rightfully so, I was no good. And so, I had the hearing officer tell me one time in Springfield Illinois when I was trying to get my driver's license back, which was another God story.    And I have a driver's license after five DUIs. I had that hearing officer tell me, even though I had been clean and sober for seven years, he said, you know, talk is cheap. He said, walking it is different.   So, you come back and see me in a year and when you've walked it, then we'll have a talk about giving you a driver's license. And I've always kind of stored that in my heart with my relationship with my brother. And now after my brother has seen me walk it, we have a pretty good relationship.    We're in cahoots because I'm taking care of mom. And so, we have a pretty good relationship there. Yeah, so it's been really a miracle.    Miracles of what has happened in relationships. Now some relationships that I've had, even with family members, you know, hey, that Brian Butler is still nothing but a no-good dope dealing maniac. And we're, you know, we're done.    And that's okay. That's God's job. My job is to keep walking the walk and talking the talk and sticking close to him and not letting anything get in the way of that and doing whatever I can to restore relationships and then let God do the rest.    And so, it's been, it's hard, but good. Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (54:08 - 54:22) You are a new creation. And Brian, I know you could continue teaching us so many things. Is there any encouragement you want to share before our conversation comes to a close?   Brian Butler: (54:23 - 56:46) Yeah, I would just say if you're, I had some, when I was going through it with my daughter, I had a lot of good counselors around me.  And then I got some advice that I didn't follow. And I'm so glad that I didn't.   I certainly think that if when we meet people that are in living destructive lifestyles, or you have a child in addiction and alcoholism, and they are just burning everything down around you, absolutely to set up boundaries and to limit communication to where they're draining you to death.  But if they're still breathing, then there's still hope. And we should never forget that there's hope and that God is so much bigger, and we can trust him with them more than what we can do with them.   I struggled for years with my daughter in addiction and being up in the middle of the night, just waiting on a phone call and praying and pleading and even thinking, Lord, it would be better if she was just gone.  If you just took her, would you? It's so harrowing.   But I never cut off communication completely because when she came out of the pig pen, I'm going to run. Now there were several runs that I made that, you know, she wasn't really out of the pig pen, but I don't regret that. And my daughter will say to a lot of folks, even though inside I kind of gave up in certain times, but I didn't make the life to end.    And she'll say, my dad never gave up on me. My dad was always there for me. And so, I just want to encourage people, if they're breathing, there's still hope and you can still put up boundaries and be strong and not give in and not give money and not do all those things, but there's still hope and our hope was in Christ.   And then we can hope that he does that work and that he'll do that work in us as we're hoping him to do it in others. So that's what I would just leave with folks that are really going through it because I've been through it. I've put people through it.   It's a tangled web and there's a whole lot, but you need to be around people that are going to love you and care for you and come around to you. You need to tell the truth to other people so that you don't hide it because it will destroy you.   Laura Dugger: (56:47 - 57:22) That's so good, Brian. How special to have her daddy never give up on her. And it reflects that greater truth that our heavenly father never gives up on any of us.  And he died for us even while we were still sinners. Thank you for sharing that.   And you may be familiar that we are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, Brian, what is your savvy sauce?   Brian Butler: (57:24 - 58:36) I would say my savvy sauce is living in a daytight compartment, living this life one moment at a time, one day at a time, certainly making plans for the future, certainly living that life out. But I'm going to do what the Lord wants me to do right now. And then what he wants me to do next and what he wants me to do after that.    But just really staying in that daytight compartment. You know, I teach our students all the time at Pathway Ministries, really when we come to faith, this is really simplistic, but after we come to faith in the Lord Jesus, it really is about doing the next little right thing. And then the next little right thing after that, and the next little right thing after that.   And no one does the next little right thing all the time. But when you don't do the next little right thing, you get up and do the next little right thing. Understanding that sometimes doing the next little right thing might be the hardest thing you've ever done in your life.   And so, if we stay in that daytime compartment with Jesus, he'll help us through that next little right thing.  And so that's my savvy. So, I was just staying in the moment and doing the next little right thing.   Laura Dugger: (58:37 - 59:08) Oh, I love that so much. Ryan, you are an admirable man who walks the walk, and God has gifted you with such passion and such a compelling story. So, thank you for continuing to faithfully obey him.   You are certainly shining in our community and faithfully serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So, thank you for being my guest.   Brian Butler: (59:09 - 59:11) Thank you so much, Laura Dugger. We love you.   Laura Dugger: (59:11 - 1:02:28) We love you, too.   One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.    Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.    We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.    That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.    This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.    Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.    And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.    First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.    You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.    We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.    And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.    And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Dave Crosland and Scott McNally break down the latest real-world bodybuilding and PED topics, including a massive Chicago steroid bust, GH effects, MENT side effects, retatrutide insights, liver health, and practical cycle strategies. This episode of DNS delivers unfiltered discussion, experience-based advice, and industry insight you won't hear anywhere else. 0:00 Support the Podcast – Shop Our Sponsors Below 1:05 Chicago Steroid & HGH Bust – 400 lbs Seized 2:35 Inside the Steroid Bust – What Really Happened 5:15 Will Trade System Changes Catch More Steroid Imports? 8:00 Are Small Packages at Risk? Customs Crackdown Explained 11:30 Controlled Delivery Stories – How Busts Actually Happen 16:00 Did Dusty Hanshaw Get Ripped Off in the UK? 25:00 China Raw Powder Issues – Latest Updates 26:20 Kickstarting Cycles with Tren Ace – Pros & Risks 30:00 Growth Hormone & Bone Growth Explained 31:30 Retatrutide Non-Responders – What's Going On? 34:30 MENT (Trestolone) & Gyno Risk 37:45 Equipoise (EQ) & Hematocrit – Is It Really That Bad? 41:45 Proviron Benefits – Should You Focus on SHBG? 44:00 Does MENT Aromatize? Breaking It Down 46:00 Cutting Cycle: Test, Mast, EQ, Tren E & GH 50:00 Retatrutide & Dopamine – Lowering Reward Response? 55:00 High AST Levels – Understanding Liver Health in Bodybuilding 56:00 Lost His Job Mid-Cycle – What Now? 59:10 How to Use Sustanon for Bodybuilding & Contest Prep 1:01:30 Best Steroid Cycles for Endurance Athletes 1:02:30 Speaking English with Dave 1:11:45 Why We Are Not on Spotify 1:17:50 Behind the Scenes – Podcast Wrap Up UK Blood Work Get your Labs done by Dave in the UK : https://evalbloodanalysis.com/home/ Support the Podcast Patreon — Help keep the show growing. Even $5/month makes a difference. https://www.patreon.com/thinkbigbodybuilding Sponsors TRUE NUTRITION — Custom supplements for serious lifters Use code THINK to save https://www.truenutrition.com/THINK STROM SPORTS — Performance supplements trusted by athletes UK: https://tinyurl.com/ydmbfa54 US: https://stromsportsus.com Supplement Source Canada — Top brand supplements with fast shipping http://www.supplementsource.ca Merch Official THINK BIG Merch — Train, represent, support the brand https://think-big.printify.me/products Merch Official THINK BIG Merch — Train, represent, support the brand https://think-big.printify.me/products

L.O.V.E. Let others voluntarily evolveBeing addicted to drama My website My InstagramMy podcasts by topic! (created by a fan!)

In episode 2039, Jack and guest co-host Andrew Ti are joined by comedian, Blake Wexler, to discuss… CNBC Is Trying to Figure Out How To Approach Genocide... As An Investor, “Scientology Run” Trend Is Funny... But Could End Up Helping Scientology, This Woman’s Husband Is a Huge NASCAR Fan, Here Comes The RFK Jr. Podcast No One Wants and more! CNBC Is Trying to Figure Out How To Approach Genocide... As An Investor Obsessed with this trend of people seeing how far they run inside the LA Scientology HQ Scientology Runs Are Going Viral On TikTok TikTokers are “speedrunning” Scientology buildings in bizarre new trend Two kids run into Scientology 16-Year-Old Infiltrates Scientology: A Skateboarding Adventure Explained: What’s a ‘Scientology run’ and why people are dashing into them for TikTok Scientology Locks Another Person Inside New Documents Show Scientologists Plotted To Have Writer Jailed How TikTok Accidentally Created a Scientology Heartthrob This woman’s husband is a huge "NASCAR" fan, obviously. RFK Jr. Using Your Taxpayer Money to Become a Podcast Bro RFK Jr. launches health podcast as his vaccine push stalls Secrets from RFK Jr.’s Private Diaries: Women, Drugs and His Insatiable Need for 'More’ LISTEN: TELL ME WHAT I DID by Tiffany DaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wil Milz joins Ralph Sutton and Aaron Berg and they discuss Wil's time as a dancer compared to Ralph's break dancing days, growing up in foster care for a short time in Brooklyn, his interview with Vlad, loving Seinfelf, scamming in his 20s, doing stand-up comedy for 15 years and the altercations that almost came about while doing it, Corey Holcomb's advice, his first viral video, rage-baiting with Top 5 lists, a game of Nasty Work or Normal Behavior, Wil Milz' first concert, first drug and first sexual experience and so much more!(Air Date: 04/04/26)Support our sponsors!YoKratom.com - Check out Yo Kratom (the home of the $60 kilo) for all your kratom needs!To advertise your product or service on GaS Digital podcasts please go to TheADSide.com and click on "Advertisers" for more information!You can watch The SDR Show LIVE for FREE every Wednesday and Saturday at 9pm ET at GaSDigitalNetwork.com/LIVEOnce you're there you can sign up at GaSDigitalNetwork.com with promo code: SDR for discount on your subscription which will give you access to every SDR show ever recorded! On top of that you'll also have the same access to ALL the shows that GaS Digital Network has to offer!Follow the whole show on social media!Wil MilzInstagram: https://instagram.com/WilMilzAaron BergTwitter: https://twitter.com/aaronbergcomedyInstagram: https://instagram.com/aaronbergcomedyRalph SuttonTwitter: https://twitter.com/iamralphsuttonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamralphsutton/Shannon LeeTwitter: https://twitter.com/IMShannonLeeInstagram: https://instagram.com/ShannonLee6982The SDR ShowTwitter: https://twitter.com/theSDRshowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound are prescribed for weight loss, diabetes, and blood-sugar management. But as more people use them, patients are reporting a decrease in cravings for drugs and alcohol. Researchers are now investigating whether GLP-1s might be effective for treating alcohol and drug addiction.  How much do we know? What are the risks? And do these drugs tell us anything new about the biology of addiction? Host Flora Lichtman talks with neuroscientist Joseph Schacht, who is conducting a clinical trial on GLP-1s and alcohol use; and Sarah Carstens, addictions clinical director of Outpatient Services at Penn Medicine's Princeton House Behavioral Health. Guests: Dr. Joseph Schacht is the co-director of the Division of Addiction Science, Prevention, and Treatment at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.  Sarah Carstens is the addictions clinical director of Outpatient Services at Penn Medicine's Princeton House Behavioral Health.  Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Sheriff Grady Judd breaks down crime, punishment, and leadership after 50+ years in law enforcement. From Iran and U.S. policy to human trafficking stings, strict sentencing, and policing philosophy, he explains how Florida reduced crime and why accountability is key.------

Most people think burning calories is the key to fat loss… but that's not the full story. In this episode, the guys break down why building muscle is actually one of the most effective ways to improve body composition—and why the common "calories burned" argument completely misses the bigger picture. They dive into the science of metabolism, why muscle doesn't just burn more calories (at least not in the way you think), and what's really happening inside your body when you strength train. Plus, live coaching calls covering weight loss recovery, balancing cardio and strength, avoiding overtraining, and fixing metabolism after dieting.   MAPS PPL IS OUT NOW!  Live Coaching with Cole April 8th - 12th. Don't Miss it ! mapsppl.com code PPL for 40% off   This episode is brought to you by HUEL With a limited-time offer, get Huel today with an exclusive offer of 15% off online with the code MINDPUMP at https://www.huel.com/mindpump. New customers only. ⇨⇨go to https://www.huel.com/mindpump  Code: MINDPUMP    This episode is also brought to you by JOYMODE JOYMODE was created because the products on the market are terrible and they knew they could do better. Prescriptions come with all sorts of side effects. JOYMODE makes NATURAL and SCIENCE-BACKED wellness products for men. ⇨⇨go to ⁠tryjoymode.com/mindpump ⁠or enter MINDPUMP at checkout for 20% off your first order. 0:00 Intro 2:56 Does Building Muscle Really Speed Up Your Metabolism? 9:42 Science vs. Real-World Coaching: Why the "Experts" Are Missing the Point 18:57 Should a Depressed 17-Year-Old Use GLP-1 Drugs to Lose 100 lbs? 28:35 GLP-1 for Gut Health, the Poop Window Debate & Skipping Video Drama 43:13 "Eat the Same Meals on Repeat" Viral Study – It's Just Meal Prepping 57:56 Caller #1 – Mike (Montana): How to Transition from a Lean Bulk to a Cut Before Hunting Season 1:09:39 Caller #2 – Hope (Illinois): Stay-at-Home Mom with PCOS Wants to Get Fit with Limited Time 1:24:05 Caller #3 – Logan (Utah): How to Peak for the Army National Guard Fitness Test 1:41:20 Caller #4 – Mark (Florida): Burnt-Out Fitness Sales Pro Wants to Return to Coaching  

Drugs, Sleeping in your car, drug paraphernalia, and bath houses. See what the Mpls city council is up to. Our President terrifies children at the White House Easter egg hunt. Johnny Heidt with guitar news. Heard On The Show:House DFL members to file ethics complaint against Reps. Engen, HudsonHouse GOP alleges conflict of interest by Rep. Falconer, plans ethics complaintTrump warns a ‘whole civilization will die tonight' if a deal with Iran isn't reachedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.