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It doesn't matter how good your episodes are if listeners can't find them. You can add video, guest on other podcasts, or post on social media, but if your podcast isn't showing up in search, you're missing out on 70% of listeners who find new shows that way every day.In this episode, I'm breaking down the 3 podcast SEO moves that took this show from ranking #97 in search to consistently landing in the top 1–3 and increasing downloads 41%. The same moves you can implement immediately to help your podcasting efforts actually pay off instead of burning you out. If you're ready for a simple marketing system that gets your show discovered by new listeners 24/7, hit play and let's dive in.2:18 – If Your Podcast Isn't Showing Up in Search, This Is Why6:04 – Why Adding Video Won't Fix a Discovery Problem9:47 – 3 Podcast SEO Shortcuts That Help You Get Found 24/714:32 – The Exact Order to Optimize Your Podcast for Search18:06 – What 30 Days of Podcast SEO Can Do for Your Search RankingsOther Episodes You'll Love: Why Podcast SEO Makes it Easier than Ever for Niche Shows to Get Discovered41% Podcast Growth in 30 Days with Podcast SEO. Here's How.__________________________________________Liked this episode? Share it with your podcasting friends! Love this show? Say thanks in true podcasting style by leaving a review. Podcast Health Score™: See exactly where your show is losing listeners and get a custom plan to fix it. On-Air Podcast Coaching: Join the waitlist for a chance to get coached by Courtney on air in real time. Podcast SEO Mastery: Learn how to optimize your show so the right listeners find you in search. Done-For-You Podcast SEO: Let our team build your Podcast SEO Strategy so your show gets found 24/7. PodLaunch® Accelerator: Book a free podcasting strategy call if you're ready to build a show that converts and grows on repeat. Follow Courtney for more podcasting insights: Linked In | PodLaunchHQ.com This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U...
Today in Lighting is sponsored by Inter-lux, makers of the most effective luminaire to graze a feature wall. Learn more. Highlights include: Tax Centric Lighting Webinar: 2026 New Tax Laws Make it Easier to Sell LED Upgrades Congratulations to Alex Katz on his New Role as Country Manager A Family Tradition: Reimagining the Westlink Library Acclaim Lighting Introduces Cylinder One Spectrum™
Are you a Highly Sensitive Person under stress? Find out—take the free test at https://trueinnerfreedom.com/hsp-stress-test/ Why Do So Many Highly Sensitive People Struggle Financially—And What Can You Do About It? What if your financial stress isn't a personal failure—but a natural response to systems that were never designed for sensitive people? If you're a highly sensitive person (HSP) who feels depleted by the demands of making money, you're not alone—and it's not your fault. This episode unpacks how modern financial systems clash with sensitive nervous systems and why integrity, not inadequacy, is often at the root of money struggles for HSPs. Understand why nervous system override is rewarded in our culture—and why that's a problem for HSPs. Discover how emotional labor and invisible work drain your energy and income without you even realizing it. Learn how to build financial structures that honor your sensitivity instead of demanding self-sacrifice. Tune in now to discover how you can create sustainable income that supports your well-being—without betraying your sensitivity. Todd Smith, founder of True Inner Freedom Dreaming of a stress-free, balanced life? Visit trueinnerfreedom.com and complete the HSP Stress Survey. Gain clarity on your stress triggers and enjoy a free 15-minute Inner Freedom Call designed to guide you toward lasting inner peace and fulfillment. Are you a highly sensitive person (HSP) or someone who identifies as hypersensitive or neurodivergent? This podcast is dedicated to helping highly sensitive people (HSPs) navigate overwhelm and stress by using The Work of Byron Katie—a powerful method for questioning stressful thoughts and finding true inner freedom. We dive deep into stress management strategies, coping with stress, and stress relief methods specifically tailored for HSPs. Learn how to manage emotions, especially negative ones, and explore effective stress reduction techniques that go beyond the surface to address the root causes of anxiety and pressure. Whether you're interested in learning how to lower stress, handle stress and pressure, or reduce stress through practical techniques, we provide insights and support based on The Work of Byron Katie. Discover how this transformative approach can help you decrease stress, find inner peace, and create balance in your life. Join us to learn about various coping strategies for stress, all designed to support HSPs in their journey toward emotional well-being.
Thanks Pressable for supporting the podcast! What hosting should feel like...nothing! https://pressable.com/wpminute Today's episode features a segment from Matt's interview with LaunchBay co-founder Sam Chlebowski. Sam stopped by to discuss the challenges of client onboarding and provide a live demo of LaunchBay's platform. Be sure to check out the entire interview over on our WP Minute+ channel. Visit thewpminute.com for all the details: https://thewpminute.com/the-right-way-to-onboard-your-agency-clients/ Watch the full interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sRhD7R2Ad0 Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/supportGet the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★
Today we are talking about approaching one thing you do in a new way… that will positively benefit your life in lots of ways. It's the way you plan your meals. It's the shift of thinking about food or meals when you start to feel hungry or when it's about time to eat… to thinking about meals ahead of time.. sometimes a few hours and other times a few days before. It's actually EASIER than doing it last minute because you can plan for a few meals at once rather than each meal like a fire drill when its time to eat… it can be cheaper because you aren't having everything delivered and it's way healthier because we know home cooked meals if done right, are usually the best for you. We all know we're going to eat today. We know roughly when we're going to eat today. So it doesn't make sense to deal with it at the last minute…. when you're starving, and stressed to get something going and often end up eating much later than you want to. This episode isn't about telling you what to eat. Because of course, do what you want. It's a really helpful chat I think about how to think differently about eating so you stay aligned with your goals, your health, your energy… and honestly your peace of mind. ***The Problem Isn't Cravings… It's Lack of Planning*** Most people think they "fell off" because of willpower. But most of the time? It's not cravings. It's not discipline. It's poor planning. You didn't think about lunch… You didn't prep dinner… You showed up somewhere starving… and suddenly you're stuck with whatever options exist. And then you feel frustrated… not because you wanted that food… but because you didn't plan ahead. When you change the way you think about meals… everything shifts. *** The Mindset Shift… Always Be Thinking One Meal Ahead*** Always be thinking about your next meal before you need it. Not obsessively… just intentionally. Ask yourself: • What am I eating next? • Where will I be? • Will there be options I actually want? • Do I need to prep something or bring something? This one shift removes: last-minute stress decision fatigue random eating you regret overspending on delivery You stop reacting… and start operating on purpose. ***My Personal Food Philosophy (Without Telling You How To Eat)*** For me personally, I eat very specifically because that's when I feel my best. Mostly single-ingredient foods… Organic fruits and vegetables… Grass-fed meats… Organic eggs… raw cheese… rice… pasta… chicken… High protein, lower carbs… zero refined sugar… minimal processed ingredients. Kind of carnivore-ish with fruits, honey, berries, dates — foods that actually fuel me. But listen… this podcast is not about copying how I eat. You should eat in a way that makes you feel energized and aligned. The real takeaway is this: Whatever your style is… planning ahead protects it. ***Tactical Strategies That Make This Easy*** 1. Cook Once, Eat Twice Dinner isn't just dinner… it's tomorrow's lunch. Make extra on purpose. Future you will be grateful when lunch is already solved. 2. Pre-Decide Your "Default Meals" Have a short list of meals you rotate. Less thinking… more consistency. Decision fatigue disappears when meals become automatic. 3. Think About Your Schedule Like a Food Map Look at your day and ask: Am I driving somewhere long? Am I going somewhere with limited options? Do I need snacks? Should I eat before I go? Planning food is really just planning logistics. 4. Bring Food Without Making It Complicated A cooler bag… simple containers… prepped proteins… fruit… dates… Not fancy. Just intentional. 5. Make Eating Out an Event — Not a Reaction For me, eating out is something I enjoy intentionally. Not something I fall into because I didn't think ahead. That small mindset shift changes your relationship with food entirely. ***The Hidden Benefits Nobody Talks About*** Planning meals ahead doesn't just change what you eat… It changes your whole day. You save time. You save money. You avoid DoorDash panic orders. You reduce mental clutter. You feel calmer because decisions are already made. And honestly… You feel proud of yourself because your actions match your goals. ***The Bigger Picture*** This isn't really about food. It's about living intentionally. When you plan your meals… you're saying: "I'm not leaving my health up to chance." You're not reacting to hunger… you're designing your life. And that energy spills into everything else: Your workouts. Your focus. Your confidence. Look at your day the night before! Think about what meals you (and your family if you have one) will eat the next day. It changes how it all goes!! This one shift might sound small… But it completely changes how you show up in your body and your life. And that's awesome!!
Erin Claire Jones was introduced to Human Design by a stranger in New York City in 2015—a chance encounter that would change the course of her life. Today, she's one of the world's leading experts in Human Design. For the past decade, Erin has been teaching it as a practical tool for alignment in work, love, and everyday decision-making. Through her coaching, courses, digital products, and personalized guides, she's helped hundreds of thousands of people worldwide return to who they truly are and find their flow. Do you know what career you're really meant to pursue? Can you identify the relationships you should really be investing in? Are you living your life to the fullest? Do you want to understand better your partner or work colleagues? Human Design is a mystical personality assessment that uses NASA data, astrology, and Eastern philosophy to generate mind-blowingly accurate insights into how you uniquely thrive at work, in love, and beyond. It is very practical and gives detailed info on what Human Design you are and you can find out what Human Design your children are, spouses are, and make dynamics make more sense. Erin's book: How Do You Choose? A Human Design Guide to What's Best for You at Work, in Love, and in Life is a hands-on guide to using your Human Design to find more flow at work, deepen your relationships, and make aligned, confident decisions. Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Sunday Times, Vogue, Allure, Nylon and more. https://erinclairejones.com/book You can find out your human design by going here: BLUEPRINT GUIDE: A hyper-personalized, super accessible guide to your human design Here's the link to get your custom guide: https://humandesignblueprint.com/guide Link to study human design with Erin: https://humandesigngenius.com/ Website: www.heatherthomson.com Social Media: IG: https://www.instagram.com/iamheathert/ You Tube: https://youtube.com/@iamheathert?si=ZvI9l0bhLfTR-qdo SPONSOR: AirDoctorPro - Head to www.AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code HEATHER to get UP TO $300 off today! AirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, plus a 3-year warranty—an $84 value, free! Get this exclusive, podcast-only offer now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In Stop Doing This to Volunteers: Top Mistakes Our Churches Are Making, this episode looks at a mistake that feels kind - but ends up weakening people and teams over time. When we over-simplify roles in the name of “helping,” we don't just remove responsibility - we remove meaning. People don't stay because a job is easy. They stay because it matters.In this episode, we cover:How doing too much for people isn't always helpfulWhy easier isn't the same as healthierPeople who feel needed show up with different energyRESOURCES MENTIONEDJoin our free Facebook CommunitySupport the show SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches who need to hear this.
One-on-one conversations can feel intense with ADHD. Learn how to prepare, stay focused, and handle feedback with confidence. The post Part 3: One-on-One Conversations Made Easier with ADHD appeared first on Marla Cummins.
The Break Room (TUESDAY 2/24/26) 8am Hour 1) Though the numbers are lower than they've been in the past, this seems like something that will never go away completely 2) Stop that EBike! 3) Who is this movie for?
In this episode, Jeanne shares her inspiring journey of moving from the United States to Portugal with her family. After a year of planning, including selling their home and navigating the complexities of moving abroad, they settled in Caldas da Rainha, a town known for its artistic community and proximity to Lisbon. Jeanne also delves into her experiences with the Portuguese language, sharing the challenges and triumphs of learning it through classes and a study group. She highlights the significance of language in building relationships and feeling at home in a new country. Additionally, she introduces her innovative language game, "Catch the Lingua," designed to make learning Portuguese fun and engaging. Throughout the conversation, Jeanne offers valuable insights and encouragement for anyone considering a similar move, emphasizing the importance of embracing discomfort and seeking community support.1. Etsyhttps://catchthelingua.etsy.com/listing/4411925829/catch-the-lingua2.Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/CatchtheLingua/3. Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@CatchtheLíngua
As the United States continues to experience democratic backsliding, people are looking for ways to rise to the moment. But what does it take for someone to stay true to their values and say, “no, I refuse to participate in this?” Organizational psychologist Sunita Sah joins host Alex Lovit to discuss why people have more trouble standing up to injustice than they think they will and how we can prepare ourselves to make difficult choices. Sunita Sah is professor of management and organizations at Cornell University's SC Johnson Graduate School of Management and the author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes. https://www.sunitasah.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Biologics have changed how patients with asthma are able to handle their symptoms and prevent them from getting worse. Host Amy Attaway, MD, Cleveland Clinic, talks with Monica Kraft, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and De De Gardner, DrPh, Allergy and Asthma Network and member of PAR about depemokimab, the newest biologic for those with severe asthma. Learn how this novel treatment is used once every six months to improve patient outcomes, as well as the research behind this biologic and the future of asthma treatment. Read Dr. Kraft's paper on depemokimab: https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(25)00855-4/pdf Editor's note: During this episode, Dr. Kraft mistakenly said that depemokimab was approved for treating nasal polyps. Please note that depemokimab is not approved for treating this condition.
An April Fools Prank Goes Awry.By SilverFoxMullet.Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Spring break was just that, a break. My leg, actually.When I went home to Ottawa for spring break, I met up with a few of my old high school buds, and we took a day trip to the Quebec side for some skiing at one of the nearby hills, north of Ottawa. Mid-gafternoon, I hit a patch of ice and went down hard. It was quite a day for falls, as the hills were pretty icy this late in the season. I tried to get up, but my right ankle hurt like a bitch. None of my friends had stopped, as we were all falling a lot today, they just assumed I would get up and follow them.“Aw fuck!” I groaned. I lay there in the snow for a few minutes, until someone slid to a stop next to me.“Hey, are you all right?” the guy asks.“No, I hurt my ankle. Fuck.”“Don’t move it, I’ll find the ski patrol. Hang on.” He skied away to get help.30 seconds later another guy stopped. Same question. "Hey are you all right?“"I think I sprained my ankle. There was a guy here a minute ago, he said he’d send the ski patrol.”The guy turned and looked around, then waved and yelled “Ici! Over here! Vien! Here they are.”Two guys in red jackets stopped and asked what’s wrong. This other guy said “Good luck!” to me, and skied away, as I recounted the fall and my symptoms. The ski patrol guys were great, they radioed for a stretcher and 20 minutes later they’re loading me into an ambulance. The rest of the day was a lot of waiting, x-rays, and paperwork. The local hospital had a seasonal trauma unit for all the ski injuries, and they’re used to dealing with the inter-provincial healthcare.I called my Dad, who said he’d fetch me from the hospital, then called my buddies who were still in the chalet . He told them to go home without me. They commiserated and said they’d drop by my house tomorrow and see how I was doing.I eventually got a cast on my right leg. It spanned from my toes to my mid-thigh. I was issued a pair of crutches, and a whole ream of instructions (in both French and English of course) about what to do and what not to do. My Dad showed up somewhere during this tedious process and reassured me everything would be fine.We got home really late, after stopping at a pharmacy for pain meds, and stopping for takeout, damn I was hungry by then. I was asleep in minutes after I took one of those pills after getting home.Next morning, I had to take another pill, damn leg was throbbing like mad. I had to learn how to negotiate using the toilet with crutches, fuck, that’s pain in the arse. Then I had to figure out how to shower. They gave me a shower bag for the cast but I couldn’t get the damn thing on by myself. Mom was trying to be motherly (naturally) but I was way too embarrassed to be seen naked in front of her. My Dad was a trooper, he helped me with all the bathroom stuff, and I got my shower Okay.I wasn’t going to be able to drive for a while, so my folks said they’d drive me back to school in Toronto. I could come home by bus and get my car once I was able to drive. Great.“Actually, if I could have my car on campus, one of my buddies could drive me around. None of the other guys have a car.” Not that my rattly old car was much of a ride, but it got us from A to B.“Okay” my Dad says, “Your mother can drive you there, and I’ll follow in your car, then we’ll drive back together.”“Awesome, sounds like a plan!”The rest of the day my parents helped me work out how to deal with the cast and crutches and take care of personal stuff by myself, like getting dressed, showering, shaving (yeah, ever try to balance on one foot to shave? fuckin hell), and using the toilet. My mom went shopping and bought me a bunch of baggy sweat pants, something that would go over my cast.My old friends dropped by with some hard coolers the next day, thinking it would cheer me up; but I had to pass on those due to the meds I was on. They laughed at me and drank it all, themselves. We all had a good laugh about my predicament, and they wished me luck at college. Gonna need it, eh?Then it was time to head back to school. I’d been texting and calling my buddies at school, told them the whole idiot story of my misadventures. They laughed at me big time, and of course they worried about their ride, what was gonna happen to my car? I told them about the arrangements and they were happy that it would still be available.The drive to school was really tedious, seemed to last forever, because it was so fricking uncomfortable to sit there with that stiff cast on. They got me and my stuff into my room in the dorm, and said their good-byes. I was so happy that I was on the first floor! No stairs here but there were stairs all over campus. Sure, there’s elevators everywhere but I didn’t know where most of them were.First order of business, I gotta pee after that road trip. I used the big accessible stall in the bathroom, that was great. Grab bars, lots of room, it really was made for this kind of thing. Easier than the bathroom at home, that’s for sure.I was the butt of a lot of jokes and shit for the first few days, but otherwise it was fine. Down in the dining hall I spotted someone else who’d had a fun spring break. There was a girl with her whole arm in a cast, like from shoulder to wrist, with the elbow bent at 90 degrees. I wondered what happened to her. Skiing too I supposed. My buddies said we’d make a great couple and told me to go ask her out. No way, dudes, not gonna happen. I can’t talk to girls, I always get freaked out and clam up.The end of March rolled around, and I still had weeks to go before getting my cast off. There was a party on Saturday night, and I was weaning off the strong meds by now so I could have a few drinks. My floor mates were getting me drinks, too; so I ended up having a few more than I would normally have. I was feeling buzzed by the end of the night.One of the guys suddenly showed up with a wheelchair. "Robbo! we got you some wheels, man!“"Where’d you steal that from?” I asked, a little dubious about the idea of them scamming someone’s chair.“No-No, totally not stolen, we got it for you from the Red Cross. It’s legit, dude!”“All right! Let’s check out my new ride then!” I hopped over and settled into the chair. They adjusted the footrest out for me and one of them took my crutches, and they started wheeling me away. "Where we goin?“ I asked."It’s a surprise.” says one of them, and then pull a pillowcase down over my head so I can’t see where we’re going. When I try to pull the covering off, they stopped me, and then the started grabbing my arms & duct taping them to the chair’s armrests. We were outside by now, and I started yelling, until they taped the pillowcase tight against my mouth, to muff my yelling. Now I was getting pissed, but there’s not much I could do, except literally ride this out.They laughed and giggled and make goofy jokes as they wheeled me around campus. Eventually, I had no idea where I am, and it suddenly strikes me that it was now April 1st. The alcoholic buzz is wearing off fast under the rush of my adrenaline and anger, and I wondered what kind of demented nightmare game they’ve come up with.I heard more laughing, girls this time, and they make whispered comments back and forth with the guys. I m now in a building, but I had no clue where. My chair was pushed around some more, bumping into stuff, and then a body is dumped in my lap, then they yanked the duct tape off the pillowcase and I can again my mouth. The room is pitch black. The giggling and laughing is cut off by the slamming of a door, and everything goes quiet.I think there’s a girl in my lap, or a small, really nice smelling guy with long hair. She’s quiescent, asleep or passed out, pressed against my chest.“Hey. Hey, wake up.” I said.No response, she’s just sitting there, draped over my lap. She’s warm and breathing, so it’s not a manikin or something. I wondered if she’s okay.I started to shift a bit, can’t use my arms because they’re taped down, but I try to shake her awake with my rocking shoulders. It didn’t work, and now I’m afraid that if I move too much she’ll fall off onto the floor.“Hey, uh, miss, wake up.” louder. She’s out of it. I turn my head to the side so I’m not yelling in her ear and holler “Hey, enough crap, let me out of here!” Silence reigns. Well, fuck. Now what?‘Now what’. Then the fire alarm starts blaring. It startles the heck out of me, but still isn’t enough to wake the girl. I heard loud commotion in the halls for about 30 seconds, but then suddenly there is silence. Fuck, this is getting serious. What if it’s a real fire? No, no way, it's April 1st now, gotta be a prank. I’ll just wait for her to wake up, and we’ll get out of here. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I began to see faint outlines of what is probably a maintenance closet or storage room.The alarm rings for an annoyingly long time. 15 minutes I guess, I dunno, but it seems interminable. And I need to pee now. When the alarm finally stops the need to pee gets more insistent. I shifted uncomfortably under the weight of my passenger. Her hip is pressed up against my groin, adding to the struggle of my urge to piss.More time passes, and damn, I gotta go bad, now. I’m gonna wet myself, and her too, if I don’t get out of here right now. I’ve tried speaking to her, yelling, shaking her, and then there was another alarm that went on and on. She just isn’t gonna wake up. Did those morons drug her or something?I’m desperate now. “Come on, sleeping beauty, wake up!” Sleeping beauty? Yeah, fine, I’ll try that before I piss all over her. I think a girl would be slightly less angry about a stolen kiss than wet pants. So I seek her mouth. There was a little light coming in under the door, but suddenly that light went out, and only a faint intermittent light glowed. Oh, crap! That would be the emergency exit lighting. I eventually bumped my faced against her nose, then lowered a bit and kissed her, probably a little too hard for a wakeup smooch, cause I'm dying’ here, gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee.She’s got nice soft lips, really quite kissable, and I kinda wished she was awake and under different circumstances. I kissed her again, even harder. No response. I try again, this time I let my tongue do the talking, and I push into her mouth. Helluva way to experience my own first tongue-kiss . Finally, she stirred & turned into the kiss.Surprised, I pull back, and say “Oh thank god you’re awake, help me up!”She startled, yelping at me, “Who are you?!”“Help me, please, I’m gonna piss my pants! Untie me!”In the dim red glow of an exit sign I finally saw her face. She’s kinda cute, not particularly pretty, and she has a cast on her right arm. It’s the girl I saw in the dining hall a few times.“Hurry!" I pleaded.She struggled off me, and stood. Where the hell did you take me! she demanded.I told her that we were both abducted by campus hooligans and locked in some storage room, but I didn t know which building. Then I said; But I gotta pee right now and my leg is in a cast, and I m bound to this wheelchair.She felt the tape on my wrists. It's slow going for her to undo the tape with her one weak hand, the way she’s pulling at it, she’s obviously not left handed.I’m not gonna make it, and I looked around. We’re in a janitor’s room or something. I spotted a stack of small waste baskets. "Quick, grab one of those buckets and put it between my legs.”She’s quick on the uptake, I’ll give her that, and she grabbed the bucket for me. “Pull my pants down, hurry.”“What? No!” she protested.“Argh. Please, I’m gonna wet myself.” I grind out through my clenched teeth.She reached out with that uncoordinated left hand of hers and fumbles with my sweat pants. I squirmed to lift my hips a bit to help, and the elastic waistband slipped down, exposing my tight briefs.“You gotta help. Pull me out, aim for the bucket. Please?”I can see she’s not happy with the situation, and she’s fighting with her distaste at touching a man, a total stranger at that, in such a bizarre circumstance. But she perseveres, and that delicate hand fishes in my shorts for my cock. She paused momentarily as she made contact, then pulled my cock free. She picked up the empty bucket and aimed my hose toward the container.I groaned as I let loose. Oh god, finally! The relief was incredible. The poor girl was acting shocked as she dutifully aimed me at the bucket, and she even nudged the bucket a bit closer. I pissed on and on, holy fuck there was so much, and eventually I ran dry.Her disposition is no longer shocked, but instead she appeared to be curious.“Oh thank you, you saved me so much embarrassment. You can put me back in there now. Thanks.”She hesitated, and timidly tried to one-handedly stuff my cock back through the fly, and after a couple of clumsy tries I’m all set. And of course now my cock was growing fast in her hand, as I no longer had to pee, but there’s a wonderful-smelling girl handling that most sensitive part of my anatomy. Something that’s never happened before.That last drop of pee evidently got on her hand, and she looked a bit frantic now, “Ew” she says.“Just wipe it on my sweats, it’s Okay.” I told her, and she rubbed her hand on my inner thigh. That doesn’t help with my ever increasing boner of course.She looked up at me, and her brow wrinkled. “Do you smell smoke?” she asked.It’s my turn to be startled, and I looked toward the door. Oh Fuck, there’s smoke coming in under the door! That alarm was real! Why wasn’t it still going off? “Quick, help me get this tape off!” She started trying to pull up my sweats, but I say “No, leave that, just get me undone!”She started working on the tape on my left arm, and it took a few minutes to get me free. Working together, my right arm is unstuck in less than a minute. “Check the door.” I told her as I looked around the room. No other doors, just shelves, a big sink, a floor pan for filling and emptying mop buckets, and stacks of boxes and stuff.She tried the light switch but it doesn’t work. Great, my idiot friends probably unscrewed the light bulb. Then she tried the door. “It’s locked!” she says.“From the outside? Why the fuck would it be set up to lock people in? Sorry. I swear when I get nervous.”“Is there really a fire, do you think?”“I guess so, there was an alarm that went off when you were out cold.”“What do we do?” She started frantically searching her pockets and said; “I can’t find my phone!”“I didn’t even bring mine to the party. No pockets.”The smell of smoke got stronger. I wheeled up next to the sink, and ran some water. Grabbing a package of paper towels, I ripped it open and dumped them in the sink. “Here, block up the crack under the door with these!”I handed her wads of soggy paper, and she knelt down to stuff them under the door. The smoke stoped coming in, thank goodness. But now the room is black. “Now what?” she said.I shrugged, “I guess we wait and hope.”“I’m scared.” she said in a small voice.“Come here, sit on my lap here. Oh, uh, maybe pull up my pants first.” She helped me with that and sat on me. I think the gravity of the situation is now hitting her pretty hard, I know it’s got me freaked out. She burrowed into my neck and wraps her good arm wraps around me. “We’re Okay for now.” I tell her.I smelled her hair again, as she’s crushed against me. Damn that feels nice. Shit, I don’t even know her name. “I’m Robert by the way. Robert Green.”“Suzanne. Suzanne Shelton.”, she informed me.“I’d say pleased to meet you Suzanne, but under these circumstances, maybe the sentiment should be I’m ecstatic to meet you. If I was by myself I would have pissed my pants and suffocated.”She giggled, my goofy sense of humor somehow helped in this situation. “I’m glad to meet you too, Robert.”“So how did you get here?”“I don’t know, I was at the dorm party and felt dizzy, then you were kissing me.” She blushed again.“Sorry about that, I tried to wake you for like 20 minutes, but you were really out of it. I finally thought I would try the sleeping beauty trick, and it worked. Did you drink something someone else gave you?”“Oh. Shit. She seemed to recall. I think so. One of my floor mates gave me a coke. It must have been spiked? I had to take some of my pain meds for my arm earlier tonight, it was bothering me. I keep trying to do too much with it all the time.”“Oh, yeah, you don’t want to mix booze or anything with that stuff, I know! Sorry about the pee episode. I really was going to wet my pants in another few seconds. Wet both our pants.”She blushed and giggled. “I never saw a guy like that, like your, thing, before.”“Wow. Okay, well, I never had a girl touch my co-, um, thing, before.”“It changed when I was putting it away. Was that, um, like…’"Yeah, well, when a pretty girl touches me like that, I’m bound to get aroused.”Her eyes went wide at that statement. “Oh” she said. She paused a few seconds, then put her head back on my shoulder. There was that scent again. "So. Um, you think I’m pretty?“"Well, yeah, of course. You’re what I think my grandpa would call 'fetching’”She giggled again. Damn, that sounds nice, and she smells really nice. Little Robert stirred down below. I heard a sharp intake of breath. Uh Oh. She felt that. I may have just ruined what might have been a moment.“Am I pretty enough to make you, uh, aroused, then?”“Oh, Suzanne, I am so embarrassed. Please, don’t be offended, it’s just circumstances, you know?”She pulled back again and looked at the door. Still no smoke. Then she looked at me with a sad smile, saying “I didn’t think so.” Suzanne started to get up, and I realized where our wires had crossed.I put my arms around her and said " Oh, no no. You’re very pretty, and definitely arousing.“She looked surprised, but settled back down on my lap. "Oh.” she said. “Thank you.”Just
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Four-year-olds: old enough to sound wildly reasonable… until they’re absolutely not. This week, Kee and Kelly are officially in the “fkd up fours” era, so they call in the big guns: Gen Muir from Connected Parenting. Gen breaks down what’s actually happening in the four-year-old brain (and why it can feel worse than two), why “bad behaviour” is often just big feelings + zero skills… and how boundaries can be the thing that makes everyone feel safer. LINKS TO EVERYTHING MENTIONEDConnected Parenting GUESTGen Muir @connectedparentingau HOSTS & PRODUCERSKelly McCarren @kelly_mccarrenKee Reece Searles @keereece AUDIO PRODUCTIONMadeline Joannou - Mylk Media See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An April Fools Prank Goes Awry.By SilverFoxMullet.Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Spring break was just that, a break. My leg, actually.When I went home to Ottawa for spring break, I met up with a few of my old high school buds, and we took a day trip to the Quebec side for some skiing at one of the nearby hills, north of Ottawa. Mid-gafternoon, I hit a patch of ice and went down hard. It was quite a day for falls, as the hills were pretty icy this late in the season. I tried to get up, but my right ankle hurt like a bitch. None of my friends had stopped, as we were all falling a lot today, they just assumed I would get up and follow them.“Aw fuck!” I groaned. I lay there in the snow for a few minutes, until someone slid to a stop next to me.“Hey, are you all right?” the guy asks.“No, I hurt my ankle. Fuck.”“Don’t move it, I’ll find the ski patrol. Hang on.” He skied away to get help.30 seconds later another guy stopped. Same question. "Hey are you all right?“"I think I sprained my ankle. There was a guy here a minute ago, he said he’d send the ski patrol.”The guy turned and looked around, then waved and yelled “Ici! Over here! Vien! Here they are.”Two guys in red jackets stopped and asked what’s wrong. This other guy said “Good luck!” to me, and skied away, as I recounted the fall and my symptoms. The ski patrol guys were great, they radioed for a stretcher and 20 minutes later they’re loading me into an ambulance. The rest of the day was a lot of waiting, x-rays, and paperwork. The local hospital had a seasonal trauma unit for all the ski injuries, and they’re used to dealing with the inter-provincial healthcare.I called my Dad, who said he’d fetch me from the hospital, then called my buddies who were still in the chalet . He told them to go home without me. They commiserated and said they’d drop by my house tomorrow and see how I was doing.I eventually got a cast on my right leg. It spanned from my toes to my mid-thigh. I was issued a pair of crutches, and a whole ream of instructions (in both French and English of course) about what to do and what not to do. My Dad showed up somewhere during this tedious process and reassured me everything would be fine.We got home really late, after stopping at a pharmacy for pain meds, and stopping for takeout, damn I was hungry by then. I was asleep in minutes after I took one of those pills after getting home.Next morning, I had to take another pill, damn leg was throbbing like mad. I had to learn how to negotiate using the toilet with crutches, fuck, that’s pain in the arse. Then I had to figure out how to shower. They gave me a shower bag for the cast but I couldn’t get the damn thing on by myself. Mom was trying to be motherly (naturally) but I was way too embarrassed to be seen naked in front of her. My Dad was a trooper, he helped me with all the bathroom stuff, and I got my shower Okay.I wasn’t going to be able to drive for a while, so my folks said they’d drive me back to school in Toronto. I could come home by bus and get my car once I was able to drive. Great.“Actually, if I could have my car on campus, one of my buddies could drive me around. None of the other guys have a car.” Not that my rattly old car was much of a ride, but it got us from A to B.“Okay” my Dad says, “Your mother can drive you there, and I’ll follow in your car, then we’ll drive back together.”“Awesome, sounds like a plan!”The rest of the day my parents helped me work out how to deal with the cast and crutches and take care of personal stuff by myself, like getting dressed, showering, shaving (yeah, ever try to balance on one foot to shave? fuckin hell), and using the toilet. My mom went shopping and bought me a bunch of baggy sweat pants, something that would go over my cast.My old friends dropped by with some hard coolers the next day, thinking it would cheer me up; but I had to pass on those due to the meds I was on. They laughed at me and drank it all, themselves. We all had a good laugh about my predicament, and they wished me luck at college. Gonna need it, eh?Then it was time to head back to school. I’d been texting and calling my buddies at school, told them the whole idiot story of my misadventures. They laughed at me big time, and of course they worried about their ride, what was gonna happen to my car? I told them about the arrangements and they were happy that it would still be available.The drive to school was really tedious, seemed to last forever, because it was so fricking uncomfortable to sit there with that stiff cast on. They got me and my stuff into my room in the dorm, and said their good-byes. I was so happy that I was on the first floor! No stairs here but there were stairs all over campus. Sure, there’s elevators everywhere but I didn’t know where most of them were.First order of business, I gotta pee after that road trip. I used the big accessible stall in the bathroom, that was great. Grab bars, lots of room, it really was made for this kind of thing. Easier than the bathroom at home, that’s for sure.I was the butt of a lot of jokes and shit for the first few days, but otherwise it was fine. Down in the dining hall I spotted someone else who’d had a fun spring break. There was a girl with her whole arm in a cast, like from shoulder to wrist, with the elbow bent at 90 degrees. I wondered what happened to her. Skiing too I supposed. My buddies said we’d make a great couple and told me to go ask her out. No way, dudes, not gonna happen. I can’t talk to girls, I always get freaked out and clam up.The end of March rolled around, and I still had weeks to go before getting my cast off. There was a party on Saturday night, and I was weaning off the strong meds by now so I could have a few drinks. My floor mates were getting me drinks, too; so I ended up having a few more than I would normally have. I was feeling buzzed by the end of the night.One of the guys suddenly showed up with a wheelchair. "Robbo! we got you some wheels, man!“"Where’d you steal that from?” I asked, a little dubious about the idea of them scamming someone’s chair.“No-No, totally not stolen, we got it for you from the Red Cross. It’s legit, dude!”“All right! Let’s check out my new ride then!” I hopped over and settled into the chair. They adjusted the footrest out for me and one of them took my crutches, and they started wheeling me away. "Where we goin?“ I asked."It’s a surprise.” says one of them, and then pull a pillowcase down over my head so I can’t see where we’re going. When I try to pull the covering off, they stopped me, and then the started grabbing my arms & duct taping them to the chair’s armrests. We were outside by now, and I started yelling, until they taped the pillowcase tight against my mouth, to muff my yelling. Now I was getting pissed, but there’s not much I could do, except literally ride this out.They laughed and giggled and make goofy jokes as they wheeled me around campus. Eventually, I had no idea where I am, and it suddenly strikes me that it was now April 1st. The alcoholic buzz is wearing off fast under the rush of my adrenaline and anger, and I wondered what kind of demented nightmare game they’ve come up with.I heard more laughing, girls this time, and they make whispered comments back and forth with the guys. I m now in a building, but I had no clue where. My chair was pushed around some more, bumping into stuff, and then a body is dumped in my lap, then they yanked the duct tape off the pillowcase and I can again my mouth. The room is pitch black. The giggling and laughing is cut off by the slamming of a door, and everything goes quiet.I think there’s a girl in my lap, or a small, really nice smelling guy with long hair. She’s quiescent, asleep or passed out, pressed against my chest.“Hey. Hey, wake up.” I said.No response, she’s just sitting there, draped over my lap. She’s warm and breathing, so it’s not a manikin or something. I wondered if she’s okay.I started to shift a bit, can’t use my arms because they’re taped down, but I try to shake her awake with my rocking shoulders. It didn’t work, and now I’m afraid that if I move too much she’ll fall off onto the floor.“Hey, uh, miss, wake up.” louder. She’s out of it. I turn my head to the side so I’m not yelling in her ear and holler “Hey, enough crap, let me out of here!” Silence reigns. Well, fuck. Now what?‘Now what’. Then the fire alarm starts blaring. It startles the heck out of me, but still isn’t enough to wake the girl. I heard loud commotion in the halls for about 30 seconds, but then suddenly there is silence. Fuck, this is getting serious. What if it’s a real fire? No, no way, it's April 1st now, gotta be a prank. I’ll just wait for her to wake up, and we’ll get out of here. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I began to see faint outlines of what is probably a maintenance closet or storage room.The alarm rings for an annoyingly long time. 15 minutes I guess, I dunno, but it seems interminable. And I need to pee now. When the alarm finally stops the need to pee gets more insistent. I shifted uncomfortably under the weight of my passenger. Her hip is pressed up against my groin, adding to the struggle of my urge to piss.More time passes, and damn, I gotta go bad, now. I’m gonna wet myself, and her too, if I don’t get out of here right now. I’ve tried speaking to her, yelling, shaking her, and then there was another alarm that went on and on. She just isn’t gonna wake up. Did those morons drug her or something?I’m desperate now. “Come on, sleeping beauty, wake up!” Sleeping beauty? Yeah, fine, I’ll try that before I piss all over her. I think a girl would be slightly less angry about a stolen kiss than wet pants. So I seek her mouth. There was a little light coming in under the door, but suddenly that light went out, and only a faint intermittent light glowed. Oh, crap! That would be the emergency exit lighting. I eventually bumped my faced against her nose, then lowered a bit and kissed her, probably a little too hard for a wakeup smooch, cause I'm dying’ here, gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee.She’s got nice soft lips, really quite kissable, and I kinda wished she was awake and under different circumstances. I kissed her again, even harder. No response. I try again, this time I let my tongue do the talking, and I push into her mouth. Helluva way to experience my own first tongue-kiss . Finally, she stirred & turned into the kiss.Surprised, I pull back, and say “Oh thank god you’re awake, help me up!”She startled, yelping at me, “Who are you?!”“Help me, please, I’m gonna piss my pants! Untie me!”In the dim red glow of an exit sign I finally saw her face. She’s kinda cute, not particularly pretty, and she has a cast on her right arm. It’s the girl I saw in the dining hall a few times.“Hurry!" I pleaded.She struggled off me, and stood. Where the hell did you take me! she demanded.I told her that we were both abducted by campus hooligans and locked in some storage room, but I didn t know which building. Then I said; But I gotta pee right now and my leg is in a cast, and I m bound to this wheelchair.She felt the tape on my wrists. It's slow going for her to undo the tape with her one weak hand, the way she’s pulling at it, she’s obviously not left handed.I’m not gonna make it, and I looked around. We’re in a janitor’s room or something. I spotted a stack of small waste baskets. "Quick, grab one of those buckets and put it between my legs.”She’s quick on the uptake, I’ll give her that, and she grabbed the bucket for me. “Pull my pants down, hurry.”“What? No!” she protested.“Argh. Please, I’m gonna wet myself.” I grind out through my clenched teeth.She reached out with that uncoordinated left hand of hers and fumbles with my sweat pants. I squirmed to lift my hips a bit to help, and the elastic waistband slipped down, exposing my tight briefs.“You gotta help. Pull me out, aim for the bucket. Please?”I can see she’s not happy with the situation, and she’s fighting with her distaste at touching a man, a total stranger at that, in such a bizarre circumstance. But she perseveres, and that delicate hand fishes in my shorts for my cock. She paused momentarily as she made contact, then pulled my cock free. She picked up the empty bucket and aimed my hose toward the container.I groaned as I let loose. Oh god, finally! The relief was incredible. The poor girl was acting shocked as she dutifully aimed me at the bucket, and she even nudged the bucket a bit closer. I pissed on and on, holy fuck there was so much, and eventually I ran dry.Her disposition is no longer shocked, but instead she appeared to be curious.“Oh thank you, you saved me so much embarrassment. You can put me back in there now. Thanks.”She hesitated, and timidly tried to one-handedly stuff my cock back through the fly, and after a couple of clumsy tries I’m all set. And of course now my cock was growing fast in her hand, as I no longer had to pee, but there’s a wonderful-smelling girl handling that most sensitive part of my anatomy. Something that’s never happened before.That last drop of pee evidently got on her hand, and she looked a bit frantic now, “Ew” she says.“Just wipe it on my sweats, it’s Okay.” I told her, and she rubbed her hand on my inner thigh. That doesn’t help with my ever increasing boner of course.She looked up at me, and her brow wrinkled. “Do you smell smoke?” she asked.It’s my turn to be startled, and I looked toward the door. Oh Fuck, there’s smoke coming in under the door! That alarm was real! Why wasn’t it still going off? “Quick, help me get this tape off!” She started trying to pull up my sweats, but I say “No, leave that, just get me undone!”She started working on the tape on my left arm, and it took a few minutes to get me free. Working together, my right arm is unstuck in less than a minute. “Check the door.” I told her as I looked around the room. No other doors, just shelves, a big sink, a floor pan for filling and emptying mop buckets, and stacks of boxes and stuff.She tried the light switch but it doesn’t work. Great, my idiot friends probably unscrewed the light bulb. Then she tried the door. “It’s locked!” she says.“From the outside? Why the fuck would it be set up to lock people in? Sorry. I swear when I get nervous.”“Is there really a fire, do you think?”“I guess so, there was an alarm that went off when you were out cold.”“What do we do?” She started frantically searching her pockets and said; “I can’t find my phone!”“I didn’t even bring mine to the party. No pockets.”The smell of smoke got stronger. I wheeled up next to the sink, and ran some water. Grabbing a package of paper towels, I ripped it open and dumped them in the sink. “Here, block up the crack under the door with these!”I handed her wads of soggy paper, and she knelt down to stuff them under the door. The smoke stoped coming in, thank goodness. But now the room is black. “Now what?” she said.I shrugged, “I guess we wait and hope.”“I’m scared.” she said in a small voice.“Come here, sit on my lap here. Oh, uh, maybe pull up my pants first.” She helped me with that and sat on me. I think the gravity of the situation is now hitting her pretty hard, I know it’s got me freaked out. She burrowed into my neck and wraps her good arm wraps around me. “We’re Okay for now.” I tell her.I smelled her hair again, as she’s crushed against me. Damn that feels nice. Shit, I don’t even know her name. “I’m Robert by the way. Robert Green.”“Suzanne. Suzanne Shelton.”, she informed me.“I’d say pleased to meet you Suzanne, but under these circumstances, maybe the sentiment should be I’m ecstatic to meet you. If I was by myself I would have pissed my pants and suffocated.”She giggled, my goofy sense of humor somehow helped in this situation. “I’m glad to meet you too, Robert.”“So how did you get here?”“I don’t know, I was at the dorm party and felt dizzy, then you were kissing me.” She blushed again.“Sorry about that, I tried to wake you for like 20 minutes, but you were really out of it. I finally thought I would try the sleeping beauty trick, and it worked. Did you drink something someone else gave you?”“Oh. Shit. She seemed to recall. I think so. One of my floor mates gave me a coke. It must have been spiked? I had to take some of my pain meds for my arm earlier tonight, it was bothering me. I keep trying to do too much with it all the time.”“Oh, yeah, you don’t want to mix booze or anything with that stuff, I know! Sorry about the pee episode. I really was going to wet my pants in another few seconds. Wet both our pants.”She blushed and giggled. “I never saw a guy like that, like your, thing, before.”“Wow. Okay, well, I never had a girl touch my co-, um, thing, before.”“It changed when I was putting it away. Was that, um, like…’"Yeah, well, when a pretty girl touches me like that, I’m bound to get aroused.”Her eyes went wide at that statement. “Oh” she said. She paused a few seconds, then put her head back on my shoulder. There was that scent again. "So. Um, you think I’m pretty?“"Well, yeah, of course. You’re what I think my grandpa would call 'fetching’”She giggled again. Damn, that sounds nice, and she smells really nice. Little Robert stirred down below. I heard a sharp intake of breath. Uh Oh. She felt that. I may have just ruined what might have been a moment.“Am I pretty enough to make you, uh, aroused, then?”“Oh, Suzanne, I am so embarrassed. Please, don’t be offended, it’s just circumstances, you know?”She pulled back again and looked at the door. Still no smoke. Then she looked at me with a sad smile, saying “I didn’t think so.” Suzanne started to get up, and I realized where our wires had crossed.I put my arms around her and said " Oh, no no. You’re very pretty, and definitely arousing.“She looked surprised, but settled back down on my lap. "Oh.” she said. “Thank you.”Just
An April Fools Prank Goes Awry.By SilverFoxMullet.Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Spring break was just that, a break. My leg, actually.When I went home to Ottawa for spring break, I met up with a few of my old high school buds, and we took a day trip to the Quebec side for some skiing at one of the nearby hills, north of Ottawa. Mid-gafternoon, I hit a patch of ice and went down hard. It was quite a day for falls, as the hills were pretty icy this late in the season. I tried to get up, but my right ankle hurt like a bitch. None of my friends had stopped, as we were all falling a lot today, they just assumed I would get up and follow them.“Aw fuck!” I groaned. I lay there in the snow for a few minutes, until someone slid to a stop next to me.“Hey, are you all right?” the guy asks.“No, I hurt my ankle. Fuck.”“Don’t move it, I’ll find the ski patrol. Hang on.” He skied away to get help.30 seconds later another guy stopped. Same question. "Hey are you all right?“"I think I sprained my ankle. There was a guy here a minute ago, he said he’d send the ski patrol.”The guy turned and looked around, then waved and yelled “Ici! Over here! Vien! Here they are.”Two guys in red jackets stopped and asked what’s wrong. This other guy said “Good luck!” to me, and skied away, as I recounted the fall and my symptoms. The ski patrol guys were great, they radioed for a stretcher and 20 minutes later they’re loading me into an ambulance. The rest of the day was a lot of waiting, x-rays, and paperwork. The local hospital had a seasonal trauma unit for all the ski injuries, and they’re used to dealing with the inter-provincial healthcare.I called my Dad, who said he’d fetch me from the hospital, then called my buddies who were still in the chalet . He told them to go home without me. They commiserated and said they’d drop by my house tomorrow and see how I was doing.I eventually got a cast on my right leg. It spanned from my toes to my mid-thigh. I was issued a pair of crutches, and a whole ream of instructions (in both French and English of course) about what to do and what not to do. My Dad showed up somewhere during this tedious process and reassured me everything would be fine.We got home really late, after stopping at a pharmacy for pain meds, and stopping for takeout, damn I was hungry by then. I was asleep in minutes after I took one of those pills after getting home.Next morning, I had to take another pill, damn leg was throbbing like mad. I had to learn how to negotiate using the toilet with crutches, fuck, that’s pain in the arse. Then I had to figure out how to shower. They gave me a shower bag for the cast but I couldn’t get the damn thing on by myself. Mom was trying to be motherly (naturally) but I was way too embarrassed to be seen naked in front of her. My Dad was a trooper, he helped me with all the bathroom stuff, and I got my shower Okay.I wasn’t going to be able to drive for a while, so my folks said they’d drive me back to school in Toronto. I could come home by bus and get my car once I was able to drive. Great.“Actually, if I could have my car on campus, one of my buddies could drive me around. None of the other guys have a car.” Not that my rattly old car was much of a ride, but it got us from A to B.“Okay” my Dad says, “Your mother can drive you there, and I’ll follow in your car, then we’ll drive back together.”“Awesome, sounds like a plan!”The rest of the day my parents helped me work out how to deal with the cast and crutches and take care of personal stuff by myself, like getting dressed, showering, shaving (yeah, ever try to balance on one foot to shave? fuckin hell), and using the toilet. My mom went shopping and bought me a bunch of baggy sweat pants, something that would go over my cast.My old friends dropped by with some hard coolers the next day, thinking it would cheer me up; but I had to pass on those due to the meds I was on. They laughed at me and drank it all, themselves. We all had a good laugh about my predicament, and they wished me luck at college. Gonna need it, eh?Then it was time to head back to school. I’d been texting and calling my buddies at school, told them the whole idiot story of my misadventures. They laughed at me big time, and of course they worried about their ride, what was gonna happen to my car? I told them about the arrangements and they were happy that it would still be available.The drive to school was really tedious, seemed to last forever, because it was so fricking uncomfortable to sit there with that stiff cast on. They got me and my stuff into my room in the dorm, and said their good-byes. I was so happy that I was on the first floor! No stairs here but there were stairs all over campus. Sure, there’s elevators everywhere but I didn’t know where most of them were.First order of business, I gotta pee after that road trip. I used the big accessible stall in the bathroom, that was great. Grab bars, lots of room, it really was made for this kind of thing. Easier than the bathroom at home, that’s for sure.I was the butt of a lot of jokes and shit for the first few days, but otherwise it was fine. Down in the dining hall I spotted someone else who’d had a fun spring break. There was a girl with her whole arm in a cast, like from shoulder to wrist, with the elbow bent at 90 degrees. I wondered what happened to her. Skiing too I supposed. My buddies said we’d make a great couple and told me to go ask her out. No way, dudes, not gonna happen. I can’t talk to girls, I always get freaked out and clam up.The end of March rolled around, and I still had weeks to go before getting my cast off. There was a party on Saturday night, and I was weaning off the strong meds by now so I could have a few drinks. My floor mates were getting me drinks, too; so I ended up having a few more than I would normally have. I was feeling buzzed by the end of the night.One of the guys suddenly showed up with a wheelchair. "Robbo! we got you some wheels, man!“"Where’d you steal that from?” I asked, a little dubious about the idea of them scamming someone’s chair.“No-No, totally not stolen, we got it for you from the Red Cross. It’s legit, dude!”“All right! Let’s check out my new ride then!” I hopped over and settled into the chair. They adjusted the footrest out for me and one of them took my crutches, and they started wheeling me away. "Where we goin?“ I asked."It’s a surprise.” says one of them, and then pull a pillowcase down over my head so I can’t see where we’re going. When I try to pull the covering off, they stopped me, and then the started grabbing my arms & duct taping them to the chair’s armrests. We were outside by now, and I started yelling, until they taped the pillowcase tight against my mouth, to muff my yelling. Now I was getting pissed, but there’s not much I could do, except literally ride this out.They laughed and giggled and make goofy jokes as they wheeled me around campus. Eventually, I had no idea where I am, and it suddenly strikes me that it was now April 1st. The alcoholic buzz is wearing off fast under the rush of my adrenaline and anger, and I wondered what kind of demented nightmare game they’ve come up with.I heard more laughing, girls this time, and they make whispered comments back and forth with the guys. I m now in a building, but I had no clue where. My chair was pushed around some more, bumping into stuff, and then a body is dumped in my lap, then they yanked the duct tape off the pillowcase and I can again my mouth. The room is pitch black. The giggling and laughing is cut off by the slamming of a door, and everything goes quiet.I think there’s a girl in my lap, or a small, really nice smelling guy with long hair. She’s quiescent, asleep or passed out, pressed against my chest.“Hey. Hey, wake up.” I said.No response, she’s just sitting there, draped over my lap. She’s warm and breathing, so it’s not a manikin or something. I wondered if she’s okay.I started to shift a bit, can’t use my arms because they’re taped down, but I try to shake her awake with my rocking shoulders. It didn’t work, and now I’m afraid that if I move too much she’ll fall off onto the floor.“Hey, uh, miss, wake up.” louder. She’s out of it. I turn my head to the side so I’m not yelling in her ear and holler “Hey, enough crap, let me out of here!” Silence reigns. Well, fuck. Now what?‘Now what’. Then the fire alarm starts blaring. It startles the heck out of me, but still isn’t enough to wake the girl. I heard loud commotion in the halls for about 30 seconds, but then suddenly there is silence. Fuck, this is getting serious. What if it’s a real fire? No, no way, it's April 1st now, gotta be a prank. I’ll just wait for her to wake up, and we’ll get out of here. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I began to see faint outlines of what is probably a maintenance closet or storage room.The alarm rings for an annoyingly long time. 15 minutes I guess, I dunno, but it seems interminable. And I need to pee now. When the alarm finally stops the need to pee gets more insistent. I shifted uncomfortably under the weight of my passenger. Her hip is pressed up against my groin, adding to the struggle of my urge to piss.More time passes, and damn, I gotta go bad, now. I’m gonna wet myself, and her too, if I don’t get out of here right now. I’ve tried speaking to her, yelling, shaking her, and then there was another alarm that went on and on. She just isn’t gonna wake up. Did those morons drug her or something?I’m desperate now. “Come on, sleeping beauty, wake up!” Sleeping beauty? Yeah, fine, I’ll try that before I piss all over her. I think a girl would be slightly less angry about a stolen kiss than wet pants. So I seek her mouth. There was a little light coming in under the door, but suddenly that light went out, and only a faint intermittent light glowed. Oh, crap! That would be the emergency exit lighting. I eventually bumped my faced against her nose, then lowered a bit and kissed her, probably a little too hard for a wakeup smooch, cause I'm dying’ here, gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee.She’s got nice soft lips, really quite kissable, and I kinda wished she was awake and under different circumstances. I kissed her again, even harder. No response. I try again, this time I let my tongue do the talking, and I push into her mouth. Helluva way to experience my own first tongue-kiss . Finally, she stirred & turned into the kiss.Surprised, I pull back, and say “Oh thank god you’re awake, help me up!”She startled, yelping at me, “Who are you?!”“Help me, please, I’m gonna piss my pants! Untie me!”In the dim red glow of an exit sign I finally saw her face. She’s kinda cute, not particularly pretty, and she has a cast on her right arm. It’s the girl I saw in the dining hall a few times.“Hurry!" I pleaded.She struggled off me, and stood. Where the hell did you take me! she demanded.I told her that we were both abducted by campus hooligans and locked in some storage room, but I didn t know which building. Then I said; But I gotta pee right now and my leg is in a cast, and I m bound to this wheelchair.She felt the tape on my wrists. It's slow going for her to undo the tape with her one weak hand, the way she’s pulling at it, she’s obviously not left handed.I’m not gonna make it, and I looked around. We’re in a janitor’s room or something. I spotted a stack of small waste baskets. "Quick, grab one of those buckets and put it between my legs.”She’s quick on the uptake, I’ll give her that, and she grabbed the bucket for me. “Pull my pants down, hurry.”“What? No!” she protested.“Argh. Please, I’m gonna wet myself.” I grind out through my clenched teeth.She reached out with that uncoordinated left hand of hers and fumbles with my sweat pants. I squirmed to lift my hips a bit to help, and the elastic waistband slipped down, exposing my tight briefs.“You gotta help. Pull me out, aim for the bucket. Please?”I can see she’s not happy with the situation, and she’s fighting with her distaste at touching a man, a total stranger at that, in such a bizarre circumstance. But she perseveres, and that delicate hand fishes in my shorts for my cock. She paused momentarily as she made contact, then pulled my cock free. She picked up the empty bucket and aimed my hose toward the container.I groaned as I let loose. Oh god, finally! The relief was incredible. The poor girl was acting shocked as she dutifully aimed me at the bucket, and she even nudged the bucket a bit closer. I pissed on and on, holy fuck there was so much, and eventually I ran dry.Her disposition is no longer shocked, but instead she appeared to be curious.“Oh thank you, you saved me so much embarrassment. You can put me back in there now. Thanks.”She hesitated, and timidly tried to one-handedly stuff my cock back through the fly, and after a couple of clumsy tries I’m all set. And of course now my cock was growing fast in her hand, as I no longer had to pee, but there’s a wonderful-smelling girl handling that most sensitive part of my anatomy. Something that’s never happened before.That last drop of pee evidently got on her hand, and she looked a bit frantic now, “Ew” she says.“Just wipe it on my sweats, it’s Okay.” I told her, and she rubbed her hand on my inner thigh. That doesn’t help with my ever increasing boner of course.She looked up at me, and her brow wrinkled. “Do you smell smoke?” she asked.It’s my turn to be startled, and I looked toward the door. Oh Fuck, there’s smoke coming in under the door! That alarm was real! Why wasn’t it still going off? “Quick, help me get this tape off!” She started trying to pull up my sweats, but I say “No, leave that, just get me undone!”She started working on the tape on my left arm, and it took a few minutes to get me free. Working together, my right arm is unstuck in less than a minute. “Check the door.” I told her as I looked around the room. No other doors, just shelves, a big sink, a floor pan for filling and emptying mop buckets, and stacks of boxes and stuff.She tried the light switch but it doesn’t work. Great, my idiot friends probably unscrewed the light bulb. Then she tried the door. “It’s locked!” she says.“From the outside? Why the fuck would it be set up to lock people in? Sorry. I swear when I get nervous.”“Is there really a fire, do you think?”“I guess so, there was an alarm that went off when you were out cold.”“What do we do?” She started frantically searching her pockets and said; “I can’t find my phone!”“I didn’t even bring mine to the party. No pockets.”The smell of smoke got stronger. I wheeled up next to the sink, and ran some water. Grabbing a package of paper towels, I ripped it open and dumped them in the sink. “Here, block up the crack under the door with these!”I handed her wads of soggy paper, and she knelt down to stuff them under the door. The smoke stoped coming in, thank goodness. But now the room is black. “Now what?” she said.I shrugged, “I guess we wait and hope.”“I’m scared.” she said in a small voice.“Come here, sit on my lap here. Oh, uh, maybe pull up my pants first.” She helped me with that and sat on me. I think the gravity of the situation is now hitting her pretty hard, I know it’s got me freaked out. She burrowed into my neck and wraps her good arm wraps around me. “We’re Okay for now.” I tell her.I smelled her hair again, as she’s crushed against me. Damn that feels nice. Shit, I don’t even know her name. “I’m Robert by the way. Robert Green.”“Suzanne. Suzanne Shelton.”, she informed me.“I’d say pleased to meet you Suzanne, but under these circumstances, maybe the sentiment should be I’m ecstatic to meet you. If I was by myself I would have pissed my pants and suffocated.”She giggled, my goofy sense of humor somehow helped in this situation. “I’m glad to meet you too, Robert.”“So how did you get here?”“I don’t know, I was at the dorm party and felt dizzy, then you were kissing me.” She blushed again.“Sorry about that, I tried to wake you for like 20 minutes, but you were really out of it. I finally thought I would try the sleeping beauty trick, and it worked. Did you drink something someone else gave you?”“Oh. Shit. She seemed to recall. I think so. One of my floor mates gave me a coke. It must have been spiked? I had to take some of my pain meds for my arm earlier tonight, it was bothering me. I keep trying to do too much with it all the time.”“Oh, yeah, you don’t want to mix booze or anything with that stuff, I know! Sorry about the pee episode. I really was going to wet my pants in another few seconds. Wet both our pants.”She blushed and giggled. “I never saw a guy like that, like your, thing, before.”“Wow. Okay, well, I never had a girl touch my co-, um, thing, before.”“It changed when I was putting it away. Was that, um, like…’"Yeah, well, when a pretty girl touches me like that, I’m bound to get aroused.”Her eyes went wide at that statement. “Oh” she said. She paused a few seconds, then put her head back on my shoulder. There was that scent again. "So. Um, you think I’m pretty?“"Well, yeah, of course. You’re what I think my grandpa would call 'fetching’”She giggled again. Damn, that sounds nice, and she smells really nice. Little Robert stirred down below. I heard a sharp intake of breath. Uh Oh. She felt that. I may have just ruined what might have been a moment.“Am I pretty enough to make you, uh, aroused, then?”“Oh, Suzanne, I am so embarrassed. Please, don’t be offended, it’s just circumstances, you know?”She pulled back again and looked at the door. Still no smoke. Then she looked at me with a sad smile, saying “I didn’t think so.” Suzanne started to get up, and I realized where our wires had crossed.I put my arms around her and said " Oh, no no. You’re very pretty, and definitely arousing.“She looked surprised, but settled back down on my lap. "Oh.” she said. “Thank you.”Just
Thanks to AI coding agents, basically anyone can program their own software without much technical knowledge. But lowering the barrier to sophisticated web design is also opening the door to more scams. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino experienced the effects firsthand.
Thanks to AI coding agents, basically anyone can program their own software without much technical knowledge. But lowering the barrier to sophisticated web design is also opening the door to more scams. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino experienced the effects firsthand.
There's an easy button for hard conversations now, and it's dangerously good. You've got something complicated to say. It needs nuance. It needs empathy. It probably needs a little courage. The AI will draft the whole thing in seconds. It sounds smart. It sounds reasonable. You skim it. You send it. And most of the time, nothing bad happens. The problem is that the time it does go bad is the exact situation where you thought you were being thoughtful. This week's Raw Data walks straight through one of those moments, from both sides of the exchange, and it's a reminder that outsourcing the structure of your thinking is not the same thing as being clear. Then there's the part that's almost more interesting. Thirteen years ago, the first real client engagement couldn't get traction around dashboards. The connection between "this is my business" and "data should change how I run it" just didn't stick. Same people, same company, different conversation recently around AI. Immediate traction. Leaning forward. Connecting dots in real time. That difference isn't about better slides or better storytelling. Dashboards improved a slice of the business. AI shows up in the messy motion of the whole thing. In workflows. In manual processes. In strategic questions leaders don't have time to chase down. That shift in surface area changes everything. AI isn't a toy and it isn't a ghostwriter. It's leverage. Real leverage. The kind that can remove friction across an organization faster than dashboards ever could. But leverage only works if you're still the one steering. That's really what this episode comes down to. Listen in, then decide where AI belongs in your workflow and where it needs to stay out of your head.
Team USA and Canada capped off an incredible two week run at the Olympics featuring NHL Players. Also, they unpack what to expect from the league's return to play starting on Wednesday as we hit the home stretch of the NHL Season and race towards the trade deadline Olympic hockey delivered one of the most entertaining international tournaments in years. Jesse Montaño and Meghan Angley break down the USA vs Canada gold medal game, the return of NHL players to the Olympics, and what the results mean for the future of international hockey. We dive into Connor Hellebuyck's incredible performance, why Canada may have actually controlled most of the game, and how the United States built a roster capable of winning gold. Plus: a look at standout performances across the tournament, including Czechia's run, Martin Nečas stepping up on the international stage, and what the Olympics mean for the Colorado Avalanche players returning to the NHL season. We also discuss the dominance of the USA Women's team, the continued growth of women's hockey, and why this Olympic moment could be a major boost for the sport in North America. Finally, we look ahead to the Avalanche returning from the Olympic break, the NHL stretch run, and what this tournament showed about the players heading into the playoff push. 0:00 Intro – Olympic hockey recap & show preview 3:05 Returning from the Olympic break 4:49 Overall thoughts on the tournament 5:10 Women's tournament breakdown 7:03 Styles of play across international teams 9:07 USA Women vs Canada discussion 11:20 Growth of women's hockey & pro leagues 15:23 Closing the gap internationally 19:05 USA women's gold medal takeaways 20:34 Men's Olympic tournament parity 22:00 Czechia & Martin Nečas standout performance 29:02 Nečas interview from Avalanche practice 33:40 Nečas development and role with Colorado 35:04 Physicality debate in international hockey 38:38 Gold medal game begins – USA vs Canada 48:30 Connor Hellebuyck's historic performance 55:15 Why Canada may have been the better team 1:02:28 How Team USA built a winning roster 1:07:11 Overtime breakdown & the winning goal 1:15:00 What the win means for USA Hockey 1:20:45 Nathan MacKinnon medal ceremony moment 1:24:43 Reaction to postgame Team USA comments 1:33:15 Avalanche players at the Olympics 1:36:14 Finland players & tournament impact 1:38:04 Olympic overtime rules debate 1:41:30 Final thoughts & NHL return This show is brought to you by RefiJet Did you know you could refinance your auto loan? With RefiJet, you could save around $150 a month—all with just a soft credit pull and zero hassle. Lower payments, flexible terms, even cash back from your car's equity. RefiJet does the work, you get the savings. Start today at RefiJet.com! The Faster, Easier way to Refinance
Google processes over 8.5 billion searches a day, and if you're one of the millions of people contributing that figure, you may want to be wary of the results you choose to consume. Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joined Anton to explain why.
Preparing safe, enjoyable meals for people with dysphagia can be challenging but it does not have to mean sacrificing enjoyment of food, variety, and social connection. How can clinicians and caregivers help ensure meals remain safe and enjoyable? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Simone Howells from Griffith University, Australia, about the second edition of Beyond the Blender: Dysphagia Made Easier; a freely available cookbook featuring 30 recipes organised according to IDDSI Levels 2–6. We discuss: the inspiration behind creating the cookbook how recipes were developed, selected and adapted across IDDSI levels the challenges of modifying everyday meals while maintaining taste, texture, and visual appeal the broader responsibilities of SLTs beyond recommending modified diets practical strategies and resources to better support patients and families
“Why does life still feel fragile even when I'm doing everything to protect my peace?” If self-care, comfort, and avoiding stress were enough, wouldn't we feel stronger by now?This message wrestles with a quiet tension many of us feel: the more we try to eliminate difficulty, the less resilient we become. Avoidance may calm anxiety in the moment, but it often increases fear and fragility long term. So how do we actually grow through stress, hardship, and uncertainty?In Epistle of James 1:2–4, we're told to “consider it pure joy” when trials come—not because pain is good, but because tested faith produces endurance. James isn't preaching positive thinking. He's pointing to faith rooted in Jesus Christ—not as a life coach, but as Savior and Lord.If Jesus is only a teacher, trials are lessons to survive.If Jesus is King, troubles are tools in His hands.Real resilience doesn't come from inner strength or “doing hard things.” It grows through dependence on Christ—trusting Him not just to get us out of difficulty, but to carry us through it.If you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or crushed by comfort, this conversation invites you to ask a different question:“How could this test grow my faith and endurance?”Watch, reflect, and explore what it might mean to build your life on something stronger than comfort.
John-Michael Liles joins Jesse Montano and Meghan Angley for a deep dive into Olympic pressure, NHL reality, and the culture that continues to define the Colorado Avalanche. From his unforgettable experience representing Team USA at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, to his 14-year NHL career and eventual transition into broadcasting, Liles pulls back the curtain on what life is really like at hockey's highest levels. Plus, a closer look at the Avs at the Olympics as we stare down a gold medal game. This show is brought to you by RefiJet Did you know you could refinance your auto loan? With RefiJet, you could save around $150 a month—all with just a soft credit pull and zero hassle. Lower payments, flexible terms, even cash back from your car's equity. RefiJet does the work, you get the savings. Start today at RefiJet.com! The Faster, Easier way to Refinance
If you want to get started playing fingerstyle guitar, you will benefit from private lessons with a teacher, online video courses, listening to fingerstyle recordings, and of course… books. It is beneficial to mix and match all of these resources. Remember that everyone's brain works differently, so you may gravitate more toward certain styles of learning / methods of presentation. I love learning from books because I can read the text at my own pace and as many times over as I want. Seeing the music written out is extremely helpful for me – I always had more difficulty keeping track of song forms or chord progressions without some sort of written reference. So, for those of you who want to utilize a fingerstyle blues book to beef up your chops, I've done my homework and I've distilled my favorites into this “greatest hits” list. I'll try to be objective and describe who each book is best suited to. Additionally, I'll separate things out and first tell you about my favorite method books and then my favorite repertoire books. Method Books Guided course of study with explanatory text, exercises, example tune arrangements, etc. Repertoire Books Tune arrangements and possibly some background info for each tune. Method Books ** Travis-Style Guitar From Scratch (Emery, 2006) My all-time favorite book for learning to play solo fingerstyle guitar with an alternating bass or “Travis-style”, which is used in much fingerstyle blues playing. Beginnner to intermediate. Lots and lots of exercises, smooth difficulty progression, repeated tunes at increasing difficulty levels, text with a sense of humor. * Fingerstyle Guitar From Scratch (Emery, 2003) Great for absolute beginner guitar players looking to step into the world of fingerstyle guitar. More focused on fingerstyle accompaniment or backup rather than solo fingerstyle guitar. Now on to my favorite method books that are focused on fingerstyle blues. 1) Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Method (Hamburger, 2007) Method book – could be the best initial book to work through if you're just getting started with fingerstyle blues or fingerstyle in general. Effective organization of topics, progressive exercises, short but fun song arrangements at the end of each chapter. Primarily aimed at beginner to intermediate, but some of the final chapters are fairly difficult. Overall, this book provides a great overview of the techniques and approaches used in fingerstyle blues, giving you a solid foundation. After working through this book, you could move on to any of the other method or repertoire books that I'm about to introduce, where you can refine your skills and technique, learn to improvise, and learn more tunes. 2) Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in the Key of E Major: Books 1 & 2 It is without shame that I present my own books. These method books are focused on lyrical improvisation over monotonic bass. First priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues in the key of E major, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or jam. You should be up and running by the end of the 3rd chapter, and each subsequent chapter will add icing to your cake. Organized the books so that the concepts and exercises progress logically, thoroughly, and with a smooth difficulty progression. Take care to explain how to immediately apply each concept to your playing. These are essentially one long book split down the middle: Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 left off. It was just too long – it would have been around 350 pages. I recommend that everyone start with Book 1, which is suitable for all skill levels. Complete beginner players who work through the first few chapters should be able to improvise a satisfying fingerstyle blues solo. Intermediate to advanced players will breeze through the first few chapters, but will hopefully pick up some useful information starting around Chapter 4. Book 2 is more suitable for intermediate to advanced players. It digs deeper into higher level concepts that are more technically and theoretically difficult, but will elevate your playing to new levels. You will learn to play new scales, turnarounds, rhythms, time signatures, key signatures, and more! Again, I recommend that everyone start with Book 1, and then move on to Book 2. When comparing my books to other fingerstyle blues books on the market, most other books focus on playing the blues over an alternating or Travis-style bassline, although they may present some material on using a monotonic bassline. One other book, which, SPOILER, happens to be the next on my list, focuses on playing the blues over a monotonic bassline – Joseph Alexander's Fingerstyle Blues Guitar. I was honestly very influenced by this book, and I highly recommend it in addition to mine! However, Alexander's book focuses more on teaching you a bunch of authentic blues language and licks over the monotonic bassline, with less emphasis on putting together a full lyrical 12-bar solo, nonetheless a full multi-chorus performance. In my books, I actually provide lyrics to help guide the spontaneous creation of melodies. My book starts from a more beginner-friendly place and builds with a much more gradual difficulty progression. Easier melodies and rhythms at first, with many, many examples. My book also focuses on the bigger picture of putting together a cohesive blues chorus and then a cohesive multi-chorus performance. One other aspect about my book that is very valuable is that I have provided both fretting and picking hand fingering throughout every example. Optimal fingering is extremely important when learning an arrangement – good fingering choices make playing easier and minimize the potential for mistakes. I have spent a lot of time working through other books, I have real world experience, and I've tried to create a series of books that will be most effective at teaching you to actually jam on the blues. Now, a downside for many of you will be that I can't currently offer audio recordings (I have 2 little kids and life is incredibly busy!), but I can email you the GuitarPro files for every example if that would be helpful. I'm also happy to send out videos of specific examples if you reach out. joemcmurrayguitar@gmail.com Available thru Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)] 3) Fingerstyle Blues Guitar (Alexander, 2015) Method book, focused on improvisation and licks over monotonic bass. Late beginner to advanced, like my books, but it is best for intermediate. It's honestly a great companion to my books! Lots of great licks and blues phrases, but not as much explanation about how to apply these phrases into a cohesive blues chorus or multi-chorus performance. My advice is that you take each phrase from the book and incorporate it into a 12-bar blues. Then spend time improvising your own similar blues phrases over the 12-bar blues. Overall, if you want to learn to improvise over the blues using a monotonic bassline, there is a wealth of valuable information in this book, and it takes a wonderful approach, but I think that I have filled in some gaps with my own books. 4) Beginning Fingerstyle Blues Guitar (Berle / Galbo, 1993) Method book. Does a good job starting from the basics and providing exercises that progress gradually and logically. Almost entirely focused on playing the blues with an alternating or Travis-Style bassline. Beginner players who can play basic chords through to intermediate players. This is the first fingerstyle blues book that I've come across that provides a great chapter on how to incorporate singing over your guitar playing. Overall, a very solid purchase if you are a beginner looking to learn to play traditional fingerstyle blues with an alternating bassline. 5) Rainer's Acoustic Blues Guitar Picking School (Brunn, 2022) Method book, but minimal text and fairly short book overall. Valuable info and exercises, but less comprehensive. Late beginner to intermediate You will gain important technical/physical skills to play fingerstyle blues, but there isn't much explanation on how to approach a new blues tune, there's not much music theory to help you choose the proper notes while improvising, etc. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It gave me good workouts and I got some new ideas. 6) Fingerstyle Blues (Rivera, 2020) Inspiring, well-graduated method book for learning to play fingerstyle blues. However, this is for intermediate to advanced fingerstyle players. Each chapter ultimately provides a full performance tune, but starts by describing a new concept or technique (or two) and providing examples that prepare you for the performance song. Overall, this book has some really cool tunes and ideas, but to be clear, I would not recommend approaching this book until you've worked through at least one of the other books that I've already mentioned. You will get more out of this one if you are adequately prepared. 7) Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations (James, 2014) Last on my list is actually a hybrid repertoire/method book, Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations (James, 2014). I call this a hybrid repertoire/method book because it is mostly a collection of tunes, but with a few exercises and extra technical explanations and historical anecdotes. Again, this is a book for learning to play fingerstyle and bottleneck blues. Late beginner to advanced fingerstyle players but is best for intermediate players. This is at the bottom of my list here, but it is good for learning open tunings and how to play fingerstyle blues using a slide. Before we go, I want to introduce another special book that doesn't quite fit into the “Method Book” category: * The New Art of Ragtime Guitar (Saslow, 2011, 2017 2nd Ed.) This book is essentially a repertoire book of ragtime blues tunes, but the analysis that accompanies each tune is extensive and extremely valuable. Late beginner to advanced and difficulty progresses with each tune. These tunes are really fun, and you will gain valuable insight from the analysis. The author coaches you through fingering choices, his use of guide, anchor, or pivot fingers, etc. These lessons will make you a better player.
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High school athletics are serious business for students looking to have a career in sports. But one Utah lawmaker says there's a transfer portal atmosphere in high school sports, and he's trying to close some loopholes. State Representative Jon Hawkins' bill would have redefined the restrictions placed on transfers, and stopped high school athletes from getting paid to play. But the pushback against the bill turned out to be too much. Maria Shilaos is joined by KSL NewsRadio's Heather Peterson and KSL Podcasts' Amy Donaldson in this Deep Dive, which looks into the way high school athletics operate and the proposals to close loop holes.
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A decade of viticulture education is right at your fingertips. Executive Director Beth Vukmanic interviews longtime host Craig MacMillan to celebrate ten years and 300 episodes of the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Together, they reflect on some of Craig's most memorable interviews—from new discoveries in sour rot and space-to-farm technology, to using storytelling to sell more wine and tackling leadership transitions. Resources: 17: New Discoveries about Sour Rot 129: The Efficient Vineyard Project 161: Use Storytelling to Sell More Wine 233: The Gap Between Space and Farm: Ground Truthing Satellite Data Models 239: Ford Pro Pilot – Trialing Electric Trucks in the Field 249: Making it Easier to Use Satellite Data in Agriculture 257: Understanding Winery Visitors – Increase Sales with your Messaging 268: How to Tackle Leadership Transitions Successfully 286: To Till or Not to Till: Impacts on Soil, Vines, and Vineyard Budgets Craig Macmillan Support the Podcast: Make a Donation Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career ✓ Claim : Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Brian Halligan co-founded HubSpot, ran it as CEO for about 15 years, and now coaches Sequoia's fastest-growing founders as their in-house CEO coach.We discuss:1. His LOCKS framework for evaluating founders2. Why you should build your team like the 2004 Red Sox3. Why hiring “spicy” candidates beats consensus picks4. Why enterprise sales will be the last white-collar job AI replaces5. Some of my favorite “Halliganisms”—Brought to you by:Sentry—Code breaks, fix it faster: http://sentry.io/lennyDatadog—Now home to Eppo, the leading experimentation and feature flagging platform: https://www.datadoghq.com/lennyWorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lenny—Episode transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sequoia-ceo-coach-why-its-never-been—Archive of all Lenny's Podcast transcripts: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yxi4s2w998p1gvtpu4193/AMdNPR8AOw0lMklwtnC0TrQ?rlkey=j06x0nipoti519e0xgm23zsn9&st=ahz0fj11&dl=0—Where to find Brian Halligan• X: https://x.com/bhalligan• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianhalligan• Delphi: https://www.delphi.ai/bhalligan• Podcast: https://sequoiacap.com/series/long-strange-trip—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Brian Halligan(03:56) The perpetual state of constructive dissatisfaction(05:25) Coaching CEOs(07:49) The art of interviewing and hiring(11:21) Getting the most out of reference calls(13:10) Homegrown talent vs. big company hires(16:31) Traits of successful CEOs(19:40) Brian's LOCKS framework for evaluating founders(21:34) Are great CEO's born or made?(23:41) Giving effective feedback(25:54) The future of go-to-market strategies(31:56) Understanding forward deployed engineers(34:17) How the CEO role has evolved over the last 20 years(38:10) Halliganisms(01:01:18) The CEO's role in scaling a company(01:02:41) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Dev Ittycheria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dittycheria• HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com• Parker Conrad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkerconrad• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com• Brian Chesky's new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach• Jensen Huang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenhsunhuang• Winston Weinberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winston-weinberg• James Cadwallader on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsca• Gabriel Stengel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabestengel• He saved OpenAI, invented the “Like” button, and built Google Maps: Bret Taylor on the future of careers, coding, agents, and more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/he-saved-openai-bret-taylor• Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures: https://orbit.mit.edu/classes/scaling-entrepreneurial-ventures-15.392• OpenClaw: https://openclaw.ai• Ruth Porat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-porat• Mike Krzyzewski: https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/mike-krzyzewski/4159• Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living: https://www.prm.nau.edu/prm205/Dalai-Lama-18-rules-for-living.htm• Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building• Kareem Amin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareemamin• Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com• Tobi Lütke's leadership playbook: Playing infinite games, operating from first principles, and maximizing human potential (founder and CEO of Shopify): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/tobi-lutkes-leadership-playbook• Katie Burke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-burke-965767a• Jerry Garcia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Garcia• Bob Weir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Weir• Phil Lesh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Lesh• Ron “Pigpen” McKernan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_%22Pigpen%22_McKernan• Marc Andreessen: The real AI boom hasn't even started yet: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/marc-andreessen-the-real-ai-boom• The American Revolution: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-american-revolution• Delphi: https://www.delphi.ai• Sonos: https://www.sonos.com• Yamini Rangan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaminirangan• The Boston Red Sox: https://www.mlb.com/redsox—Recommended book:• Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History: https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Lessons-Grateful-Dead-Business/dp/0470900520—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com
There are conversations that would make your role as an Executive Assistant significantly easier.You probably already know which ones they are.The clarification you've been meaning to ask for. The boundary that needs resetting. The expectation that was never fully defined. The salary discussion you keep postponing.In this episode, Nicky talks through six specific conversations that directly impact how smooth, strategic, and sustainable your role feels. These are not dramatic confrontations. They are practical, calm, well-timed discussions that remove guesswork and reduce unnecessary rework.You'll hear about:The “I Need Help” conversation and how asking early saves hours later The immediate feedback conversation that prevents small patterns from shaping your role The unclear expectations conversation that stops you from aiming at the wrong target The managing up conversation and why it changes how your week runs The mistake admission conversation and how it can actually build trust The salary and value conversation and how to prepare properly for itThroughout the episode, Nicky shares real EA scenarios and practical wording you can use, so you're not walking into these discussions hoping they go well. You're walking in prepared.Resources MentionedManaging Up Guide for Executive Assistants:https://theeacampus.com/blog/managing-up-as-an-executive-assistant/EA Salary Survey:https://www.easalarysurvey.com/Confident Communicator Course:https://theeacampus.com/online-course/confident-communicator/Explore all upcoming masterclasses, virtual summits, and the London conference: https://theeacampus.com/eventsIf this episode resonated, share it with another EA who might be carrying a conversation in their head that really needs to happen.And as always, thank you for being part of The EA Campus community. The EA Campus
In this energised full-strength episode of Inspiration Nation, Lee Kemp, Ryan Boniface, and Jose Noya dive into a powerful question inspired by James Clear, bestselling author of Atomic Habits: “If you wait, will it get easier or will you just be older?” The conversation tackles procrastination, perfectionism, and the myth of the “right time,” blending humour, real-life fitness check-ins, and inspiring stories like Ben Francis, who started Gymshark at just 19 by teaching himself to sew. The message is clear—success isn't about perfect timing; it's about starting before you feel ready. Whether it's building habits, launching a business, improving your health, or becoming the person you want to be, small consistent action beats waiting every time.The central quote of the episode—“If you wait, will it get easier or will you just be older?”—cuts through excuses and challenges listeners to take ownership of their time. With reflections on identity, habit formation, life experience, and mindset, this episode is packed with motivation for anyone stuck in “Procrastination Nation.” So here's your call to action: what's the smallest step you can take today? Don't wait—just start. If this episode resonated, like, subscribe, and leave a review to help us reach more listeners. Follow us on X at @ListenToIN and explore more episodes at www.InspirationNation.org.uk
Emotional regulation is one of the most important relationship skills we were never taught. In this episode of the Love Your Life Show, Susie Pettit explains why emotional regulation is the skill that makes parenting and marriage easier and why learning to stay calm when the people you love are not can change every relationship in your life. If you tend to take responsibility for other people's emotions, rush to fix feelings, or feel unsettled when your kids, partner, or loved ones are upset, this episode is for you. Susie shares how emotional regulation builds emotional safety, why fixing feelings often backfires, and how developing emotional resiliency helps you show up as a calmer parent, partner, and human. You'll learn: ⭐️ What emotional regulation actually is and why it matters in parenting, marriage, and relationships with our empty nest young adults ⭐️ How to stop outsourcing your calm to the people around you ⭐️ Why feelings need support, not solutions ⭐️ A simple framework to respond to big emotions without fixing or shutting them down ⭐️ How emotional regulation supports emotional intelligence in kids, teens, and even our underfunctioning partners or young adults Whether you're parenting young children, teenagers, adult kids, or navigating a long-term relationship, this episode will help you understand why your internal calm is the foundation for healthier, more connected relationships. If you want parenting and marriage to feel less heavy and more grounded, emotional regulation is where it starts. Thanks for listening! If you liked this show, you'll like this one: Loving Detachment on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/286-loving-detachment/id1434429161?i=1000642743348 Loving Detachment on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/6bL2I9rFFHSf18buCOEZMi?si=iyNfeWilT3eAkVYHgcwZkQ Want even more? Get the most popular parenting episodes here: https://SMBwell.com/mom Get the weekly wellness newsletter for warriors here:
Six years ago, Greg Savage was the very first guest on The Resilient Recruiter. For episode 300, he returns to discuss the biggest shift our industry has faced since the rise of the internet: artificial intelligence. And he doesn't hold back. “The contingent, multi-listed perm market… I think that is over.” Greg has built four recruitment businesses. He's the author of The Savage Truth (20,000+ copies sold). He's spent five decades watching this industry evolve. His view? AI hasn't made recruitment easier. In many ways, it's made it harder. But this isn't a doom-and-gloom conversation. It's about where recruitment agencies win next. If you lead a recruitment agency or executive search firm, this episode will challenge how you think about AI, positioning, and long-term relevance. Episode Highlights [00:33] The biggest threat — and opportunity — Greg has seen in decades [02:14] Why the contingent, multi-listed perm model is under pressure [06:34] AI shortlisting chaos and the 14% overlap test [08:32] What “automating dysfunction” really means [26:20] The highest ROI AI opportunity right now [30:43] Four questions to ask before buying any AI tool [54:04] The rise of the “techno-empath” recruiter What You'll Learn Why AI Is Making Recruitment Harder Why AI screening tools produced only 14% overlap in shortlists Research Greg referenced suggesting around 40% of tech candidates have inflated their resumes What “automating dysfunction” actually looks like in practice The four questions every recruitment leader should ask before investing in AI Which Recruitment Models Will Survive Why the contingent, multi-listed perm model is under pressure Why retained search and executive search are positioned to grow The business models most likely to thrive over the next five years Why you need to sell decision-making — not just placements What Recruiters Must Master Next The highest ROI AI opportunity: activating and cleaning your recruitment database Why “techno-empath” recruiters will win The moments of truth that must never be automated The skills that will define high-performing recruiters in an AI-driven market This episode speaks directly to recruitment agency growth, retained vs contingent recruitment, and how to scale a recruitment business as AI reshapes hiring. Why Episode 300 Matters When I launched this podcast in 2019, Greg was my first guest. Since then, we've lived through a pandemic, a hiring boom, a correction, and now the fastest wave of AI adoption our industry has ever seen. Bringing him back for episode 300 felt right. This conversation is less about tools — and more about leadership, positioning, and how to build a recruitment business that stays relevant. Our Sponsor This episode is proudly sponsored by Recruiterflow. Recruiterflow is an end-to-end, AI-first ecosystem built to run and scale your recruitment business. It combines ATS, CRM, sequencing, data enrichment, marketing automation, and AI agents in one platform. Many recruitment leaders — including members of our coaching cohorts — use Recruiterflow to streamline operations. Book a demo here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/recruiterflow Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: https://www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Connect with Mark on LinkedIn. If you're a recruitment agency owner serious about scaling, retained search, and staying ahead of AI in recruitment, subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter so you don't miss future conversations like this. If you want to future-proof your recruitment business without getting left behind, this episode is essential listening.
Ep. 176 Willem Van Der Maij: Making Solo Show Production Easier Today Bryan sits down with Willem Van Der Maij; the Founder, inventor, and managing director of Midian, a company that produces the Midian Prime – a wireless remote multi function midi control device. Hear how this device makes live performance easier for solo gig artists. Learn more at https://www.midian.live Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.
In the final hour, the Nashville Predators General Manager, Barry Trotz, joined DVD for his weekly chat. They also discuss will it be easier for the Titans to find a WR or EDGE in free agency. They ended the hour discussing Tony Vitello clearing things up after his exit with Tennessee for the Giants manager job.
Hour 1 of Jake & Ben on February 18, 2026 Will AJ Dybantsa's success at BYU make it easier for them to land NBA Talent in the future? Top 3 Stories of the Day: How will the Utah Jazz handle their rotation to close the season? Team USA Hockey vs Sweden today, and previewing BYU Rematch at Arizona. Jelly Roll joins the Meghan Trainor Club.
Different levels of grace? Discerning on Catholic authors? The unborn receiving communion through mother? Don't miss on today's Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders.
Ask Me Anything and takeaways of the day featuring Andy, Randy, Beau, and Abe.
Ep 103: In this episode of Strength To Build, I'm here to remind you that consistency doesn't come from motivation, it comes from discipline, and discipline is EASIER when you're environment supports your goals.Today I go through my exact night-to-morning routine that sets me up to wake up early, feel calm (not rushed), and actually want to train before the day starts. With a little preparation, nervous system support, and habit stacking, your routine can thrive anytime of day.What we cover:The nighttime habits that make early mornings easier (even when I'm tired)How I wind down so my body and brain are ready to wake up earlyMy full morning workout routine from the moment I wake up to the moment I see my first client of the day.The supplements I personally use and whyWhy January workouts feel different (and better) ??How visualization and intention-setting help me every dayWhy I never skip my warm-up — especially for early trainingThis episode is meant to show you that successful mornings are built the night before, and that consistency comes from systems, not discipline.If you want the full breakdown with exact details, and product links + mid day details, head to my latest Instagram post and comment SCHEDULE — I'll send you everything! (it's cute too).___________________________________________________________________________________________Apply for Advanced Training and Nutrition with Chelsey & Dr Emily Dow HEREStart your 7 day FREE trial of my new app HERE!Want to work one on one with Chelsey?Set up a one on one consultation call here to see if personalized online training is right for you.Join a semi-private class in LA here.Email info@chelseyrosehealth.com to inquire about one on one in person training.Shop the things i'm loving HEREFollow Chelsey on Instagram:@Chelseyrosehealth@StrengthtobuildFollow Chelsey on TikTok Here."Submit a question to the show"
Episode 380 of the Football Fitness Federation Podcast is with the CEO of Growth Ready, Executive & High-Performance Coach Steve Mellor We discussed: ▫️Lessons from High Performers & Industry leaders ▫️Goal Setting ▫️Imposter Syndrome ▫️The Career Spectrum & much more! You can connect with Steve on LinkedIn Keep up to date with the amazing work our sponsors are doing here: Good Prep - thegoodprep.com Discover the power of nutrition at WWW.THEGOODPREP.COM and use code FFF15 for 15% off your first order Hytro - hytro.com Maximise your athletic potential with Hytro BFR. Easier, safer and more practical BFR for squads to prepare for and recover from exercise than ever before. Click the link [[ bit.ly/3ILVsbU ]] Join our online community & get access to the very best Football Fitness content as well as the ability to connect with Sport Scientists and Strength & Conditioning coaches from around the world. To get FULL access to all of these & even more like this, sign up to a FREE month on our online community at the link below. www.footballfitfed.com/forum/index.a… Keep up to date with everything that is going on at Football Fitness Federation at the following links: X - @FootballFitFed Instagram - @FootballFitFed Website - www.footballfitfed.com
If you work long hours or juggle on-call weekends and you're feeling like food is an afterthought, impulsive, or mindless, this episode is for you.I'm sharing 5 practical steps to eat mindfully even when your schedule is chaotic—so you can feel calm, energized, and actually enjoy your meals.And have a MUCH easier time losing weight.You'll also learn what to do when eating quickly or grabbing convenient food instead of eating mindfully (because let's be honest, that happens and it's totally normal).By the end of this episode, you'll have simple tools to:Reduce overeating and emotional eatingSupport steady energy throughout your healthcare shiftStrengthen awareness of hunger and fullness cuesFeel calmer, more grounded, and mindful around foodPlus, I bust the biggest myth: mindful eating doesn't mean “perfect” or “healthy” food.It's about being present, connected, and intentional with what and how you eat, even during your busiest days.Whether you're in healthcare or a similarly demanding field, this episode gives you realistic strategies you can use immediately to care for yourself while caring for others.Tune in and discover how small, mindful pauses can transform not just your eating, but your energy, focus, and confidence, during even the most tiring or stressful shifts.___________
Why do most climate startups fail to scale? Tom Chi, a founding member of Google X and inventor with 77 patents, argues that relying on "Green Premiums" or even price parity is a death sentence. In this interview, he reveals the "CapEx Inertia" trap that prevents factories from adopting new tech and why your solution needs to be 3x cheaper than the incumbent to survive. Tom shares the heartbreaking story of watching a coral reef die in just two months—a tragedy that pushed him from inventing to investing. He breaks down his unique physics-based diligence process (analyzing Matter, Energy, Time, and Space) and explains why he focuses on the four industries responsible for 90% of water pollution. Finally, he shares his life philosophy on why you should focus on "verbs" (your metabolism of learning) rather than "nouns" (status and titles).Check out the company: https://www.atoneventures.com
Jesse Montano and Meghan Angley take a deeper look at how things have shaken out in the Men's and Women's tournaments at the Olypics, plus.. they put their spin on what a 'B' Roster would look like for both the USA and Canada #ColoradoAvalanche #GoAvsGo #AvsNation #NathanMacKinnon #CaleMakar #GuerillaSports #Hockey #AvalancheHockey #MileHighHockey #AvsFans #Avalanche2025 #Mikko Rantanen #AvsGameDay #NHLHighlights #DenverSports #AvalancheForever #MakarMagic #HockeyInColorado #StanleyCup #NHL This show is brought to you by RefiJet Did you know you could refinance your auto loan? With RefiJet, you could save around $150 a month—all with just a soft credit pull and zero hassle. Lower payments, flexible terms, even cash back from your car's equity. RefiJet does the work, you get the savings. Start today at RefiJet.com! The Faster, Easier way to Refinance Americanfinancing.net/green NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well-qualified borrowers. Call 888-991-9788 for details about credit costs and terms. AmericanFinancing.net/Green
Today's guest is Shaun Barnard, described by friends and family as a man of endless ideas and blue-sky thinking. Shaun channelled his great passion for traveling into founding In My Wildest, a UK charity created in memory of his mum, who died from breast cancer. This charity helps people living with cancer fund travel insurance, which is oftentimes very expensive, so they can keep exploring the world, making memories, and living fully, even in the hardest of moments.We talk about the state of travel insurance for cancer patients in the UK, honoring his mother's love of travel, how and why In My Wildest was created, and so much more!!Resources:Shaun's website: https://www.inmywildest.orgShaun's email: hi@inmywildest.orgShaun's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inmywildestFollow:Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/melissagrosboll/My website: https://melissagrosboll.comEmail me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com
“Experience is the comb Mother Nature gives us … after we're bald.” But who wants to wait? Here's a compendium of 29 tips on everything from caring for your dog to shooting better. They're compiled from conversations with pro guides, hunting partners' advice, friends' suggestions, and my own hard-won experience (I'm not bald, though from all the lessons, I should be). Somewhere in here is something you never knew, should have done, could do next season, or might share with someone else. Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge, where you'll get special freebies and gifts for every booking (learn more here). [Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.]
If you're like most of the women I work with, you are already fairly self-aware. You've already done quite a bit of internal growth work or inquiry. You may have done a lot of therapy, you've read books, you've gotten degrees. You know how to work hard. You know how to do hard things. You know how to show up for people.But you don't show up for yourself. You devalue your own wants and needs and you don't really know what to do about this problem.You have inner wisdom calling you forward, towards something positive for your life. But you don't know how to get across that bridge. How to take that first step, or how to pick yourself right back up when you fall down. And you struggle with staying focused on what you want and need when other people want your attention, or they are unhappy with you, or the world is noisy.You get pulled off track or distracted very easily.So this episode is about why it is so important that you stop deprioritizing your own wants and needs. Why you need to learn how to not just have good intentions, but how to follow through when life is noisy or messy.I share 7 common reasons why you get so easily distracted from your own wants and needs. My guess is that you'll recognize yourself in more than one. And I mention 4 skills that you need to build in order to show up consistently to your own priorities, goals, or dreams.ResourcesEpisode 11, How and Why to Shore up Leaky Boundaries: https://www.alifeinprogress.ca/shore-up-leaky-boundaries/Learn how we can work together: https://www.alifeinprogress.ca/work-with-me/
Brian Halligan co-founded HubSpot, ran it as CEO for about 15 years, and now coaches Sequoia's fastest-growing founders as their in-house CEO coach.We discuss:1. His LOCKS framework for evaluating founders2. Why you should build your team like the 2004 Red Sox3. Why hiring “spicy” candidates beats consensus picks4. Why enterprise sales will be the last white-collar job AI replaces5. Some of my favorite “Halliganisms”—Brought to you by:Sentry—Code breaks, fix it faster: http://sentry.io/lennyDatadog—Now home to Eppo, the leading experimentation and feature flagging platform: https://www.datadoghq.com/lennyWorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lenny—Episode transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sequoia-ceo-coach-why-its-never-been—Archive of all Lenny's Podcast transcripts: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yxi4s2w998p1gvtpu4193/AMdNPR8AOw0lMklwtnC0TrQ?rlkey=j06x0nipoti519e0xgm23zsn9&st=ahz0fj11&dl=0—Where to find Brian Halligan• X: https://x.com/bhalligan• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianhalligan• Delphi: https://www.delphi.ai/bhalligan• Podcast: https://sequoiacap.com/series/long-strange-trip—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Brian Halligan(03:56) The perpetual state of constructive dissatisfaction(05:25) Coaching CEOs(07:49) The art of interviewing and hiring(11:21) Getting the most out of reference calls(13:10) Homegrown talent vs. big company hires(16:31) Traits of successful CEOs(19:40) Brian's LOCKS framework for evaluating founders(21:34) Are great CEO's born or made?(23:41) Giving effective feedback(25:54) The future of go-to-market strategies(31:56) Understanding forward deployed engineers(34:17) How the CEO role has evolved over the last 20 years(38:10) Halliganisms(01:01:18) The CEO's role in scaling a company(01:02:41) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Dev Ittycheria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dittycheria• HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com• Parker Conrad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkerconrad• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com• Brian Chesky's new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach• Jensen Huang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenhsunhuang• Winston Weinberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winston-weinberg• James Cadwallader on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsca• Gabriel Stengel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabestengel• He saved OpenAI, invented the “Like” button, and built Google Maps: Bret Taylor on the future of careers, coding, agents, and more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/he-saved-openai-bret-taylor• Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures: https://orbit.mit.edu/classes/scaling-entrepreneurial-ventures-15.392• OpenClaw: https://openclaw.ai• Ruth Porat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-porat• Mike Krzyzewski: https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/mike-krzyzewski/4159• Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living: https://www.prm.nau.edu/prm205/Dalai-Lama-18-rules-for-living.htm• Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building• Kareem Amin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareemamin• Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com• Tobi Lütke's leadership playbook: Playing infinite games, operating from first principles, and maximizing human potential (founder and CEO of Shopify): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/tobi-lutkes-leadership-playbook• Katie Burke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-burke-965767a• Jerry Garcia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Garcia• Bob Weir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Weir• Phil Lesh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Lesh• Ron “Pigpen” McKernan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_%22Pigpen%22_McKernan• Marc Andreessen: The real AI boom hasn't even started yet: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/marc-andreessen-the-real-ai-boom• The American Revolution: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-american-revolution• Delphi: https://www.delphi.ai• Sonos: https://www.sonos.com• Yamini Rangan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaminirangan• The Boston Red Sox: https://www.mlb.com/redsox—Recommended book:• Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History: https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Lessons-Grateful-Dead-Business/dp/0470900520—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com
Ask Me How I Know: Multifamily Investor Stories of Struggle to Success
When relationships start feeling easier, many high performers feel confused instead of relieved. This episode explores why ease is not a loss of depth, but a signal of identity-level alignment and nervous system safety returning.There is a particular kind of relief that doesn't come from fixing anything.It comes from effort easing.From not managing.From showing up without explaining.From realizing that connection can remain even when you stop carrying it.And for high-capacity humans who are used to pressure, responsibility, and emotional attentiveness, that ease can feel unsettling. Almost suspicious. As if something important has been missed.In this episode of The Recalibration, we explore why certain friendships begin to feel lighter after identity-level recalibration — not because people changed, but because roles loosened.This is not about replacing relationships or drawing conclusions.It's about recognizing how alignment shows up in the body.When effort decreases and connection remains, the nervous system registers safety.When pauses no longer feel dangerous, regulation deepens.When presence replaces monitoring, clarity begins to emerge without urgency.Many people mistake ease for complacency.But in reality, ease is one of the clearest signals of alignment.This episode continues Season 4's relational arc by focusing on renewed momentum — not momentum driven by effort, but movement that arises naturally when misalignment releases. It reflects the core of Identity-Level Recalibration (ILR): not another mindset tool or productivity strategy, but the root-level recalibration that makes every other tool effective by realigning who you are, not just what you do.Rather than instruction, this episode offers orientation.Rather than resolution, it offers recognition.Rather than urgency, it offers companionship.You're not becoming less relational.You're becoming more honest about how connection actually feels.Today's Micro Recalibration:Where am I noticing more ease in my relationships — without trying to explain it, protect it, or make it mean something?Let that noticing be enough.Explore Identity-Level Recalibration→ Join the next Friday Recalibration Live experience → Take your listening deeper! Subscribe to The Weekly Recalibration Companion to receive reflections and extensions to each week's podcast episodes. → Follow Julie Holly on LinkedIn for more recalibration insights → Schedule a conversation with Julie to see if The Recalibration is a fit for you → Download the Misalignment Audit → Subscribe to the weekly newsletter → Books to read (Tidy categories on Amazon- I've read/listened to each recommended title.) → One link to all things