Podcasts about ebc

Exploring the Complexities of Pharma Rebates with Ann Lewandowski In this Summer Short episode of Relentless Health Value, host Stacey Richter converses again with Ann Lewandowski about the intricate dynamics of pharmaceutical rebates, or as Lewandowski prefers, post-sale concessions.  The discussion delves into the nuances of these rebates, the impact they have on drug costs, and the hidden consequences for patients and plan sponsors.  They highlight articles and insights by Austin Chelko and Peter Hayes, touching on how rebates can disadvantage the pursuit of lower-cost generics and biosimilars, and can obstruct pharmacogenetic testing that ensures drug efficacy and safety.  The conversation also critiques the opacity of rebates, deemed trade secrets by pharma and PBM companies, and underscores the ethical and financial dilemmas posed by the current rebate-driven system. === LINKS ===

W cieniu rosnącego konfliktu Iran–Izrael i nieprzewidywalnych działań Donalda Trumpa, na arenie międzynarodowej wyrasta nowy pretendent do Białego Domu – Gavin Newsom. Tymczasem w Azji Xi Jinping zacieśnia wpływy na Jedwabnym Szlaku, a Europa czeka na sygnały z EBC. W PB Brief sprawdzamy, kto rozdaje karty w globalnej grze o władzę, bezpieczeństwo i pieniądze.

Na edição do Noite Brasil/Cultura Brasileira desta quinta-feira, 12 de junho:1) MP enviada pelo governo enfia o Pé de Meia no piso da Educação, reduz tempo de licença médica e parte para cima do seguro defeso, dos pescadores2) Depois de ter sido sequestrado e preso junto com outros 11 ativistas por Israel, o brasileiro Thiago Ávila é deportado do Estado sionista e deve chegar ao Brasil na manhã desta sexta-feira,13 de junho;3) No Senado, CPI das Bets têm fim melancólico após rejeição de relatório que pedia indiciamento de influencers, empresários e donos de casas de apostas;4) A situação da EBC e comunicação pública brasileira;5) A contribuição fundamental para o Direito brasileiro através da vida e obra de Luiz Gama. Historiador, autor do livro “Luiz Gama contra o Império: a luta pelo direito no Brasil da Escravidão” fala ao Cultura BrasileiraOs convidados são o jornalista Pedro Vilela (19h30) e Bruno Rodrigues de Lima (20h15)

O jornalista Pedro Vilela, em entrevista exclusiva ao Farol Brasil, afirmou que a Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) está em situação de penúria no que diz respeito a custeio e viabilidade.

EBC obniżył stopy procentowe o 25 pb. Prezydent Trump podpisał proklamację zakazującą wjazdu do USA obywatelom 12 krajów. Procter & Gamble ogłosił plan redukcji 6% miejsc pracy. BGK zainwestował 25 mln EUR w fundusz Eiffel Transition Infrastructure. Prezydent ma podpisać ustawę o jawności cen mieszkań.Zasubskrybuj prasówkę na www.businessupdate.pl.Podcast powstał przy pomocy ElevenLabs.

Polska, USA, cła, obligacje... Powyborczy kurz opada, plakaty znikają, a co się pojawi? Niewykluczone, że impas. Agencje ratingowe ostrzegają, że taki wynik wyborów oznacza kontynuację impasu instytucjonalnego w Polsce. Do tego rząd może sypać mocniej kasą, by utrzymać poparcie, a to może opóźnić naprawianie kasy publicznej. Jak się mają i mogą się mieć polskie akcje, obligacje, waluta i stopy procentowe? A jak amerykańskie? Słaby, niemal recesyjny odczyt ważnego wskaźnika (ISM), za to obligacje w trochę lepszej kondycji. Czyżby cła straciły już siłę rażenia? Prezydent Trump narzeka, że Xi gra za ostro, jest ekstremalnie twardy i ciężko będzie z tym dealem. Do tego dolar, niemiecka stymulacja i cięcie stóp przez EBC. Rafał i Robert zapraszają!

Wskaźnik PMI dla przemysłu tąpnął w maju. EBC zintensyfikował kontrolę ekspozycji banków na rynki prywatne. PZU i Pekao podpisują memorandum ws. reorganizacji. Enterprise Investors inwestują w suplementy klasy premium. Komisja Europejska nałożyła 329 mln EUR kary na Delivery Hero i Glovo za udział w kartelu.Zasubskrybuj prasówkę na www.businessupdate.pl.Podcast powstał przy pomocy ElevenLabs.

Công ty cổ phần Nhà máy y tế EBC Đồng Nai - một doanh nghiệp trong hệ sinh thái của Tập đoàn Y Dược EBC - đã trở thành tâm điểm sau khi cơ quan công an khởi tố vụ án hình sự sản xuất, buôn bán hàng giả để điều tra theo đúng quy định.

Send us a textOn June 4th, 2010, 7 year old Kyron Horman was excited to present his project on red-eyed tree frogs at his elementary school's science fair. His step-mom Terri drove him to school, browsed the fair with him, snapped a photo of him next to his poster, and then said goodbye. She watched him turn around and walk down the hallway towards his classroom, and then she left. That would be the last time anyone would see Kyron. This week on EBC, we dive into the mysterious disappearance of this sweet boy. We'll learn about what would become the largest criminal investigation in Oregon state history, and pretty quickly come to our own conclusions about this baffling case. We'll also talk about the very intense and active subreddit community working hard to piece together this confusing puzzle. Tune in and let us know what you think really happened! Happy Haunting! Get in touch! Follow us on instagram at @easybakecovenpodcastVisit our website at www.easybakecovenpodcast.comGot a spooky story? Send us an email! theeasybakepod@gmail.comThanks for listening, and don't forget to keep it spooky!

A Empresa Brasileira de Comunicação (EBC) pretende gastar, em pleno ano pré-eleitoral, aproximadamente 15 milhões de reais por um período de um ano com viagens e deslocamentosde integrantes da Estatal para cobrir atos de Lula e de ministros. O montante corresponde ao dobro do previsto no atual contrato, assinado com a Ideias Turismo Eireli. José Inácio Pilar, Duda Teixeira e Ricardo Kertzman comentam:Papo Antagonista é o programa que explica e debate os principais acontecimentos do   dia com análises críticas e aprofundadas sobre a política brasileira e seus bastidores.     Apresentado por Felipe Moura Brasil, o programa traz contexto e opinião sobre os temas mais quentes da atualidade.     Com foco em jornalismo, eleições e debate, é um espaço essencial para quem busca informação de qualidade.     Ao vivo de segunda a sexta-feira às 18h.    Não espere mais, assine agora e garanta 2 anos com 30% OFF - últimos dias.   2 anos de assinatura do combo O Antagonista e Crusoé com um super desconto de 30% adicional* utilizando o voucher 10A-PROMO30 Use o cupom 10A-PROMO30 e assine agora:  papo-antagonista (https://bit.ly/promo-2anos-papo)   (*) desconto de 30% aplicado sobre os valores promocionais vigentes do Combo anual | Promoções não cumulativas com outras campanhas vigentes. | **Promoção válida só até o dia 31/05 

In this episode, host Stacey Richter speaks with Ann Lewandowski about whistleblowing in the healthcare industry, focusing on a significant case involving a whistleblower at an employee benefit consultant (EBC) firm. This EBC allegedly pocketed their clients' pharma rebates, violating the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.  The discussion highlights the nuances of being a whistleblower, the ethical dilemmas faced, compliance challenges, and the significant financial implications for companies and individuals involved in illegal activities.  Ann Lewandowski provides insights into documenting and protecting oneself legally and discusses the broader context of trust and transparency in the healthcare sector. Click through to the show notes below to access all of the mentioned links and prior episodes mentioned. === LINKS ===

O programa Meio-Dia em Brasília desta quinta-feira, 15, fala sobre a condenação da deputada federal Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) a dez anos de prisão pelo STF por ter determinado a invasão dos sistemas internos do Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ).Além disso, o programa aborda a reação da Câmara ao não reconhecimento de um projeto de resolução para sustar a ação pena contra o deputado federal Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ).Outro tema do Meio-Dia é o novo contrato da EBC para gastos em viagens com jornalistas para cobrirem a entrega de obras pelo presidente Lula e por seus ministros e a primeira semana donovo papa Leão XIV.Meio-Dia em Brasília traz as principais notícias e análises da política nacional direto   de Brasília.     Com apresentação de José Inácio Pilar e Wilson Lima, o programa aborda os temas mais quentes do cenário político e econômico do Brasil.     Com um olhar atento sobre política, notícias e economia, mantém o público bem informado.   Transmissão ao vivo de segunda a sexta-feira às 12h.    Não espere mais, assine agora e garanta 2 anos com 30% OFF - últimos dias.   2 anos de assinatura do combo O Antagonista e Crusoé com um super desconto de 30% adicional* utilizando o voucher 10A-PROMO30 Use o cupom 10A-PROMO30 e assine agora:  meio-dia ( https://bit.ly/promo2anos-meiodia)   (*) desconto de 30% aplicado sobre os valores promocionais vigentes do Combo anual | Promoções não cumulativas com outras campanhas vigentes. | **Promoção válida só até o dia 31/05 

Rita Freire criticou o abandono da comunicação pública pelo governo a partir do cenário da EBC, em que ela destacou que não há prioridade de atuação do governo.

Na edição desta segunda feira 12 de maio: 1) Haddad não se posiciona em nada sobre as principais questões do governo e do Brasil;  2) Trump recua e “guerra tarifária” está suspensa; 4) Jornalista da EBC fala sobre comunicação pública do atual governo; 5) Escritor de “Vidas Ensanguentadas” fala sobre sua obra e a literatura marginal e também a ofensa racista na evento literário na última semana. Os convidados são: Rita Freire – jornalista, especialista em Política Internacional, ex-presidenta do Conselho Curador da EBC; e Wesley Barbosa, escritor, representante do gênero literário “literatura marginal” e criador da editora Barraco Editoral.

A new MP3 sermon from Emmanuel Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: SS: Jon Hueni Testimony Subtitle: EBC 2025 Ladies' Conference Speaker: Jon Hueni Broadcaster: Emmanuel Baptist Church Event: Video DVD Date: 4/27/2025 Length: 43 min.

Send us a textCoven, are you avoiding the news for fear of emotional overwhelm and turmoil? Are you attempting to limit screen time to manage anxiety and stress? Fear not, for we have just the episode for you. Let our voices soothe you and our flagrant disregard for conventionally accepted pronunciations distract you from your woes, if only for a little while. Even more, we'll update you on the most important current events, so that you can continue to avoid news outlets! This week we'll touch on only the most pressing issues, such as a bigfoot sighting in Kansas, a clown who wants to be mayor of a small town in england, and a cautionary tale on the New York City subway. We also have updates galore, from Lori Vallow to Gaby Petito. We'll learn about a new immersive sasquatch experience, and share our most cinematic hot takes. Finally, Lisey went to church and lives to tell the tale... could she be falling down a slippery slope? All that and more this week from the most trusted name in news, EBC! Happy Haunting! Get in touch! Follow us on instagram at @easybakecovenpodcastVisit our website at www.easybakecovenpodcast.comGot a spooky story? Send us an email! theeasybakepod@gmail.comThanks for listening, and don't forget to keep it spooky!

A night of thanksgiving through singing and testimonies of the Lord's provision for EBC.

Marcowe dane z rynku pracy wspierają decyzję o obniżce stóp w maju. Rezerwy złota w NBP poprawiły wynik banku o 34 mld zł. EBC obawia się, że wzrost wydatków na obronność i amerykańskie cła zakłócą schładzanie inflacji. EBOR zainwestował już w Polsce 500 mln EUR w 2025 r. Prezes UOKiK postawił zarzuty spółce iGenius LLC.Zasubskrybuj prasówkę na www.businessupdate.pl.Podcast powstał przy pomocy ElevenLabs.

Guest speaker Matt Bowen from Lakewood Bible Chapel brings us the Word in this video, concluding his messages that he brought to EBC's 2025 Man Up Conference. This passage of Scripture speaks about the importance of becoming an active member of the church body, with Paul speaking of how the congregation must be a proactive body working in tandem to glorify the Lord.

EBC obniżył stopy procentowe o 25 punktów bazowych. USA nałożą cło na każdy import transportowany przez Chińczyków. Orlen osiągnął rekordową produkcję gazu ziemnego w 2024 r. Grupa XXXLutz przejęła warunkowo pozostałe 50% udziałów Grupy Black Red White. Rzecznik Generalny TSUE zaopiniował polską sprawę i stwierdził, że w postępowaniu dotyczącym upadłości konsumenckiej sąd z urzędu lub na wniosek upadłego konsumenta ma obowiązek zbadać abuzywność postanowień umowy kredytu frankowego, jeśli nieruchomość kupiona na podstawie tego kredytu wchodzi do masy upadłości konsumenta.Zasubskrybuj prasówkę na www.businessupdate.pl.Podcast powstał przy pomocy ElevenLabs.

EBC tnie stopy, ale według Goldmana Sachsa w połowie roku utnie obniżki. Pomoże spodziewane ożywienie w Niemczech i inflacja, która wbrew opinii szefowej EBC może nie chcieć powrócić do 2-proc. celu. Za to w USA zwolnienia i coraz głośniej nadchodzącej o recesji, a na giełdach nerwowo. Czyli w Analizach Live w piątek 7 marca 2025 r. koniec burzliwego tygodnia oczami Rafała Bogusławskiego i Roberta Stanilewicza.

O Papo Antagonista desta quarta-feira, 5, comenta a decisão de Trump de suspender a assistência militar e o compartilhamento de inteligência com a Ucrânia.O programa comenta ainda a intenção de Lula em nomear Boulos para a Secretária-geral da Presidência. Além disso, está na pauta a EBC que pode gastar R$ 1 milhão com o 'Vale-Netflix'.Papo Antagonista é o programa que explica e debate os principais acontecimentos do  dia com análises críticas e aprofundadas sobre a política brasileira e seus bastidores.   Apresentado por Felipe Moura Brasil, o programa traz contexto e opinião sobre os temas mais quentes da atualidade.   Com foco em jornalismo, eleições e debate, é um espaço essencial para quem busca informação de qualidade.   Ao vivo de segunda a sexta-feira às 18h.  Não perca nenhum episódio! Inscreva-se no canal e ative o sininho para receber  as notificações.   #PapoAntagonista  Siga O Antagonista no X, nos ajude a chegar nos 2 milhões de seguidores!       https://x.com/o_antagonista     Acompanhe O Antagonista no canal do WhatsApp.    Boletins diários, conteúdos exclusivos em vídeo e muito mais.       https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2S...       Ouça O Antagonista | Crusoé quando quiser nos principais aplicativos de podcast.      Leia mais em www.oantagonista.com.br | www.crusoe.com.br 

In this episode, Jame Abraham, MD, FACP; William J. Gradishar, MD, FACP, FASCO; and Laura Spring, MD, review key insights and frequently asked questions related to the CDK4/6 inhibitors used to treat patients with early and metastatic hormone receptor (HR)–positive/HER2-negative breast cancer from a live program held in January 2025. Key clinical pearls include:Adjuvant treatment selection recommendations for patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer based on disease and patient characteristics as well as the latest data and guidelines presented by Dr. GradisharTherapeutic strategies for patients diagnosed with HR-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) presented by Dr. AbrahamAddressing challenges related to CDK4/6 inhibitor adherence and adverse event mitigation presented by Dr. SpringPresenters:Jame Abraham, MD, FACPEnterprise Chair and Professor of MedicineDepartment of Hematology and Medical OncologyCleveland ClinicCleveland, OhioWilliam J. Gradishar, MD, FACP, FASCOBetsy Bramsen Professor of Breast OncologyRobert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer CenterNorthwestern UniversityChicago, IllinoisLaura Spring, MDBreast Medical OncologistMass General Hospital Cancer CenterHarvard Medical SchoolBoston, MassachusettsLink to full program including downloadable slides and on-demand webcasts: https://bit.ly/4b5GFqqTo claim credit for listening to this episode, please visit the podcast online at the link above.

No podcast ‘Notícia No Seu Tempo’, confira em áudio as principais notícias da edição impressa do jornal ‘O Estado de S.Paulo’ desta quarta-feira (05/02/2025): Em resposta ao tarifaço imposto por Donald Trump, a China decidiu taxar em até 15% produtos como carvão e gás natural liquefeito e em até 10% petróleo bruto, máquinas agrícolas e carros de grande cilindrada dos EUA. As novas alíquotas entram em vigor na segunda-feira. Pequim também informou que iniciou investigação antitruste contra o Google, big tech americana. No sábado, Trump anunciou taxas de 25% para produtos mexicanos e canadenses e de 10% para itens chineses. A alegação é de que os vizinhos não se empenham em combater o tráfico de fentanil e a imigração ilegal. Na segunda-feira, porém, o republicano suspendeu por um mês o tarifaço para México e Canadá, após acordo. A China ficou fora, apesar de Trump ter dito que conversaria com o presidente Xi Jinping. Neste caso, a queixa do republicano também é relacionada ao fentanil. E mais: Internacional: Trump sugere expulsar palestinos da Faixa de Gaza de forma permanente Política: 2ª Turma do STF mantém decisão que anulou condenações de Léo Pinheiro Economia: Se juro não tiver teto, consignado privado sai sem garantia do FGTS, dizem bancos Metrópole: Tatuzão encerra trabalho na Linha 6; extensão da Linha 4 começa em marçoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brother Matthew Slisher, Missionary and professor here at EBC, invites students and staff into a deeper posture of reflection in “Trusting Our God-given Guidance System.” Through themes of attentiveness, discernment, and spiritual alignment, he explores how God speaks—not always in dramatic ways, but often through peace, conviction, and consistent time in His presence. The message encourages listeners to pause, look inward, and ask: Where is God leading me? Am I listening? With scriptural grounding and thoughtful insight, it's a gentle yet stirring call to trust the quiet ways God guides us each day.

No programa Bom Dia, Ministro, da EBC, o ministro da Casa Civil, Rui Costa, antecipou que o governo federal vai implementar um conjunto de intervenções com o objetivo de frear a alta no valor dos produtos. Para isso, uma série de reuniões será realizada com a equipe ministerial e com produtores para estabelecer e implantar as medidas necessárias. 

Pastor Tim Fuest, Dean of Students at EBC, brings a heartfelt and convicting message in “Leave It at the Cross,” speaking directly to students and staff about the burdens we were never meant to carry. With honesty and compassion, he calls listeners to lay down guilt, shame, fear, and striving at the feet of Jesus—where true freedom is found. Grounded in the power of the cross and Christ's finished work, the message is both a challenge and an invitation: to stop holding on and start trusting the one who already bore it all.

Welcome back to today's Friday Review where I'll be breaking down the best of the week!     I'll be sharing specifics on these topics:     Upstep Custom Orthotics (product review) The Art of the Good Life (book review) Hydrogen Water & Inflammation (research) EBC-46 Compound & Cancer (research)     For all the details tune in to today's Cabral Concept 3269 – Enjoy the show and let me know what you thought!   - - - For Everything Mentioned In Today's Show: StephenCabral.com/3269 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!  

On today's episode EBC, Courtney sits down with pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Ramalingam Arumugam, to discuss a lurking danger in our own homes.With approximately 3500 button battery ingestions per year, it is the 4th leading cause for calls to poison control centers in the United States.With high risk of morbidity and and an escalating risk of severe morbidity and mortality due to the increased use of larger and more powerful button batteries, we'll explore past the natural history and reivew what federal regulations are being proposed and/or activated to protect our most vulnerable consumers....children.

Send us a textFolks, it's been a minute since we've had a news update, and the weird and wonderful stories have been piling up! This week we'll talk about the search for Sasquatch ending in tragedy in the PNW and success in the midwest. We'll briefly become a film podcast, and give you our hottest takes on new releases. We'll  update you on the Asparamancer's 2025 predictions. We'll  even talk about how impressive Judi Dench looks in a one piece bathing suit.  All that and more this week on EBC! Happy Haunting! Get in touch! Follow us on instagram at @easybakecovenpodcastVisit our website at www.easybakecovenpodcast.comGot a spooky story? Send us an email! theeasybakepod@gmail.comThanks for listening, and don't forget to keep it spooky!

Main idea: Nothing is more important than love. The Value of Love - v.1-3 The Virtues of Love - v.4-7 The Vastness of Love - v.8-13 Discussion Questions 1. What aspect of love from v.4-7 is the most difficult for you in this season of life? 2. Why is love greater than faith and hope? 3. Why was the Corinthians struggling to love in their church? What might cause us to not love faithfully at EBC?

Em entrevista à EBC, o ministro Márcio Macêdo destacou a importância de incluir a sociedade civil no G20 Social. Uma das principais propostas a serem defendidas pelo País no encontro, entre 14 e 16 de novembro, no Rio, é o imposto global de 2% sobre os super-ricos para atender a grandes desafios globais como o combate à fome, à pobreza e à desigualdade e às questões ambientais. Sonoras:

This week on *WNY Brews*, Scott is flying solo to bring you the latest news in the Western New York beer scene. As always, you can find all the stories mentioned here at BuffaloBeerLeague.com, and feel free to reach out to us at Brian@BuffaloBeerLeague.com or Scott@WNYBrews.com.New York Beer Project Wins Gold at Great American Beer Festival New York Beer Project's Hazy Crush IPA won gold in the experimental IPA category at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival, the largest beer competition in the U.S. Hazy Crush is available at NYBP's Lockport, Victor, and Orchard Park locations. It also earned a gold medal earlier this year at the NYS Craft Brewers Competition.Hartman's Bourbon Dinner with Ellicottville BrewingRationales in Williamsville will host a special bourbon pairing dinner on Oct. 24, featuring Hartman's Distilling and Ellicottville Brewing. The four-course meal includes bourbon and beer pairings, with dishes like butternut squash bisque and braised short ribs. The featured bourbon is a Barrel Select aged in EBC's Chocolate Cherry Bomb barrels. One attendee will win a bottle of this limited-edition bourbon.Celebrate Halloween at a Local BreweryIf you're looking for Halloween plans, several local breweries have you covered. Join Magic Bear Beer Cellar on Oct. 25 for a beer and candy pairing, or stop by Southern Tier Brewing on Oct. 26 for *King-O-Ween*, featuring a live DJ, costume contest, and $1 off *Pumking* pours. Hertel Ave. will host *The Crawling Dead: Halloween Bar Crawl* the same night, with drink specials and a costume contest. Other events include parties at Spotted Octopus Brewing and Shalooby Loofer Brewing.Mr. Goodbar's Annual Cask Fest Returns Dec. 5Mark your calendar for Mr. Goodbar's annual Cask Fest on Dec. 5. Tickets are $30 and include unlimited tastings of exclusive cask beers from breweries like Flying Bison, Brickyard Brewing, and Old First Ward Brewing, along with food from Hanzlian's sausage.Bottles & Bites: Flavors of Fall at Statler BuffaloOn Nov. 14, *Bottles & Bites: Flavors of Fall* will take place at the Statler Buffalo, offering local food and drink pairings. Sample beer from Big Ditch, Belt Line, and Shalooby Loofer, along with meads from Bee Spit. VIP tickets are $60 and include early entry, exclusive tastings, and a $25 Santora's gift card, while general admission is $35.Ellicottville Brewing x Platters Chocolate Affogato Tasting PartyOn Oct. 30, Ellicottville Brewing and Platter's Chocolate Factory are releasing their *Affogato Dessert Ale* at Fattey Beer in North Tonawanda. The ale is brewed with espresso beans, vanilla, caramel, and lactose to capture the flavors of the classic Italian dessert. The event is free to attend and will feature beer and chocolate pairings, plus a prize wheel.WNY Beer Trail 2025 Trail Pass Available SoonThe WNY Beer Trail 2025 Trail Pass goes on sale Oct. 24, offering buy one, get one deals at 75 locations across Western New York. The pass also includes discounts on brewery tours at Resurgence Brewing and a guide to pet-friendly breweries. Passes can be purchased online or at local stores.For more stories and updates, visit BuffaloBeerLeague.com, and don't hesitate to contact us at Brian@BuffaloBeerLeague.com or Scott@WNYBrews.com. Cheers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's Evidence Based Charm, Courtney welcomes Dr. Gabi Hester as they merge community and pediatric-centric health worlds to review and discuss sepsis—a dual-faced threat to children's lives. From definitions to diagnostic tools, listen as they meander through this often-overlooked infectious phenomenon that kills more children per year than cancer.  

今年66歲，擔任鹿江教育基金會執行長的陳玉蟾，從年輕時就喜歡爬山，近年來也將登山的領域從台灣跨到海外，而且好幾次都是獨遊。她說，人的體能跟年齡無關，而且她很享受一個人的徒步旅行，「途中可以跟自己對話，也可以跟路上遇到的陌生人聊天，就看你願不願意跟別人互動！」 內容大綱： 喜歡健行的原因是什麼？ 從救國團活動、白沙屯媽祖遶境開始培養腳力 60歲時挑戰尼泊爾聖母峰（EBC基地營）健行之旅 今年完成從法國徒步到西班牙朝聖的法國之路（35天、779公里） 為什麼會選擇一個人的徒步旅行？ ●鹿江立石大賽 — 立石十刻 ✧ 活動時間 ┊▸ 2024/11/02 (六) 08：30～13：00 ✧ 活動地點 ┊▸ 溫馨庭園休閒農莊旁油羅溪 （312新竹縣橫山鄉仁愛街62巷7號） ✧ 報名時間 ┊▸ 即日起至10月25日止 / 限量300組額滿為止 / ✧ 報名方式 ┊▸ 1. 網路報名連結： https://pse.is/6gke8d 2. 親自繳費：（請先電話聯繫後預約時段繳交） 關西鎮：吳小姐 0939-614008 鹿江書屋 關西鎮中山東路103號 橫山鄉：陳先生 0916-329117 橫山鄉站前街46號 橫山好室 (週三~週五下午、週六全天) #陳玉蟾 @財團法人鹿江教育基金會 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077450267925 #寶島聯播網 #寶島有意思 ---寶島有意思 準時放送--- 19：00~~~> 北部-寶島新聲 FM98.5 嘉義-嘉義之音FM91.3 高雄-主人電台FM96.9 21：00~~~> 中部-大千電台 FM99.1 ---------- 寶島有意思》挖掘台灣有意思的在地人、事、物。 寶島聯播網》以「本土電台」為品牌定位，用心傳承台灣在地文化，傳遞台語流行音樂之美。https://www.baodaoradio.com.tw/ 寶島好康商城》堅持提供高品質、安心、實惠的好康產品。https://www.bodogo.com.tw/ 小額贊助支持本節目： https://open.firstory.me/user/clw4248xv113d01wg7s4h2xnr 留言告訴我你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/clw4248xv113d01wg7s4h2xnr/comments Powered by Firstory Hosting

Sheilla nunca imaginou que as apostas online mudariam sua vida para sempre. Pelo menos não de forma tão negativa. Quando Sheila começou a apostar, parecia apenas uma forma de ganhar um dinheiro extra. Na época, ela trabalhava como auxiliar administrativa e ganhava R$ 800, mas a primeira aposta que fez já trouxe uma sensação de euforia: ela ganhou R$ 200, um quarto do que recebia no mês. A partir desse momento, a expectativa de "mudar de vida" tomou conta da sua mente. Aos poucos, a diversão das apostas foi se transformando em algo muito mais perigoso. As publicidades de influenciadores que mostravam apenas os ganhos também contribuíram para ela acreditar que aquele era o caminho certo. Com o passar do tempo, a rotina de Sheila se tornou insustentável. Ela passou a jogar o dia inteiro, sem dormir e sem render no trabalho. Seu humor variava conforme seus ganhos e perdas, e ela começou a se afastar de amigos e familiares, trancada em seu quarto, vivendo em função das apostas. Quando o dinheiro do salário já não era suficiente, ela começou a pegar empréstimos e, pouco depois, entrou no ciclo perigoso de pedir dinheiro a agiotas. Sheila viu sua dívida se acumular e ela chegou a dever R$ 400 mil a mais de 40 agiotas, além de ter perdido 11 cartões de crédito e contraído dívidas com amigos e familiares. O fundo do poço chegou quando Sheila, sem mais ter de onde tirar dinheiro, pediu demissão do emprego para pegar a rescisão e tentar quitar parte das dívidas. Em vez de aliviar o fardo, ela perdeu todo o valor da rescisão em apenas 14 minutos de apostas. Nesse ponto, já não conseguia mais esconder a situação de seus familiares, que intervieram ao saber da gravidade do problema. Mesmo com o apoio financeiro da família, Sheila ainda enfrentava as consequências emocionais e psicológicas do vício. Ela entrou em depressão profunda, desenvolveu síndrome do pânico e ficou meses sem conseguir sair de casa. O tratamento psicológico veio como um alívio, mas o impacto do vício levou tempo para ser superado. Hoje, Sheila faz tratamento contínuo no CAPES e ainda lida com as cicatrizes deixadas por esse período. A história da Sheilla faz parte da campanha #ApostaSemInfluência, uma iniciativa do Histórias de Ter.a.pia que visa mobilizar a sociedade civil e a Creator Economy pela proibição da publicidade de casas de apostas online, as conhecidas BETs. A campanha busca conscientizar sobre os impactos devastadores do vício em jogos de azar e a influência nociva da promoção dessas plataformas por influenciadores digitais. Acesse historiasdeterapia.com/ApostaSemInfluencia e saiba mais. Este episódio tem áudios da novela Órfãos da Terra, Jornal da Globo, Jornal da Record, Canal Tempero Drag, Podcast Agência Pública, Podcast O Assunto, Rádio EBC. Os links de referência para o episódio, encontram-se abaixo: Órfãos da Terra, Globoplayhttps://bit.ly/485o648 Na Telinha, Uolhttps://bit.ly/489nPNn Memórias Globo, Globohttp://glo.bo/3U4YZsr Jornal da Globo, Globoplayhttps://bit.ly/3YlrF2T Jornal da Record, Recordhttps://bit.ly/483cxdP Canal Tempero Draghttps://bit.ly/3YlqS1M G1, Globohttp://glo.bo/3YlrFQr SBT News, SBThttps://bit.ly/3YlrGDZ Agência Brasil, EBChttps://bit.ly/485FpSG Uolhttps://bit.ly/3A0ilbq Agência Brasil, EBChttps://bit.ly/3Yp0xQH G1, Globohttp://glo.bo/4894Rqh Podcast Agência Públicahttps://spoti.fi/3YlXOr8 Nexo Jornalhttps://bit.ly/405IEHQ Podcast O Assunto, Globoplayhttps://spoti.fi/484gnTX G1, Globohttp://glo.bo/3Yoftyk Agência Brasil, EBChttps://bit.ly/483Esdv Nexo Jornalhttps://bit.ly/3YmXvfu Uolhttps://bit.ly/3YmLw1v Estadãohttps://bit.ly/48eBi6U Rádio EBChttps://bit.ly/3BGXYk3 Jornal O Globohttp://glo.bo/488quHl Jogadores Anônimos: https://jogadoresanonimos.com.br/

Em Uma Conversa com Carlos Nunes do ‘Não é Heresia' buscamos entender melhor a relação entre o cristianismo e o socialismo desde a postura de alguns pontífices, passando pelo “fantasma” do comunismo. Junte-se a nó para fazer a única conciliação possível - a da sua devoção cristã com a sua sede de justiça social – e assumir de vez que os seguidores do Nazareno ou são revolucionários ou não são nada. Ouça agora! |Referências: Textos ➡ Rosa Luxemburgo - O Socialismo e as Igrejas Samuel Silva Gotay - Pensamento Cristão Revolucionário na América Latina e no Caribe Jung Mo Sung - Se Deus Existe Por que há Pobreza: A Fé Cristã e os Excluídos Marco Arroyo - Cristãos pelo Socialismo no Governo de Salvador Allende: Chile 1970-1973 Frei Betto - Socialismo e Cristianismo Filmes ➡ Oriol Ferrer - Descalço sobre a Terra Vermelha (Disponível na TV Brasil, EBC) Érika Bauer - Dom Helder Câmara: O santo rebelde Stijn Coninx – Daens, Um Grito de Justiça Helvécio Ratton - Batismo de Sangue |Despatrocinador: Alê, o Ferreiro (prod. Suno) - Novembro 9 | Siga o Carlos Nunes: @profcarlosn | Siga o Canal Não é Heresia: @naoeheresia | Acesse: https://umaconversa.com.br/ | Escreva: conversaconosco@gmail.com | Apadrinhe: https://apoia.se/patraodoumaconversa | Siga: @1Conversa

Here's a roundup of some exciting upcoming beer events and releases in Western New York. For more details or to share your news, email Brian@BuffaloBeerLeague.com or Scott@WNYBrews.com, and visit BuffaloBeerLeague.com. Be sure to check out the *WNY Brews* podcast for more insights into the WNY beer scene!**Pressure Drop and Ellicottville Brewing Announce New Partnership** After closing their Elmwood Avenue taproom and brew house, Pressure Drop Brewing has partnered with Ellicottville Brewing (EBC). According to EBC's Head of Brewery Operations, Dan Minner, the two breweries have collaborated on recipe development and ingredient sourcing to maintain the quality of Pressure Drop's beers. This partnership ensures Pressure Drop's beers will still be available at select retailers across WNY.**Mortalis Brewing Buffalo First Anniversary Party** Mortalis Brewing Buffalo will celebrate its first anniversary on Oct. 5 with live music, exclusive draft options (including specialty barrel-aged beers), beer flights, and draft specials all day. The event is free and kicks off at 3pm at 1250 Niagara St.**Tap & Craft Festival Returns** The third annual Tap & Craft Festival is set for Oct. 5 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center. Over 40 breweries, wineries, and cideries, including Mortalis, Other Half, Trillium, and more, will participate. The event also includes live music, food, and artisan vendors. General admission is $35, which includes unlimited samples and a commemorative tasting glass. VIP tickets offer additional perks. Get tickets at www.tapandcraft.com.**Woodcock Brothers Cocktoberfest** Woodcock Brothers Brewing's Cocktoberfest returns to the Wurlitzer Building in North Tonawanda on Oct. 5. Expect German food, live music, and the release of Cocktoberfest Lager. Lederhosen and German garb are encouraged for this free event, starting at 12pm.**Tim's Beer Show at Pizza Plant** On Oct. 16, Buffalo beer legend Tim Herzog will host *Tim's Beer Show* at Pizza Plant Transit. The tasting event, New York's longest-running beer event, features a unique sampling of 12 beers with Herzog providing insights into each. Tickets are $50 and include beer samples, breadsticks, and a tasting glass. They can be purchased at Pizza Plant or on Eventbrite.**Big Ditch Brewing Teams Up with YMCA Buffalo Niagara for Turkey Trot Beer** For the third consecutive year, Big Ditch Brewing is releasing *Turkey Trotter*, a blonde ale brewed in honor of the Buffalo Turkey Trot race. Available starting Oct. 3, the beer will be on draft and sold in 6-packs. This year, Big Ditch is running a giveaway, with six lucky winners receiving free Turkey Trot entry. Look for details on www.bigditchbrewing.com/turkeytrottergiveaway.**Hofbrauhaus Buffalo Festbier Release** Hofbrauhaus Buffalo will release their *Festbier* on Oct. 3 with a keg-tapping ceremony and live music at 6pm. Guests will get a complimentary pour of this seasonal beer, which pairs well with pork and sweet desserts like apfelstrudel. For reservations, call (716) 939-BEER or visit www.hofbrauhausbuffalo.com.**Cider Week New York 2024** Cider Week New York kicks off Oct. 5-13, celebrating the best in craft cider from across the state. The event will feature tastings, tours, and special pairings at cideries, restaurants, and bottle shops throughout New York. For more info and event listings, visit www.ciderweeknewyork.com.For the latest in Buffalo beer, tune in to *WNY Brews* and follow BuffaloBeerLeague.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can your brand truly stand out in the crowded Amazon or e-commerce marketplace? This episode features Kevin King, a master of product differentiation, marketing, and branding, who shares game-changing strategies to elevate your business beyond the basics. Kevin walks us through the creation of his innovative Basecamp Apple Watch charging dock, illustrating how identifying market gaps and blending functionality with aesthetic appeal can help you craft a premium product that demands attention. We then uncover the critical role of visual storytelling and emotional appeal in successful product marketing. Kevin shares compelling real-life examples, including a groundbreaking product launch during Christmas 2015 and the branding triumph of Liquid Death. We dive into the challenges and rewards of rebranding, drawing lessons from Kevin's experience with his dog product line transformation. The conversation underscores the importance of innovative packaging and impactful imagery in driving sales and maintaining a brand's identity. Finally, we explore unconventional marketing strategies that can turn an ordinary product into a thriving brand. Kevin recounts the phenomenal success of a hand sanitizer brand during the 2020 pandemic, revealing how creative tactics like catchy jingles and engaging public interactions led to remarkable sales figures. Whether you are an aspiring Amazon seller or a seasoned seller, this episode is packed with valuable insights and strategies to help you achieve a standout presence in a saturated market. In episode 598 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Carrie and Kevin discuss: 00:00 - Product Differentiation Secrets With Kevin King 04:36 - Multi-Functional Charging Dock Design 06:57 - Product Development From Scratch 10:16 - Illustrating a Product's Transformation With Cartoons 10:54 - Product Innovation and Differentiation Strategies 14:33 - Brand Identity Success Through Innovation 15:48 - Premium Bully Sticks Differentiation Strategy 16:50 - Researching and Deciding on Bully Sticks 21:35 - Listing Strategy for Niche Keywords 27:09 - Differentiating Products for Marketplace Success 27:36 - Pet Product Influencer Partnership 31:24 - Building a Brand With Differentiation 35:19 - Hand Sanitizer Market Frustration and Innovation 41:52 - Unconventional Marketing Strategies for Brand Success 42:45 - Successful Million Dollar Marketing  Strategy Transcript Carrie Miller: In today's episode, Kevin King is going to be sharing his secrets on how to differentiate your products so that you stand out from the competition.   Bradley Sutton: How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Are you a six, seven or eight figure seller and want to network in a private mastermind group with other experienced sellers? Or maybe you want to take advantage of monthly advanced training sessions with Kevin King, an expert guest? Do you want to come to our quarterly in-person all-day trainings at Helium 10 headquarters? Or do you want the widest access to the Helium 10 set of tools? For all of these things, the Elite program might be for you. For more information on Helium 10 Elite, go to h10.me/elite. Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Serious Seller's podcast by Helium 10. I am your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show. That's a completely BS-free, unscripted and unrehearsed organic conversation about serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world.   Kevin King: You know, a lot of times people don't in the space, don't like to share their products. They're afraid people are going to copy them. I'm afraid like, oh, if I share this, this cool thing I found, I'm going to have a hundred different copiers on it. And that does happen. You know, Bradley's had that with the coffin shelf, you know, here at series, and now there's I don't know how many coffin shelves that are A lot, a lot. Yeah, so it does happen. But I'm going to show you some ways to make that almost impossible today. I mean not to say that someone can't mimic you, because sometimes when people copy, that's a nice way of flattery. But there's a lot of things that you can do to differentiate your product and it's becoming super important. You know the days of when I first started. I know you've been doing this for a while 2015, 2016. You just go to Alibaba. You'd find a product look at Helium 10, see where the gaps are and just stick a different name on there and maybe create a logo, put it on there and put that up and sell it. Those days are long gone. I mean, can that still happen? Occasionally, someone can have success doing that, but it's extremely, extremely difficult. And branding true branding and true product differentiation is where it's at. And some people think, well, I'll just add a warranty or I'll add an eBook to my product or I'll bundle it with something else and that'll make it different enough. And that's usually not enough. And in today's world, you got to change your approach and that's what I'm going to show you today with real-life, real-world examples of my actual products. Some of these I'm not selling anymore for different reasons. Pricing got priced out of the market with raw supplies or something like that. But I'm going to show you exactly what I do and to try to give you some insights and some perspective on how you can approach this differently for what you're doing.   Carrie Miller: Very nice, I'm excited.   Kevin King: When it comes to business, there's really only two things that matter, and when you cut it to the core, that's innovation and marketing. I mean, yeah, there's all the details of finance and money and all this kind of stuff, but really, if you look at any business look at Apple, you look at Microsoft, you look at Tesla, you look at any of these. It's innovation and marketing. Those are the two fundamental things that you should be focusing on first. So, I'm going to start off with innovation. So the first thing I'm talking about is innovation. This is a product on screen called Basecamp. This is an Apple watch charging dock. It also charges your iPhone, charges your iPad. It has a night light on it. This is a really, really cool product that came out in 2015. It was launched in 2015.   Kevin King: So almost nine years ago, right when the first Apple Watch came out, and where this product, how this originated. This is a product that I sold and I actually created this product from scratch. This was my actual product and I created it from scratch right when the first Apple Watch came out. And what happened is I went on Amazon to try to find some ideas for products and I saw that Apple Watch charging docks were trending at the time and most all of them were like these cheap bamboo kind of wooden docks for 15 to 20 bucks, all coming off of Alibaba, with just different names on them. Each one looks exactly the same, just had a different name, and I was like, if I'm going to spend 500 bucks for a watch or whatever the watch costs back then. I don't want some cheap, cheap stand to put it on, I want something that looks cool. So I developed this that I would want and I was like I don't want something where there's cables hanging across my desk, cables hanging across my nightstand, so I want to hide all the cables and I want to be able to charge like three things at once. And so that's what I developed, and so this particular product you can see here has a little light on it.   Kevin King: I later added a Bluetooth speaker to it in a version two. It put the watch up on top, the phone would sit on the side and it had a. The charging was buried inside all the cables. Um, the back actually had two additional USB ports so that you could actually charge an iPad or put something else on the back of it. It had. The cables were all hidden underneath, so you'd wrap the cable around underneath so it's not like just all messing up your, your desktop or your, your nightstand or whatever the night light there you can see it. You can hit that button a few times and adjust it up in different levels. I created a really nice box for it and I had all the different adapters. I was prepared to sell this in the US market, and so I created one charging dock and then had them make the different adapters that go in the end, depending on if it's for the UK or for Europe, or for the US or for Australia the bigger markets. I later added a Bluetooth speaker to it. I changed that nightlight to not just a nightlight but actually a Bluetooth speaker so that you could this is the days before there was beats or any of that kind of stuff so it actually was a cool, cool thing to be able to have your phone sitting there charging and have a little speaker that would play your sound music or your wake-up call or whatever. You can see there are the little nightlights turned on. As an example, these are actually some of my listing photos that you're seeing on this. You can see that it would fit all kinds of different watch bands. I created a really nice box for the outside of it to differentiate it so that when you got it felt like you're paying 80 bucks for this thing.   Kevin King: This was a little video that I had made. I found the way I got this made is I came up with the idea. I found a factory on Global Sources Comm. So I didn't even use Alibaba. I use a company called global sources comm, which is another alternate sourcing place. It's not as big as Alibaba, but you can find some better factories sometimes on there. So if you haven haven't checked that out, check it out. And I found a factory in Shenzhen, China, that would do this and I ended up paying them a thousand dollars for the design and so they had their internal guys do all the design and then the molding and everything. It was expensive. It cost me about 30 grand to do all the molding because it's electrical parts and USB and there's a chip in there. So this is not for everybody, but I spent about 30 grand on that.   Kevin King: We've created all kinds of prototypes and they would send me these files, these 3D rendered files and these like SFP files, I think they're called. And then I took that actual file. So before this was ever manufactured, didn't even exist, there wasn't even a prototype yet. I sent it to a guy in Eastern Europe and he made this rendering from me from those files and this is a video. He made this entire video, this. The product did not exist so I could see it exactly as it was gonna be. He made these 360 degrees, basically before there was AI. AI video of the actual product. You can see this one only has one charging dock on a USB on the back.   Kevin King: I had a second one, but I did this and then I sent this out and did some testing, like what do you guys think of this? And I was able to get the people at one of these big Apple insider blog posts. They're like, when this comes out, let us know, we'll publicize it. So right there I was, like they thought it was cool. So, I had my launch ready to go. Like I said this didn't come from Alibaba, this didn't come from the Iwo market or the Canton fair.   Kevin King: The idea for this, this came from my head, and so I created this from scratch from my head. I've done that for a dog bowl and for some other products as well, and so I also. At the same time, back in 2015, I launched five different brands at once. Some of them were the traditional find something on Alibaba, change it up a little bit, change the packaging, put your logo on it and then send it out. But this one I actually designed from scratch. I think that's where you need to start thinking more and more about is designing things from scratch, and it's not always about a better mousetrap, it's about what the people want.   Kevin King: With today's technology and with the AI, you can do so much that I couldn't do nine years ago when this was launched. That you can do now with iterations and these renderings, that you could have 20 different types of this and do all kinds of testing on PickFu. You can do so much more now with this. So this was the renderings that they would send me. So I would open this up, these EASM files, and I could play around with it on my computer and spin it and everything and say, oh, let's modify this or let's change this, or I don't like where this is positioned, put the logo over here. So this before we even made a prototype.   Kevin King: And then what I did is I did 3D printing. So I had there's a guy in Austin where I live that had like 30 different 3D printers in his garage, literally, and so he had all kinds of different sizes and machines. I just took it. They followed him and he made this. This is a 3d printed uh sample. And then I took this to the Apple store in Austin and I said can, can you open up the drawer of all the watches. Uh, I want to make sure every watch, every band, fits on here and doesn't touch the light, and we'll make sure the cable fits through the, the fits through the, the channel on the back and everything. So, I had a total like piece of crap, basically, but 3d printed, but it's actually at least something that's I can hold and touch and feel, kind of get an idea of how it's going to be. And then we made modifications. So after I tested it with this, then I went through and I made modifications oh, we need to make the cable doesn't quite fit, it's not quite snug enough or it's crimping in the corner. So we went back and I, I, we made some modifications to it and then this was a prototype. So then they do what's a machine prototype? Um, there's a specific name for it, but it's a machine Like it's. They make like 20 of them before they make the mass run, and then I could actually test it and so I took it and that's what we created.   Kevin King: This is one of the product photos for the actual that I used on Amazon that I had taken. This is one in my guest room and so we just put it on a nightstand and just showed it. They're actually charging three different devices and how it works. It works like magic. And for the listing also, I actually showed. You know, I create cartoons. I found someone on Upwork.com that would do this for 50 bucks and I had them actually said I want a before and after. I could shoot this with photography and it would be expensive. So I just had them make a cartoon and say, look, show the before. Because every product you need to be trying to solve pain points. I mean there's three or four different things you want to focus on when you're developing a product. One of those is solving someone's pain point. So you want to show them what it's like before your product and what it's like after your product. So that's what I did here. Instead of using photos, I used these cartoons.   Kevin King: So I show on the left how you got all these cables everywhere and stuff all over the place taking up your whole nightstand just a mess. You're having trouble sleeping over there, the person you know. There're all kinds of little hints all throughout this thing. You got a light that's flashing on it instead of a night light. That's all bright, keeping you up. And then then you got the one on the right. That's like you having a peaceful sleep, everything's organized, everything's nice, and so these are things that you want to think about when you're actually creating your images is show the before and the after. You can do it in photos, you can do it in, or you can do it in cartoons and like this one and this, it worked really, really well. You're going to see another example of this in a minute. So this is the way you can do an example of how you can do innovation.   Kevin King: This product on 2015, Christmas of 2015, I was selling about $30,000, $40,000 a day of it at $89. And then what happened is the reason. I and I did a second version, I did a version two with feedback and put the Bluetooth speaker in, did some other changes, and then in March or April of the next year this is before there was Gatita, before there's any or Helium 10 that had the refund ability, and someone posted on a Facebook group, on the FBA High Rollers Facebook group on Helium 10, saying, oh, did you know that Amazon will refund you for damages and lost items? And so, I was like, oh, that's cool, they lost some of these things when I shipped them in. So, I filed a claim. And when I filed that claim for like 10 missing units, amazon suspended the listing and said, oh, we're going to do what's called a bend check. And they went and they actually said we're going to stop all sales. And we got to do a total inventory across all of our warehouses and I was like no, no, no, don't do that, don't do that, I don't care about the 10 units, just forget it, forget the claim. You're killing, you're crushing me on my momentum. Well, I was down about 10 days while they did this quote unquote Ben check worst decision I ever made and that basically killed the momentum of the product. But I was able to bring it back up, but never back to that level, because there's all kinds of other competition coming in. Um, and I sold this on uh, uh I forget the name of the website. Now it's kind of like a sharper image uh, website for dudes. I sold this in the best buy. I sold it a lot of places, but then the market started changing and I was able to ride this for a couple of years and it was good. So that's a way that you can think about doing innovation. That's an example of one that I did.   Kevin King: Now let's talk about something on the marketing side. On the marketing side, you can differentiate with your packaging. A lot of people do that, you know. You could have just a generic bottle that you see on the right or a really nice bottle on the left and put your differentiating bullet points in your image how they're showing one's made from bamboo and no plastic or biodegrade super-fast. The other one's going to take hundreds of years, and so on. These are great ways you can do it in your, in your image, in your image stack, to actually show the difference. Because it remembers, on Amazon, people, people buy, buy photos. They don't buy products. My buddy, Perry Belcher, is actually the one that actually said that. But they can't touch the product, they can't hold it in their hands, so they're buying based on the photos. So you got to remember that so many people skimp on their photos or they don't spend enough time creating the right photos to create the right emotions. People buy on emotion and they buy on photos, and so by differentiating like this, you can do a lot of cool stuff in your infographics and your stack.   Kevin King: Look at another one. I mean this is someone selling a commodity Liquid Death is water, it's just water. But look what they did with the branding and the way they actually packaged it. They put it into a can instead of a bottle. They had this liquid death name. All the graphics it's just most of the cans are actually oversized. Liquid Death is a great case study if you want to go and look at how someone actually has developed a brand on something that everybody else is selling and actually stand out. Now it's over a billion-dollar company and there's crushing. It's a really, really good case study. At some point I'll go into deep detail on this, but I want to show you one of my products where I did this. I had a brand that was originally called Tailwaggles and I made a mistake on this brand. I filed for trademarks to get brand registry and all that kind of stuff and about three months into the trademark process I get a note from the trademark office saying oh sorry, your name, Tailwaggles, is too close to something else. This is three months after filing and I'd already done the homework, but they found something in the system so I had to change it to Wag Haus. So I had to. Actually, I was already in production on some dog bowls and I actually had to call the factory, said throw away all those old molds and those imprints. We got to change the logo and logo and to change the whole name mid-production. It cost me a lot of money to Wag Haus, but one of the products that I sold under this this is the Wag Haus logo. Here it wore bully sticks.   Kevin King: If you're not familiar with what bully sticks are, they're still popular today. It's a dog treat. It's made out of the penis of a cow, so they use every part of a cow to maximize the value when they when they butcher it for meat and they take the penis and they actually make bully sticks for dogs. It's a very popular dog treat. So, there's six inch versions, there's 12 inch versions. Those are two typical sizes, and it in 2016, 2017. I was doing some research of what's selling on Amazon. I saw that these things are just crushing it. I already had a dog bowl out, so I was looking for another type of product to accentuate my slow feed dog. Well, and bully sticks came up and back then there's Helium 10 didn't have what was just getting going, so they didn't have Magnets and they didn't have Cerebro and all that stuff. So, I had to use this old program called amazing product validator. And so, I punched in bully sticks and look there, I was like boom, big green result thing saying that's a really good keyword, excellent BSR. You know, look at that search 359,000 search volume. I was like, all right, I'm going to do bully sticks.   Kevin King: So I started researching bully sticks and I looked at these. This is another tool back then where it was popular, called merchant words, and these are results from Merchant Words. They showed these search volumes actually are probably not right but it's the best we had back then. We didn't have much more accurate stuff like Helium 10. So it showed 7 million. I was like, all right, all the different keywords are based off of that free range and those are beef bully sticks and bully sticks for dogs and all had some decent search volumes. So I like, all right, I'm going to go into bully sticks as my next product on this brand. So I pulled up and did a search and I see that, um, there's all these different brands that are selling bully sticks and a lot of them, this are selling for around 20 to 30 bucks and it's a pretty much a package like a plastic bag full of 20 30 bully sticks, all for around 30 bucks, so somewhere around a dollar and a half a stick is basically the cost to the consumer for these. And I was like, okay, that looks good. So I started calling some factories and I was like I need to differentiate. I don't want to be just another guy selling 30 bully sticks for 30 bucks. What can you do? What can you make special?   Kevin King: And I started reading all the reviews on all the products and the reviews were coming back with like, oh, these bully sticks stink because you can just imagine it's the part of the cow that you know that area stinks sometimes and so people the it. My house has an odor to it. After my dog chews it or some liquid drips out onto my couch, my dog jumps up on the couch. It's just. And then people were worried about where are these bully sticks from. Is it US cows or is it some? There's a big scare of like Chinese beef back there. Are they Chinese cows? Are they from Brazil? Where are they from? And so, I was like I need to differentiate this product and I don't want to just put it in a plastic bag either. I want to put it in something really cool, and so the way I differentiated the product is I found this through tracking down. I wanted to make sure it was US made US beef, not imported, and I wanted to set it apart. And so, I found this guy who was a classically trained French chef, like worked in Michelin star restaurants and he was up in the New England area and I got in touch with him and said you make bully sticks. He's like oh yeah, I don't, but I don't do them on machines, I hand carve them, we smoke them in a certain way. We have a 15-step organic process that we do. I'm like this sounds perfect. This is like I can differentiate this from all these little cheap bully sticks.   Kevin King: I was like, well, they cost. He said you're not going to like this part, they're very expensive. So, I ended up having to sell three bully sticks, three 12-inch ones for $54 and 95 cents, so 55 bucks for three bully sticks. Now remember everybody else on Amazon selling 30 for 30 bucks roughly. So, I'm like way crazy overpriced. I was like I don't know if this is going to work. You know everybody, everybody always says on Amazon it's all about the price, all about the value. And I'm like I don't know if this is going to work. But I'm like you know what? I think there's people on Amazon that don't care about the price. If you know the avatar of your customer, you know that there's a lot of pet owners that a pet is just a farm animal. You know they keep the dog out in the backyard and it's just a farm animal. But for other people a pet is part of their family, it's their best friend, it's their compadre. I just saw a story my dad just forwarded me a couple days ago about how people take care of their pet's health better than they take care of their own health. And it's true and I was like I can market to that. There's people that have dogs that are willing to spend really good money for their dogs to give them the best. So this is classically trained French chef. That's a good story. It's organic. I'm solving all the problems of the juice because the way he cooks these and he does the smoking and stuff. They don't have all that extra liquid in them, they don't stink. They're organic. It's from the US, I can solve all the review pain points, and this is before all the AI tools existed to analyze reviews.   Kevin King: I was having to read reviews, so I was looking at how can I package these different, and so these were some of the packaging ideas I came with. But what I ended up doing is putting them in a cigar box. So I had a custom cigar box. I found a company in Brooklyn, New York, that's close to this guy, so I didn't have to pay shipping across the US or across the world. They'd make these boxes for me. I'd put a sticker on the outside with, like a cool textured label on the outside of it, and then we put them in the cigar boxes. So this is the six inch version. So there's five, six inches and those sold for 40, uh, 44, 95, I think it was. And the 12-inch version was only three sticks and sold for 54, 95. But I packaged it. So when you got it, you felt confirmed. You're like, if you just spent 44 bucks for five of these bully sticks, you're like, did I just get ripped off? But when it comes in the, in the, in the Amazon box, and you open it up, you're like, oh, this is a cool box. It's got a cool texture to it. It's all about the sensation when you feel the box. There's like a little edge on it, like a texture. The label had like a texture on it, so like, oh, this is kind of nice. So it helps justify in the mind that I'm getting value here. These are premium.   Kevin King: I created the listing. This is actually the bullet points and the title for the listing. All the keywords are in there and what I focused on is I couldn't compete on the word bully sticks, because the word bully sticks, as you saw earlier, was super popular and almost everything on that page is cheap, and so I could do a launch. Back then you could do all these coupons and all these giveaways and rank to the top within a day or two. It's crazy stuff you could do back in the day and I would get there. But then as soon as I stopped doing these promotions, I would fall off to page two, page three. But on long tail keywords like bully sticks made in USA or bully sticks no odor or premium bully sticks, those I could stay on page one for and there was enough keyword depth on all those where I could stay ranked for those and it worked because there's enough niche, enough variation in the keywords where it actually worked.   Kevin King: And so, then I created pictures. I went to a dog place, a dog kennel, where my dog would stay, sometimes like hey, can you get permission from some of the owners, I want to come in here and do a photo shoot with dogs? So we did a little cute little dog with a chef hat on, did another dog holding it. So actual, real pictures, not my iPhone, because a lot of other bully stick people were taking their iPhone, just taking a picture of a dog sitting on the ground or something. Just horrible pictures. So I create all these kind of cute pictures. Remember, selling is about emotion and so this creates emotion of oh look, how cute he is. And then I did a whole series of image stacks to show the difference. Because if you see something on Amazon for 50 bucks, you're like and it's three sticks, and you're like this guy's out of his freaking mind, $50, $55 for three sticks. I can just go buy 30 for 30. So I had to show the difference. Remember what I said people buy photos on Amazon, they don't buy products. And so, I showed them in the box to show that these are big. You know these aren't little skinny little things, they're like big honking sticks. I listed all the reasons people wouldn't buy, all the objections basically, and all the things that were important in all my research. You know these are kosher. You know you don't think about that, for a dog, I mean, but some people. That's important to them. So everything that was important I put on here. These are kosher sticks.   Kevin King: I showed the comparison look, ours are full. The other guys they stretch theirs. That's how they can sell 30 for 30 bucks because they're stretched and they're hollow. I showed look, ours are wide, the other guys are skinny. I showed look, ours has no odor, it's glossy and smooth, but the other ones stink. I showed look, ours are with a knife and there's something sitting on the table there. They're hand cut. The other ones are on some nasty ass machine that's never cleaned. So I showed all the reasons why you don't want these cheap ones and why you want mine. And then I showed a comparison of ours versus others just to keep.   Kevin King: I kept driving at home Like you're going through this image stack. You're like, all right, all right, all right, I get it, I get it. I showed them on a scale, like look, this is what they weigh. Don't just trust my, trust me. I mean, yeah, you could Photoshop this, but don't. I showed them. It validates it. So I showed everything. At the top here's some dogs driving through like a fast-food place and they're just getting some cheap, cheap, you know happy meal type of cheap hamburgers or something. And then I show in the bottom if you want Wag Haus sticks, you'd like go into a nice steakhouse where there's a maître d' with a bow tie on a serving these on a platter and just connotates that image and creates that emotion, creates that feel and helps justify why you should give these a try. And then I did another cartoon. I tested different cartoons, so I had another one go from fast food to Wag Haus Premium similar concept. Now it's still in a car, they're inside the restaurant and you look at the sign there. If you look at it, there's all kinds of details. If people blow this up, I know you can't see it very good here on the screen, but on Amazon if they blow it up, they would see. You know other, all these kinds of like making fun of the other sticks all in the menu and stuff. It works.   Kevin King: And then I created, you know a put back. Then I was called EBC but now it's called a plus content. So I created a plus content and I used pretty people. You want to use pretty people. You want to use faces whenever you can, even though you have the dog use and faces. There's science that shows that's a 35% lift in conversion rate when you use faces. A lot of people don't use faces in their photos. They just show the hands or they show the dog. But you need to have people and showing that they're having fun, their dogs happy. You're creating that emotion. I went out. This is before. It was popular to find influencers, influencer. The whole influencer UGC game was just getting going at this time. But this guy I found him on I think it's called Fame Kit. I forget the name of the website. I don't even know if it still exists, but you could go and you could hire people to create UGC.   Kevin King: I'm just going to play you a little bit of this video. I did not script this. I sent this to the guy. I sent him my bullet points to say, hey, this is kind of what I'm looking for. Can you do something? But I'm just going to play the first part of this because it's pretty cool what he did and you're going to see where he actually sniffs these things. He actually pulls them up to his nose yeah, they're right there. He actually pulls them up to his nose and does a demonstration of showing, look, there's really no smell, and I mean it just creates that trust and that yes, it's true. And then he's got playing with his dogs and he just did a really good job. Then I take a look at my reviews. Now these are some of the real reviews that were coming on the products. You know I was getting some fives and fours highly recommended. I would get the occasional one-star review. Someone like this is the biggest rip-off ever Three sticks for 50 bucks. You've got to be freaking, kidding me. But look, I got constant reviews. I had a 4.6, I think, average overall and it just worked really well. And I had one guy I subscribe and save. It had just begun back then, so I was on subscribe and save. One guy I think he did 86 or 87 times on subscribe and save Just kept buying them over and over like every, every. Every time that he would get renewed, he'd buy them. And he'd buy them in between too because he needed more. It just this work.   Kevin King: This is how you differentiate a product, uh, and how you approach a market where it's saturated differently and don't always think it's always about the price. As long as there's long tail keywords, you can do some amazing stuff. There's just a few more the lifestyle pictures the on the right there's my actual dog, Zoe, when she was a little much younger, and what happened is the guys that owned the best bully sticks, which is the biggest brand on Amazon. They saw what I was doing and they're like how's this guy, this guy in Texas, selling $50 for three sticks? We need to reach out to him. So they reached out to me and they said hey, why don't we partner up? Why don't you actually sell some of our stuff? You can basically private label some of our other treats. We've got duck feet and we've got, uh, pig's ears and we've got all these, uh, you know, antlers and all this other kind of stuff. Why don't we, why don't we partner up and you just, you just use your brand and private label from us. We manufacture here in the States, we'll ship it to you. So I tried it and it didn't work. I actually I need to package it differently. So, instead of putting in a plastic bag. I had these custom bags made and we tried this. It just didn't work. But my other bully sticks because of differentiation, the way I marketed it, the opportunities there and appealing to the rabid pet owner wanting to take care of their best friend, their member of their family it worked. This is an example on pets.   Kevin King: Now, if you want to get some ideas, if you're trying to ideate this oh, Kevin, this sounds good, but how do I do this? This is a really good link here that you can go to actually get an idea on how to position. This is a positioning, marketing positioning. I'm positioning the product against everybody else and this five-step process it's free at aprildunford.com that link there. Take a screenshot of this or maybe someone can post it in the chat. And this is a good five-step process to help you brainstorm through and to know how can you truly differentiate your product. So, I recommend you at least take a gander at that or have someone on your team take a gander at that. So, when you're trying to come up with your next product or differentiate what you've currently got, maybe something's kind of on the down and outs right now, but if you just re-engineer that product and come up from a different positioning point of view. You can do really well. So that's a resource for you there. That should be really good.   Kevin King: Now let's take a look at another thing on differentiation how do you turn a commodity into a brand, a commodity? You got Temu coming in that's selling all these cheap things on Amazon. You got Amazon now going to start allowing factories to ship directly from China under this Amazon whatever. It's called Amazon Direct there's a name for it but where they're going to basically have their own version of Temu on Amazon. That is going to kill some people. You're going to see some people go out of business on Amazon because of this, because they're not differentiating. They're just another me too product. There's no differentiation other than maybe the price, and it's who can sell the cheapest price is going to win, and if you're competing on price, you you're playing a losing game. You're going to lose against these Chinese factories. They're going direct because they're going to sell it on Amazon for less than you're buying it from them for. Let me repeat that when Amazon launches this section, which is basically a Temu type of section, your factory will sell it for less on Amazon direct to the consumer for less than what the price they're willing to give you to buy it from them. That's going to happen.   Kevin King: So if you don't differentiate your products or you're not thinking in terms of some of these examples I've given you, you're going to be. You may be in some high water and maybe going out of business, or if you're just starting, you may not have a chance to actually succeed. You've got to approach this game differently now. It's more complicated, it's harder, it's a real business. It takes thought, it takes effort. In some cases, it takes money, but this is how you can do it with a commodity product. This is a periodic table. It's a really good thing take a screenshot of this that when you're creating a brand, it's a periodic table of branding. You always remember most of us from school, you had to learn the periodic table of elements. This is a periodic table of branding and this is some of the things that all go into creating a brand.   Kevin King: A brand is not just a logo. A lot of people think, well, I've got my brand on Amazon. You don't have a brand, dude, you have no brand. This is no brand. This is a logo and a name. A logo and a name does not make a brand. A brand connotates a feeling. It connotates a message. It connotates an identity, an affinity for people. There's a lot more to it, and these are some of the things. Does the type of type style you use matter? Yes, that's part of it. Does the logo matter? Yes, that's part of it, but every brand has a voice, every brand. The name is important yes, but that's not a brand. You've got to go way, way beyond that, and this shows you some of the elements in a really nice, concise way that you need to focus on when you're truly building your brand, and I'm going to show you an example of this right now on how to do this with a commodity product, with one of mine.   Kevin King: We all remember the pandemic of 2020 and hand sanitizer was going nuts on Amazon. It was booming worldwide. Everybody's freaking out need to buy hand sanitizer. Around April of 2020, this was the SQP report, the Search Query Performance report on Amazon. It had just come out as a brand-new kind of thing on Amazon and hand sanitizer was number six, and some partners of mine and one of my other Amazon companies saw this and they're like we should do hand sanitizer and I'm like no dude, everybody and their brother's going to be doing hand sanitizer. This is going to be like hoverboards, going to be like fidget spinners. Everybody's going to be doing it. And they're like, no, we can do it. We got this, this company in India that can make this stuff for us. Yeah, I started doing homework on it. I'm like, well, okay, maybe there's something to it, but let me look into it. So I looked into it and I used some other tools. This is not Helium 10, it's a different tool. It's a private mastermind tool that shows showed me last week's sales volume and on the hand sanitizer it showed this was in April. It showed 129,000 units on Amazon on the word hand sanitizer alone just that single keyword. And then other ones. I was like all right. And then there's all these.   Kevin King: The Polaris, this big market research company, came out and said this hand sanitizer thing, even if the COVID goes away, people are going to change their habits. And yeah, you're going to have a huge bump because everybody's now using hand sanitizer but a lot of places are going to install hand sanitizer machines. It's going to become more pervasive in society. And I was like, yeah, okay, so if this has a big boom, boom up, it's going to go down when COVID goes away, but it's going to probably be higher than what it was before COVID started, just because people have changed their habits or they're more aware of it. That's basically what this Polaris study said. So, I'm like, all right, let's look, let's look school.   Kevin King: Then there's a story came out of this this kid that was in, uh, in in the middle of the United States I think he's in Tennessee or Kentucky or somewhere and he was going to all the dollar stores, uh, and buying out their hand sanitizer and then arbitraging it on Amazon for those crazy amounts. He ended up getting sued by the, by the uh, the state, uh, for price gouging and stuff. But I'm like, all right, and he's just crushing it. And so, you're all this stuff coming out. And then I look on Amazon and this is what was selling, because hand sensors, all the Perel and Germ Sharks, Germ X the two big brands in the US were hard to get.   Kevin King: And then what Amazon did is they created something called the COVID store and they gated, basically Perel. They said all the first responders, all the hospitals need to have access to this, not you people at home. We need to save this for the people that really need it, that are dying in the hospitals. So in order to buy the big hand sanitizers, you had to go into the COVID store and get authorized, and so it took a lot of the competition away on Amazon. I saw that and I started seeing all these like weird hand sanitizer people are making almost like felt like in their backyard coming up on Amazon. Some of it was long shipping times is coming from China and you'd order it and take a month to get to you and it's just garbage. And you look at, look at the reviews on they're just bad and they're selling for like crazy amounts it's $11.59 for these little bottles.   Kevin King: And so I was like, alright, guys, let's do this. We're not gonna use this company in India. We're gonna get proper FDA approval, we're gonna. There were some rules where you could at the time, where you could actually make this without going through all the steps of FDA if you did certain things. We figured out all that's figured out, all the legal side. We came out with a brand name of germ shark. We came out with and this logo. So this is where the name Germ Shark and we started this company. It was me and four other guys. I was handling them Amazon side of things and all the branding and all the marketing. And there's other guys handling all the sourcing and dealing with the factories and all that. And then the other three guys were the money guys and these guys put in about a million and a half bucks, before it was all said and done, of their own money.   Kevin King: Luckily, crypto was doing really well at the time. One of these guys was just making bank selling NFTs and on crypto, so he had a lot of extra cash just sitting around doing nothing. So he threw a bunch of that in and we started this brand, Germ Shark, and I was like, okay, if we're going to sell hand sanitizer in this super competitive commodity, hand sanitizer is like one to three ingredients, it's nothing. Anybody can do it. How do you differentiate a product that everything is basically the same? Yeah, you can put a smell in there or you can do a few things, but it's basically the same thing. How do you differentiate it? So, we came up with some bottles. We said we're gonna do a three pack of these small bottles and I tested it on Pick Fu and so I took R3, the ones that says winter there with the green box around it. Those were R3.   Kevin King: And I tested against these no-name brands, like these Chinese no-name brands, and we won, hands down won. Everybody said we would buy this one. This one looks legit, the others are sketchy. And then I tested against the top brands, like Perel, which is a number one brand in the US, and I got my butt kicked. Perel beat me because that's a bigger brand, people trust it more. So I was like okay, as long as Perel is not on the main Amazon site and they're locked away in this COVID store where nobody can get in there, I can crush it, I can be number one on Amazon until Perel comes back. And when Perel comes back onto the normal Amazon website, I'll be okay in spot number two or spot number three, because I've positioned myself, I've gotten my rankings, I've gotten my reviews. There's still enough depth in the market share that even if I'm spot two or three or four, I'll still make some good money. So we're like all right, let's go forward with this.   Kevin King: So then we create a whole line of products. We ended up going. We saw that there's wipes. We're having trouble. We had the big bottles to refill, like the canisters at, like the restaurants and malls and airports and stuff. We create little toys we actually created with our brand. We created like a little stuffed toy you see the little stuffed shark there. We create little holders. That little kind of turquoise looking thing in the middle is a holder for the clip onto your purse or onto your backpack or something for the small bottles, and then, oh, there's a better picture of it, these little guys here.   Kevin King: We created this kind of stuff, and why did we create this? Not to sell it, but for branding and for promotional purposes. So what we did with it is we went out and we did a campaign to hospitals, and so we reached out to hospitals and we said, hey, we'd love to send you a free gift. Thanks for your service, thanks for everything you're doing. We'd love to send you a free gift. So we made this little brochure here thanking them for everything. And then we sent a package of like 25 in a nice like four-color box, like a gift box. We put some of that little like shredded paper in there that makes it all look kind of fancy. Put them all in there and then we included, like you know, there's some kids and stuff in the hospital. So here's some stuffed toys. You know along the branding. And then what did they do? These are the actual ones getting it. You can see the box there and they started posting it all over social media and we started actually getting sales and this legitimized us. It showed like, look, this is legitimate, doctors are using this and they're showing this stuff off.   Kevin King: We create our A-plus content page and actually did some really good stuff with A-plus and we showed how, for every bottle, every package you buy, we donate a bottle. So we had a cause with it, too is we donated a bottle to charities. We created memes and graphics for social media that would actually show play off of different things. During that time, we ran huge campaigns on this. We did actual physical postcards in the mail. A lot of people was like, oh, the mail is dead, nobody checks the mail, bs. We did these physical postcards through the mail and sent them to hospitals, sent them to people that previously bought sanitizers. We got some lists. We got editorial recommendations because of our branding. People love the branding and the mission that we're giving a bottle for every three sold. And then we did stuff like jingles. We actually created a jingle for the brand because, remember I said, selling is emotional and this is a really good study here. You should take a look at this sometimes.   But sound is the most important thing to our brain, not visuals. So you can be watching a YouTube video and if the YouTube video is grainy or jumping around a little bit, then you might accept it, but as long as the sound quality is good. If the sound quality is good, you can deal with lesser quality video, but if the sound quality is bad, you're going to skip this. You're going to move on to something else and it's an area of your brain called Broca's area, and it's an interesting science. If you take a look at this from a branding point of view, if you can reach Broca's area, you can do things, really amazing things. Think of old jingles like the Oscar Mayer Wiener jingle, if you're old enough to remember that, or some of the old jingles that you see on TV now you know the State Farm jingles or some of the other ones that are out there. That's all branding and marketing and it's creating these visual images. There's a really. There's a lot more to this.   Kevin King: We could go and do a whole presentation just on this, but so we dialed in on Broca's area and to use influence, and so what we did is we created a jingle and then we created a video. I had, uh, one of the amazon companies that does these nice videos. I had a couple of them actually do it. I actually had a contest with pick food to be to be on water. I had four different companies doing and competing and we create these jingles and just this is not the best singing, so don't worry about the singing, but the music in the song. It will stick in your head. I'm here to help you, uh, keep your germs away. I'll bring the bottle to you. I've got the germ charge for you. Rub it, rub it, rub it, rub it. Germ charge protection. Peel your hand, catch the germs away. Brother, strength, the best protection, no matter where you are. It can't be too far.   Kevin King: Anyway, this was a really cool jingle that had all these lyrics to it and I sent this to Bradley here at Helium 10, and he watched it and he was like damn, dude, I can't get that out of my head now. I was like that's the point. So the next time that you want to get hand sanitizer, that comes to your mind. And it worked really well. So we had a couple of them. We also went out man on the street, we had these costumes and we would go down to a park and walk around, give them out and we'd go mess with people and we'd create all this stuff. We went to a grocery store and grabbed grocery carts and had like 10 of these sharks walking into this grocery store and freaking people out and just, we did all this kind of marketing to help differentiate and it didn't sell a lot locally but it helps us create the content that we could put out there worldwide. And it really worked really well.   Kevin King: These were our sales on seven, you know, $40,000 on one single skew on that day. And you can see, we just started crushing it and we started standing out, and this is how you take a commodity and you truly make it into a real brand. These were some sales, the first we started selling in July of 2020. We went live so this is basically the first month. Sales was a million bucks on a brand-new product, and so this stuff works, but you got to come at it from a different point of view. So, what I'm trying to do today is just show you a different way of thinking of this. Can you do everything I did? Maybe, maybe not, but you can start thinking in this direction and start moving in that direction, and that's what we have for you today. Thanks everybody for joining us.  

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Andrew Watson, Co-Founder of Igloo Media. Andrew recounts his upbringing in Italy and England, and how his initial aspirations as a tennis player eventually led him to entrepreneurship in the U.S. He describes his collegiate tennis career, where he honed his competitive spirit, which later translated into valuable skills in the business world. Andrew emphasizes how the discipline and resilience learned through sports have been instrumental in his approach to business, particularly in setting high standards and maintaining a competitive edge.Andrew also delves into his experience co-founding EBC, an electric boarding company that grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and later selling it to Agora Brands. This venture, driven by his and his co-founders' desire to finance their tennis careers, unexpectedly took off as demand for outdoor activities surged during lockdowns. Following the sale of EBC, Andrew and his co-founder Alex launched Igloo Media, a marketing agency that helps direct-to-consumer brands with advertising, SEO, and site design. He highlights the benefits of having a co-founder, such as dividing responsibilities and leveraging complementary skills, and reflects on the value of building businesses alongside trusted partners.Let's explore how Andrew Watson's passion for sports and a knack for e-commerce led to unexpected business successes in this engaging episode of The First Customer!Guest Info:Igloo Mediawww.igloomedia.coAndrew Watson's LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-watson-91b25b252/Connect with Jay on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/The First Customer Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcastThe First Customer podcast websitehttps://www.firstcustomerpodcast.comFollow The First Customer on LinkedInhttp://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

En este nuevo episodio de Encuentro, Sergio Méndez, Country Head de BlackRock México, entrevista a Diego Prieto, rector de la Escuela Bancaria y Comercial (EBC) desde enero de 2024. Hablamos sobre la historia y filosofía educativa de la EBC, así como la importancia de contribuir a la movilidad social, un pilar esencial para la universidad. Platicamos también de los retos de las instituciones educativas frente a las nuevas transformaciones digitales y tecnológicas, el cambiante rol de las y los profesores, y la definición del verdadero éxito en la educación universitaria.

On today's show we're dissecting the latest Fed rate announcement. While the power of the Fed is often overstated, they do still influence market sentiment in ways that are difficult to fully dissect.  Chair Powell said in his opening remarks that the Fed was making excellent progress against their dual mandate of maximizing employment and maintaining price stability. In meetings over the past two years, the Fed Chairman has emphasized inflation to the point of sounding like a broken record.  But in some sense, none of that matters. After all, the FOMC sets one interest rate. They set the Federal Funds rate which is the rate the Fed charges its member banks at the discount window. It's also the rate closely associated with the shortest term T bills.  The bond market determines the yield of the paper issued by the US government, and every other publicly traded bonds whether it's British Gilts, EBC, Bank of Canada, Swiss Central Bank and so on.  In the minutes and hours following the Fed announcement, we saw bond yields drop significantly. On today's show we are talking about who wields the power when it comes to setting interest rates. ------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Fallon Rowe has been climbing since 2003 and coaching since 2013. After a decade of youth and collegiate competitions, she found her true passion for outdoor climbing – both sport and trad. She's spent her adult life pursuing climbing all over the world while offering (mostly) virtual coaching. In her words, she helps “climbers optimize their experience using mindset and mental performance techniques, like working on fear of falling, and analyzing movement and technique with video feedback and visualization.” Host Emily Chen-Newton and Fallon share a genetic collagen disorder (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome). In this conversation they talk how this condition impacts their climbing – and how Fallon coached Emily through some of these issues. Fallon also has a condition called, POTS which you'll hear mentioned in this episode. It's a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Things that should be “automatic go haywire”, she says. So, her body doesn't properly regulate things like blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. Fallon's main symptom is lightheadedness or pre-syncope (the feeling you get before you faint).  Fallon is also a rock-climbing guide and teaches courses on trad climbing, anchor building, and more. She is sponsored by The Desert Rat, Cypher Climbing, HILX Eyewear, and Crux Power. Her education as a geologist gives her a deep connection to nature, and she loves playing the fiddle, shooting pool, wandering the desert, writing and photographing climbing. We start this episode with Fallon talking about a recent time when she was digging into some of those "non climbing" hobbies as she was recovering from a tendon tweak. BUT, as she tells us, this injury hit differently than others in the past -- in a good way.  *While Fallon Rowe and host Emily both discuss their medical conditions and how they've learned to live with them, this content is not, and does not replace medical advice. Fallon can be reached on Instagram @fallonclimbs or on her website. Aug 2-4th workshop  How to climb with hEDS Climbing with POTS What is hEDS? What is POTS? Follow Emily and EBC on: Instagram SoundCloud Theme music sample attribution: Creeper_Ciller78 _________________________

Today is an encore because I am going on vacation next week. It always feels a little bit like a time warp because by the time this show will air, I will be back from vacation. This show with Paul Holmes was one of the most popular episodes of 2023 and definitely is just as relevant now. A lot of the things that Paul talks about are worth repeating or listening to again. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. Before we kick in, though, I'm gonna repeat something that Ge Bai, PhD, CPA, says a lot: There's no angels and there's no devils in the healthcare industry. But we are talking about for-profit entities. And if there's one thing that's generally true about a for-profit entity, especially one that is publicly traded, it's gonna do whatever it can get away with. It becomes up to the customer to set expectations and using the purchasing discipline that they probably use everywhere else in the business because it basically is good business to have purchasing discipline. Before we kick into the episode, just a couple of things. Thing one, if you haven't, do subscribe to the weekly email that goes out describing the show. Here's just one reason to do so. It's really efficient because what is transcribed in that email is the whole beginning half (usually) of the introduction. So, if later on you are trying to remember which episode you heard something in, you can just search your email and find the show. How you subscribe is go to relentlesshealthvalue.com, hang out for probably 15 seconds, and there will be a pop-up. And while you're on the Web site, here's something else you could do. Go to the lower right-hand corner of the Web site. You will notice a little button. It's an orange button. There's a microphone. Click on that; say something like your name, your company name, maybe a word or two about Relentless Health Value; and then encourage others to subscribe to the weekly email that goes out, similarly to what I just did. Then what our team will do is take that recording and potentially use it at the end of some of the shows so we can hear somebody else talk besides myself. So, please do go over to the Web site, click on that little microphone, and record something that you might want to share with the other members of the Relentless Tribe. And with that, here's your encore. If this were a video show, I would stare into the camera with steely eyeballs right now and say that I have a special message for employer CFOs. If you aren't a CFO, pretend that you are so that you get the full effect here. So, now that we're all CFOs, let's pull up the company P&L (Profit and Loss) statement. This is what keeps us all up at night, right? Making sure that the net profit line at the bottom looks good. We could decide to lay off a few people. Reorg something or other. Beat up a vendor. We also could go over and have a strident conversation with sales leadership about what they can do to jack up their sales revenue. Top line begets bottom line and all that. Or, here's another idea: In this healthcare podcast, I am speaking with Paul Holmes, who is an ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) attorney with a specialty in PBM (pharmacy benefit manager) contracts, especially the PBM contracts from the big PBMs that get jammed in employer plan sponsor faces by whomever and which they are told look fine and that the employer plan sponsor should just go ahead and sign. Now, if we, meaning all of us CFOs, sign that paper, or someone on our benefits team signs the paper … fun fact, our company just spent 30% to 40% over market for our pharmacy benefits. That contract we just signed contains all kinds of expensive little buried treasures—treasures accruing to the PBM and other parties, to be clear, and coming at our expense. There's 17-ish very common treasures in your typical PBM contract, and none of us will ever spot them unless we know what we are looking for. But let's dig into this for a sec, especially for all of us newly minted CFOs because the real ones already did this math. Say our company spends whatever—we're a bigger company, and we spend $100 million a year on our drugs. That's a minimum of $30 million that we got taken for … $30 million a year. Because of the huge dollars at stake (30% to 40% of drug spend), it's certainly the advice of almost anybody that you talk to who's an expert in PBM contracts to have a third party—not your EBC (employee benefit consultant), which we'll get into in a sec, but somebody else (a third party)—review every PBM contract. I mean, what's the worst that can happen for anybody considering having an independent third party review their PBM contract? It costs a couple grand in lawyer fees, and they give it a stamp of approval. Knowledge is power, and now we know. But let's just say this third-party review doesn't happen. We all go with a “devil may care” about this whole PBM overcharging us by 30% to 40% possibility. And let's say the PBM contract is, in fact, a ride on the Hot Mess Express but we don't know it. Here's two pretty bad downsides, especially now, this year, since the passage of the CAA (the Consolidated Appropriations Act). Number one bad thing: Plan sponsors may get sued as per the CAA for ERISA violations. It's not just the company paying that extra $30 million, or 30% to 40%, right? It's also employees. This is risk exposure, bigly. Just like it was on the 401(k) side of the house, which Paul Holmes, my guest today, mentions later on in the interview. He talks about just how much those lawsuits cost and, yeah, exposure. As I mentioned three times already, today I am speaking with Paul Holmes about PBM contracts in all their stealthy glory. The one thing I came to appreciate is that these things are works of art … if you're into those paintings of pretty flowers where, if you look hard enough, you spot a skull tucked in the greenery (memento mori). Paul is a longtime ERISA attorney. He has dedicated his career to helping plan sponsors in their negotiations with PBMs and trying to help them reduce drug spend, especially drug spend that isn't actually paying for drugs. Here's a link to an article we discuss about how a school district in Florida is suing their longtime EBC for taking $2 million a year in alleged secret payments. We also mention an episode with AJ Loiacono (EP379). And along similar lines, Jeff Hogan mentioned on LinkedIn the other day, “It's pretty amazing that just in the course of the [past few] weeks, I'm reading, seeing, and hearing about big new CAA breach of fiduciary duty cases.” So, Paul Holmes says this more eloquently, but if you're a plan sponsor, definitely get your PBM contract reviewed and maybe consider working with an EBC who's happy to sign the disclosure statement that your lawyer has provided without disclaimers. Also mentioned in this episode are Ge Bai, PhD, CPA; AJ Loiacono; and Jeffrey Hogan.   You can learn more by emailing Paul at pbh@williamsbarbermorel.com.   Paul B. Holmes, JD, is a seasoned ERISA lawyer with nearly 40 years of specialization in that field. Paul joined Williams Barber & Morel Ltd. recently, after 31 years with Nixon Peabody LLP and Ungaretti & Harris LLP. Paul is one of the few ERISA lawyers in the United States, concentrating his practice on PBM contracting and oversight. Paul represents large employers, Taft-Hartley welfare funds, and governmental units in their selection, contracting, auditing, and disputes with large pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). This work includes active oversight of the request for proposal (RFP) process for selecting a PBM, the negotiation and customization of PBM contracts, and legal audits of PBM compliance with their contracts. Paul provides insightful guidance on the prudent selection of independent pharmacy benefit consulting firms (who do not receive indirect compensation from PBMs), which independence is expressly required under Section 202 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA). Recent efforts have focused on reducing wasteful drug spend promulgated by large PBMs in dozens of categories. These include the preference of Humira® biosimilars, reducing off-label utilization of GLP-1s, reducing huge markups on certain specialty generics, and customizing PBM formularies and clinical protocols to better control spend. He was selected, through a peer-review survey, for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (2020 and 2021) in the field of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Paul received his bachelor's degree from Bradley University and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.   07:41 What are Paul's usual observations when a PBM contract crosses his desk? 08:34 “If you just sign … one of their model contracts …, you're probably gonna pay 30% to 40% above market on your drug spend.” 12:11 What is a PBM lawyer? And why is it important to find an ERISA PBM lawyer? 17:12 EP379 with AJ Loiacono. 17:40 Who is on the hook for the cost of the PBM contracts? 21:05 What's the problem with most ERISA lawyers today? 22:56 Lawsuit about PBM contract. 27:43 What's Paul's advice for benefits consultants? 31:40 How much might a plan sponsor be paying their consultant versus what a consultant might be making from a PBM?   You can learn more by emailing Paul at pbh@williamsbarbermorel.com.   Paul Holmes discusses #PBMContracts on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #financialhealth #primarycare #patientoutcomes #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Ann Kempski, Marshall Allen (tribute), Andreas Mang, Abby Burns and Stacey Richter, David Muhlestein, Luke Slindee, Dr John Lee, Brian Klepper, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Scheinker (Encore! EP363)  

This week on Chasin' the Racin' podcast, Dom Hebertson and Joe Akroyd are joined by Steve Plater, who is a man with too many job titles for this description! From his role in the Tas BMW team spanning across both BSB and road racing, to the F900 cup, to commentating at the international road races to even podcasting over on the Offical TT podcast! Steve sheds light into his 2024 expectations for both his own riders and their respective championships. Enjoy - CTR x    Powered by OMG Racing. Make sure to check out their wide range of merchandise available at BSB and the Isle of Man TT this year.  Supported by JCT Truck and Trailer Rental & Bennetts.  Bennetts competitons are now open until Thruxton so BikeSocial members are in the running for priceless opportunties at BSB from the pit perch to proirity pit walks, VIP hospitality to pillion laps. Check out the website attached to sign up! https://www.bennetts.co.uk/   Sponsor of the episode: WSC Performance are a small family run motorcycle performance parts company. They offer brands including Brembo, EBC, SBS, eazi-grips and a massive selection of chain and sprocket kits with over 5 colours of chain available. They are also a stocker of Chasin' the Shine so please do check them out if you haven't already. You may recognise the name of the company as they actually sponsor a few riders in the paddock and have heavy involvement with Simon Bastable in the BMW F900 cup and Declan Connell in Stock 1000. WSC are totally online, so you can find them at www.wscperformance.co.uk or drop Simon an email at simon@wscperformance.co.uk if there is anything you can't find on the website.  If you are interested in sponsoring an episode of the podcast, please get in touch via email to Grace on chasintheracin@outlook.com  --------- Shop CTR merchandise: chasintheracin.myshopify.com CTR patreon page:  https://patreon.com/MotorbikePod A friend of the podcast, Si McNally from the OMG Racing team is raising money for 3 air ambulance trusts, the Joey Dunlop foundation, the Southern 100 Marshalls fund and the IOM hyperbaric chamber  as it is 10 years since his good friend, Simon Andrews, lost his life at the North West 200 and his family have made the decsion to close the Simon Andrews Foundation. Si has taken it upon himself to get the famous 'Live Unstoppable' moniker inscribed into his arm in the form of a tattoo and so he is asking for you (if possible) to dig deep and help raise some money for some really outstanding charities. Click the link to donate or scan the QR code during the pod: https://gofund.me/b34e0def  ---------- SOCIALS Instagram: @chasintheracinpod Facebook: Chasin' the Racin' podcast X: @motorbikepod  

Trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal : An Adventure For Regular Hikers (who train!) Looking for a superb challenge, surrounded by majestic beauty and a unique culture?  Consider trekking to Everest Base Camp(EBC)!   You hike on the same path as the folks who are attempting to climb Mount Everest, ending at EBC, the last village before their final climb.  It's also the one path that villagers and pack animals use to tranport goods up and down these Himalayan mountains, so you'll also get a fun cultural exchange as well! Today, I interview Jack about his Active Adventures 18 day tour, which starts and ends in colorful Kathmandu in Nepal.  You then fly in to the exciting Lukla airport before beginning your trek.   Active allows for acclimatization days offering you the best chance of a successful hike up to Everest Base Camp at 17,598'/5364m.  You'll even have the option to climb even further later to the ridgetop of Kala Patthar at 18,208'/5550m for one of the most dramatic views in the world!  Cross the Hillary Bridge, named after Sir Edmund Hillary, the first along with his porter, summited Mount Everest in 1953. Fly in and out of Lukla, one of the world's most exciting airports:)  Try a yak burger (and be sure to stand mountainside when they pass you by on the trail!). We discuss all the important things you need to know before deciding if this is the trip for you. Be sure to visit the webpage for more details and pics. And get the FREE Everest Base Camp Travel Planner as well. If it is, be sure to email me for an exclusive $200 Off Active Adventures Promo Code (they won't let me publish it).  You learn what to expect and pack, how to train, what you'll eat and where you'll sleep, how to deal with altitude and hygiene, and most importantly, what you'll see and experience!  This adventure is a combo of Type I and Type II Fun (learn what that means, too). This hike, along with climbing Kilimanjaro, are the two most difficult adventure travel trips that will be covered on the Active Travel Adventures podcast, rated at a 5 out of 5.  BUT, both are doable for fit folks WHO TRAIN! Be sure to check out the adventure travel training and the training for altitude shows we've done: Training for Adventure [with Marcus] Training for Adventure [with Becki] Training for Altitude [with Becki] COMPLETE SHOW NOTES  See important links for planning your adventure, photos, videos and more cool info about trekking to Everst Base Camp.  You also find links for specific gear we recommend and discuss in this episode. Get FREE Travel Planners for ATA adventures (and each month you will get an email from Kit with links to all future Travel Planners (no spam promise!).  Get the monthly newsletter here. CONTACT KIT Resources  Promo Codes and Recommended Tour Companies Travel Insurance:  Quickly and easily compare rates and policies from different companies - no need to give any identifying information unless you decide to buy!  The best way to find the right policy for your adventures.  Train For Your Adventure  Ask Becki at Trailblazer Wellness to customize an at home, online personal training program for your upcoming adventure using whatever equipment you already have!  You'll get phone consultations, instruction videos and a plan to give you the best chance of success.  Becki offers a FREE initial phone consultation to see if you are a good fit.  AND she offers ATA listeners a 10% discount! Buy Me a Beer Want to support the program?  You can always buy me a coffee or beer - thanks! Amazon Kit's Picks   Please use my Amazon link to access your Amazon account.  Even if you don't purchase any of my recommendations, I get credit for anything you DO purchase - at no additional cost to you, you'll be helping to support the show and keeping it AD FREE:)   SUBSCRIBE to the Adventure Travel Show (the “How to's of adventure travel) SUBSCRIBE to Active Travel Adventures (fantastic adventure destinations) Join the Active Travel Adventures Facebook Group Follow ATA on Twitter Follow ATA on Instagram Follow ATA on Pinterest (C) Active Travel Adventure, LLC - All Rights Reserved  

Everest's summit is slammed by hurricane-force winds, causing most teams to hunker down or pause rotations for a few days. However, the fixed ropes have reached the South Col. China confirms it will open the Nepal border on May 7th. This season will go down as all dressed up and nowhere to go - on both sides. First, on the Nepal side, as of the end of April, many teams have historically completed their rotations and are going into wait mode for the ropes to reach the summit. However, it appears that only a few have completed a meaningful amount of time this year at Camp 2. A few have tagged Camp 3, but almost no team spent the night at 7000 meters. To be fair, in recent years, many teams have dropped this difficult acclimatization at C3 in favor of using copious amounts of supplemental oxygen starting lower at Camp 2. Many teams have wrapped up their climbs on Mera, Island or Lobuche as an acclimatization activity instead of going through the Icefall one more time. These teams are returning to EBC and will make only one rotation to C2 before calling it good. Those in a rush—Flash/Speed/Rapid/Quick/Speed/Rabbit—whatever—will only go through the Icefall once on their summit push. Sherpas from Seven Summits Treks have the fixed ropes to the South Col. With the ten-day delay in fixing the Icefall; the Nepal government approved a plan to use helicopters to fly more gear to Camp 2 to fix the route to the summit. This is not unprecedented. On April 23, 2016, summit rope fixing gear (rope, anchors, oxygen for the Sherpas above the South Col) was long-lined to Camp 1 by helicopters - all approved by the Government.  It took six trips by helicopter plus a spotter in a separate helicopter to deliver the gear. No climbers or Sherpas were transported. This saved 87 Sherpa loads and potentially lives if there were another serac release or other natural disaster in the Icefall. This was a good move then, as it is today. So, while it feels slower than usual, the teams are making the best of it. So, if the ropes reach the summit by May 10, as advertised, we can expect the usual flood of summit waves to follow quickly. First will be the super large teams like the 100s from Seven Summits Treks and many other Nepali-run teams. The Western teams will patiently wait at EBC for them to kick in steps, clear out and then take their turn. Finally, we'll see the uber–patient teams make their summit push, targeting May 19–22. Again, all of this depends on the weather. Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow says, "Just FYI, we got our Tibet invites and official word of the May 7 border opening. Locked and loaded!" They will cross the border along with climbers with Climbalaya and Furtenbach. However, another commercial team has given up on climbing Everest from the Tibetan side. Makalu Extreme joined Adventure Peaks, Kobler & Partner, and Arnold Coster to switch to the Nepal side. Makalu Extreme  posted this update revealing their frustration: Not much news from the Everest 2024 climb from the Makalu Extreme team. Today our guide Dorchy and our member Pavel are in Goraksher. Work on setting up the Base Camp will begin tomorrow. I would like to remind you that our team and two tons of expedition cargo urgently left Kathmandu on April 26. The expedition was urgently shifted to Nepal due to the negligence of the Chinese authorities. EverestEr reports in with their treatment Talley: As of April 29, Nepal has issued 390 climbing permits for Everest to 37 teams representing 60 countries. The United States has the most climbers, with 70, followed by China with 65. Climb On!AlanMemories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Ben Mayforth is a decorated climber well known for dialing in his training regimen. He's a Paraclimbing World Cup multi-medalist. Since 2019, he hasn't missed a silver medal at the Paraclimbing World Championships. Ben has a reputation of being extremely disciplined, but he's recently loosened some of his self-imposed rules, and we discuss the impacts from that “letting go” in this episode. Every Body Climbs (EBC) is a collaborative podcast, presented across Plug Tone Audio platforms, bringing you interviews with para and adaptive climbers. These profiles can be heard on The Power Company Podcast and Sends and Suffers. Content about festivals, engagement projects and other modes of community building air on Sends and Suffers, while training and nutrition focused interviews can be heard on The Power Company Podcast. Host, Emily Chen-Newton is a freelance adaptive sports reporter working in both print and broadcast. Living with a chronic medical condition herself, her journalism centers athletes, not their disabilities. When she's not reporting, she's rock climbing with her husband and their two cats.   Follow Emily and EBC on: Instagram SoundCloud Theme music sample attribution: Creeper_Ciller78 _________________________

For a full transcript of this episode, click here. This show is different, so if you've already listened to or read all about the gory details of the J&J and/or the DOL v BCBS lawsuits, this is not gonna be a repeat of that information. Julie Selesnick, my guest today, does cover the very, very top line about these two cases. But after that, we move on fast—because what I wanted to get to today was not the potential landslide of legal action that may or may not be confronting plan sponsors or payers or even brokers today. I did not want to really even talk about the CAA (Consolidated Appropriations Act) and its inarguable adjacency here. I just feel like there's been a lot of talk about these topics already. What I wanted to get to, and fast, is … now what? If I'm a plan sponsor or actually, again, an EBC (employee benefit consultant) or broker, now what? What should I be doing and thinking about right now? To that end, I could not have been more thrilled to get a chance to talk to Julie Selesnick, who is an attorney deeply entrenched in helping plan sponsors and others understand and comply with fiduciary responsibilities. I want to get to this interview quickly (the conversation with Julie), so this intro is gonna be on the short side; but let me just summarize a few of the points that Julie makes during the interview that follows. First, we talk about the first step for pretty much everybody: Get your data, plan sponsors. But once you have that data, you also kinda have to use it. You can use it to ensure that you're paying claims right, which is what most do. As a result of these two lawsuits, it's also increasingly clear that you also have to use that data to ensure that the prices you're paying for things (like generic specialty meds, for example) are fair and reasonable. To get the data now, you may have to renegotiate administrative services agreements; and you might need to take a closer look at the disclosure agreements you're getting as a result of the CAA. And, by the way, it's not just brokers or EBCs who have to complete these disclosures. It's all covered entities that you, plan sponsors, paid more than $1000 to. Then we get into … okay, once you have the data and you've analyzed it, what are some in general things that could very well need to happen? And if the reason that they don't happen is because they weren't even considered, then plan sponsors have some risk exposure; and the brokers/EBCs who serve them might have some conflicts of interest. And it would be very interesting what would or could happen if a plan sponsor was able to back into those conflicts of interest, because if data clearly shows that something should be happening and it is not—and it is not even on the docket to be considered—if I'm a plan sponsor, I'm for sure gonna be wondering why. And maybe I'm gonna look into that and fast. Listen to the show with AJ Loiacono (EP379) from two weeks ago for more on some of the more egregious broker/EBC conflicts of interest, which could explain, potentially, the J&J lawsuit as well as definitely explains the earlier one in Osceola. And also, by the way, if you're sitting there wondering to yourself how exactly J&J managed to pay upwards of $10,000 for a drug that can be purchased for cash for something like $50, listen to the show next week with Luke Slindee, PharmD. We run through the exact pharmacy supply chain machinations that make all of this (and more) possible. But I got off track. What I was talking about is the things that could easily wind up being called for when the data is analyzed: 1. Carving out specialty generics, especially drugs or infusions, from the larger pharmacy benefit manager 2. Your payment integrity vendor should not be the same vendor who is processing claims. Talk about a conflict of interest. I do not need to be an attorney—and I need to know absolutely nothing about anybody's data—to tell anybody who's listening that if you have the same vendor or two vendors with the same parent company who are both processing your claims and then auditing their own work … yeah, fix that. 3. Shut down any cross-plan offsetting. And we get to this in the show if you don't know what cross-plan offsetting means. Lastly, we get into a bunch of stuff that plan sponsors might want to consider as they consider how to administer their plan, like, for example, setting up a health and welfare committee that has an independent fiduciary expert on said committee. I'm gonna say that's a good idea! As I have mentioned, my guest today is Julie Selesnick. Julie is senior counsel over at Berger Montague's Employee Benefits and ERISA group. Also mentioned in this episode are AJ Loiacono; Luke Slindee, PharmD; Justin Leader; Chris Deacon; Bridget Mulvenna; Mark Cuban; Olivia Webb; and Dawn Cornelis. You can learn more at Berger Montague. You can also follow Julie on LinkedIn.     Julie Selesnick has been practicing law since 2001 and has over 20 years of experience in complex dispute resolution forums representing plaintiffs and defendants. Julie has a wide variety of litigation, arbitration, and mediation practice, including first-chair jury and bench trial experience, representing some of the largest companies in the United States as well as small companies, labor unions, individuals, and classes of plaintiffs. Julie's current practice is a mix of class litigation on behalf of individuals, union funds, and employers, and a legal consulting practice advising self-funded health plans and service providers to self-funded health plans on minimizing litigation and regulatory risk, issues arising under ERISA, fiduciary obligations and best practices, and CAA compliance, including negotiating service provider contracts and business associate agreements, drafting plan documents and advising on plan design; helping health plans gain access to participant claims data, helping service providers draft and plan fiduciaries obtain § 408(b)(2)(B) compensation disclosures, assisting plans with ensuring their prescription drug data collection and reporting is properly conducted and copies are provided to plan fiduciaries, and ensuring proper review, MHPAEA Comparative Analysis reports on nonquantitative treatment limitations.   05:48 What's happening with the J&J lawsuit? 07:38 What's going on with the DOL v BCBS case? 08:49 What do these cases mean for plan sponsors? 09:21 Why is engaging with claims data critical? 12:30 EP408 with Chris Deacon. 14:20 EP379 with AJ Loiacono. 16:58 What's one solution to avoiding a conflict of interest? 18:02 Why there's still not a total understanding about what to do with claims data once acquired. 20:58 NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) to check pharmacy prices. 21:31 What advice do plan sponsors need to know that never gets recommended to them when dealing with conflicting interests? 27:02 EP337 with Olivia Webb. 28:41 EP285 with Dawn Cornelis. 30:24 “As a fiduciary, your money should only go to pay your plan's benefits, not to other plan benefits.” 30:59 What's Julie's advice to advisors? 33:17 “Giving nonconflicted advice … is something you really can only do if you have no conflicts.” 35:57 What's Julie's advice for administering whole plans?   You can learn more at Berger Montague. You can also follow Julie on LinkedIn.   Julie Selesnick discusses advice based on the J&J and DOL v BCBS lawsuits on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Rik Renard, AJ Loiacono (Encore! EP379), Nina Lathia, Marshall Allen, Stacey Richter (INBW39), Peter Hayes, Joey Dizenhouse, Benjamin Jolley, Emily Kagan Trenchard (Encore! EP392), Cora Opsahl (Encore! EP372)