Podcasts about Ensure

Kick off your week with the inaugural "News Drop" episode of The ASHHRA Podcast! Hosts Luke Carignan, Bo Brabo, and new co-host Jeremy Sadlier (ASHHRA CEO) deliver a fresh weekly roundup of top healthcare HR headlines. From critical staffing shortages to AI's role in HR, they break down trends, stats, and implications—sparking discussions on innovative solutions for HR pros.Key headlines & insights:Staffing Shortages Escalate: Physician gap hits 124K by 2033; need 200K nurses yearly, with 450K RN deficit by 2025. Factors: Aging population, limited nursing schools, burnout (30% of nurses eyeing exits). Impact: 12% higher mortality per extra patient/nurse. Call for university partnerships and global talent pipelines.AI in HR: Boon or Bust?: 83% of HR leaders lack right tech; only 59% use analytics, 54% automation. Debate on AI reducing admin vs. risking impersonal HR—emphasize freeing staff for meaningful support.Burnout & Mental Health: 58% of employees burned out; 45% report mental health decline. Build cultures of trust and flexibility to retain talent.HR Visibility: Jeremy shares site visit stories—remote HR erodes trust; prioritize on-site presence.A must-listen for staying ahead in healthcare HR. Tune in weekly for actionable insights!From Our Sponsors...Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefitsElevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital's own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZNStreamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcareSimplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it's your all-in-one compliance tool.Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/ Support the show

Tonight we unseal the eleventh vault in our 31 Nights of Lovecraft with The Moon-Bog — where a drained marsh becomes a grave disturbed, and blind ambition stirs something best left buried. Kilderry sleeps, but the bog does not. It hums with ancestral grief, and beneath its surface, the dead begin to move.

AP correspondent Jennifer King reports that while firings are underway at some federal agencies, President Trump is trying to make sure the military gets paid.

Tonight we unseal the tenth vault in our 31 Nights of Lovecraft with The Evil Clergyman—where a single forbidden room holds more than dust and memory. The house is quiet now, but once, it echoed with footsteps not quite human, and shadows that recoiled from the light.

In this special RxBenefits-sponsored episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan explore the dynamic pharmacy benefits landscape with experts Sarah Hearn and Wes Hill (Director of Compliance & Legal Operations). Amid the busiest legislative season yet—over 1,500 bills—they discuss PBM reforms, ERISA challenges, compounding alternatives for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, 340B pricing, and emerging lawsuits. Gain insights on transparency, cost savings, and compliance for healthcare HR pros navigating employee benefits.Key takeaways for healthcare HR leaders:Legislative Surge: 1,500+ state bills target PBMs, carriers, and more; expect increased reporting burdens but better data for informed decisions.ERISA Erosion Risks: States challenge federal uniformity—multi-state plans face conflicting laws; monitor for compliance headaches.Positive Reforms: New mandates empower plan sponsors with PBM data; leverage 340B and coupons to cut costs (e.g., Wegovy from $1,000 to $100/month).Compounding & Innovation: Affordable GLP-1 alternatives via telehealth, but ensure safety and avoid controlled substance pitfalls.Lawsuits to Watch: Oklahoma ERISA win; Arkansas PBM permit ban challenges interstate commerce—outcomes could reshape operations.Action Steps: Demand vendor transparency; align with ERISA; educate teams on benefits to prevent misuse and optimize savings.Essential listening for HR managing rising pharmacy costs and regulations. Spark curiosity—reach out to RxBenefits for guidance!From Our Sponsors...Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefitsElevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital's own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZNStreamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcareSimplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it's your all-in-one compliance tool.Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/ Support the show

Tonight we unseal the ninth vault in our 31 Nights of Lovecraft with The Shunned House—where a cellar breathes with a hunger older than rot, and the walls whisper of generations devoured in silence. Providence hums with modern haste, yet beneath its streets, something ancient stirs.

In this inspiring episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo welcome Lisa Kemph, CHRO at Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville, FL. With 30 years in HR across six industries, Lisa shares her journey from logistics to healthcare, emphasizing emotional intelligence, leadership development, and building a people-first culture amid rapid organizational growth.Lisa offers timeless advice on work-life balance, including marriage tips like maintaining humor, giving grace, and ditching the "50/50" myth—lessons that echo in professional relationships. She dives into Brooks' focus on recruitment, retention, and skilling up talent through a holistic career development strategy aligned with employee needs and organizational values.Key takeaways for healthcare HR leaders:Recruitment & Retention: Keep the focus sharp; align initiatives with being an employer of choice and best-in-class HR.Leadership Development: Start with a comprehensive strategy via surveys and leader input; use a buy/build approach with blended learning (e-learning, in-person, self-directed).Emotional Intelligence: Certify and integrate EQ for self-awareness and better team dynamics—essential in high-stakes healthcare.Growth Mindset: Skill up existing talent amid shortages; revise strategies annually to fill gaps and support career seasons.Work-Life Parallels: Apply grace and 100/100 effort from personal life to leadership; break negative cycles proactively.Awards & Recognition: Celebrate teams like Learning & Development for impactful contributions.A must-listen for HR pros seeking actionable strategies on talent development, culture building, and personal growth. Lisa's insights remind us: Work the plan to advance your goals.Listen now on ASHHRA.org or Apple Podcasts. Join us at the ASHHRA Conference in Savannah, May 17-19, 2026! (register here)From Our Sponsors...Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefitsElevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital's own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZNStreamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcareSimplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it's your all-in-one compliance tool.Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/ Support the show

Welcome to The K9PT Academy podcast, the only podcast in veterinary rehabilitation & physical therapy that focuses on helping business owners and entrepreneurs build and scale a profitable and successful canine rehabilitation business! Success in canine rehabilitation isn't just about great clinical skills — it's about building a business model that actually works. In this episode, I break down the 3 Rules of Business Success every rehabpreneur should live by: creating a profitable model, mastering marketing, and understanding what your market truly needs. Whether you're just starting your business or looking to refine your operations, these three principles will help you build a business that is both sustainable and impactful. Listen to the full episode as we discuss:

John Maytham chats to Dr Wessel Myburgh, CEO of Uboro Biotech about chewing gum being a source of microplastics being absorbed into our bodies. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight we unseal the eighth vault in our 31 Nights of Lovecraft with Poetry and the Gods—where dreams summon ancient entities. The modern world hums with forgetful haste, yet beneath its clamor, ancient voices stir. A young woman listens—not to noise, but to rhythm. And in that rhythm, Olympus breathes. Ascend beyond the veil of sleep, where gods speak in verse and memory returns in meter. This is no mortal's escape—it is a chosen invocation, where poetry becomes portal, and the divine does not descend in thunder, but in song.ASMR soft-spoken reading of Poetry and the Gods by HP Lovecraft, featuring light rain on a tin roof as background ambiance. Poetry and the Gods was written in 1920 and published in the March 1921 issue of The United Amateur, a small amateur press magazine. At the time, Lovecraft was deeply immersed in the world of amateur journalism, still years away from the cosmic horror that would define his legacy. This story stands apart—less dread, more dream. It reflects Lovecraft's early fascination with classical mythology and poetic exaltation, written during a period when he saw himself as a guardian of ancient ideals in a rapidly modernizing world.

This episode is sponsored by Deel.Ensure fair, consistent reviews with Deel's calibration template. Deel's free Performance Calibration Template helps HR teams and managers run more equitable, structured reviews. Use it to align evaluations with business goals,reduce bias in ratings, and ensure every performance conversation is fair, consistent,and grounded in shared standards.Download now: www.deel.com/nickdayIn this episode of the HR L&D Podcast, host Nick Day sits down with Matt Leta - digital pioneer, bestselling author, and CEO of Future Works - to explore how leaders can adopt AI effectively within their organizations.Matt shares practical strategies from his book “100X”, explaining how executives can integrate AI without disrupting culture or workflow. He reveals why most AI projects fail, how to overcome fear and resistance, and what it really takes to build an AI-ready business.Whether you're an HR leader, CEO, or L&D professional, this conversation will help you move from hesitation to confident action, using AI to unlock productivity, performance, and innovation across your teams.100X Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D41BP5XTNick Day's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/919cf6b9eaSign up to the HR L&D Newsletter - https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/23e7b153e7(00:00) Preview(01:17) Introducing Matt Lea(03:21) What “Human Resources” Means in an AI Era(07:37) Why Most AI Projects Fail (and How to Fix It)(12:00) The 100X Framework for Practical AI Adoption(18:19) The LEAP Model: One Hour per Week(20:52) Overcoming Fear & Building an AI-Ready Culture(31:45) Lead Through Value, Not Time(36:30) HR & L&D as AI Transformation Catalysts

In this episode of Hustle Inspires Hustle, Alex Quin breaks down practical, actionable strategies to help both e-commerce and service-based businesses succeed during Black Friday. He emphasizes the importance of keeping offers simple—such as clear tiered discounts or urgency-based service upgrades—to reduce friction and improve conversions. Alex stresses that successful marketing goes beyond flashy ads; it's about preparation across your funnel, creative assets, and backend systems. From fast-loading product pages to tight onboarding flows and accurate CRM tracking, every part of the customer journey needs to be ready.He also dives into content strategy and ad execution, encouraging brands to repurpose their top-performing content from earlier in the year with updated Black Friday messaging. Volume matters—especially with Meta's new Andromeda update—so having multiple creatives pre-approved and scheduled can lower costs and reduce last-minute stress. Whether paid or organic, campaigns should be well-structured and tracked meticulously. The core message? Black Friday isn't about hype—it's about execution, efficiency, and data-driven decisions.Episode Outline: [00:00] Welcome Back: Alex thanks listeners and sets up the Black Friday topic [00:15] Importance of Simplicity: Easy-to-understand offers and discounts [00:45] Service Business Tips: Creating urgency with bonuses and intro deals [01:10] Creative Strategy: Bold visuals, testimonials, and multi-format content [01:45] Funnel Tips: Fast product pages, clean checkout, single-action landing pages [02:10] Backend Systems: Fulfillment, calendar space, CRM, and onboarding readiness [02:40] Financial Modeling: Know your margins, track all costs [03:05] Repurposing Content: Use your best-performing content with new Black Friday angles [03:30] Meta Update & Scheduling: More creatives = lower cost; schedule everything early [04:00] Post-Purchase & Tracking: Upsells, LTV, CRM follow-ups, and clean analytics [04:20] Final Thought: Black Friday is about preparation, not just hypeWisdom Nuggets:Simplicity Sells: Your offer should be instantly understandable. Whether it's tiered discounts or bundled services, remove friction—no mental math or coupon codes.Urgency Wins: Black Friday thrives on limited-time offers. Add urgency through countdowns, limited bonuses, or time-sensitive upgrades to drive faster conversions.Prep the Back End: A killer front-end campaign fails without backend support. From ecom fulfillment to service onboarding systems, preparation prevents revenue leaks.Repurpose to Scale: Your best content from earlier in the year is your blueprint. Reuse proven assets with Black Friday messaging instead of creating from scratch.Track Everything or Risk Everything: If your data is off, your scaling efforts will fail. Ensure all pixels, UTMs, and analytics are accurate before campaigns go live.Power Quotes“The key is simplicity. Customers should get it right away.” - Alex Quin“No guessing, no mental math, and no making them type in coupon codes.” - Alex QuinConnect With the Podcast Host Alex Quin:Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/alexquin)Twitter: (https://twitter.com/mralexquin)LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mralexquin)Website: (https://alexquin.com)TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@mralexquin)Our CommunityInstagram: (https://www.instagram.com/hustleinspireshustle)Twitter: (https://twitter.com/HustleInspires)LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/company/hustle-inspires-hustle)Website: (https://hustleinspireshustle.com)*This page may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. When you click on these links or engage with the sponsored content and make a purchase or take some other action, we may receive a commission or compensation at no additional cost to you. We only promote products or services that we genuinely believe will add value to our readers & listeners.*See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dia Bondi Guest Bio: Dia Bondi is a Communications Catalyst for high-impact people. In her private coaching and programs, she works with C-level leaders, VC-backed founders, and ambitious professionals, helping them find their voice and lead with it. Her workshops and talks are hosted by corporations including Quartz, Salesforce, Google's X-team, and Dropbox. In global sport, she helped Rio de Janeiro secure the 2016 Summer Olympics. After attending auctioneering school for fun, she translated the techniques she learned into a program that prepares ambitious professionals, and especially women, to ask for more and leave nothing on the table, called Ask Like an Auctioneer. She's been featured on CNBC Make It, Forbes, and Fast Company. Her book, Ask Like an Auctioneer: How to Ask for More and Get It, is available now.​   Key Points: Dia's Backstory & Career Path Started her career in fitness, where she loved helping people feel powerful and embodied. Then, transitioned into training and development (professional development) after college. She discovered her passion for storytelling and communication while observing a workshop for finance leaders. Dia founded Dia Bondy Communications in 2009 to help leaders and VC-backed founders communicate effectively in high-stakes moments.   "Ask Like an Auctioneer" Concept Inspired by her side work as a fundraising auctioneer. The key principle: ask big enough to get a “no”, because a “no” signals you've reached the upper limit of what's possible. In business, people often limit their asks based on what they think they can get, leaving money and opportunity on the table. Instead of selling to the first yes, push further to uncover maximum value.   Overcoming Fear of Asking Fear of rejection keeps people from asking boldly. Many assume rejection damages relationships, but often it doesn't. Leaders should teach teams that discomfort (the Zofo—Zone of Freaking Out) is a signal of courage and potential growth. Reframe rejection: it's information about value, not a judgment of personal worth.   Lessons from Auctioneering for Business & Sales · Price = a reflection of value, not worth. The same item can sell for vastly different amounts depending on the audience. · Know your “reserve.” Like an auctioneer's minimum acceptable price, know your bottom line before asking. · People are irrational. Decisions are often emotional, even in data-driven environments—so storytelling is critical.   Four Types of Asks That Drive Growth 1.     Money – dollars, budgets, contracts. 2.     Influence – visibility, access to networks, platforming yourself. 3.     Authority – positioning yourself to make important decisions. 4.     Balance – aligning deals and clients with the kind of work you actually want.   Why People Struggle with Asking Fear of rejection. Lack of clarity on what to ask for and when to ask. Sometimes people make asks that are too small, too vague, or to the wrong audience.   Framework for a Strategic Ask (first 4 of 6 steps) Define your main concrete goal. Identify the next big move toward that goal. Determine the ask that advances that move. Ensure the ask is big enough to risk rejection. Storytelling Framework: “Blocker Buster” What your audience wants. What's blocking them from achieving it? How do you remove the blockers? Your ask (to move them forward).   Big Takeaways Asking boldly is a skill that can be learned. The most powerful ask live in the Zofo—the zone of freaking out. Rejection is not failure; it's valuable feedback about what the other side values. Asking strategically, with courage and clarity, maximizes opportunities for growth, influence, and alignment.   Guest Links: Connect on LinkedInCon Connect on Instagram https://www.diabondi.com/salesology Download The Powerful Ask Plan, a free tool to help you design a strategic ask.     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus, and revenue generation experts. Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let's talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and check out our website at https://gosalesology.com/. 

The men who wrote the American constitution included its goals right there in the preamble: Establish justice. Ensure tranquility. Secure the blessings of liberty. Lately, there have been plenty of reasons to question whether that document is living up to those goals — and there's real talk of a constitutional crisis. At a moment like this, when the future looks uncertain, Harvard historian and law professor Jill Lepore is an expert at explaining why history matters. We talk to her about her latest book, "We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution."

DM “NUTRITION HACKS” To @ ColossusFitThe first 20 lbs come off with effort. The last 10? That's a game of precision, patience, and discipline.(0:00) - Intro1- (01:25) Dial in Nutrition w/ precisionTighten tracking/start trackingMeasuring cups, food scales, limit random costco snacks, kids snacks etc.“I want to lose fat but don't want to track”2- (05:17) Increase OutputIncrease steps & cardio to ensure you're in a bigger deficit3- (08:35) Ensure you're using data properlyDaily weigh-ins, weekly averagesProgress photos, measurements4 (11:51) - Utilize advanced ToolsMost important one here, the last bit of weight comes off with patience and consistency.Being honest with yourselfSet a new standardAdd in diet breaks, refeeds, reverse diets, etc as you see fit5- (14:44) Lifestyle & Recovery -Focus on sleep and stress managementCut out alcohol6- (17:13) Mindset & PatienceMost important one here, the last bit of weight comes off with patience and consistency.Being honest with yourselfSet a new standardThanks for listening! We genuinely appreciate every single one of you listening.➢Follow us on instagram @colossusfit➢Apply to get your Polished Physique: https://colossusfitness.com/

In this dynamic episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo chat with Maxine Carrington, Chief People Officer, and Matt Kurth, Deputy Chief People Officer at Northwell Health. Fresh from the ASHHRA Executive Summit in Savannah, they explore how Northwell—a powerhouse with 104,000 employees, 28 hospitals, and recent mergers like Nuvance Health—navigates massive changes while fostering a bold, people-first culture.Maxine and Matt discuss leadership transitions (including CEO Michael Dowling's retirement), Epic's largest-ever EMR rollout, UKG implementation, and digital transformation. They emphasize Northwell's mission as a "movement" to raise health standards, driven by curiosity, humility, and innovation. From HR overhauls to psychological safety via book clubs on Amy Edmondson's "The Fearless Organization," they share strategies for employee engagement and whole-family well-being.Key takeaways for healthcare HR leaders:Bold Leadership & Succession: Manage executive retirements with advisory roles and knowledge transfer for seamless transitions.Cultural Innovation: Embrace "just a little unsatisfied" mindset to drive progress; learn from failures and external partners.Employee Experience Elevation: Use AI, data nudges, and family-inclusive benefits to support whole-person health and proactive care.HR Transformation: Shift priority-setting to customers; align OKRs with operations for impactful solutions.Community Impact: Extend wellness education to households; incentivize healthy actions to catch issues early.Discover how Northwell turns challenges into opportunities, inspiring HR pros to demand innovation and accountability. A must-listen for those in healthcare leadership, employee well-being, and organizational culture.From Our Sponsors...Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefitsElevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital's own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZNStreamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcareSimplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it's your all-in-one compliance tool.Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/ Support the show

Lockboxes promise price certainty—but the clock can quietly shift value. In this episode, Mike and Ryan break down how a lockbox differs from a classic cash-free/debt-free (CF/DF) deal: fixed price as of a “lockbox date,” no post-close true-up, and a tight definition of permitted vs. non-permitted leakage. They discuss when lockboxes shine (fast closings, cleaner accounting, fewer surprises) and where sellers need to be careful (growth between lockbox date and close often accrues to the buyer). You'll get apples-to-apples comparison tips for evaluating offers, what to watch in tax escrows, and a practical way to translate excess working capital into headline price. If you've ever wrestled with working capital adjustments or wanted a cleaner close, this one's your field guide.Seller checklist:Nail down the lockbox date and permitted leakage list.Quantify excess working capital and reflect it in price.Set a close timeline—faster is safer for sellers.Align on tax items and escrow triggers.Ensure every CF/DF vs. lockbox offer is compared on the same basis. RELATED EPISODES: Episode 154: What will be your take home portion of the deal? Listen now >>Episode 123: Understanding Cash Free Debt Free in M&A Transactions. Listen now >>Episode 100: Looking back at 100 Episodes and Narrowing in on Working Capital. Listen now >>Episode 94: Navigating Undisclosed Liabilities Before, During, and After Close. Listen now >>  Listen to Shoot the Moon on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Buy, sell, or grow your tech-enabled services firm with Revenue Rocket.

Bongani Bingwa speaks to Kyle van Reenen, Ensure security spokesperson about a man was arrested on Monday around 6pm at a popular Durban restaurant on Florida Road after eating a R1,500 meal and refusing to pay, claiming he had no money. 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team bring you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa broadcast on 702: https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/36edSLV or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each episode on Unstoppable Mindset I ask all of you and my guests to feel free to introduce me to others who would be good guests on our podcast. Our guest this time, Erin Edgar, is a guest introduced to me by a past podcast guest, Rob Wentz. Rob told me that Erin is inspirational and would be interesting and that she would have a lot to offer you, our audience. Rob was right on all counts. Erin Edgar was born blind. Her parents adopted an attitude that would raise their daughter with a positive attitude about herself. She was encouraged and when barriers were put in her way as a youth, her parents helped her fight to be able to participate and thrive. For a time, she attended the Indiana School for the Blind. Her family moved to Georgia where Erin attended high school. After high school, Erin wanted to go to college where she felt there would be a supportive program that would welcome her on campus. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapple Hill. After graduating she decided to continue at UNC where she wanted to study law. The same program that gave her so much assistance during her undergraduate days was not able to provide the same services to Erin the graduate student. Even so, Erin had learned how to live, survive and obtain what she needed to go through the law program. After she received her law degree Erin began to do what she always wanted to do: She wanted to use the law to help people. So, she worked in programs such as Legal Aid in North Carolina and she also spent time as a mediator. She will describe all that for us. Like a number of people, when the pandemic began, she decided to pivot and start her own law firm. She focuses on estate planning. We have a good discussion about topics such as the differences between a will and a living trust. Erin offers many relevant and poignant thoughts and words of advice we all can find helpful. Erin is unstoppable by any standard as you will see. About the Guest: Erin Edgar, Esq., is a caring, heart-centered attorney, inspirational speaker and vocal artist. She loves helping clients: -- Plan for the future of their lives and businesses, ensuring that they have the support they need and helping them find ways to provide for their loved ones upon death. --Ensure that the leave a legacy of love and reflect client values -- Find creative ways that allow them to impact the world with a lasting legacy. She is passionate about connecting with clients on a heart level. She loves witnessing her clients as she guides them to transform their intentions for their loved ones into a lasting legacy through the estate planning process. Erin speaks about ways to meld proven legal tools, strategies, and customization with the creative process to design legal solutions that give people peace of mind, clarity, and the assurance that their loved ones will be taken care of, and the world will be left a better place Ways to connect with Erin: Facebook: https://facebook.com/erin-edgar-legal LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/erinedgar About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset. We're glad that you're here with us, wherever you may be. Hope the day is going well, and we have Erin Edgar on our episode today. Edgar is a very interesting person in a lot of ways. She's a caring, heart centered attorney. She is also an inspirational speaker and a vocal artist. I'm not sure whether vocal artistry comes into play when she's in the courtroom, but we won't worry about that too much. I assume that you don't sing to your judges when you're trying to deal with something. But anyway, I'll let her answer that. I'm just trying to cause trouble, but Erin again. We're really glad you're with us. We really appreciate you being here, and I know you do a lot with estate planning and other kinds of things that'll be fun to talk about. So welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Erin Edgar ** 02:14 Thank you, Michael. It's great to be here, and I haven't sung in a courtroom or a courthouse yet, but I wouldn't rule it out.   Michael Hingson ** 02:23 I have someone who I know who also has a guide dog and his diet. His guide dog, it's been a while since I've seen him, but his guide dog tended to be very vocal, especially at unexpected times, and he said that occasionally happened in the courtroom, which really busted up the place. Oh, dear.   Erin Edgar ** 02:45 I imagine that would draw some smiles, hopefully, smiles.   Michael Hingson ** 02:48 Well, they were, yeah, do you, do you appear in court much?   Erin Edgar ** 02:53 Um, no, the type of law that I practice, I'm usually, I don't think I've ever appeared in court after I've written people's wills, but I have done previous things where I was in court mediating disputes, which is a kind of a separate thing that I used to do, so I've been in court just not recently. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 03:17 Well, that's understandable. Well, let's start a little bit with the early Erin and growing up and all that sort of stuff. Tell us about that? Sure.   Erin Edgar ** 03:26 So I was born in cold, gray Indiana, and, yeah, chilly in the wintertime, and I started out I was blind from birth, so my parents thought it would be a good idea to send me to the school for the blind for a while. And back when I was born, um, teen years ago, they did not mainstream visually impaired and disabled students in that state, so you went where you could, and I was at the blind school for until I reached third grade, and then we moved to Georgia, and I've been in the south ever since I live in North Carolina now, and I started going to public schools in fourth grade, and continued on that route all the way up through high school.   Michael Hingson ** 04:21 Oh, okay. And so then, what did you do?   Erin Edgar ** 04:29 So after, after that, I, you know, I was one of those high school students. I really wanted to get out of dodge and leave my high school behind. I went visiting a couple of colleges in Georgia, and I said to my parents, I said, I really don't like this. It's like going to high school again. Literally, I was meeting people I had been in high school with, and I decided, and was very grateful that my parents. Were able to rig it some way so that I could go to an out of state school. And I went to UNC Chapel Hill here in North Carolina, Tar Heels all the way. And I was there for undergrad. And then I got into law school there as well, which I was very excited about, because I didn't have to go anywhere, and graduated from law school again a while ago in the early 2000s   Michael Hingson ** 05:31 Okay, and so then you went straight into law from that.   Erin Edgar ** 05:37 I didn't I did some other things before I actually went into law itself. I worked with some local advocacy organizations, and I also mediated, as I said earlier, I did mediations with the county court, helping mediate criminal disputes. And we're talking about like things with you get in a dispute with your neighbor and you yell at each other, those kind of People's Court type things. They were fun and interesting. And then I did go into law. After that, I started working with Legal Aid of North Carolina, which is a an organization that helps people in poverty who cannot afford a lawyer to go and have have their options communicated to them and some help given to them regarding their public benefits or certain other, you know, public things that we could help with we weren't able to help with any personal injury, or, you know, any of the fun stuff you see on TV. So and then, when the pandemic hit, I started my own law practice and completely changed gears and went into writing estate plans and wills for a living.   Michael Hingson ** 07:07 Do you think that your time doing mediation work and so on taught you a lot about humanity and human nature and people?   Erin Edgar ** 07:16 It did. I bet it did. It was invaluable, actually, in that area taught me a lot about, I don't know necessarily, about human nature. However, it did teach me a lot about how to talk to people who were on different pages. You know, they had, perhaps, values and principles that weren't quite the same, where they had a different way of looking at the same exact situation, and how to bring those those people together and allow them to connect on a deeper level, rather than the argument we're able to get them to agree to kind of move forward from that, so nobody has to be found guilty, right? And you know a judge doesn't have and you don't have to drag a criminal conviction around with you. I think the most rewarding cases that I had, by far were the education cases. Because I don't know if anyone knows this, but in most states, in the United States, if you don't send your kids to school, you are guilty of a crime. It's called truancy, and you can be arrested. Well, the county that I live in was very forward thinking, and the school system and the court said, that's kind of dumb. We don't want to arrest parents if their kids aren't going to school, there's something behind it. You know, there the school is not providing what the child needs. The child's acting out for some reason, and we need to get to the bottom of it. So what they did was they set up a process whereby we come in as neutral observers. We did not work for the court. We were part of a separate organization, and have a school social worker there or counselor, and also have a parent there, and they could talk through the issues. And in a lot of cases, if the children were old enough, they were teenagers, they were there, and they could talk about it from their perspective. And truly amazing things came out of those situations. We could just we would discover that the children had a behavioral issue or even a disability that had not been recognized, and were able to come up with plans to address that with you know, or the school was with our help,   Michael Hingson ** 09:42 going back a little bit, how did your parents deal with the fact that you were blind? I gather it was a fairly positive experience   Erin Edgar ** 09:50 for me. It was positive. I was so fortunate, and I'm still so grateful to this day for having parents who you. I were very forward thinking, and advocated for me to have and do whatever, not whatever I wanted, because I was far from spoiled, but, you know, whatever, yeah, yeah, you know. But whatever, however I wanted to be successful, they advocated for me. And so my mother actually told me, you know, when I was born, they went through all the parent things like, oh, gosh, what did we do wrong? You know, why is God punishing us? You know, all that. And they, very early on, found support groups for, you know, parents with children with either blindness or disabilities of some sort, and that was a great source of help to them. And as I grew up, they made every effort to ensure that I had people who could teach me, if they couldn't, you know, how to interact with other children. I think, for a while when I was very little, and I actually kind of remember this, they hired an occupational therapist to come and teach me how to play with kids, because not only was I blind, but I was an only child, so I didn't have brothers and sisters to interact with, and that whole play thing was kind of a mystery to me, and I remember it sort of vaguely, but that's just A demonstration that they wanted me to have the best life possible and to be fully integrated into the sighted world as much as possible. So when I was at the blind school, and I was in this residential environment, and there was an added bonus that my parents didn't really weren't happy in their jobs either, and they weren't happy with the education I was getting, that they decided, well, we're just going to pick up and move and that was, quite frankly, as I look back on it now, a huge risk for them. And they did it, you know, 50% for me and 50% for them, maybe even 6040, but as I look back on it now, it's another demonstration of how supportive they were, and all the way through my school age years, were very active in ensuring that I had everything that I needed and that I had the support that I needed.   Michael Hingson ** 12:19 That's cool. How did it go when you went to college at UNC?   Erin Edgar ** 12:25 Yeah, that's an interesting question, a very good question.   Michael Hingson ** 12:29 You didn't play basketball, I assume? Oh no, I figured you had other things to do.   Erin Edgar ** 12:33 Yeah, I had other stuff to do. I sang in the choir and sang with the medieval chorus group, and, you know, all this other, like, musical geek, geeky stuff. But, or, and when we were looking for colleges and universities, one of the criteria was they had to have a solid kind of, like disability, slash visually impaired center, or, you know, support staff that would help in, you know, allow people with disabilities to go through the university. So at UNC Chapel Hill, the they had as part of their student affairs department Disability Services, and it just so happened that they were very aware of accommodations that blind people needed. I wasn't the first blind student to go through undergrad there. That's not law school, that's undergrad. And so you know, how much was it? Time and a half on on tests if I was doing them on the computer, double time if I was doing them in Braille. A lot of the tests were in Braille because they had the technology to do it. And also the gentleman who ran the Disability Services Department, I think, knew Braille, if I'm not mistaken, and could transcribe if necessary. But I was at the stage at that point where I was typing most of my exams anyway, and didn't need much that was in Braille, because I had books either electronically or they had a network of folks in the community that would volunteer to read if there was not, you know, available textbooks from RFD, and what is it, RFP and D? Now was at the time, yeah, now Learning Ally, there wasn't a Bookshare at that time, so we couldn't use Bookshare, but if there weren't textbooks available, they would have people in the community who would read them for them, and they would get paid a little bit. Now, when I went to law school, it was a totally different ball game, because I was the first law student who was blind, that UNC Chapel Hill had had, and it was a different school within the school, so that student affairs department was not part of law school anymore, and we had quite a time the first semester getting my book. Works in a format that I could read them in. They did eventually, kind of broker a deal, if you will, with the publishers who were either Thompson Reuters or Westlaw at the time to get electronic versions. They were floppy disks. This is how old I am. Floppy disks. They were in this weird format. I think it was word perfect or something. Usually it was, and they   Michael Hingson ** 15:27 didn't really have a lot of them new or no, they didn't know now, newer publishing system,   Erin Edgar ** 15:32 yeah, there wasn't PDF even, I don't think, at the time. And the agreement was I could get those, and I actually had to buy the print textbooks as well. So I have this whole bookcase of law books that are virgin, unopened, almost. And they are, you know, some of them almost 25 years old, never been opened and of no use to anyone. But I have them, and they look nice sitting down there in that bookshelf antiques books. They're antiques. So the first year was a little rough, because for a while I didn't have books, and we were able to make arrangements so that I could kind of make up some classes on a later year and switch things around a little bit. And it ended up all working out really well once we got started.   Michael Hingson ** 16:16 Yeah, I remember when I was going through getting my bachelor's and master's in physics, I needed the books in braille because, well, it's the only way to be able to really deal with the subject. You can't do it nearly as well from recordings, although now there's a little bit better capability through recording, because we have the DayZ format and so on. But still, it's not the same as reading it in Braille and for mathematics and physics and so on. I think that the only way to really do it is in Braille. And we had challenges because professors didn't want to decide what books to use until the last minute, because then, oh, a new book might be coming out and we want to get the latest book, and that didn't work for me, right? Because I had a network that I, in part, I developed with the Department of Rehabilitation out here, helped our office for disabled students didn't really have the resources to know it. They were very supportive. They just didn't really deal with it. But the bottom line is that we had to develop, I had to develop the network of transcribers, but they needed three to six months to do the books, at least three months and and sometimes I would get them one or two volumes at a time, and they barely kept ahead of the class. But, you know, it worked, but professors resisted it. And my the person who ran the Office for Students with Disabilities, said, Look, you have to work on these things, but if you're not getting cooperation from professors, and you come and tell me, and I will use the power of this office to get you what you need, there's another thing you might consider doing, she said. And I said, What's that? And Jan said, Go meet the chancellor. Make friends, yeah, friends in high places. And so I did. And Dan, oh, there you go. Became pretty good friends over the years, which was pretty cool,   Erin Edgar ** 18:15 you know, it was weird because we didn't, I didn't have that problem with the professors. They were, you know, I had a couple of old codgers, but they weren't really worried about the books. They were fine with me having the books, but it was the publishers. The publishers were irritated that that I needed them, and, you know, in an alternative format. And I didn't really, I was not. I was one of those people that if someone said they were going to do something for me, I kind of let people do it. And at the time, I was really not an advocate, advocator for myself, at that time, a very good self advocate. And so I kind of let the school interface with that. I think it would have been really interesting, if I look back on it, for me to have taken a hand in that. And I wonder what would have happened well, and at this point, you know, it's neither here nor there, but that's really fascinating. Making Friends with the chancellor, sometimes you have to do stuff like that   Michael Hingson ** 19:15 well. And the idea was really to get to know Him. And what there was, well, obviously other motivations, like, if we needed to go to a higher court to get help, we could go to the chancellor. I never had to do that, but, but the reason for meeting him and getting to know him was really just to do it and to have fun doing it. So we did,   Erin Edgar ** 19:36 yeah, and I kind of had a comparable experience. I met the Dean of the Law School for that very reason. And he said, you know, if you've got trouble, come to me, my parents got involved a little bit. And we all, you know, met together and maybe even separately at some points just to make sure that I had everything that I needed at various times. Mm. Yeah, and I made friends with the some of the assistant deans at the law school, in particular because of the situation, and one of whom was the Dean of the Law School Student Affairs, who was helping me to get what I needed. And for a while, when I was in law school and beyond. He was like, We lent books to each other. It was very funny. We found out we had the same reading tastes beyond law books. It wasn't, you know, legal at all, but we were like, trading books and things. So a lot of really good relationships came out of that.   Michael Hingson ** 20:37 And I think that's extremely important to to do. And I think that's one of the things that that offices for students with disabilities that tend to want to do everything for you. I think that's one of the things that it's a problem with those offices, because if you don't learn to do them, and if you don't learn to do them in college, how are you going to be able to be able to really act independently and as an advocate after college, so you have to learn that stuff   Erin Edgar ** 21:05 Absolutely. That's a very good point.   Michael Hingson ** 21:09 So I, I think it was extremely important to do it, and we did, and had a lot of fun doing it. So it was, was good. What are some of the biggest misconceptions you think that people had about you as a blind child growing up?   Erin Edgar ** 21:25 Oh yeah, that's a great question. I think that one of the biggest misconceptions that people had about me, especially when I was younger, is that I would know I would be sort of relegated to staying at home with parents all of my life, or being a stay at home parent and not able to be kind of professionally employed and earning, you know, earning a living wage. Now, I have my own business, and that's where most of my money goes at the same at this point. So, you know, earning a living wage might be up in the air at the moment. Ha, ha. But the the one thing I think that the biggest misconception that people had, and this is even like teachers at the blind school, it was very rare for blind children of my age to grow up and be, you know, professionals in, I don't want to say high places, but like people able to support themselves without a government benefit backing them up. And it was kind of always assumed that we would be in that category, that we would be less able than our sighted peers to do that. And so that was a huge misconception, even you know, in the school that I was attending. I think that was the, really the main one and one misconception that I had then and still have today, is that if I'm blind, I can't speak for myself. This still happens today. For instance, if I'm if I want, if I'm going somewhere and I just happen to be with someone sighted, they will talk whoever I'm, wherever I'm at, they will talk to the sighted person, right? They won't talk to you. They won't talk to me. And so, for instance, simple example, if I'm somewhere with my husband, and we happen to be walking together and we go somewhere that I need to go, they will talk to him because he's guiding me, and they won't talk. And he's like, don't talk to me. I have no idea, you know, talk to her, and part of that is I'm half a step behind him. People naturally gravitate to the people that are leading. However, I noticed, even when I was a young adult, and I would go, you know, to the doctor, and I would be with my my parents, like, maybe I'm visiting them, and I need to go to the doctor, they would talk to them and not me, yeah, which is kind of sad. And I think it happens a lot, a lot more than people realize.   Michael Hingson ** 24:10 Yeah, it does. And one of my favorite stories is, is this, I got married in 1982 and my wife has always been, or had always been. She passed away in 2022 but she was always in a wheelchair. And we went to a restaurant one Saturday for breakfast. We were standing at the counter waiting to be seated, and the hostess was behind the counter, and nothing was happening. And finally, Karen said to me, she doesn't know who to talk to, you know? Because Karen, of course, is, is in a wheelchair, so actually, she's clearly shorter than this, this person behind the counter, and then there's me and and, of course, I'm not making eye contact, and so Karen just said she doesn't know who to talk to. I said, you know? All she's gotta do is ask us where we would like to sit or if we'd like to have breakfast, and we can make it work. Well, she she got the message, and she did, and the rest of the the day went fine, but that was really kind of funny, that we had two of us, and she just didn't know how to deal with either of us, which was kind of cute. Mm, hmm. Well, you know, it brings up another question. You use the term earlier, visually impaired. There's been a lot of effort over the years. A lot of the professionals, if you will, created this whole terminology of visually impaired, and they say, well, you're blind or you're visually impaired. And visually impaired means you're not totally blind, but, but you're still visually impaired. And finally, blind people, I think, are starting to realize what people who are deaf learned a long time ago, and that is that if you take take a deaf person and you refer to them as hearing impaired, there's no telling what they might do to you, because they recognize that impaired is not true and they shouldn't be equated with people who have all of their hearing. So it's deaf or hard of hearing, which is a whole lot less of an antagonistic sort of concept than hearing impaired. We're starting to get blind people, and not everyone's there yet, and we're starting to get agencies, and not every agency is there yet, to recognize that it's blind or low vision, as opposed to blind or here or visually impaired, visually impaired. What do you think about that? How does and how does that contribute to the attitudes that people had toward you?   Erin Edgar ** 26:38 Yeah, so when I was growing up, I was handicapped, yeah, there was that too, yeah, yeah, that I was never fond of that, and my mother softened it for me, saying, well, we all have our handicaps or shortcomings, you know, and but it was really, what was meant was you had Something that really held you back. I actually, I say, this is so odd. I always, I usually say I'm totally blind. Because when I say blind, the immediate question people have is, how blind are you? Yeah, which gets back to stuff, yeah, yeah. If you're blind, my opinion, if you're blind, you're you're blind, and if you have low vision, you have partial sight. And visually impaired used to be the term, you know, when I was younger, that people use, and that's still a lot. It's still used a lot, and I will use it occasionally, generally. I think that partially sighted, I have partial vision is, is what I've heard people use. That's what, how my husband refers to himself. Low Vision is also, you know, all those terms are much less pejorative than actually being impaired,   Michael Hingson ** 27:56 right? That's kind of really the issue, yeah. My, my favorite example of all of this is a past president of the National Federation of the Blind, Ken Jernigan, you've heard of him, I assume, Oh, sure. He created a document once called a definition of blindness, and his definition, he goes through and discusses various conditions, and he asks people if, if you meet these conditions, are you blind or not? But then what he eventually does is he comes up with a definition, and his definition, which I really like, is you are blind if your eyesight has decreased to the point where you have to use alternatives to full eyesight in order to function, which takes into account totally blind and partially blind people. Because the reality is that most of those people who are low vision will probably, or they may probably, lose the rest of their eyesight. And the agencies have worked so hard to tell them, just use your eyesight as best you can. And you know you may need to use a cane, but use your eyesight as best you can, and if you go blind, then we're going to have to teach you all over again, rather than starting by saying blindness is really okay. And the reality is that if you learn the techniques now, then you can use the best of all worlds.   Erin Edgar ** 29:26 I would agree with that. I would also say you should, you know, people should use what they have. Yeah, using everything you have is okay. And I think there's a lot of a lot of good to be said for learning the alternatives while you're still able to rely on something else.   Michael Hingson ** 29:49 Point taken exactly you know, because   Erin Edgar ** 29:53 as you age, you get more and more in the habit of doing things one way, and it's. Very hard to break out of that. And if you haven't learned an alternative, there's nothing you feel like. There's nothing to fall back on, right? And it's even harder because now you're in the situation of urgency where you feel like you're missing something and you're having to learn something new, whereas if you already knew it and knew different ways to rely on things you would be just like picking a memory back up, rather than having to learn something new. Well, I've never been in that position, so I can't say, but in the abstract, I think that's a good definition.   Michael Hingson ** 30:34 Well, there are a lot of examples, like, take a person who has some eyesight, and they're not encouraged to use a cane. And I know someone who was in this situation. I think I've told the story on this podcast, but he lived in New Jersey and was travel. And traveled every day from New Jersey into Philadelphia to work, and he was on a reasonably cloudy day, was walking along. He had been given a cane by the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, but he they didn't really stress the value of using it. And so he was walking along the train to go in, and he came to the place where he could turn in and go into the car. And he did, and promptly fell between two cars because he wasn't at the right place. And then the train actually started to move, but they got it stopped, and so he was okay, but as as he tells the story, he certainly used his cane from then on. Because if he had been using the cane, even though he couldn't see it well because it was dark, or not dark, cloudy, he would have been able to see that he was not at the place where the car entrance was, but rather he was at the junction between two cars. And there's so many examples of that. There's so many reasons why it's important to learn the skills. Should a partially blind or a low vision person learn to read Braille? Well, depends on circumstances, of course, I think, to a degree, but the value of learning Braille is that you have an alternative to full print, especially if there's a likelihood that you're going to lose the rest of your eyesight. If you psychologically do it now, that's also going to psychologically help you prepare better for not having any eyesight later.   Erin Edgar ** 32:20 And of course, that leads to to blind children these days learn how to read, yeah, which is another issue.   Michael Hingson ** 32:28 Which is another issue because educators are not teaching Braille nearly as much as they should, and the literacy rate is so low. And the fact of the matter is even with George Kircher, who invented the whole DAISY format and and all the things that you can do with the published books and so on. The reality is there is still something to be said for learning braille. You don't have sighted children just watching television all the time, although sometimes my parents think they do, but, but the point is that they learn to read, and there's a value of really learning to read. I've been in an audience where a blind speaker was delivering a speech, and he didn't know or use Braille. He had a device that was, I think what he actually used was a, was, it was a Victor Reader Stream, which is   Erin Edgar ** 33:24 one of those, right?   Michael Hingson ** 33:25 I think it was that it may have been something else, but the bottom line is, he had his speech written out, and he would play it through earphones, and then he would verbalize his speech. Oh, no, that's just mess me up. Oh, it would. It was very disjointed and and I think that for me, personally, I read Braille pretty well, but I don't like to read speeches at all. I want to engage the audience, and so it's really important to truly speak with the audience and not read or do any of those other kinds of things.   Erin Edgar ** 33:57 I would agree. Now I do have a Braille display that I, I use, and, you know, I do use it for speeches. However, I don't put the whole speech on   Michael Hingson ** 34:10 there that I me too. I have one, and I use it for, I know, I have notes. Mm, hmm,   Erin Edgar ** 34:16 notes, yeah. And so I feel like Braille, especially for math. You know, when you said math and physics, like, Yeah, I can't imagine doing math without Braille. That just doesn't, you know, I can't imagine it, and especially in, you know, geometry and trigonometry with those diagrams. I don't know how you would do it without a Braille textbook, but yeah, there. There's certainly something to be said for for the the wonderful navigation abilities with, you know, e published audio DAISY books. However, it's not a substitute for knowing how to   Michael Hingson ** 34:55 read. Well, how are you going to learn to spell? How are you going to really learn sit? Structure, how are you going to learn any of those basic skills that sighted kids get if you don't use Braille? Absolutely, I think that that's one of the arenas where the educational system, to a large degree, does such a great disservice to blind kids because it won't teach them Braille.   Erin Edgar ** 35:16 Agreed, agreed. Well, thank you for this wonderful spin down Braille, Braille reading lane here. That was fun.   Michael Hingson ** 35:27 Well, so getting back to you a little bit, you must have thought or realized that probably when you went into law, you were going to face some challenges. But what was the defining moment that made you decide you're going to go into law, and what kind of challenges have you faced? If you face challenges, my making an assumption, but you know what?   Erin Edgar ** 35:45 Oh, sure. So the defining moment when I decided I wanted to go into law. It was a very interesting time for me. I was teenager. Don't know exactly how old I was, but I think I was in high school, and I had gone through a long period where I wanted to, like, be a music major and go into piano and voice and be a performer in those arenas, and get a, you know, high level degree whatnot. And then I began having this began becoming very interested in watching the Star Trek television series. Primarily I was out at the time the next generation, and I was always fascinated by the way that these people would find these civilizations on these planets, and they would be at odds in the beginning, and they would be at each other's throats, and then by the end of the day, they were all kind of   Michael Hingson ** 36:43 liking each other. And John Luke Picard didn't play a flute,   Erin Edgar ** 36:47 yes, and he also turned into a Borg, which was traumatic for me. I had to rate local summer to figure out what would happen. I was in I was in trauma. Anyway, my my father and I bonded over that show. It was, it was a wonderful sort of father daughter thing. We did it every weekend. And I was always fascinated by, like, the whole, the whole aspect of different ideologies coming together. And it always seemed to me that that's what human humanity should be about. As I, you know, got older, I thought, how could I be involved in helping people come together? Oh, let's go into law. Because, you know, our government's really good at that. That was the high school student in me. And I thought at the time, I wanted to go into the Foreign Service and work in the international field and help, you know, on a net, on a you know, foreign policy level. I quickly got into law school and realized two things simultaneously in my second year, international law was very boring, and there were plenty of problems in my local community that I could help solve, like, why work on the international stage when people in my local community are suffering in some degree with something and so I completely changed my focus to wanting to work in an area where I could bring people together and work for, you know, work on an individualized level. And as I went into the legal field, that was, it was part of the reason I went into the mediation, because that was one of the things that we did, was helping people come together. I realized, though, as I became a lawyer and actually started working in the field, most of the legal system is not based on that. It's based on who has the best argument. I wanted no part of that. Yeah, I want no part of that at all. I want to bring people together. Still, the Star Trek mentality is working here, and so when I when I started my own law firm, my immediate question to myself was, how can I now that I'm out doing my own thing, actually bring people together? And the answer that I got was help families come together, especially people thinking about their end of life decisions and gathering their support team around them. Who they want to help them? If they are ever in a situation where they become ill and they can't manage their affairs, or if you know upon their death, who do they want to help them and support them. And how can I use the law to allow that to happen? And so that's how I am working, to use the law for healing and bringing people together, rather than rather than winning an argument.   Michael Hingson ** 39:59 Yeah. Yeah, well, and I think there's a lot of merit to that. I I value the law a great deal, and I I am not an attorney or anything like that, but I have worked in the world of legislation, and I've worked in the world of dealing with helping to get legislation passed and and interacting with lawyers. And my wife and I worked with an attorney to set up our our trust, and then couple of years ago, I redid it after she passed away. And so I think that there was a lot of a lot of work that attorneys do that is extremely important. Yeah, there are, there are attorneys that were always dealing with the best arguments, and probably for me, the most vivid example of that, because it was so captivating when it happened, was the whole OJ trial back in the 1990s we were at a county fair, and we had left going home and turned on the radio, only To hear that the police were following OJ, and they finally arrested him. And then when the trial occurred, we while I was working at a company, and had a radio, and people would would come around, and we just had the radio on, and followed the whole trial. And it was interesting to see all the manipulation and all the movement, and you're right. It came down to who had the best argument, right or wrong?   Erin Edgar ** 41:25 The bloody glove. If it doesn't fit, you must acquit. Yeah, yep, I remember that. I remember where I was when they arrested him, too. I was at my grandparents house, and we were watching it on TV. My grandfather was captivated by the whole thing. But yes, there's certainly, you know, some manipulation. There's also, there are also lawyers who do a lot of good and a lot of wonderful things. And in reality, you know, most cases don't go to trial. They're settled in some way. And so, you know, there isn't always, you know, who has the best argument. It's not always about that, right? And at the same time, that is, you know, what the system is based on, to some extent. And really, when our country was founded, our founding fathers were a bunch of, like, acted in a lot of ways, like a bunch of children. If you read books on, you know, the Constitution, it was, it was all about, you know, I want this in here, and I want that in here. And, you know, a lot of argument around that, which, of course, is to be expected. And many of them did not expect our country's government to last beyond their lifetimes. Uh, James Madison was the exception, but all the others were like, Ed's going to fail. And yet, I am very, very proud to be a lawyer in this country, because while it's not perfect, our founding documents actually have a lot of flexibility and how and can be interpreted to fit modern times, which is, I think the beauty of them and exactly what the Founders intended for.   Michael Hingson ** 43:15 Yeah, and I do think that some people are taking advantage of that and causing some challenges, but that's also part of our country and part of our government. I like something Jimmy Carter once said, which was, we must adjust to changing times while holding to unwavering principles. And I think absolutely that's the part that I think sometimes is occasionally being lost, that we forget those principles, or we want to manipulate the principles and make them something that they're not. But he was absolutely right. That is what we need to do, and we can adjust to changing times without sacrificing principles. Absolutely.   Erin Edgar ** 43:55 I firmly believe that, and I would like to kind of turn it back to what we were talking about before, because you actually asked me, What are some challenges that I have faced, and if it's okay with you, I would like to get back to that. Oh, sure. Okay. Well, so I have faced some challenges for you know, to a large extent, though I was very well accommodated. I mean, the one challenge with the books that was challenging when I took the bar exam, oh, horror of horrors. It was a multiple, multiple shot deal, but it finally got done. However, it was not, you know, my failing to pass the first time or times was not the fault of the actual board of law examiners. They were very accommodating. I had to advocate for myself a little bit, and I also had to jump through some hoops. For example, I had to bring my own person to bubble in my responses on the multiple choice part, it. And bring my own person in to kind of monitor me while I did the essay portion. But they allowed me to have a computer, they allowed me to have, you know, the screen reader. They allowed me to have time and a half to do the the exam. And so we're accommodating in that way. And so no real challenges there. You know, some hoops to jump through. But it got all worked out.   Michael Hingson ** 45:23 And even so, some of that came about because blind people actually had to go all the way to the Supreme Court. Yes, the bar to the Bar Association to recognize that those things needed to be that way,   Erin Edgar ** 45:37 absolutely. And so, you know, I was lucky to come into this at a time where that had already been kind of like pre done for me. I didn't have to deal with that as a challenge. And so the only other challenges I had, some of them, were mine, like, you know, who's going to want to hire this blind person? Had a little bit of, you know, kind of challenge there, with that mindset issue for a while there, and I did have some challenges when I was looking for employment after I'd worked for legal aid for a while, and I wanted to move on and do something else. And I knew I didn't want to work for a big, big firm, and I would, I was talking to some small law firms about hiring me, small to mid size firms. And I would get the question of, well, you're blind, so what kind of accommodations do you need? And we would talk about, you know, computer, special software to make a talk, you know, those kinds of things. And it always ended up that, you know, someone else was hired. And I can, you know, I don't have proof that the blindness and the hesitancy around hiring a disabled person or a blind person was in back of that decision. And at the same time, I had the sense that there was some hesitation there as well, so that, you know, was a bit of a challenge, and starting my own law firm was its own challenge, because I had to experiment with several different software systems to Find one that was accessible enough for me to use. And the system I'm thinking about in particular, I wouldn't use any other system, and yet, I'm using practically the most expensive estate planning drafting system out there, because it happens to be the most accessible. It's also the most expensive. Always that. There's always that. And what's it called? I'm curious. It's called wealth Council, okay, wealth. And then the word councils, Council, SEL, and it's wonderful. And the folks there are very responsive. If I say something's not accessible, I mean, they have fixed things for me in the past. Isn't that great? And complain, isn't that wonderful? It is wonderful. And that's, that's awesome. I had a CRM experience with a couple of different like legal CRM software. I used one for a while, and it was okay. But then, you know, everyone else said this other one was better and it was actually less accessible. So I went back to the previous one, you know. So I have to do a lot of my own testing, which is kind of a challenge in and of itself. I don't have people testing software for me. I have to experiment and test and in some cases, pay for something for a while before I realize it's not, you know, not worth it. But now I have those challenges pretty much ironed out. And I have a paralegal who helps me do some things that, like she proof reads my documents, for instance, because otherwise there may be formatting things that I'm not, that I miss. And so I have the ability to have cited assistance with things that I can't necessarily do myself, which is, you know, absolutely fine,   Michael Hingson ** 49:04 yeah. Now, do you use Lexus? Is it accessible?   Erin Edgar ** 49:08 I don't need Lexus, yeah, yeah. I mean, I have, I'm a member of the Bar Association, of my, my state bar association, which is not, not voluntary. It's mandatory. But I'm a member primarily because they have a search, a legal search engine that they work with that we get for free. I mean, with our members, there you go. So there you go. So I don't need Lexus or West Law or any of those other search engines for what I do. And if I was, like, really into litigation and going to court all time and really doing deep research, I would need that. But I don't. I can use the one that they have, that we can use so and it's, it's a entirely web based system. It's fairly accessible   Michael Hingson ** 49:58 well, and. That makes it easier to as long as you've got people's ears absolutely make it accessible, which makes a lot of sense.   Erin Edgar ** 50:08 Yeah, it certainly does well.   Michael Hingson ** 50:10 So do you regard yourself as a resilient person? Has blindness impacted that or helped make that kind of more the case for you? Do you think I do resilience is such an overused term, but it's fair. I know   Erin Edgar ** 50:24 I mean resilience is is to my mind, a resilient person is able to face uh, challenges with a relatively positive outlook in and view a challenge as something to be to be worked through rather than overcome, and so yes, I do believe that blindness, in and of itself, has allowed me to find ways to adapt to situations and pivot in cases where, you know, I need to find an alternative to using a mouse. For instance, how would I do that? And so in other areas of life, I am, you know, because I'm blind, I'm able to more easily pivot into finding alternative solutions. I do believe that that that it has made me more resilient.   Michael Hingson ** 51:25 Do you think that being blind has caused you, and this is an individual thing, because I think that there are those who don't. But do you think that it's caused you to learn to listen better?   Erin Edgar ** 51:39 That's a good question, because I actually, I have a lot of sighted friends, and one of the things that people just assume is that, wow, you must be a really good listener. Well, my husband would tell you that's not always the case. Yeah. My wife said the same thing, yeah. You know, like everyone else, sometimes I hear what I want to hear in a conversation and at the same time, one of the things that I do tell people is that, because I'm blind, I do rely on other senses more, primarily hearing, I would say, and that hearing provides a lot of cues for me about my environment, and I've learned to be more skillful at it. So I, I would say that, yes, I am a good listener in terms of my environment, very sensitive to that in in my environment, in terms of active listening to conversations and being able to listen to what's behind what people say, which is another aspect of listening. I think that that is a skill that I've developed over time with conscious effort. I don't think I'm any better of a quote, unquote listener than anybody else. If I hadn't developed that primarily in in my mediation, when I was doing that, that was a huge thing for us, was to be able to listen, not actually to what people were saying, but what was behind what people were saying, right? And so I really consciously developed that skill during those years and took it with me into my legal practice, which is why I am very, very why I very much stress that I'm not only an attorney, but I'm also a counselor at law. That doesn't mean I'm a therapist, but it does mean I listen to what people say so that and what's behind what people say, so that with the ear towards providing them the legal solution that meets their needs as they describe them in their words.   Michael Hingson ** 53:47 Well, I think for me, I learned to listen, but it but it is an exercise, and it is something that you need to practice, and maybe I learned to do it a little bit better, because I was blind. For example, I learned to ride a bike, and you have to learn to listen to what's going on around you so you don't crash into cars. Oh, but I'd fall on my face. You can do it. But what I what I really did was, when I was I was working at a company, and was told that the job was going to be phased out because I wasn't a revenue producer, and the company was an engineering startup and had to bring in more revenue producers. And I was given the choice of going away or going into sales, which I had never done. And as I love to tell people, I lowered my standards and went from science to sales. But the reality is that that I think I've always and I think we all always sell in one way or another, but I also knew what the unemployment rate among employable blind people was and is, yeah, and so I went into sales with with no qualms. But there I really learned to listen. And and it was really a matter of of learning to commit, not just listen, but really learning to communicate with the people you work with. And I think that that I won't say blindness made me better, but what it did for me was it made me use the technologies like the telephone, perhaps more than some other people. And I did learn to listen better because I worked at it, not because I was blind, although they're related   Erin Edgar ** 55:30 exactly. Yeah, and I would say, I would 100% agree I worked at it. I mean, even when I was a child, I worked at listening to to become better at, kind of like analyzing my environment based on sounds that were in it. Yeah, I wouldn't have known. I mean, it's not a natural gift, as some people assume, yeah, it's something you practice and you have to work at. You get to work at.   Michael Hingson ** 55:55 Well, as I point out, there are people like SEAL Team Six, the Navy Seals and the Army Rangers and so on, who also practice using all of their senses, and they learn, in general, to become better at listening and other and other kinds of skills, because they have to to survive, but, but that's what we all do, is if we do it, right, we're learning it. It's not something that's just naturally there, right? I agree, which I think is important. So you're working in a lot of estate planning and so on. And I mentioned earlier that we it was back in 1995 we originally got one, and then it's now been updated, but we have a trust. What's the difference between having, like a trust and a will?   Erin Edgar ** 56:40 Well, that's interesting that you should ask. So A will is the minimum that pretty much, I would say everyone needs, even though 67% of people don't have one in the US. And it is pretty much what everyone needs. And it basically says, you know, I'm a, I'm a person of sound mind, and I know who is important to me and what I have that's important to me. And I wanted to go to these people who are important to me, and by the way, I want this other person to manage things after my death. They're also important to me and a trust, basically, there are multiple different kinds of trusts, huge numbers of different kinds. And the trust that you probably are referring to takes the will to kind of another level and provides more direction about about how to handle property and how how it's to be dealt with, not only after death, but also during your lifetime. And trusts are relatively most of them, like I said, there are different kinds, but they can be relatively flexible, and you can give more direction about how to handle that property than you can in a will, like, for instance, if you made an estate plan and your kids were young, well, I don't want my children to have access to this property until they're responsible adults. So maybe saying, in a trust until they're age 25 you can do that, whereas in a will, you it's more difficult to do that.   Michael Hingson ** 58:18 And a will, as I understand it, is a lot more easily contested than than a trust.   Erin Edgar ** 58:24 You know, it does depend, but yes, it is easily contested. That's not to say that if you have a trust, you don't need a will, which is a misconception that some, yeah, we have a will in our trust, right? And so, you know, you need the will for the court. Not everyone needs a trust. I would also venture to say that if you don't have a will on your death, the law has ideas about how your property should be distributed. So if you don't have a will, you know your property is not automatically going to go to the government as unclaimed, but if you don't have powers of attorney for your health care and your finance to help you out while you're alive, you run the risk of the A judge appointing someone you would not want to make your health care and financial decisions. And so I'm going to go off on a tangent here. But I do feel very strongly about this, even blind people who and disabled people who are, what did you call it earlier, the the employable blind community, but maybe they're not employed. They don't have a lot of   Michael Hingson ** 59:34 unemployed, unemployed, the unemployable blind people, employable   Erin Edgar ** 59:38 blind people, yes, you know, maybe they're not employed, they're on a government benefit. They don't have a lot of assets. Maybe they don't necessarily need that will. They don't have to have it. And at the same time, if they don't have those, those documents that allow people to manage their affairs during their lifetime. Um, who's going to do it? Yeah, who's going to do that? Yeah, you're giving up control of your body, right, potentially, to someone you would not want, just because you're thinking to yourself, well, I don't need a will, and nothing's going to happen to me. You're giving control of your body, perhaps, to someone you don't want. You're not taking charge of your life and and you are allowing doctors and hospitals and banks to perpetuate the belief that you are not an independent person, right? I'm very passionate about it. Excuse me, I'll get off my soapbox now. That's okay. Those are and and to a large extent, those power of attorney forms are free. You can download them from your state's website. Um, they're minimalistic. They're definitely, I don't use them because I don't like them for my state. But you can get you can use them, and you can have someone help you fill them out. You could sign them, and then look, you've made a decision about who's going to help you when you're not able to help yourself,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:07 which is extremely important to do. And as I mentioned, we went all the way and have a trust, and we funded the trust, and everything is in the trust. But I think that is a better way to keep everything protected, and it does provide so much more direction for whoever becomes involved, when, when you decide to go elsewhere, then, as they put it, this mortal coil. Yes, I assume that the coil is mortal. I don't know.   Erin Edgar ** 1:01:37 Yeah, who knows? Um, and you know trusts are good for they're not just for the Uber wealthy, which is another misconception. Trust do some really good things. They keep your situation, they keep everything more or less private, like, you know, I said you need a will for the court. Well, the court has the will, and it most of the time. If you have a trust, it just says, I want it to go, I want my stuff to go into the Michael hingson Trust. I'm making that up, by the way, and I, you know, my trust just deals with the distribution, yeah, and so stuff doesn't get held up in court. The court doesn't have to know about all the assets that you own. It's not all public record. And that's a huge, you know, some people care. They don't want everyone to know their business. And when I tell people, you know, I can go on E courts today and pull up the estate of anyone that I want in North Carolina and find out what they owned if they didn't have a will, or if they just had a will. And people like, really, you can do that? Oh, absolutely, yeah. I don't need any fancy credentials. It's all a matter of public record. And if you have a trust that does not get put into the court record unless it's litigated, which you know, it does happen, but not often,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:56 but I but again, I think that, you know, yeah, and I'm not one of those Uber wealthy people. But I have a house. We we used to have a wheelchair accessible van for Karen. I still have a car so that when I need to be driven somewhere, rather than using somebody else's vehicle, we use this and those are probably the two biggest assets, although I have a bank account with with some in it, not a lot, not nearly as much as Jack Benny, anyway. But anyway, the bottom line is, yeah, but the bottom line is that I think that the trust keeps everything a lot cleaner. And it makes perfect sense. Yep, it does. And I didn't even have to go to my general law firm that I usually use. Do we cheat them? Good, and how so it worked out really well. Hey, I watched the Marx Brothers. What can I say?   Erin Edgar ** 1:03:45 You watch the Marx Brothers? Of course.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:49 Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been a lot of fun, and I'm glad that we did it and that we also got to talk about the whole issue of wills and trusts and so on, which is, I think, important. So any last things that you'd like to say to people, and also, do you work with clients across the country or just in North Carolina?   Erin Edgar ** 1:04:06 So I work with clients in North Carolina, I will say that. And one last thing that I would like to say to people is that it's really important to build your support team. Whether you're blind, you know, have another disability, you need people to help you out on a day to day basis, or you decide that you want people to help you out. If you're unable to manage your affairs at some point in your life, it's very important to build that support team around you, and there is nothing wrong. You can be self reliant and still have people on your team yes to to be there for you, and that is very important. And there's absolutely no shame, and you're not relinquishing your independence by doing that. That. So today, I encourage everyone to start thinking about who's on your team. Do you want them on your team? Do you want different people on your team? And create a support team? However that looks like, whatever that looks like for you, that has people on it that you know, love and trust,   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:18 everybody should have a support team. I think there is no question, at least in my mind, about that. So good point. Well, if people want to maybe reach out to you, how do they do that?   Erin Edgar ** 1:05:29 Sure, so I am on the interwebs at Erin Edgar legal.com that's my website where you can learn more about my law firm and all the things that I do,   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:42 and Erin is E r i n, just Yes, say that Edgar, and   Erin Edgar ** 1:05:45 Edgar is like Edgar. Allan Poe, hopefully less scary, and you can find the contact information for me on the website. By Facebook, you can find me on Facebook occasionally as Erin Baker, Edgar, three separate words, that is my personal profile, or you can and Michael will have in the show notes the company page for my welcome as   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:11 well. Yeah. Well, thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening. This has been a fun episode. It's been great to have Erin on, love to hear your thoughts out there who have been listening to this today. Please let us know what you think. You're welcome to email me at Michael H i@accessibe.com M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, or go to our podcast page, www, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, I wherever you're listening, please give us a five star rating. We really appreciate getting good ratings from people and reading and getting to know what you think. If you know anyone who you think might be a good guest, you know some people you think ought to come on unstoppable mindset. Erin, of course, you as well. We would appreciate it if you'd give us an introduction, because we're always looking for more people to have come on and help us show everyone that we're all more unstoppable than we think we are, and that's really what it's all about, and what we want to do on the podcast. So hope that you'll all do that, and in the meanwhile, with all that, Erin, I want to thank you once more for being here and being with us today. This has been a lot of fun. Thank you so much,   Erin Edgar ** 1:07:27 Michael. I very much enjoyed it.   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:34 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite

Festival-related sales on e-commerce platforms are off to strong start, recording Rs 60,700 crore in the first week. Moreover, the government is working to ensure that GST rate reductions are passed on to consumers. Post-Diwali IPOs are expected to raise about $4.5 billion, with prominent issues include Groww and Lenskart.

Ty McBride comes from a long line of builders, but his grandfather urged him to forge his own path. Ty initially chased success by landing massive historic preservation contracts, only to find himself running a high-stress, low-profit “train wreck.” A sudden pivot during the pandemic pushed him back to his local community, where listening to his neighbors revealed a massive, unsolved problem: wood rot. This discovery led him to build a new business around a specialized epoxy repair service, turning a simple idea into a highly profitable and scalable national franchise.In this interview with Ryan Atkinson, Ty shares the business strategy that turned his company around. He explains how to dominate a niche business with a "mile deep, inch wide" approach, why true success lies in profitability, not just revenue, and how the "just ship it" mindset is crucial for starting a business. Don't miss these hard-won lessons on building a resilient home services company from the ground up.Takeaways:- Focus on Profit, Not Just Revenue: Build a sustainable business by prioritizing profitability from day one. As Ty states, "Revenue is for vanity, profit's for sanity."- Go a "Mile Deep and an Inch Wide": Dominate your market by becoming a specialist in a specific niche. This focus allows you to build better systems, charge premium prices, and become the go-to expert.- Adopt the "Just Ship It" Mentality: Overcome the fear of starting by taking action before you feel 100% ready. Securing the work first and then figuring out the perfect solution is a powerful way to launch your business.- Listen for Your Biggest Opportunities: Your customers' small, recurring problems can reveal massive gaps in the market. By listening carefully, you can identify a high-demand service that competitors have overlooked.- Big Contracts Can Be a Trap: Chasing the largest jobs isn't always the best business strategy. A model built on smaller, more profitable, and repeatable services can lead to greater financial stability and less stress.- Systematize One Thing Before You Diversify: Master and create efficient systems for your core service before you even consider adding another. Ensure your business can run smoothly without you before expanding your offerings.- Solve the Root Problem, Not the Symptom: A true expert digs deeper than a customer's initial request. By identifying the real underlying issue, you provide more value and build stronger trust.- Use Low-Cost Marketing to Start Lean: You can launch a successful home service business with a small budget. Targeted, "boots-on-the-ground" tactics like designing door hangers and canvassing ideal neighborhoods are highly effective for customer acquisition.- Embrace the Pivot: Be prepared to change your business model. Ty's most successful venture came after a forced pivot, proving that adaptability is essential for long-term success.- Build Your Own Legacy: Even if an opportunity in a family business exists, the greatest growth and fulfillment often come from accepting the challenge to build something entirely your own.Tags: Home Services, Entrepreneurship, Niche Business, Epoxy Floor, Profitability, RemodellingResources:Grow your business today: https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast Connect with Ty: https://www.instagram.com/tymcbrideok/?hl=en

Over the past few years, I've heard several people suggest that "blogging is dead." However, one of my favorite coaching clients earns her primary income from her blog and also hosts retreats and an annual conference for an entire community of food bloggers who earn an income from their blogging efforts. So I invited my client, Megan Porta, and asked her the question, "Can you still make money blogging in 2025?" Short answer: Yes. It's doable. It looks different than it did a decade ago. It requires real passion, patience, and a focus on what serves readers right now. Below are thorough show notes to meet you exactly where you are. If you want to start or revive a blog as a real income stream, these notes double as a step-by-step primer. What This Episode Covers Why blogging still pays when you pair patience with passion Megan has seen brand-new bloggers “crushing it.” The difference now is you cannot fake it. Your readers and Google both know when you do. Authenticity wins. The fastest realistic path to first income Join a quality ad network once your traffic qualifies. We name the two big players and their current thresholds. We also discuss why Google SEO and Pinterest are still the two traffic pillars that move the needle. Niching way down to win Broad “everything” blogs struggle today. Specific sub-niches serve specific people and get rewarded. Think “vegan cakes” instead of “vegan.” The love for your topic has to show up in every post. The collaboration playbook for early momentum Smart email list swaps. Contributing value inside the right Facebook groups without spamming. How one helpful post can put a niche creator “on the map” in months. Income beyond ads Digital products. Memberships. Sponsorships. How to think about affiliate income post-HCU and what still works if you are selective. Platform and tech choices that save you pain Why WordPress.org with solid hosting is still the move. Why a VPS and proactive security matter. Real-world cautionary tales about updates, backups, and malware. Key Takeaways and Insights 1) Yes, you can still get paid to blog. The bar is higher. If you bring patience and genuine expertise, you can absolutely build an income today. People starting in the last year or two are succeeding. The difference is the landscape. Authenticity and user value must drive your strategy. 2) Niche inside the niche Winning examples are laser-specific. Pick a tight segment of a larger category, then become unmistakably helpful to that reader. This is how you break through and build trust. 3) Traffic plan: SEO and Pinterest first To qualify for premium ad networks, prioritize traffic that comes from search and Pinterest. Current thresholds discussed in the episode: Mediavine at roughly 50,000 sessions per month and Raptive at roughly 100,000 pageviews per month. Build to those numbers, then let ad RPMs start compounding. 4) Collaboration without spam Use email list collaborations. Show up consistently inside large, topic-relevant Facebook groups. Earn trust by answering questions with real substance. This moves traffic quickly when your niche is dialed in. 5) Create on-topic, helpful content Google's Helpful Content updates pushed bloggers to stay tightly aligned with user intent. Keep posts on point for your niche. Tangential personal stories and off-topic content dilute perceived expertise and can hurt discoverability. 6) Monetization mix that works in 2025 Display Ads once you hit network thresholds. This becomes semi-passive as your library grows. Digital Products as quick wins: ebooks, guides, weekly prep plans. These are simple to produce and match your audience's immediate needs. Memberships if your audience is invested. Price points in food niches commonly range from about 5 to 20 dollars per month, often for ad-free experiences or exclusive content. Tech options include WordPress setups and hosted communities such as Circle, Skool, Slack, Discord, Mighty Networks, and niche tools like Member Kitchens. Sponsorships when you can articulate your audience's value. Niche reach can beat raw follower counts if you understand a sponsor's acquisition economics and lifetime value. Affiliate Income is trickier after recent updates. It can still work at higher commissions or with premium offers. Treat it as a supplemental play, not your core plan. 7) Stack the tech in your favor Choose WordPress.org for full control, proven SEO flexibility, and extensibility. Invest in good hosting. A VPS with strong uptime guarantees is worth it. Expect to pay roughly 89 to 150 dollars per month for reliability that protects your revenue. Treat security and backups as non-negotiables. Plugins and themes require regular updates. Malware exploits often come from simple neglect. Have a pro who can restore fast. This avoids losing days or weeks or years of content. Practical Playbook Phase 1. Choose a narrow niche and validate demand List ten posts your ideal reader would save today. Ensure all are tightly aligned with one outcome your niche cares about. Keep stories and extras on-topic so Google sees topical authority. Phase 2. Protect the asset Run WordPress.org on a reliable VPS and keep everything updated. Assign backups and security to a pro so you do not risk outages or data loss. Phase 3. Build a traffic engine Publish high-quality posts that answer exact questions your audience asks. Optimize for search and create Pinterest assets for each post. Aim for Mediavine or Raptive thresholds to unlock ad revenue. Phase 4. Accelerate through collaboration Join large, relevant Facebook groups. Contribute substantial answers that stand on their own. Start tasteful email list collaborations for quick, qualified traffic. Phase 5. Layer monetization Add an easy digital product that solves a specific use case. Test a simple membership once engagement is strong. Pitch sponsors when you can quantify your audience's fit and value. About My Guest Megan Porta has been blogging since 2010 and runs Eat Blog Talk, a podcast and community that supports food bloggers who want to grow and monetize. She is a strong voice for focus, patience, and authenticity in a space that has evolved dramatically. Resources Mentioned Megan's sites: PipAndEbby.com and EatBlogTalk.com. Megan welcomes follow-up questions at megan@eatblogtalk.com. Ad networks: Mediavine, Raptive, once you meet their traffic thresholds. Community and membership tools: Circle, Skool, Slack, Discord, Mighty Networks, Member Kitchens. Platform: WordPress.org with quality hosting and a VPS. I'm Here To Help! If you want help in building your own online business, send me a short note about your business dream and where you feel stuck. I will point you to the most useful next step, whether that is a free resource, a workshop, or coaching with me. My email is cliff@cliffravenscraft.com.

Louie is an editor at Disruptive Media, so repurposing media content is his jam. There really is nothing he doesn´t know about turning a single episode into dozens of pieces of compelling content for you to post across multiple platforms, so you can build your audience. So, strap in and let Louie tell you about every last nugget that you can get out of a single podcast episode to enable you to maximise your reach. This approach enables you to record once, then profit endlessly from every single episode. Want to get into podcasting but need a little push? Join our 3-day Podcasting event in Peterborough! – Get in touch for details! Use email: podcast@disruptivemedia.co.uk Episode Takeaways Cut-down snippets released throughout the week on platforms like TikTok and Instagram tempt people to listen to the full episode. Plan some of your snippets beforehand and include them when you record an episode. Finding snappy moments in an interview episode can be tricky, but Louie provides some great ways to create and find those golden nuggets. Ensure your camera framing provides enough headroom and chin room and that you are centred in the frame—this makes it much easier to create high-quality, engaging social clips. Check your guests' positioning too. Keep at it, keep feeding the algorithm - some things will fail, others will go viral. Add subtitles to your clips, transitions, glitches, pattern interrupts and graphics. You have seconds to grab and hold someone´s attention, all of these elements help with that. BEST MOMENTS “At the agency, when someone sends in a full length, 20-minute-long episode, we will create 7 social media clips out of that.” “Look at your favourite YouTubers or podcasters to see how they do it and try and copy their style and emulate certain elements.” “Consider what your content looks like, and think, would I watch this myself? .” "Try and plan them (snippets) into your recording. As I write the script for this episode, I will think about what my end content needs to be.” EPISODE RESOURCES Rob Moore´s channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLtKal0qTf3klDUr7JS_L9Q VALUABLE RESOURCES Website - https://disruptivemedia.co.uk Want to get into podcasting but need a little push? Join our 3-day Podcasting event in Peterborough! – Get in touch for details. Use email: podcast@disruptivemedia.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Louie Rider https://www.linkedin.com/in/louie-rider1403/  CONNECT & CONTACT Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/disruptivemedia LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/disruptive-media-uk YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivemediauk Email: Podcast@disruptivemedia.co.uk

Subscribe and listen its your revolution. A True Love Revolution that will empower you with abundance, love, happiness, wisdom, success, and unparalleled motivational inspirations. Join us as we build Ultimate Global #Peace2025, a movement of 8 billion+ souls uniting for a future of unprecedented joy. Watch this Today's LIVE broadcast now: https://youtu.be/ECF2Uh_LLwkThe World is Waiting just for YOU.The Global Peace Network (GPBNet) is igniting an unstoppable wave of peace worldwide, and your unique energy is the missing piece. Imagine a world where peace isn't just a dream, but a tangible reality in your country, built by you. Our proposal, "FROM ZERO TO BILLIONS," offers a direct, actionable strategy, rooted in proven historical successes and amplified by GPBNet's unparalleled global resources.A Nation at Peace, Built by Us: Your Legacy Begins Today.We envision a local political entity, a "Peace Party," dedicated to lasting national peace. This party will forge powerful coalitions across every sector of society, driven by GPBNet's data-driven, community-centric approach to sustainable peace. Why a Peace Party? Because it provides the vital infrastructure to:Legitimize and amplify your voice: Directly influence policy and legislation.Mobilize on an unprecedented scale: Engage citizens in the political process like never before.Secure sustained funding: Channel resources directly into impactful peace-building initiatives.Establish a permanent presence: Ensure long-term commitment to peace, far beyond fleeting campaigns.Formalize coalitions: Create binding agreements with diverse stakeholders, ensuring unity and purpose.Your Strategy for Global Impact: Empower, Build, Ensure.REGISTER PEACE PARTY NOW: Initiate the legal process to register GPBNet as a local political organization. This is your first step towards monumental change.ORCHESTRATE A NATIONAL #PEACE2025 RALLY: The global #Peace2025 movement is gaining unstoppable momentum – and we need only YOU! Whether you're an individual, group, or organization, mobilize your community daily and raise vital funds through GPBNet with Peace Rallies already confirmed in:Kenya: November 21

Step 10 in the Home-Selling Process: Closing Day – Handing Over the Keys

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” That is possibly one of Stephen Covey's most famous quotes. It's at the heart of almost all time management and productivity advice today. It addresses one of the biggest challenges today—the cycle of focusing on the urgent at the expense of working on the important. If you focus on the urgent, all you get is more urgent stuff. If you focus on the important, you reduce the urgent stuff.  It's all about priorities, and that's what we're looking at today.  You can subscribe to this podcast on:  Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | TUNEIN Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin The Time-Based Productivity Course Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Time Sector System 5th Year Anniversary The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 387 Hello, and welcome to episode 387 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  There are two natural laws of time management and productivity that, for one reason or another, are frequently forgotten, and yet they are immutable and permanent, and you or I cannot change them. They are: You can only do one thing at a time, and anything you do requires time.  When you understand this and internalise it, you can create a solid time management and productivity system based on your needs and what you consider important.  This doesn't change at any time in your life. When we are young and dependent on our parents, these natural laws still hold true.  These laws are still then when we retire from the workforce and perhaps gain a little more agency over our time. You can take the time to landscape your garden and travel the world, yet you cannot do both simultaneously.  Even if you are fortunate enough to be able to afford to hire a landscape gardener to do the bulk of the heavy lifting for you, you will still need time to plan what you want done and find the right landscaper.  What this means is every day you have a puzzle to solve. What to do with the time you have available that day.  And the secret to getting good at solving this daily puzzle is to know what your priorities are. And that is where a little foresight and thought can help you quickly make the right decisions.  And that neatly brings us to this week's question, which means it's time for me now to hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice.  This week's question comes from Mel. Mel asks, Hi Carl, I've followed you for some time now and would love to know your thoughts on prioritising your day. I have family commitments and work full-time, and I often struggle to fit everything in. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Hi Mel, Thank you for your question.  I must confess it took me many years to understand these natural laws. Like most people, I felt I could get anything done on time, that I had plenty of time to fit in more meetings, accept more demands on my time, and still have time to spend with my family and friends.  Yet, I never managed to accept more meetings and requests, meet my commitments, and spend quality time with the people I cared about.  I found myself working until 2:00 am most days and starting earlier and earlier each day to keep my promises.  And, like most people, I thought all I needed to do was to find another productivity tool. A new app would surely solve my time problems.  This was at the height of the “hustle culture” trend ten to fifteen years ago. It was all about working more and more hours. I fell into the trap of believing that to be successful, all I had to do was throw more hours at the problem.  Well, that didn't work out. All that happened was I felt tired all day, and my productivity fell like a brick.  It felt good to work until one or two in the morning. I felt I was doing what I needed to do to be successful. Yet, I conveniently forgot I was having to take naps throughout the day, and when I was awake, I procrastinated like I was in the Olympic procrastination final.  And all those new tools I was constantly downloading, looking for the Holy Grail of productivity apps, meant I had tasks, events and information all over the place, which required a lot of wasted time trying to find where I had put the latest world-changing idea.  What I was doing was violating the laws of time.  You can only do one thing at a time, and everything you do requires time.  The lightbulb moment was realising that I had a limited amount of time each day, which meant that if I was to get the most important things done each day, I needed to know the most important things.  Here's what's important to you. The promises you make to other people, particularly those you make to the people closest to you.  And it doesn't matter who you are. Anything you promise you will do for another person becomes a priority.  On a personal level, this means if you promise your daughter that you will take her to the theme park on Sunday, you don't look for ways to get out of it because your boss asked you to finish a report and have it on her desk Monday at 8:30 am.  You take your daughter to the theme park, and you negotiate with your boss. If your boss won't negotiate, you find a way to finish the report before Sunday, so when you do take your daughter to the theme park, you are 100% committed and present.  Meetings you have committed to are a promise. It's a promise that you will be in a given place at a specific time. Once you have confirmed the meeting, you're committed and, except for exceptional circumstances—illness, for example—you turn up on time.  When you treat your promises as a commitment you cannot break, you start to see that your time is limited.  It's limited because no matter what, you get twenty-four hours a day, and that's it.  Now, it's a little more complicated than that. We are human beings, and an inconvenient truth about being human is that we need a certain amount of sleep each day to perform. Without enough sleep, you will discover what I discovered when I was all in on the hustle culture: Your productivity drops significantly.  You might think you are working sixteen to eighteen hours a day. Yet, your output will have dropped, and your results will only be as if you have been working eight to ten hours.  There are other factors too. A poor diet and a lack of movement will also significantly lower your performance and overall productivity.  In the end, when you think you can fit everything in and continue to say yes to every request, “Your ego is writing checks your body can't cash”, as Stinger said to Maverick in the movie Top Gun.  You will quickly find you're making promises you cannot keep because you're constantly tired, not in the mood and letting the people around you down.  Prioritising your day starts with you. The first thirty minutes of the day should be focused on you and the things you enjoy. That could be a freshly brewed cup of tea, ten minutes of meditation, a few light stretches, or a few moments writing your thoughts down in a journal.  I know many of you may have young kids; if they are waking up with you, could you engage in some quiet activities that involve them? Perhaps you could sit quietly together and read a real book or do some light exercise together.  Next, come your confirmed appointments. When are they, and where do you need to be? These appointments give you structure to your day. You've committed to them, so you are now obliged to turn up on time.  Then comes your core work—the work you are employed to do. What is that, and what does that look like at a task level? In other words, what does doing the work you were employed to do look like? Finally, from a work perspective, comes everything else. The work you volunteered for, the emails and admin and any other non-core work activities you may have said yes to.  One way to look at your day is how your grandparents would have seen their days. There's work time and then there's home time. When at work, your priorities are your work promises and commitments. When at home, your priorities are your family and friends.  As Jim Rohn said: "When you work, work; when you play, play. Don't play at work, and don't work at play. Make best use of your time" A simple philosophy and one that works superbly well today.  I've found that a simple daily planning sequence helps people to focus on the right things at the right time.  First, review your appointments for the day. This gives you a good idea of your available time for everything else. Second, look at your list of tasks for today and curate it based on how much time you have left after your meetings. It's no good thinking you will get ten or more tasks done today if you have seven hours of meetings. That won't happen.  Yet, on days when you have one or two meetings, you can schedule more tasks.  Finally, prioritise the list of tasks. For non-core work tasks, you can prioritise based on time sensitivity and your promises.  If you told a client or colleague you would complete the work they asked you to do by Friday, and today is Thursday, that task would be your priority. You made a promise, and your integrity is at stake. If you fail to meet the deadline, you don't keep your promise, your client or colleague has every right to question your integrity and reliability.  One more idea you could adopt, Mel, is to think elimination, not accumulation.  It's easier today to collect stuff than it's ever been. We see something online we'd like to buy and send the link to our task managers. Someone recommends a book, send it to your task manager.  This results in a task manager stuffed with promises you've made to other people and random items you've seen online that you found attractive. It's the Magpie Complex—attracted to shiny objects. (Although that's apparently not scientifically true. Magpies are not naturally drawn to shiny objects.) By all means, collect these items if you wish to, but when you process your task manager's inbox, you move low-value items somewhere else. For example, things you'd like to buy can be moved to a purchase list in your notes app.  Then, create a task that reminds you to review the list once a week. I do this every Saturday as part of my admin time. I'm relaxed, have no meetings, and the house is quiet. I can review those lists and decide whether to buy something from the list or eliminate items.  The goal is to keep your task manager clean and tight, showing only what matters and eliminating the things that don't.  This has the advantage of making your daily planning faster and easier. You don't need to go through a long list of random stuff to find the essential tasks for the day. Your only decision is, “Will I have time to do that today?” So, there you go, Mel. Be aware of things you've promised others—they will always be your priority. Ensure you have enough time protected for your core work and eliminate, don't accumulate.  I hope that has helped. Thank you for your question.  And thank you to you, too, for listening. It just remains for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

Dive into one of the most transformative conversations in history as Jesus meets Peter in his failure and offers a path to true restoration. This story shows us how genuine love for Jesus is examined, deepened, and expressed through our lives. Ensure your love for Christ is not just an outward display, but a profound, transformative force that shapes every decision. Are you ready to challenge where your truest affections lie and embrace the call to costly obedience? Learn what it means to truly follow Jesus.

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HEREAre you a business owner looking for tips for success? In this episode of The Guild Live Show, Tyson delivers a concise yet insightful discussion on negotiation tactics, ChatGPT usage trends, and the realities behind AI research tools. Tyson critically examines bold claims about Thomson Reuters' AI system, shares practical lessons for startups, and reflects on the importance of empathy in online interactions following a recent tragedy. Tyson shares some effective negotiation strategies for lawyers. Being a successful negotiator involves spending a lot of time on anticipated areas of agreement. This means focusing on where you align with a client. It also involves planning more efficiently as opposed to the amount of time. Planning efficiently makes all the difference when you are in the negotiation phase of a deal. If you sit down and think through how you want the negotiation to go and have everything outlined for the discussion, it can really play out in your favour.Tyson provides some common mistakes made by startups that can actually lead to their downfall. One of the common mistakes is only hiring people based on experience. Because startups are so new, it needs the right people with the mindset to scale the business to where it needs to be. Experience won't matter if they do not fit with the vision of the business. Another mistake is wearing too many hats as the owner. Though a startup can be small, wearing too many hats can lead to burnout and not putting the right energy into the right areas because you are spread too thin. Ensure to hire who is needed so you can focus on running the business. Listen in to learn more!1:07 Discussion of effective negotiation strategies5:41 OpenAI data on ChatGPT's most common uses.8:08 Thomson Reuters' AI that reduces research time12:24 Common mistakes that kill startupsTune in to today's episode and checkout the full show notes here. 

In this inspiring episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo welcome Sandeep Randhawa, Chief People Officer at Renown Health in Reno, Nevada. Recorded in the dog days of summer 2025, Sandeep shares his transformative approach to creating a people-first culture at Renown, a not-for-profit health system serving a 100,000-square-mile region with 8,000 dedicated employees.Sandeep dives into Renown's deliberate people strategy, emphasizing why "people first" is more than a buzzword. Post-COVID, Renown's leadership, led by CEO Dr. Brian Erling, committed to aligning strategic initiatives with a focus on empowering employees to deliver exceptional care. From revising organizational values to include "people first" to fostering community partnerships, Sandeep reveals actionable steps for sustainable workforce development.Key insights for healthcare HR leaders:Define "People First": Renown's vision prioritizes compassion, collaboration, and valuing employees to enhance community impact.Daily Commitment: Embed people-first principles through transparent communication, mission moments, and recognition programs like "Every Day Amazing."Strategic Focus: Sandeep spends 80% of his time on forward-thinking people strategies, from workforce development to professional growth, ensuring alignment with long-term goals.Cultural Transformation: Transparent town halls and employee feedback shape a culture of trust, loyalty, and pride, even in tough financial times.Discover how Renown grew from 7,200 to 8,000 employees by prioritizing people over quick financial fixes, fostering a culture that resonates from the workplace to the community. Sandeep's insights, drawn from his extensive experience at CommonSpirit and Dignity Health, offer a roadmap for healthcare leaders navigating complex environments.Tune in for practical tips on building a resilient, engaged workforce and learn why putting people first is the key to organizational greatness. Listen now on ASHHRA.org or Apple Podcasts. Connect with Sandeep on LinkedIn for more HR wisdom!From Our Sponsors...Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefitsElevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital's own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZNStreamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcareSimplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it's your all-in-one compliance tool.Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/ Support the show

Joyce talks about Washington DC Attorney Jeanine Pirro's wish list of policy changes to challenge the crime wave in the state. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this powerful exploration of Proverbs 8, we discover the profound personification of wisdom as a woman calling out to humanity. This chapter invites us to seek wisdom above all earthly treasures, reminding us that true understanding comes from God. We're challenged to consider how often we chase after material wealth when the richest prize - divine wisdom - is freely offered. The passage beautifully illustrates wisdom's role in creation, standing alongside God as the world was formed. This imagery evokes Christ as the embodiment of God's wisdom, present from the beginning. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to see Jesus as the ultimate source of wisdom in our lives. How might our decisions change if we consistently sought His guidance? This message urges us to prioritize spiritual insight over worldly knowledge, reminding us that in finding wisdom, we find life itself.### Sermon Notes:#### Introduction:- **Scriptural Focus:** Proverbs 8:1-5; wisdom is personified as a woman calling out to mankind.- **Prayer:** Opening prayer thanking God for His presence and guidance, specifically asking for wisdom.#### Main Themes:1. **Personification of Wisdom:**  - Wisdom is depicted as a woman whose counsel brings life.  - Proverbs often personifies wisdom as a guide and teacher.2. **The Role of Proverbs:**  - Proverbs are guidelines, not commandments, designed to keep us on a righteous path by providing moral and practical guidance.  - The poetic nature of Proverbs enriches its teachings.3. **Message of Active Listening:**  - Wisdom and understanding are calling; it is imperative for us to listen and apply these teachings to our lives.  4. **Wisdom's Offerings:**  - Offers prudence and sense—qualities necessary for godly living.  - Prudence involves practical wisdom and foresight, while sense denotes insight and self-discipline.5. **Contrast Between Wisdom and Worldly Teachings:**  - Wisdom speaks noble truths, whereas worldly teachings, as outlined in 2 Timothy, can lead astray.  - The world often elevates education over genuine wisdom, leading to corruption and misunderstanding.6. **Material Wealth vs. Spiritual Insight:**  - Wealth is temporary and cannot satisfy the deeper longing for meaning and purpose.  - Wisdom provides lasting value and guides one in the proper use of material resources.7. **Wisdom's Divine Origin:**  - Wisdom was with God at the beginning of creation.  - This section parallels teachings in the New Testament about Christ's divinity and the eternal nature of wisdom.8. **Final Exhortation:**  - A call to seek wisdom and instruction actively—“finding wisdom is equated to finding life.”#### Practical Applications:1. **Cultivate Active Listening:**  - Pay attention and be attentive to wisdom's call in everyday life.  - Reflect on areas in your life where wisdom can be applied more effectively.2. **Prioritize Spiritual Wealth:**  - Focus on gaining wisdom and understanding over accumulating material wealth.  - Evaluate where your resources (time, money, effort) are being invested to shift towards spiritual pursuits.3. **Embrace Counsel and Correction:**  - Be open to receiving godly advice and correction as part of personal growth.  - Ensure regular scripture reading and prayer for aligning with God's wisdom.#### Discussion Questions:1. How can we better position ourselves to hear and respond to wisdom's call in our daily routines?2. In what ways can the pursuit of material wealth distract us from gaining true wisdom? Can you identify personal examples?3. Discuss a time when you rejected or received wise counsel. What impact did it have on the outcome?4. How can we as a community support one another in seeking and applying wisdom in all aspects of life?5. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure we are valuing spiritual wisdom over societal norms and education systems?

This episode is sponsored by Deel.Ensure fair, consistent reviews with Deel's calibration template. Deel's free Performance Calibration Template helps HR teams and managers run more equitable, structured reviews. Use it to align evaluations with business goals,reduce bias in ratings, and ensure every performance conversation is fair, consistent,and grounded in shared standards.Download now: www.deel.com/nickdayIn this episode of the HR L&D Podcast, host Nick Day sits down with futurist Bob Johansen (Distinguished Fellow, Institute for the Future), Jeremy Kirshbaum (Founder, Handshake), and Gabe Cervantes (Director of Scalable Foresight, IFTF) to explore what it really takes to lead in the age of AI.Together, they unpack the third edition of their groundbreaking book “Leaders Make the Future” and reveal the 10 essential human-centered leadership skills every HR leader and CHRO needs to thrive in a rapidly evolving, AI-powered workplace.This conversation will help you understand how to use generative AI as a tool for augmentation, not replacement, and how to prepare your workforce for the future of work while keeping your humanity intact.Important Links: Book: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Make-Future-Third-Leadership/dp/B0D66H9BF1Bob Johansen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-johansen/Jeremy Kirshbaum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-kirshbaum-6294b01a1Gabe Cervantes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-cervantes-ab147338/Nick Day's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/919cf6b9eaSign up to the HR L&D Newsletter - https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/23e7b153e7(00:00) Preview and Intro (03:11) The 10 Skills Every Future Leader Needs (04:59) How to Use Generative AI(11:34) Humans + Machines: Augmentation Over Replacement (14:24) Human Calming: Staying Grounded in a Chaotic World (16:54) Moving from Efficiency to Effectiveness with AI (21:35) Using GenAI to Train Leaders (23:53) What Humans Should Keep vs. Offload to AI (25:27) Bob's “Stretch” AI Model That Challenges His Thinking (27:42) Building AI Policies with Clear Yes-Zones (30:24) About the Book: Leaders Make the Future (34:52) HR L&D Vault

Let's talk about associate retention, keeping those young lawyers you're recruited and mentored at your firm. It shouldn't be a given that every associate will take what you've taught them to another firm in two or three years. Guest Ben Dachepalli is a veteran lawyer and a partner in the Tampa office of firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP specializing in construction law. As a senior member of his firm, Dachepalli says retaining young associates is more than a transactional activity, it's building the firm and developing the next generation of leaders. As he says, when he's interviewing prospective hires, “I'm not interviewing my next associate, I'm interviewing my future partners.” Don't think of young lawyers as associates who will move on, develop them so they not only want to stay but also want to become leaders in your firm.  For Dachepalli, the “secret sauce” is an inclusive, team-based approach. Ensure associates are involved and invested in the firm's success, not simply completing assigned and rote tasks. Communicate with associates as peers, give them responsibilities, and show them they are valued.  Involving associates in multiple levels of a case and asking for their input from the start not only shows them you value their skills, it can also help senior attorneys spot unexpected angles and see a case from a different perspective. (And remember, today's young lawyers grew up with today's technology, they might even teach you something). Resources: ⁠American Bar Association⁠ ⁠American Bar Association Litigation Section⁠

In this powerful episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo sit down live from Savannah, GA, with Alysia Price, CHRO of UNC Health Appalachian. As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene approaches, Alysia shares her firsthand account of the devastating storm that ravaged western North Carolina, turning routine rain into catastrophic flooding, road washouts, and power outages.Discover how UNC Health Appalachian navigated volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments—far beyond typical hurricane prep. From impromptu pet policies and housing volunteers in makeshift hotels to accounting for 1,500 employees amid downed communications, Alysia reveals the chaos and resilience that defined their response. Learn about the influx of community members seeking shelter, the role of Samaritan's Purse and FEMA, and the surge in mental health needs post-disaster.Key takeaways for healthcare leaders:Emergency Preparedness Essentials: Update policies, emergency contacts, and disaster plans now—don't wait for crisis.Community and Connection: Appalachian culture shone through with volunteers, App State students, and donations topping $500K for employee relief, including 150 generators.Post-Trauma Support: Address mental health with EAP resources and support groups; processing trauma continues long after the event.Leadership Growth: Conduct after-action reviews to build stronger teams and systems.Alysia also opens up about personal lessons: the power of gratitude, human connection, and her passion for fly fishing as a mental health escape (catch-and-release only—she even talks to the fish!).Recorded at the ASHHRA Executive Summit, this episode is a must-listen for HR professionals in healthcare, emphasizing resilience in rural hospitals during natural disasters. Whether you're in emergency management, healthcare leadership, or seeking inspiration from real-world crisis response, tune in for actionable insights.From Our Sponsors...Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefitsElevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital's own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZNStreamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcareSimplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it's your all-in-one compliance tool.Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/ Support the show

Let's talk about associate retention, keeping those young lawyers you're recruited and mentored at your firm. It shouldn't be a given that every associate will take what you've taught them to another firm in two or three years. Guest Ben Dachepalli is a veteran lawyer and a partner in the Tampa office of firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP specializing in construction law. As a senior member of his firm, Dachepalli says retaining young associates is more than a transactional activity, it's building the firm and developing the next generation of leaders. As he says, when he's interviewing prospective hires, “I'm not interviewing my next associate, I'm interviewing my future partners.” Don't think of young lawyers as associates who will move on, develop them so they not only want to stay but also want to become leaders in your firm.  For Dachepalli, the “secret sauce” is an inclusive, team-based approach. Ensure associates are involved and invested in the firm's success, not simply completing assigned and rote tasks. Communicate with associates as peers, give them responsibilities, and show them they are valued.  Involving associates in multiple levels of a case and asking for their input from the start not only shows them you value their skills, it can also help senior attorneys spot unexpected angles and see a case from a different perspective. (And remember, today's young lawyers grew up with today's technology, they might even teach you something). Resources: ⁠American Bar Association⁠ ⁠American Bar Association Litigation Section⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as Riverside Healthcare's primary care nurse practitioner, Joanna Lambert, breaks down the essentials of ear infections, particularly in children. From symptoms to treatment options, this episode provides invaluable insights for parents navigating the complexities of pediatric health. Ensure your family is informed and prepared!

The government's devolution plans are centred on devolving more powers out of Whitehall into the hands of the local leaders, and giving local places control of key policy areas like skills, transport, and housing. But questions remain about how this will work in practice. At the 2025 Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth we explored the key steps that local places need to take to develop an effective economic strategy. Our speakers included: ➡️ Baroness Pinnock, Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson on Housing, Communities and Local Government ➡️ Professor Lisa Collins, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Surrey ➡️ Councillor Lorna Dupre, Deputy Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council ➡️ Rebecca McKee Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. This event was held in partnership with the University of Surrey.

The Presidential election is on Friday, October 24th. Art O’Leary is chief executive of An Comisiún Toghcháin/ The Electoral Commission. He outlines what you need to do to ensure that you can cast your vote. https://www.electoralcommission.ie/

ByteDance says it will work in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations to ensure service for American users through TikTok U.S.

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.On today's edition of The Briefing, Dr. Mohler discusses the real ‘succession' story of Rupert Murdoch and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's late night show, and he answers questions about violent video games, conservatives critique of the ‘T' in LGBTQ but not the rest of its ideology, and parents who suspect their son is dating a transgender woman.Part I (00:15 – 10:01)The Real ‘Succession’ Story: Rupert Murdoch Buys Out Three of His Children to Ensure the Continuation of His Conservative Media EmpirePart II (10:01 – 10:58)More Media News: ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Late Night Show in After Charlie Kirk CommentsPart III (10:58 – 16:32)Do Video Games Play a Role in the Violence of Young Men? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The BriefingPart IV (16:32 – 20:49)Polymorphous perversity in the heartland: The scandal of the Kinsey Institute and Indiana University by AlbertMohler.com (R. Albert Mohler, Jr.)Part V (20:49 – 26:08)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.

If you think you can just tell your contractor "no moldy lumber" and expect perfect results, you're setting yourself up for a nightmare scenario. You don't want to be standing in a 90% framed house that's riddled with visible mold and no way to fix it without starting over.Today, I'm sharing the exact step-by-step process I use to ensure clean lumber gets installed from day one. Because I've witnessed firsthand what happens when this conversation doesn't happen early enough, and it's devastating.Here's the reality: some lumber is more susceptible to mold than others, and certain structural components like trusses can't just be rejected and returned like a bundle of 2x6s. If custom-fabricated trusses show up moldy, you're often stuck with them unless there's a structural defect. That's why this conversation needs to start with your architect during the planning phase, not when the lumber truck pulls up to your job site.I'm walking you through the entire process, from architectural planning to lumber yard tours, from contract negotiations to being present during that critical first week of framing. This is about preventing problems, not trying to fix them after the fact.In today's episode, we're talking about:Why trusses and structural lumber are the biggest risk The lumber yard tour that could save your project How to get your expectations in writing The pre-framing meeting that sets everyone up for success Why you must be present during the first week of framingConnect with me: Instagram

Learn about facial injury red flags, CSF identification, EAP essentials, and return-to-play guidelines for athletes from Dr. Rehal Bhojani. Q: What are the red flags for hematomas? A: Protocols from SCAT6 and other guidelines for hematomas or hemorrhages emphasize watching for loss of consciousness (LOC), altered mental status, and vomiting. Quickly identify these signs to avoid missing late concussions or other critical issues. Ensure the mechanism of injury (MOI) aligns with the trauma; diagnosis is challenging if it doesn't. Q: How can CSF be identified, and what is the "halo sign" red flag? A: The halo sign, also known as the ring sign, remains the best indicator for identifying cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF is distinct: it has a clear-to-mucous color, is super thin, lighter than water, and does not mix with other fluids. For instance, a soccer player initially diagnosed with a concussion showed a bloody nose and consistent halo sign post-game, necessitating immediate emergency room referral. Q: What essential elements should be added to an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)? A: EAPs are becoming more comprehensive, focusing on three key areas. First, ensure resource accessibility by including contacts for ENTs, dentists, and eye doctors. Second, review the EAP regularly, two to three times a year, rather than just annually, using past injury knowledge to proactively improve it. Third, if using AI to draft EAPs, meticulously verify all listed resources. Q: What items should be included in kits for eye and tooth injuries? A: For eye and tooth injuries, kits should include 4x4 gauzes, an otoscope, a "Save a Tooth" system, eyedrops, nasal tampons, and Afrin. Physician-approved medications should also be added, along with an ENT kit, which is available online. Q: What are the risks and benefits of athletic trainers performing sutures on the field? A: On-field suturing depends on the location and type of laceration, with the cause (e.g., metal object) being crucial due to potential tetanus considerations. Athletes often return to play the same day with sutures. For facial lacerations, specific types and sizes of sutures are used, but caution is advised near the eye. Eyebrows and the skull are generally suitable for suturing if no underlying fracture exists. Control bleeding and inform athletes of the risks associated with playing with sutures; safety is paramount. Q: When can athletes return to play after tooth injuries? A: For primary (baby) teeth, if no secondary tooth injury is suspected, return to play (RTP) is generally straightforward. However, secondary tooth injuries involving complex factors can lead to lasting effects. It is important to document whether the injury involves primary versus permanent teeth. For younger children, involve parents to understand the mechanism of injury and the potential for future crown and root fractures. Q: What current sports medicine trends should recent graduates be aware of or learn in the classroom? A: Sports medicine is constantly evolving, with increased pressure for accurate decision-making. Recent graduates need to be proficient in current literature and comfortable with shared decision-making and escalating care. As athletic trainers often serve as primary sports medicine providers, they require broad skills across various domains. Q: How can these emerging sports medicine competencies be effectively taught? A: Teaching these competencies is challenging due to the need for comprehensive exposure. Educational methods vary by setting, and the field has expanded significantly. Training provides a broad scope, so it's important not to be narrow-minded. Past experiences remain relevant, and post-training, continuous reading and skill refinement are crucial. In a controlled educational environment, students should learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible, to prepare for real-world practice.

September 17, 2025- Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, discusses her legislation requiring state health officials to proactively disseminate and promote information about reproductive health care in New York, including abortion services and financial support.