Podcasts about facilitating

Eric Osborne is the Co-founder and Head Minister of Psanctuary ( https://www.psanctuary.org/ ), a sacred mushroom church based in Louisville, Kentucky. Eric joins me on the podcast today to discuss his pioneering work in the international mushroom indu...

Great leaders don't always have the answers. But they know how to build teams that do. SUMMARY In this episode of Long Blue Leadership, Mitch Torrel '14 discusses the power of mentorship, constructive feedback, humility and creating an environment where everyone can contribute. His leadership lessons are just as relevant in the boardroom as they are on the battlefield.   MITCH TORREL'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Lead Through Fear, Not Around It Even when you're anxious or scared, keep moving forward and executing the mission; courage is acting despite fear, not waiting for fear to disappear. Trust Your Preparation When you hit uncertainty, fall back on the work you've already put in — physical, mental, and technical — rather than spiraling about what's coming next. Focus on the Team to Get Out of Your Own Head Shifting your attention from your own anxiety to how you can support and elevate others makes hard environments more endurable and improves performance. Discover You Have “More in the Tank” Don't treat real missions or selections like workouts; push past your comfort ceiling and you'll find reserves of mental and physical capacity you didn't know you had. Break Big Fears into Small, Daily Gains You don't need to be the best today — just better than yesterday; attack weaknesses with small, consistent, incremental progress. Leverage Mentors and Learn Aggressively Assume you're not the first to face a challenge. Seek out people who've done it before and copy their mindset, preparation and frameworks to shorten your learning curve. Make Feedback Normal, Specific, and Frequent Build team habits where everyone gets clear strengths and weaknesses surfaced (even anonymously at first), then use trends in that feedback to drive personal change. Balance Urgency with Deliberate Planning In crises, don't rush in just because the situation is urgent. Pause to gather facts, build a simple plan and avoid making the emergency worse. Use Your Team's Brains — Don't Lead Alone As a leader, your job is to facilitate: Draw out the quiet voices, aggregate the best ideas, and delegate execution rather than trying to be the sole problem-solver. Set Clear Standards and Red Lines Early Explicitly communicate what you will and won't tolerate so you can enforce discipline fairly and consistently, protecting both people and mission over the long haul.   CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Opening: Leading Through Fear 00:01:27 – Special Tactics Pipeline: Anxiety, Night Sweats and Uncertainty 00:03:50 – Trusting Preparation and Learning to Hate the Water Less 00:05:40 – Shared Hardship and Team Bonding in the Pipeline 00:07:27 – “More in the Tank”: Rucks, Mental Toughness and Selection 00:11:14 – Learning from Others, Mentorship and Owning Weakness 00:15:36 – Five Traits Torrel Looks for in Leaders 00:19:49 – Feedback Culture, Blind Spots and High-Performing Teams 00:25:34 – Thai Cave Rescue: First Mission and Leading Under Pressure 00:29:59 – New Leaders, Delegation and Facilitating the Team 00:36:34 – Failing, Standards and Command Red Lines 00:40:24 – Advice to Younger Self and Enjoying Each Season 00:43:25 – Transition to Business, Ongoing Service and Final Leadership Charge   ABOUT MITCH BIO Mitch Torrel, U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2014, is a former Division I hockey player, Air Force Special Tactics officer, entrepreneur and founder of Sentry Operations. After beginning his Air Force career in pilot training, Torrel found his calling in special operations, completing the demanding Special Tactics training pipeline and serving in operational and leadership roles. While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Torrel served as operations officer for the U.S. team supporting the 2018 rescue of 12 young soccer players and their coach from a flooded cave complex in Thailand. The experience, his first operational mission, became one of several defining chapters in a career shaped by high-stakes decision-making, teamwork, resilience and leadership under pressure.   CONNECT WITH MITCH LINKEDIN  |  SENTRY OPERATIONS   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  ted.robertson@usafa.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   < ----- > Ryan Hall | Director:  ryan.hall@usafa.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  bryan.grossman@usafa.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  wyatt.hornsby@usafa.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS:  Guest, Mitch Torrel '14 | Host, Lt. Col. (ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz 0:01 Sometimes leadership isn't about eliminating fear; it's about learning how to move forward, even if fear is sitting right next to you. I'm Naviere Walkowicz, Class of '99. Long Blue Leadership starts now. Today's guest is Mitch Teorrel, 2014 graduate of the Air Force Academy, former Division I hockey player, Air Force special tactics officer, also an entrepreneur near the founder of Century Operations. You know you've had a unique career. In fact, many probably know a lot of your work when it comes to an international rescue event, and we'll talk about that later on. But I think what's most exciting about this time with you, Mitch, is how you continue to lead, but you've done it through what some would call overcoming fear or maybe leading through fear. And so I think we're going to have a fantastic conversation today, and I welcome you to Long Blue Leadership. Mitch Torrel 0:53 Naviere, I appreciate you for having me out. Humbled to get the opportunity to kind of share some stories today, and so I'm looking forward to it. Thank you. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 1:01 Well, thanks for the time. We're going to jump right in with the time that you know when we had a chance to talk, Mitch. It was something that kind of surprised me, and I think others will really appreciate this. You know, when you're going through your Air Force special tactics training to kind of be in that role, you experience like night sweats and literally having to change your clothes at night. And I'm looking across to you. You're not sweating right now. You're looking pretty cool and calm. And so take me back to that experience, and let's just start there. Mitch Torrel 1:28 Yeah, pipeline is a pretty arduous process. It's two years; every day is a grind. It's difficult. You're not really sure what tomorrow holds, and they keep it that way, pretty close hold. You don't know what you got tomorrow. You just know it's going to be an early rise, and it's going to be really physically taxing. It's going to be mentally demanding, and you're not sure if. I think part of the anxiety is, do I mentally have what it takes to withstand and with withhold another day? Do I physically have what it takes to continue to drive on, and I think that unknown, the unknown on what's to come, am I going to be enough? The two years is a selection process, so you're getting assessed and selected every day, and it's a lot of anxiety to take on because you're not sure how you're going to perform. I think a lot of us have such internal pressures on ourselves to perform in and out every day that it makes it very difficult to get out of your mind and not worry about the anxiety of what's coming tomorrow. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:29 Well, it makes me think the closest thing that I can think of right at this moment is you know basic cadet training, which is six weeks, and you just talked about two years of uncertainty and not you know waking up early and not knowing what's next. You know, how did you kind of navigate through that? I think we all know how we navigated through BCT, but I think certainly this is much when it's something that's so enduring. I think that's a different situation. Mitch Torrel 2:51 I think a part of goes back to just trusting in your preparation. Did I do what it took to prepare? And if you did, if you didn't, there's not much you can change the night before, and so trusting in your abilities, your ability to adapt, your ability to withstand. I think I hated the water, and they always told you going through the pipeline. If you don't love the water, you're not going to make it through. And I'm a testament to I hated the water every day, dreaded it almost on a daily basis. But you know, learn to overcome and deal with that anxiety and just pressure that it brought. But every day is an opportunity to kind of build that wall up. Your ability to withstand, your ability to deal with anxiety, your ability to deal with the unknown, and I think the pipeline was a really good opportunity for me to kind of grow. I remember when we were in Mississippi, one of the earlier schools. It's three months. Every day was again very arduous. You didn't know it was coming. Are they going to put us in a pool tomorrow? Am I going to drown? You know, am I going to be able to make it through? Am I going to do a good job of leading the team? I think being able to focus on the team allowed me to not worry about myself and kind of focus on something else. And I think worrying about others allowed me to really make it through some of those arduous times, and that was very helpful to me. I remember I probably took a lot longer to grow to the point where you know you're not worried about tomorrow. I used to have to wake up at night, change my sheets, change what I was wearing, you know, and that happened every night because I would just wake up in a dead sweat and I was soaking wet, and eventually, you know, through exposure and through time, you learn to just exist and not worry about what's coming tomorrow. And it's a constant evolution. You know, that's not to say I don't get anxiety about things that are happening tomorrow today, but you start to learn to head off those thoughts early on and allow yourself to just take what comes tomorrow. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:57 So I'm thinking about you being in those moments, and when you said it was probably later on, I'm curious as how you know that every night you're changing your sheets, you're going through that. But I'm curious, were there others that were experiencing the same thing, or were others even helping you through navigating those thoughts that you had? Mitch Torrel 5:14 I think just being in a team environment makes things so much better. Sharing in in in the suffering, sharing in the stories, and getting to reflect on that. When I look back on the pipeline, what an amazing time and something that I think our entire team looks fondly about. We're very close still, and I think that shared hardship, that shared experience, is something that bonds you together for life. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:41 So that two-year journey, and obviously you graduated and became an Air Force Special Tactics Officer. You know what was, I guess, the moment that it clicked for you. You know, you said you got to that point. Do you remember that day? Do you remember what was different, or you just all of a sudden didn't sweat the same? Mitch Torrel 5:57 I think it probably lasted for me longer than a lot of people, and you know, it seems like I learned a lot of the lessons hard myself. You know, and but I think it's just something that gradually over time, you know, the way I remember it is one day it stopped, but I'm sure it was a little bit more gradual than that. Like I think over time you just learn to just, hey, tomorrow's going to be no different than it was today. Today was fine. We made it through. The team did great. You know, I performed up to my standard, or maybe if I didn't, tomorrow's another opportunity in which I can go back and get after it again. And there's plenty of times where I look back, and I think it's easy to learn and roll when you're being put in those situations each and every day. And so it was a very growth-oriented couple of years for me, and I really enjoyed it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 6:52 I would have loved to have been working with you on the day after you didn't have to wake up and change the sheets. Whatever you had, you know, you know, you were more alert that day. You actually had better sleep. Mitch Torrel 7:01 Yeah, I think definitely had to drink a substantially less amount of water each night before going to bed. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:09 Oh goodness! Well, let's talk about — I think you know, there was something that you shared before about kind of uncovering in yourself that you had more in your tank than you thought, and I'm curious that that was during pipeline in those moments that were like you know forced experiences, or if you found that at other times when you kind of surprised yourself in learning that about. Mitch Torrel 7:28 I think the entire 10 years was a constant lesson of you've got more in the tank, both physically and mentally. I think when I first decided today, I was going through pilot training, and I just felt like it was more of a hobby than a job. And I got to meet guys in special operations, and was very impressed by the camaraderie, by the caliber of guys that were there. And to me, it was like a hockey team, and I missed that. I missed that group because you wanted to be a pilot first, correct? Is that what you're planning? Yeah, I think my family wanted me to be a pilot. I think they kind of pushed me that direction. I always enjoyed flight, you know. But for me, I just thought that some of my skills and abilities would better translate, and I would have a more fulfilling career, getting to be around you know that type of environment. And I think too, there's always you know, can I make it through the training? Do I have what it takes? You know, what will I learn about myself? And so that was a little bit of kind of just the unknown was alluring, you know. But I think there's just so much every day. Where I remember one of the first selection events, you do a long ruck event, and leading up to training, I was so focused on passing the initial fitness test to just start the assessment that I didn't rock, I didn't do underwater stuff. I was just focused on can I do push-ups? Can I do pull-ups? Can I do the 3-mile run? You know, and that took all my time and energy. And when I got to the ruck, it's unknown time, unknown distance, and they just tell you to go. And I remember I was like, all right, I'm going to treat this like a workout, and I'm going to run for a couple minutes, and then I'll walk for a few minutes, and I'll run for a couple minutes, and that'll help get me through. And I remember Master Sergeant came up to me, and he's like, “Why, why are you walking? And I remember being embarrassed at that moment, where it's do I not have it in the tank where I could have just been running this whole time? Do I want it enough where I can just dig a little bit deeper and showcase that? And I remember that fed me through the next two years, where it's like, do I have the mental hardness? Do I have the toughness? Have I prepared physically, you know, for these events? And so I think that was kind of a good wake-up call. Where it's not a workout, you know, what do you have left in the tank? And I think throughout two years there, went through another direction halfway through my career, and that was another opportunity to kind of dig in the dig in the tank a little bit. Did you approach that one differently? I did, and very proud of you know what I had learned throughout the years, what I was able to showcase. We did a much longer rec event, and I ran the whole thing, and was pretty proud of myself about that. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:22 What a fantastic example! Because I'm thinking about you know in in in our work and our profession, we do we think about how can I create something to be distinct, right? How can I do something for the long haul? But you're right. If we don't, if we aren't thinking about how can we perform at our best as part of that, you know, that that equation, then we might not even get to the long haul, right? And so I think that's really powerful that you kind of shared, you know, giving your all and realizing that there was more in there than you originally were trying to like, you know, save. Yeah. Wow, that's a really cool story. I bet there are many examples of that. It was quite. Oh my Did you see others? You know, as you had these moments where you kind of learned these things about yourself, and obviously, I think you know in hockey you probably saw this as well. But have you been able to pull others along with you in these experiences that you've had that you've seen? Maybe others are struggling the same way. Mitch Torrel 11:15 I think everybody struggles in different areas, especially in the pipeline. You're learning a lot of different skill sets. You're working on a lot of different things. Cardio is a part of it. Strength is a part of it. Determination. I mean, just — and there's so much. I think you pick up some really good traits from others. Hey, I really like what you're doing, or how you having such success, or how do you navigate this portion? I was always terrible in the water, bad swimmer, horrible underwater. I think when I went through initial selection, somebody pulled me out of the pool after we did underwaters, which is you go down, do a completely underwater, you know, swim underwater, swim underwater for the distance of the pool, and then come back up at a 45-degree angle. And I remember one of the cadre. He pulled me out of the pool, and he said, "You are terrible. Like I wanted to pass out watching you.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:22 And you're like, "Thank you for that feedback.   Mitch Torrel 12:08 And so it's getting with people who are really good at it and getting advice. I think something throughout my career that I've been very blessed to have is really good mentorship. And you're typically not the first one to go through a process, find a new job, you know, and having a good network of people who, hey, how did you prepare? What set you up for success, or especially in business now, it's a completely new world for me. And having mentors who are able to help think of it this way, or there's a better way to orient your situation, or prepare yourself, and that's really important to surround yourself with people who, you know, are able to elevate you, make you rethink kind of your approach to things, and then give you tips and advice.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:52 So I have to ask, do you like the water today? Mitch Torrel 12:54 I like being on the water, you know, on a boat, you know? Just hanging out. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:59 There's some material between you and the water, so that leads me to this question. I know that was a little comical, but I'm curious when someone, as that's you know a developing leader or wherever they're at in their leadership journey, if they really want to be part of something, but there is something that is fundamentally part of that that they just don't like or they're just not good at, what would be the advice you give them? Because you know some people might be like, I just hate that so much, I won't pursue the thing that I love because that component's in there. Mitch Torrel 13:28 I think there's kind of two factors in that. If you hate something so much that you know in your heart that it's not something that you can overcome or you want to deal with on a day-to-day basis, then then maybe that that's not worth you know getting through. But I would also argue that until you give yourself the opportunity to progress and grow and learn to get through whatever that difficulty or whatever that is that you don't like, you won't know. And I think there's a lot of ways to incrementally. You don't have to be the best swimmer today. You just have to be a little bit better than you were yesterday, and I think that was something that we and our team learned throughout the pipeline. Is hey, you don't have to be the best at everything today, but everything that you do today is just making you a little bit better for tomorrow. And so I think breaking down things into manageable and you know smaller bite-sized things that you can you can do. You know hey, when I first started swimming, I couldn't believe people swam multiple laps at a time. You know, and I was like, “All right, I'm going to swim two, you know, 50s at a time tomorrow, and then, you know, next week I'm going to build up to 100,” or, you know, and it doesn't have to all happen overnight. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:45 Right. For a moment, I thought two to 100 but you're talking 50s. Well, that's fantastic, and thank you for sharing that because I think what I also gleaned from that is there's some self-discovery that comes from, I really don't like something, a part of you starts to learn, “Really, did I really not like that?” Right? Maybe feared that because I'm not good at that. And so I think I really appreciated your thoughts of you haven't really given your chance to truly assess that. Mitch Torrel 15:10 And I think we build things up so much in our head. You know, I think dive school is one of those — “Oh, it's terrifying.” You know?   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:16 I mean, it probably is, I'm not gonna lie.   Mitch Torrel 15:19 And it really wasn't. I think we throughout training did a good job. And in preparation, again, you fall back on your preparation. Worked really hard to get there. Put in the extra And it just makes you know those hurdles that at once seem like mountains, you know, just small little hills that you have to go over. Yeah. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:38 Well, you mentioned some of those in your life that you realize when you're going through something, you're probably not the first person that's gone through it, and you have that network of mentors. What are some of the traits that— And I think you alluded to, there are five traits in a leader that you really kind of look to, you know, to see. What are those? Mitch Torrel 15:56 So drive, you know, and a lot of people that were surrounded with, especially at the academy, or in you know in the soft community, or in the military in general, have drive, and so that's not necessarily a unique characteristic, but it's something that you need in order to make you successful. Interpersonal effectiveness, and so how do I integrate with a team? How do I relate to others? And it can't be cookie cutter for everybody, and because team environments, people you know are different, and that's it's one of those soft and fuzzy skills that you need to work on and develop the way that you communicate, and so can I get my message across? Do people understand it? And that's both in writing, spoken. You know, be nonverbal, verbal, the way that you carry yourself, body language, super important. Problem solving. So that's something that the academy does a good job of exposing you to routinely. Can I solve this problem? How do I get my team to you know get after this complex problem? And so that's another one of those characteristics that we typically assess and select for. I think stress tolerance. You know, Pipeline does a really good job of building you up with that. The Academy, basic training, all of that is just another iteration at how am I handling things when I'm getting yelled at, when there's a timeline, when there's you know things at stake. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:19 So I'm curious, were those you've just over time recognized that when I see things or leaders succeeding really well or being able to accomplish things that maybe that others would think impossible, they carry those traits. Is that how you have kind of derived them down to five? Mitch Torrel 17:37 I think there's the foundation of it. Obviously, there's a lot of subfacets that go into each of those traits and characteristics and some leaders have you know all five of them in spades. Some of them are much more heavily reliant on some of their characteristics than others, but it's always a good thing to develop the traits that you're lacking. I think feedback is a really important trait and really important characteristic of well-functioning teams, and so how did I do this week? If I didn't do great, you know, like I don't need to be beaten down about it. But people typically want to be high performers, and everybody has blind spots, and so being able to call out those blind spots in a healthy and functional manner is super important because people want to be high performers. And I had the privilege of running and getting to work some of our selection events, and what we found was a really cool trend, which is we used to do weird feedback, and so guys would show up to selection, and right away the first day you'd have a bunch of tasks and events, and we'd bring everybody together and be like, all right, go down the row. Who is the two highest performing guys today? And that's really easy. People love to give praise, and then you go down the line, and you're like, all right, call out the two lowest performing guys and tell them why. And people go, I don't want to do that, and it's like, why? Like, do you not want them to get better? Do you not want them to have the opportunity? We're in Day 1 of day X, and it's not too early to turn their train around. What we saw is typically the guys who are the lowest performing early on are never the lowest performing at the end of the year, and they take that feedback, they internalize it, and they adopt and you know overturn that. And it's really fun to see that progression, but none of that happens if they don't get called out, if they don't get constructive feedback. “Hey, when we were working as a team, you were doing X and Y and Z by yourself, or you know, there's a million reasons why either an action is perceived as hey, you weren't for the team, or you didn't perform the standard.” I think people getting that feedback is what turns that train around. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 19:49 Right, it's almost probably like exactly what they needed. So I'm curious because feedback is challenging. It's hard to I think for some to give feedback. It's hard for some to receive feedback, I'm fascinated because when I think about the pace in which you have had to operate and do things, that you make time for feedback. I'm curious if you could talk about how you guys do that in a way that's received well. Mitch Torrel 20:13 I think it, again, it goes back to interpersonal effectiveness, and so you've got to know who do I have on my team? Are they somebody who's going to internalize this or not take it very well? There's a bunch of different ways in which you can get feedback and then provide it to somebody. Where we used to early on in the pipeline, as guys were learning to get feedback and you know not you know get too shaken up about it. Is we would have guys write, all right, hey, everybody on our team, we're going to do three things they do well, three things you wish they'd improve on, and then we strip out the names and we provide just a list of hey, here your three things that you're doing really well, and then here are your three weaknesses that you know everybody said we go around we talk about it, and that was a really good kind of introduction, where it's not tanked to anybody. Right. And then what's really nice is you start to see trends. So it's really easy for people to be like, “Oh, you know, Mitch doesn't like me,” or, “That's Mitch's opinion.” But when you start to see that correlation of, well, I got this five times. Is hey, my body language day to day is probably not where it needs to be, or I'm constantly putting others down, or I'm just you know not showing up on time, just small things, and I think drawing awareness to that and getting buy-in from guys to change it, and you see that transition all the time, where, all right, like, now I'm aware of it, I can fix it, I can identify it, and then you get the team to hold you accountable with it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 21:44 Well, in the way that you just described that, I'm curious how often you think that it's, you know, relevant or should be practiced. Is it, like, in the moment? Is it something, like, that where it's weekly? But I think, what I think is really neat about that — it was never attacking, and it was never something they had to defend. It just seemed like it was just information. Like it's what you do really well. This is what you need to work on. And taking the attribution away from it, like who said it? I think just made it, you know. Mitch Torrel 22:09 And I think everybody got to understand that you're a student, you know, of life and a student of your job. You're a student of life. You're a student of you know whatever position you're in. And I had a mentor growing up and played professional sports, and there was a conversation where, hey, “How do how do you know when it's time to retire? How do you know when you're done?” And it's when I stop improving and I stop learning. And so having that mentality where, no matter how long you've been around, there's things to improve upon, there's things to learn, is really hard to have because people, you know, you get comfortable in a position. It's like I've seen it all, I've done it all, I've been there. But the people who are the best at their jobs, and especially in the military, the people who show up every day, work on their trade, work on their skills and seek to improve, and I've been blessed to be surrounded by just, I mean, some of the most decorated warriors that the Air Force has put out on the battlefield. And it was a humbling experience, but even more so humbling was the approach they took every day. As they came into work every day and got better at something. They didn't sit on their laurels and “Hey, I did this two years ago, and now I can kind of walk through the rest of my career.” It was— they came in every day to work, and it was impressive. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 23:30 Oh man! What is something that and normally asks at the end, but it just seems so fitting right now. Like, how are you getting better and learning every day? Mitch Torrel 23:38 I think every day is new problem sets, and I think it's you know trying to expand my education. I think there's a lot of new tools out there. There's a lot of new opportunities and think the world's constantly changing. And so, staying informed is one of the ways in which I'm trying to be a better leader. I think business is this completely new hurdle. I think being in the military, there's a very different type of leadership that you're able to bring. And two, I mean, everybody is there for the mission generally and believes in the task and purpose. And business now, you kind of need to appeal to people in a lot more of a well-rounded manner. And so, I think having conversations with mentors, you know, I'm maintaining that. I try and just meet as many people as I can and glean information from them, experiences from them, because I'd like to think I'm getting smarter as I get older. I'm trying to learn all the lessons myself. So… Col. Naviere Walkewicz 24:39 Well, I'm grateful for that because the reason why we're talking here is because you answered, you know, and we're willing to talk about it. So I think that's you know just proof right there of that stretching and outreach. So before we shift into, I'm curious on you know you talk about you asked your mentor when does he know it's time to retire. I would love Kind of the business world, but before that, I'd like to visit actually one of your experiences while you're in in service, and you know it's something there's you know there's a movie on it. We actually featured in our 2018 checkpoint, but you were instrumental in rescuing the boys' soccer team in Thailand when they had a huge monsoon. And I was wondering if you kind of take me not so much. Maybe you can share with others in case they aren't familiar with it. But I'm really curious about the leadership piece of that because it was a huge operation, and it was dealing with water. So let's talk about that. Mitch Torrel 25:34 Yeah, exactly — my nightmare. You know what? I just happened to be in the right time at the right place. There was a team of pararescue men and combat controllers stationed out in Okinawa, Japan. There was a group of soccer players who got stranded in a cave after the monsoons came early and had flooded out a section. The Thai leadership and parks team, and then eventually the Thai Navy tried to attempt a rescue, and they weren't able to action it. So they reached out to the U.S. Embassy and asked if we had anybody in in the region who could come help. And that just happened to be our team out in Okinawa. I think it was definitely a challenge. There wasn't a lot of information when we left out the door. It was either, you know, is 13 individuals stuck in a cave. We don't know what the hurdles are. We don't know what's been tried. We don't know anything. We don't even know if they're alive. Oh my goodness. And so, getting on the ground, there was a lot of information to take in. There's a lot of people who were trying to help, trying to facilitate a rescue, working, you know, their own agendas, and I think coordinating and making sense of all that chaos was kind of the first task. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:47 And so, what was your role? So, you know, obviously, like the call came in, and then you know, you were — that was, you know, your, you know, was assigned to that. What was your piece, and like, how did you navigate that chaos? Mitch Torrel 26:58 So I felt like I had the best job out of you know anybody there. I got to be the operations officer, and so I was kind of the troop commander for the team that we had out. And you know, meanwhile, my leadership had to you know liaise with the other leaders. I got to be kind of down and in focused. All right, what plans are we working? How are we coordinating and liaising with our Thai counterparts? And got to be a little bit more down and in. And so I really enjoyed that part, and that was kind of why I got into special operations in general as I wanted to be, you know, working with a team of really, really high-functioning individuals on very hard problems. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:38 Right, and this was one of the first kind of very hard problems that you were, you know, working on. Mitch Torrel 27:43 It was. So this was my first operational mission, you know, coming out of the pipeline. I got stationed in Okinawa, and this was kind of the first opportunity to showcase what I'd learned and employ. And it was kind of, you know, everybody's dream is to go through training and then get to action some of those skills and traits that they've developed. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 28:02 Well, I imagine it was quite busy, you know, around the clock because you know time wasn't on their side, and so you were really working against the clock. But I'm curious how you, you know, how do you navigate with urgency as a leader, but still safely? You know, like how do you manage that? Mitch Torrel 28:21 I think, sometimes you got to know when to kind of pull the reins, and it's very easy— it was a very urgent situation, right? There's 13 kids trapped. They don't have food or water. We don't know if they're alive. The cave is continually flooding more and more every hour. But you got to have a plan to go off of. You got to be able to not rush into an emergency and make things worse. And I think off the start, nobody was monitoring who came and went from the cave, and that generated issues. John and Rick, the U.K. and British divers, stumbled on you know two would-be rescuers who got subsequently stranded in another section of the cave, and they were able to get them out. And then, and so we realized that taking a step back, generating a plan. When we arrived, there was a key leaders contingent that went into the cave to kind of get information first and foremost. And then we spent the rest of the team, all right download the gear, stage everything, prep everything, go get some rest, and then we're going to generate and come up with a plan in the morning. But sometimes you got to realize that you can't move them out in overnight, and so you need to take time, you know, do a little five-minute huddle and make sure that you have a plan that's not going to get you further into trouble. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:38 Yes, well, it's such an important role, and I'm thinking about you know those moments where your like, “Get some rest,” as the leader in this, and you know, kind of organizing this. What are the thoughts going through some of your in your head? And I ask that because I'm thinking about leaders who are experiencing something difficult for the first time, and maybe there's some doubt, or you know, how do you how do you calm yourself through some of those questions? Mitch Torrel 30:00 I think, for new leaders, you don't have to have all the answers yourself, and that is first and foremost. I on team, and probably one of the most junior guys. Yes, I'm in charge as the officer, but the guys who are working with me have been in the Air Force, have done rescue missions, have been doing the job for 15, 18, you know, upwards of 20 years, and so I think understanding that no matter where you're at in a team, you you're a part of a team for a reason, and you should be able to leverage input, leverage ideas, and you shouldn't be beholden to coming up with everything on yourself. I think delegation is super important. I think getting input and opinions from others is extremely important because sometimes the quietest guy in the room is going to have the best idea, and you need to enable and empower them to speak up, put them on the spot. You know, “Hey, what do you think? What do you— How do you think we should approach this?” And then your job as a leader is to take all these good ideas, is to empower the team to do its best, and so your job isn't to carry the water, come up with a plan, and do everything on your own. Like, you were there as a facilitator, and I think that that is the biggest takeaway. I spend, especially young cadets, please, please, please leverage you know the experience that that you're going to go out and be on team with. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:22 I think that's fantastic advice. And as you look back on it today, I know we chatted a little bit earlier. I said, gosh, you know, it probably it's a while ago, but maybe it feels like yesterday, and you said no, it feels like forever ago. You know, have you seen yourself? You learn from that, but have you grown in the way that you continue to do things now because of that experience? Mitch Torrel 31:43 I think everything is additive. You know, I mean that was a huge learning experience. It was I learned a ton. I think there are several things that having a second shot at it that would have done substantially different. I think the outcome ended up in a very happy manner; I think it's very easy now that we've developed this framework. Here's how we tackle this problem, but that's been applicable in other means and other avenues as well. And so again, you know, as you build your toolbox of experience, as you build kind of these traits, and you get to refine that, it's something that you continually get to bring out in other manners. And so yeah, I grew a lot from the event, learned a lot, and have been able to apply it since. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 32:29 Well, as I've been sitting across from you, one of the things that I'm just feeling in spades is that as a leader, you are somebody that's really humble, and you know you approach it, like, through humility. And so I'm curious, you know, how you've seen that carry you, and what you might share with others when they're thinking about, you know, how do I, you know, as I'm leading, how do I lead? Like how do I lead with humility? Because it seems like it's working very well for you. Mitch Torrel 32:51 I think it was easy to be humble when you're surrounded by the caliber of individuals that I was blessed to be around mean, every team I was on, it was. I mean, they were phenomenal guys who have done phenomenal things in their career and were just so impressive. And so I was just always just thrilled to be a teammate of theirs. I think, really going back to you know, again, your job as a leader is to facilitate the team, is to you know drive you towards mission accomplishment. I think if you always put things back onto why we here, it's not for leadership's sake, leaders don't exist, you know, outside of facilitation, and you know it's not to downplay the job of the leader. It's not at all. It's a big responsibility. You have the authority. You have the — you know all of that, and so now it's your job to delegate that accordingly and efficiently. And I think it's going back to just understanding that again, we exist for the mission. We exist to enable that team to accomplish whatever its task or business you know directive is, and so I think having an understanding of that, and then it's just fun to see people progress, right? You know that the cave rescue was my first mission, but that didn't mean because I hadn't had real world experience that I didn't have things that I could bring to the table, and I think it's understanding that as well as humility is important. Like maybe you know not jumping across the table and you know declaring yourself the king of whatever's going on, but individuals have a lot that they bring to the table. You know, having an ability to you know see other things that aren't being looked at, bring other perspectives to the table, even just making sense of the chaos. You know, and that's not something that you need to be a leader or in a leadership position to do. And being forward leaning enough to anticipate hurdles, second, third order effects. What else needs to be accomplished or taken care of? I mean, there's a lot of ways in which you can provide value. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:56 Mitch, have you always kind of been this way? Have you always kind of operated in that space or is it something that you've kind of learned over time about yourself, or taken on from others you've seen? Mitch Torrel 35:06 I think it's something that's developed. You know, I don't think you know. I think there's a little bit of nurture and nature into it, where you know you're born a certain orientation where it's like, hey, you're comfortable being you know in charging groups, and some people aren't, and that's OK. But a lot of people develop into it, and I think I've just been blessed with a lot of opportunities to try things out, fail, come back to the drawing board, work on it, improve, and you know the pipeline was monumentally developmental for me. I'm sure there's a lot of teammates who you know listen to this and laugh pretty hard about you know some of the stupid things that I did going through the pipeline, but they're learning experiences, and we had a really good group, and we pushed each other so hard, and so I had an assistant troop commander who was going through with me, and we had really healthy camaraderie, but a really healthy. I mean, we were constantly competing, and it just drove me to be so much better. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:07 So, you know, we were talking about how you are continually working on being better, right? Being better than you were yesterday, so that it's always kind of an additive improvement. I'm curious on when you've seen yourself fail. You talked about you failed and you've gotten better. Can you share an example of when you have failed and that literally shaped something very quickly instead of being additive, but quickly that you changed in the way that you already did. Mitch Torrel 36:34 I think just failures and take care of people, I think is one of the biggest things to learn is, you know, going through the pipeline, it's easy to you know lose sight of the overall end state. And at the end of the day, it's your goal is to there be there to make people better incrementally every day. I think there's been a couple situations in which maybe I was a little ax on some enforcement of rules or standard that came back to kind of bite us a little bit, you know. And so, and this this will probably feel free to cut this, you know. But I think there was an opportunity guys going through a pipeline. They're really young. I grew up, you know, in northern Minnesota, and you know, people drink underage. I was hey I'm OK hearing about it or you know like I'm you know as a commander it's like if it happens it happens you know but I think what's hard is how do you enforce the rules if you're looking the other way if you're not enforcing that standard and so I think what's really hard is you can be there be one of the guys but you got to set your red lines you got to set hey here's what I will and will not tolerate and so I think I learned early in the pipeline that if I'm OK or if I let the standard slip on certain things, you know, like guys drink underage, like guys do you know stupid things, and then they get in trouble for it. How do I, as a commander, enforce it? And so it was one of those learning experiences where going through the pipeline, guy had you know you know got found drinking underage, and it's like, “Hey, it's on you as the, you know, officer to discipline them.” It's like, “Well, I'm also a part of the problem because I didn't set that standard. I, you know, allowed it.” And so I think that was one of those heavy learning experiences where, you know, you're — yes, you're the quarterback of the team, but you got to there has to be some delineation between you know between what you allow and what you can't. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 38:49 I'm really glad you shared that because I think that's real. I think that is something a challenge that you know, especially when I think about the Class of '26 that just graduated and they just finished their six days of leave, and they're soon to head onto their bases, right? You know, the world doesn't always turn out, and so how do they navigate some of those things that they're going to inevitably come across? So I think that's a real conversation, and I really appreciate you sharing that. Mitch Torrel 39:14 And I think what I started doing, you know, from then on is, is you as a commander, you as a officer, should have you know your command guidance. It should be your checklist. Hey, here's what I value. Here's what my red lines are, and you gotta set the standard immediately to just let people know, “Hey, like here's what I'm gonna be irritated about if you show up late to meetings.” If, you know, here's what you know I'm not gonna handle any moral, legal, or ethical issues. Like if it's not moral or legally or ethically a problem, like my job is to you know delegate that down to you and allow you guys to do it. And so setting that standard early as leaders is extremely important because then it allows you to enforce, uphold the standard, and be like, "Hey, we talked about this. This is the expectation. You understood the expectation, and now I can hold you accountable.” And it's not me coming after you because we sat down and had a conversation. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 40:13 That's right. That's excellent advice. So one of the things that we like to do is ask you if you were sitting across, not Navid now, if you're sitting across young Mitch. What was what piece of advice you'd share with him? Mitch Torrel 40:25 I think, enjoy the period in which you're in every stage. I feel like every four years, I look back on the previous four years and just think about what an amazing time period that was. And you know, getting to play hockey, going to the academy, the academy was amazing. You're hanging with your friends. You're in college, and you know, increasingly as you age, it's going to be increasing responsibility. There's going to be a lot more you know burden on your shoulders, but it's fun, you know. And progression is fun, moving on to the next stage. But I think enjoy where you're at in life a little bit more. It would kind of be my advice. And then, you know, I don't necessarily regret anything, but it's you know continually to just work hard, progress, and you know have those cups coffee, learn from other mentors, you know, expand your network, and just grow.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:20 What are you doing now that helps you enjoy life? Mitch Torrel 41:25 I think right now, so just moved, and you know, right now I'm trying to focus on a little bit more me, you know, be a little healthier with sleep, eating, you know, and just I think it's easy to kind of burn the candle at both ends, and now it's kind of taking a step back and understanding that you need to be rejuvenated, you need to you know unplug periodically to be able to bring your all to you know what you're working on, and sometimes things get monotonous, and sometimes you know you just need to take a step back and reinvigorate yourself. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:58 I love that. That's fantastic. So, today, in today's terms, what are you most proud about yourself when it comes to? And if I word this right, maybe I say, what are you most proud about in being a facilitator? I want to say being a leader, but I wonder if you're going to answer that. I'm really good at facilitating high-performing teams. I'm curious how it goes. Mitch Torrel 42:19 I think what I'm most proud about is just looking back at the people I've had the blessing of coming across and just seeing them grow in their life. You know, like I think we allow sometimes in in the military where everybody's going to leave the military at some point, and that's OK. You know, I've got friends who stayed in for 2030, years and done phenomenal things. I've got friends who've gotten out, and you know progressed in their professional careers, and to me, it's just fun to see where everybody ends up. Like I love seeing people have success, and especially people who, you know, I may or may not have helped at least a little bit. You know, or you know, at least been a bad example of what not to do. But I think, yeah, it's the relationships that I look back on, and I'm just very happy to have you know gotten to know the people that I've come across. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 43:13 Well, you yourself made that transition, I think, from you know active service and obviously an entrepreneur. You know, what's some advice you might give someone in in that kind of decision calculus of transitioning their career? Mitch Torrel 43:26 I think it just goes back to again, am I am I continually am I student of the game? Am I showing up every day invigorated to learn and be better at my job? And you know maybe if the answer is if not, you need to step away for a little bit, reinvigorate yourself, reprioritize your life. And sometimes it's just, hey, I've got some goals that I've set out to get after, and sometimes your path diverges, and that's OK. And I think in my case it was I had some things that I wanted to accomplish in life that the — it was just time for me to, you know, change my path, of course. And so it wasn't. I loved the military. I loved the team environment, the camaraderie, the units that I got to be part of were phenomenal, and I miss that every day. But sometimes you just got to, you know, understand where you're going and you know set out and accomplish those goals. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 44:20 Well, I think there's been a theme across many of the graduates I get to speak with, and service continues even out of uniform. So I think that that definitely speaks volumes. So Mitch, was there anything today that we didn't cover that you would love to share with our graduate community, even if it's just words of encouragement? Mitch Torrel 44:37 No, I think it's just you know continue to build your skill set, build your toolbox, understand that every day is an opportunity to learn to better communicate, to invest in yourself, to professionalize you know your approach to things and building discipline, building you know your approach to complex problems, and I think a lot of us just want to check the box and move on and get you know. But every day again is an opportunity to better yourself, and so I think that that's what I would impart on, you know, younger next generation who are going to solve tomorrow's hard problems, who are going to be in these complex positions that we can't even fathom. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 45:21 Well, there are so many amazing things that we covered today that I think many can take back and internalize and find the way that it connects to them. But something that really stood out to me, just first and foremost, with you mentioned that you're more authentic and you just live with your heart. And so I think that came out in spades. I loved learning that you know leadership to you started with really kind of looking inward and what you really wanted, right? You could have gone a path of a pilot, and you could have done well, but you recognize that there is something that you wanted to do that might be more fulfilling with your skill set and align better with you. I think that that is that awareness as a leader is really important. I also really appreciate how you continue on focus on better every day, and you don't have to be the best tomorrow. But you need to be better than you were, and you're competing against yourself every day while lifting others up. I think the other thing that I really just enjoyed about you is remembering that the leader, yes, does have responsibilities to make decisions and you know, you know, advocate and empower others, but you're a facilitator and making sure that you help others have their voices bring out the best so that you actually can bring out the mission to success. So it's been an incredible conversation. I've thoroughly enjoyed this. So I just truly appreciate you being on Long Blue Leadership. Mitch Torrel 46:33 No, thank you. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 46:35 Absolutely. And so, for any of you that are still watching and listening to this, be sure to share this with others because the leadership journey is one that it never ends. Right? We're always growing and evolving, and this conversation and all of our conversations on Long Blue Leadership with the lives of Air Force Academy graduates can just help you in your own personal journey. So, see you next time on Long Blue Leadership. I'm Naviere Walkowicz. Thank you. Mitch Torrel 46:56 Thank you.   KEYWORDS Leadership, fear, resilience, mental toughness, preparation, adaptation, team cohesion, shared hardship, humility, mentorship, feedback, continuous improvement, self-awareness, stress tolerance, problem solving, interpersonal effectiveness, communication, delegation, accountability, standards, courage, growth mindset, trust, mission focus, servant leadership.   The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation    

Welcome to The Inner Game of Change.  where we explore the thinking that shapes how change really happens. What happens to human learning when answers are suddenly abundant and change keeps accelerating?In this episode of The Inner Game of Change, I welcome back Tracy Defoe, Kata coach and adult learning expert, to explore the Coaching Kata and its growing relevance in the age of artificial intelligence.We explore a simple idea: when we cannot know exactly where change will take us, we need to learn our way forward.Tracy shares how the Coaching Kata helps people navigate uncertainty through small experiments, reflection and deliberate learning. We discuss productive struggle, psychological safety, the temptation to jump to solutions, and the importance of human judgement.We also ask whether artificial intelligence is helping us become better thinkers, or simply faster answer seekers, and where it can genuinely strengthen coaching and learning.A conversation about change without certainty, coaching without giving people the answers, and learning our way forward.About TracyAims to make you smarter about learning.Adult Education professional specializing in learning at work. Interested in culture change, supporting peer-leadership, informal learning, multiple literacies and communication in diverse settings. Experienced in designing and implementing innovative learning at work programs. Humble Lean Practitioner interested in combining my interests in Lean with Adult Learning and Culture Change. Student of the Kata, Coach and Learner.  Improvement and Coaching Kata learner and coach.  Volunteer Host of the Cascadia Kata Dojo Community Call - a 30 minute weekly zoom meeting for Kata Coaches From British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California.Specialties: Customized solutions, embedding lean or essential skills in content training, facilitation of improvements or supporting leaders in improving their facilitation, communicating with the workforce, re-framing change as learning challenge, training design and delivery, implementation and evaluation. Facilitating meetings and retreats for clients, strategic planning, realizing a mission and vision to a Challenge, and a daily improvement plan. Plain Language and Clear Design.Contact TracyTracy's profilelinkedin.com/in/tracydefoeWebsitethelearningfactor.ca (Company)Emailtd@thelearningfactor.caSend us Fan MailSupport the showAli Juma @The Inner Game of Change podcastFollow me on LinkedIn

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Daubney investigates the role of migrant NGOs and charities in the illegal migration crisis across Europe. He examines claims of a continent-wide network supporting migrants and the wider debate around borders, migration and national sovereignty. Watch the full discussion on GB News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the rapidly evolving cybercrime landscape, a wide variety of enablers facilitate illicit activities. These range from resilient dark web marketplaces, the use of cryptocurrencies as payment methods, to multi-layered infrastructures designed to avoid detection. These enablers are becoming increasingly resilient, adaptable, and sophisticated.Cybercrime enablers are one of the key threats highlighted in our annual Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). To find out more, tune in to this episode on the intricacies of cybercrime enablers, as told by our Europol experts. Speakers:Edvardas Šileris, Head of the European Cybercrime Centre, EuropolMarijn Schuurbiers, Head of Unit, EuropolLearn more:Report: Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA)

In this episode, we explore how AI innovations are providing freedom in fixing bugs efficiently. We discuss industry shifts.Chapters00:00 Microsoft Bug Hunting AI02:01 Google's SynthID Watermark04:59 Encore AI's Voice Agents10:16 Writers Embrace Typos14:59 Sierra Acquires Oasis Security17:01 Recent Industry Headlines Show LinksGet the top 80+ AI Models for $8.99 at AI Box: ⁠⁠https://aibox.aiHow I Grow and Scale My Business with AI: https://www.skool.com/aihustleGet the AI Chat Daily Newsletter: https://www.aichatdaily.com/newsletter

Join Elevated GP at https://www.theelevatedgp.com/sales-page Dr. Gustavo Avila-Ortiz obtained a DDS degree and completed a PhD training program at the University of Granada (Spain), before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA) where he graduated with an MS degree and a Certificate in Periodontics from the University of Michigan. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. Dr. Avila-Ortiz has over 10 years of experience as an educator and has worked to advance the profession in numerous institutional committees and scientific organizations. He is a former faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, where he was the Phillip A. Lainson Professor and Chair of the Department of Periodontics until 2022. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of The International Journal of Periodontics & Restorative Dentistry. He has authored more than 100 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and numerous book chapters. He is the co-author of the book TISSUES: Critical Issue in Periodontics and Implant-Related Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (Quintessence Publishing 2022), which has been critically acclaimed within the profession. Dr. Avila-Ortiz is currently a Visiting Professor in the Division of Periodontics at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and a member of Atelier Dental Madrid (Spain), a center for dental excellence where he maintains a private practice limited to Periodontics and Implant Dentistry and is regularly engaged in scholarly and continuing-education activities.

Are you interested in how to adapt our natural systems to climate change? Debate of the article titled Facilitating adaptive forest management under climate change: A spatially specific synthesis of 125 species for habitat changes and assisted migration over the eastern United States from 2019, by Louis R. Iverson, Anantha M. Prasad, Matthew P. Peters, and Stephen N. Matthews, published in the MDPI Forests journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Jasen Johns in episode 448 talking about urban and community forestry. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how our natural systems, specifically forests in this case, can be prepared for climate change. This article synthesises two decades of research to provide a comprehensive framework for managing species under the changing climate.Find the article through this link.Abstract: We modeled and combined outputs for 125 tree species for the eastern United States, using habitat suitability and colonization potential models along with an evaluation of adaptation traits. These outputs allowed, for the first time, the compilation of tree species' current and future potential for each unit of 55 national forests and grasslands and 469 1 × 1 degree grids across the eastern United States. A habitat suitability model, a migration simulation model, and an assessment based on biological and disturbance factors were used with United States Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data to evaluate species potential to migrate or infill naturally into suitable habitats over the next 100 years. We describe a suite of variables, by species, for each unique geographic unit, packaged as summary tables describing current abundance, potential future change in suitable habitat, adaptability, and capability to cope with the changing climate, and colonization likelihood over 100 years. This resulting synthesis and summation effort, culminating over two decades of work, provides a detailed data set that incorporates habitat quality, land cover, and dispersal potential, spatially constrained, for nearly all the tree species of the eastern United States. These tables and maps provide an estimate of potential species trends out 100 years, intended to deliver managers and publics with practical tools to reduce the vast set of decisions before them as they proactively manage tree species in the face of climate change.Connected episodes you might be interested in:No.392 - Interview with Sebastian Pfautsch about being climate smartNo.411R - Is coastal climate adaptation infrastructure worth public investment? No.412 - Interview with Louis de Jaeger about climate mitigation strategies and urban food forests

In the world of specialty coffee, the relationship between roaster and cafe is one of the most vital. In a healthy relationship, there is a support for the client that mirrors the hospitality and quality that the roaster hopes the cafe produces using their coffee. There may be nobody more qualified to speak to both side of this relationship of mutual support than today guest, Sam Lewontin!  Sam is a veteran coffee professional whose nearly 30 year career has taken him from barista in many small and obscure shops, to owning and growing one of NYC best Cafes Everyman Espresso along with Sam Penix. Sam Lewontin carved out a niche for himself as one of coffee's most thoughtful, clear, and intentional operators as well as decorated barista competitors.  After a long career in barista work and cafe hospitality and ownership, Sam took the listening, communication, and service skill he honed in th shop, and applied it to the world of sales and wholesal support for Stumptown Coffee Roasters and now most recently is representing Counter Culture Coffee!  Literally every time you interact with Sam, he is not just enthused to see you, but in genuinely interested in your good. This is why we are talking with him today to learn about how we can develop our hospitality approach in like fashion, but take a page from him play book in sales to truly help our clients solve problems and thrive in their business.  We discuss: The evolution of Sam's career from hobby to professional and the importance of continuous learning how friend and mentors shaped his world.  Creating accessible and welcoming coffee experiences through thoughtful design and hospitality The role of networking, community building, and trust in growing coffee businesses Meeting customers where they are: making coffee approachable and familiar Practical tips for supporting wholesale clients with streamlined resources and support Prioritizing high leverage support tools instead of generic offerings Facilitating connections between wholesale customers, tech support, and global producers The philosophy that the core value of cafes is delivering an approachable, memorable hospitality experience   REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!  Build a Stronger Coffee Shop: One Step at a Time Great coffee shops don't happen by accident. They are built by hiring the right people, training them well, and leading them with clarity and consistency. In this live three-part Summer Webinar Series, Chris Deferio shares the practical systems and coaching insights that have helped coffee businesses build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and more resilient operations. Each webinar includes: Live instruction and Q&A PDF workbook One hour of virtual consulting for each live attendee Lifetime access to the recording Register for the individual sessions that fit your current needs, or scroll down to save 20% on the complete Summer Webinar Series. REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!    chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related episodes: 246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider 473: A Master Class in Wholesale Coffee w/ Honor Forte of Olympia Coffee Roasters Be honest with your Wholesale Accounts 133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond    

First, we'll tell you how a new bill would help protect those facilitating gender affirming care surgeries and abortions. Then, a San Diego judge denied a defamation suit filed against KPBS. Also, why saying goodbye to a loved one could cost thousands of dollars. And, the Escondido Public Library is back!

David Daoud. Daoud argues the Lebanese Armed Forces are unlikely to confront Hezbollah, potentially facilitating performative security checks. He stresses that Israel's primary objective in Lebanon is ensuring long-term security for its northern citizens. (7)1862 CRICKET MELBOURNE

Healing begins when we reframe the story. When we move past digital buffers and step into true presence, we realize we aren't alone, and we finally welcome our full humanity. In this episode, host Peter Fenger sits down with John Morgan, a social worker, filmmaker, and the founder of Soft Work. Soft Work is a men's mental health support network dedicated to helping men, particularly Black men, embrace vulnerability as a pathway to healing, connection, and emotional growth. With over a decade of experience in community mental health, including impactful work in Akron's public schools and at the county's first Black-owned, nationally accredited mental health agency, John brings a deeply informed, practice-driven approach to group-based healing. Alongside his clinical work, John is the co-founder of Live Your Purpose Media, a storytelling platform using film to explore issues at the intersection of wellness, equity, and social justice. Through powerful visual narratives focusing on Black maternal health, incarceration, and men's mental health, his filmmaking extends the mission of Soft Work, challenging stigma, amplifying lived experience, and creating space for collective healing. We're excited to welcome John back to the show as part of our Clinicians Series, where we take listeners behind the proverbial therapy door to explore the strategies and techniques that support men's mental health. In this conversation, we dive into the philosophy and practice behind Soft Work, looking at how group-based support for men is thoughtfully designed, facilitated, and sustained, from building trust and navigating challenges to recognizing deeper needs and fostering long-term healing.   For more information about Soft Work, please visit: https://www.soft-work.org To contact Soft Work, please email at: support@softwork.org For more information about Live Your Purpose (LYP) Media, please visit: https://www.lypmedia.com For more information about Live Your Purpose podcast, please visit: https://www.lypmedia.com/podcast For more information about LYP Media films, please visit: https://www.lypmedia.com/film Contract LYP Media to purchase the film rental at:  info@lypmedia.com. Shop the LPY store at: https://www.lypmedia.com/shop Connect with LYP Media on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourpurposemedia Connect with LYP Media on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-morgan-133a47296 Connect with LYP Media on TikTok at: https://www.tiktok.com/@mr.lyp1?_t=ZP-8u40QM2Q3Op&_r=1 Connect with LYP Media on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw1reF41STK-a0I5KjGhv4g Connect with Soft Work on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/softworkorg

If you have been affected by this story, or need support, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123, Call Pieta's 24-hour Crisis Helpline on Free Phone 1800 247 247, or Text 'HELP' to 51444, or you can visit Your Mental Health for information on mental health services in Ireland. An investigation by The Journal has uncovered that a suicide forum, which has been restricted in the UK, remains freely accessible in Ireland and has been linked to the deaths of at least two Irish people.   The investigation raises serious questions about online safety, regulation and the protection of vulnerable people, with campaigners now calling for the site to be blocked here. Patricia Devlin is the investigative journalist behind the story, and she joined Alan Morrissey earlier. Photo (c) EVG Kowalievska from Pexels via Canva

Tamsin Parry from The Doing Co actively attacks the specific mistake of hiring administrative help when the business owner is already operating at 110 percent capacity. When a builder waits until they are completely overwhelmed, they fail to provide proper systems or structure for the new worker. When the new hire inevitably struggles, the owner blames the virtual assistant instead of their own broken delegation process, leaving the builder trapped doing data entry.To solve this heavy administrative burden, Tamsin introduces the strategy of hiring a general construction VA when the business reaches 80 percent capacity. By dedicating exactly five hours a week to proper training and system implementation, builders can successfully offload their tech-heavy tasks. This structured outsourcing approach allows construction owners to finally implement high-level coaching strategies and reclaim their daily schedule.Links & Resources The Doing Co Website: thedoing.co

In this episode, I share an interview with Evan Unger, who is a change leader with expert facilitator that helps leaders transform their virtual teams to dramatically increase collaborative decision-making, buy-in and results. He shares his professional journey from a leadership role at Merck to becoming an expert in collaborative leadership and facilitation. He introduces Continue Reading

During Ep. 37 of the Ask the Law Firm Seller Show, Jeremy E. Poock, Esq. addresses the following question: I found a Buyer for my law firm, but we have not agreed upon terms yet. What do you recommend? At the outset, Poock clarifies the scope of the question to apply to Small Business Law Firms, typically owned by 1 or more founders. Poock next distinguishes between why sellers typically have difficulty agreeing upon terms with either of  the following 2 types of purchasers:   (a) Internal successors; and   (b) Growing Law Firm purchasers.   Regarding internal successors, Poock explains the following as typical reasons for why negotiations stall:   Most internal successor prefer remaining as key employee lawyers because of their concerns about the following risks associated with purchasing their boss' law firm: (i) Risk of decreased originations after the firm's founding Rainmaker(s) retire; (ii) Risk of not affording to pay a purchase price; (iii) A need to work even harder; (iv) A worsening work-life balance; (v) Personal financial risk associated with guarantying an office lease and bank credit line; and (vi) Risk of key employees departing the firm.   Based upon those risks, key employee lawyers often stall negotiating purchase terms, followed by, at some point, sharing their preference to remain as an employee, rather than an owner of their boss' law firm.   Poock then explains the following typical reasons for why negotiations stall between selling law firms and Growing Law Firm purchasers: (i) Discomfort with asking difficult questions during due diligence; (ii) Not necessarily knowing terms to include in a letter of intent, offer, or similar document; and (iii) Difficulty negotiating financial terms with a buyer who is often a colleague or friendly competitor.   As a cure to such stalled negotiations, Poock shares the following advice:   That the parties consider engaging a deal intermediary to facilitate completing due diligence, negotiating purchase terms, and preparing an agreement.   Here's why:   The value of a deal intermediary includes: (i) Asking difficult questions to a seller and a buyer, including financial questions, experience level questions, post-Closing role questions, and more; (ii) Sharing the answers to difficult questions with each party, together with assisting the parties to remain focused on reaching deal terms; (iii) Facilitating the negotiation of deal terms; and (iv) Assisting with drafting deal terms into a Letter of Intent, followed by an agreement.   So, when a selling law firm and a purchasing law firm become “stuck in the mud” with reaching terms, a deal intermediary can provide the value needed to assist the parties with completing due diligence, facilitating negotiations, and reaching a win-win agreement.

The Difference Between Leading & FacilitatingLeadership often asks you to do two hard things at once: move the organization forward and lead in a collaborative way.On their own, each of these roles is challenging. Together, they can create a tension that strains your ability to be effective at either.It has nothing to do with you personally and everything to do with the fact that decision-maker and facilitator are two different roles. Two different mindsets.- [website] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [instagram] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [facebook] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Donatella Caggiano was living in a Best Western while her flooded apartment got fixed when she watched a SWAT team raid a neighbouring house to catch a fugitive. She caught herself rooting for the person running and then realised she was the person running. Donatella accepted the hint her body and the universe were giving then drove to her office that morning and quit.The job she walked away from was a corporate role she had stayed in through a merger and acquisition that kept her and her team in the dark, and left everyone working in an unfinished office surrounded by moving boxes for months. The message was clear long before the layoffs: stop investing. Stop expecting. Just wait.The hotel window was Donatella's accidental third space — the room outside both home and work where she could finally see herself. She now designs that room intentionally, for teams. She helps organisations have conversations the office wasn't built for, to rebuild belonging in places where gratitude is demanded and silence is rewarded.We talked about why grief gets skipped when organisations change, what happens to a team when a leader hands back agency instead of holding the line, and what four haircuts taught her about leading through change.Links to learn more about Donatella Caggiano:WebsiteLinkedInNewsletterSubstackPodcastAny thoughts? Share them with us!Support the show✨✨✨If you miss the "workshops work" podcast, join us on Substack, where Myriam builds a Podcast Club with monthly gatherings around old episodes: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

Heather Nelson joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about her career in business education and now building Poll The Vote, a nonpartisan platform connecting people to their elected officials.

We all experience parts of ourselves moving in different directions at the same time. The cells in our bodies continually die as new ones are born. Throughout our lives, we release what no longer serves us and shift our attention toward new opportunities. So, we are no strangers to seeing that something is ending, fading, dying — while at the same time, something else is emerging, arriving, birthing through us. This conversation brings to life the transition from an epoch that's fading to one that's emerging, and explores the soul's journey in placing both within a larger frame, one that recognizes three simultaneous processes: something ending, something emerging, and the liminal space in between. It is within this threshold that we can immerse ourselves in the unknown and embrace our struggles as whole human beings. This journey invites us to expand beyond the familiar impulse to solve problems, and instead to explore options, widen our sense of what's possible, and rewire our ways of seeing and being. The inquiry opens up vast questions, like “Where does the future come from?” — and illuminates latent potentials in humanity and higher states of consciousness. The soul, with its latent memory of the future, transcends the linearity of time in an entangled universe. It can serve as a powerful guide as the transition between epochs intensifies. To navigate these times with resilience and adaptability, we are called to both “hospice” the old epoch and “midwife” the new within ourselves and the world around us. Strategies that help us approach this include: Releasing the conditioning of the old epoch, even as it resists being released Embracing the liminal in-between state and the opportunities it provides Facilitating, ripening and liberating the new epoch as it appears in us This conversation is part of the continuing Portals discovery into what is emerging on the frontiers of human experience in this time of profound change. Information about upcoming special events can be found on the Events page. Also visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.   TWEETABLE QUOTES   “The answer to the question, ‘Where does the future come from?,"' is, well, it comes through all of us, each and every one of us, potentially. When you found a way to forgive deeply inside you, a person, or a certain situation, you have released that situation into a new future, rather than being stuck in a historic point of pain. When you come up with a new way of seeing the challenges you are facing, you are literally opening for yourself, and likely for the people around you, a future that was not available before. So, we are each, simply by the definition of being a human at this time on Earth, we are each an active agency for the future.” (Aviv) “Can we find a way to embrace the totality of who we are as humans, and recognize that perhaps there is a way to imagine and envision this crisis point as a birthing crucible. If there is a test in it, the test in it is to live fully in the here and now, in the every moment of what it is that we encounter, whether it's a struggling moment at work, whether it's a struggling moment at home in our relationships, whether it is when we are in the meditation and the deepest prayer we choose to formulate, and refuse almost defiantly, to bypass this moment, to bypass this life.” (Aviv)   RESOURCES MENTIONED   Portals of Perception Website Aviv's LinkedIn  Aviv's Twitter Aviv's Website Beyond the Collapse – Event Part 1: The Soul's Role in Birthing a New World

Tom Carroll joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about co-founding Convos, where they're building an AI based texting tool that facilitates two way conversations between campaigns and causes and their supporters at mass scale.

Send us Fan MailJoe Warpeha, candidate for Vice President, answers questions submitted by voting members of the USA Powerlifting National Governing Board (NGB) in advance of the Vice Presidential election on June 15, 2026.Joe Warpeha VP Letter of Intent: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10xpc...Joe Warpeha USA Powerlifting Resume: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Lft...This video may be shared with anyone but election rules state USA Powerlifting affiliated accounts may not be used to endorse candidates for elections. This includes sharing or reposting on USA Powerlifting affiliated social media accounts.00:00 - Introduction04:25 - Question #1: Presence/availability at national meets12:25 - Question #2: Working/communicating with committees19:42 - Question #3: Contributions as an innovator22:43 - Question #3, Part 1: First-ever raw meet in state25:32 - Question #3. Part 2: First-ever local women's meet29:45 - Question #3, Part 3: First-ever HS meet in state30:57 - Question #3, Part 4: Creation of state website and FB page32:39 - Question #3, Part 5: First to propose QTs for Raw Nationals35:16 - Question #3, Part 6: Rulebook overhaul41:43 - Question #3, Part 7: Other technical/referee innovations48:06 - Question #3, Part 8: History of powerlifting article50:37 - Comment #1: Facilitating state and committee chair input58:40 - ClosingTeam Rohr Powerlifting100% Individualized Programming, Meet Day Preparation and Live Virtual CoachingJoin the Team Rohr Training App!Proven Powerlifting Programming Use code PLBALLADSPODCAST for 25% OFF of your 1st month!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showJoin our GroupMe!Follow/Direct Message us @PLBalladsPodcast on Instagram & FacebookEmail us at PLBalladsPodcast@gmail.comMore Information about the Podcast: https://solo.to/plballadspodcastThe Powerlifting & Power Ballads Podcast is co-hosted by Josh Rohr and Lara Sturm and sponsored by Team Rohr Powerlifting - for all of your powerlifting coaching and meet day handling needs. The podcast covers Georgia Powerlifting information as well as National Powerlifting news. One of our more popular segments is music, specifically 80's music and Power Ballads.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has held talks with his Serbian counterpart, who has visited the Great Wall and Tian'anmen Square, during his first state visit to China (01:01). President Xi also met with the Pakistani prime minister and said Pakistan is a priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy while commending Islamabad's mediation efforts in the Middle East (31:41). And China's Shenzhou-23 astronauts, including a crew member from Hong Kong, are inside the Tiangong Space Station (14:29).

What is sensory play and why is it so beneficial for children with a vision impairment? Amelia spoke to Tom Norton from the RNIB Education and Children service about the benefits of sensory play.Find the play guides on the RNIB website -Facilitating play for children with vision impairment | RNIBImage shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white and black background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font. 

Did you know RNIB have play guides to fun-filled playtimes for children with a vision impairment.Amelia spoke to Tom Norton from the RNIB Education and Children service about setting up a safe play environment and ideas for play.Find the play guides on the RNIB website -Facilitating play for children with vision impairment | RNIBImage shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white and black background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font. 

In 1941, the Lend-Lease Act (HR 1776) effectively aligns America's industrial future with Britain's survival. Rooseveltframes this as a hard-headed business deal, while covertly facilitating British propaganda led by William Stephenson to sway American sentiment. FDR even presents a likely forged map of Nazi designs on Latin America to incite fear among the public. Lindbergh argues that such aid supports British imperialism rather than democracy, specifically citing India. He maintains that every step away from neutrality is a calculated move by the President toward inevitable military intervention. (5/8)1936

PREVIEW for Later Today: Anatol Lieven explores Chinese perspectives on a potential Trump visit and regional conflicts. China anticipates that economic strain from the Iran war may ultimately weaken American alliances in Asia, facilitating future Chinese regional leadership.

Have you ever asked a client, "where do you feel that in your body" and they just stared at you like you have 3 heads?Here's why asking this question isn't enough to facilitate deep somatic healing.If you want to become a practitioner who leads from somatic intelligence, embodiment, and attunement, join us for the Embodied Practitioner Challenge starting May 18th!The Embodied Practitioner 21-day ChallengeWant more free trainings on embodiment, leadership, and creating a career where you get to change lives while being all of who you are? Join our free community, The Embodied Leader Paradigm.Additional Resources for Therapists, Healers, Coaches, and Creative Entrepreneurs:Free Resource Library for Therapists, Healers, and Creatives: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/library-signupFree Facebook Community for creatives, helpers, and healers who want to lead from embodiment and wholeness: https://www.facebook.com/groups/embodiedleaderparadigmLearn more and/or apply for our year-long, internationally accredited somatic certification program and purpose-led career mentorship: www.healingembodied.com/get-certifiedLearn more about our flagship group program for leaders, healers, and creatives who want to make a positive impact through the work they do: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/embodied-leader-mastermindLearn more about our 6-month community experience for somatic healing: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/wholly-humanAdditional Resources for those who want to embody more love, trust, and wholeness in their lives and relationships:Want to be a client of Healing Embodied? Book a free 30 minute Clarity Call with a member of our team, and learn how we can support you in creating more trust, love, and joy in your life: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/applyOur Relationship Anxiety Resource Shop (mediations, masterclasses, courses): https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/shopGet on our email list for updates, podcast episode announcements, discounts, and more: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/sign-upCheck out all the ways we can support you here: www.healingembodied.com/healwithus

Stop letting procrastination stall your family business succession. Dr. Moira Somers explains the neuroscience of avoidance and how to master emotional regulation for better family governance. Why do the smartest families avoid the most important conversations? Whether it's succession planning, wealth transition, or conflict resolution, the "fault lines" in a family business usually aren't financial—they're neurological. In this episode of Safe Space, we sit down with neuropsychologist and family wealth consultant Dr. Moira Somers. As the author of Advice that Sticks, Moira has spent her career studying why high-net-worth families often know what to do, yet fail to do it. We dive deep into the psychology of procrastination and avoidance, moving past the "just do it" advice to understand the fear and anxiety that keep families stuck. We solve three core problems in this conversation: The Avoidance Trap: Why your family "forgets" to talk about the future and how to break the cycle of procrastination. Facilitating the Hard Stuff: A pragmatic roadmap for hosting difficult family conversations without ending in emotional shutdowns. The Trust Factor: How emotional regulation and behavioral economics can be used to build a stronger foundation for family enterprise governance. If you are a "Family Champion" or a leader in a family office struggling with a stalled transition, Moira's grounded approach offers a way to bring about positive change. It's time to move from "misconduct" and "fault lines" to a future built on trust and strategic clarity. Connect with me here: • https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-lombardo-fea-496a7966/ • https://www.facebook.com/VeritageFamilyOffice • https://www.youtube.com/@VeritageInternational • https://veritage.ca

If you've ever felt like you're mentally exhausted after a session because you were trying to do deeper work with your client, this episode is for you. In it, I cover:Why you don't need to work so mentally hard to facilitate breakthroughs, and what you need to do instead.How to bridge the gap between your own personal embodiment and being able to LEAD your work from embodiment.Creating co-regulation and safety for your clients so they can organically have deeper breakthroughs.Join us in Intro to Somatic Facilitation (starting 4/21) if you want to transform the way you show up as a facilitator and therefore the results your clients experience.Otherwise, I'll see you inside: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/somatic-facilitationWant to join us in New York in September for a Somatic Healing retreat?Learn more here: www.healingembodied.com/retreatAdditional Resources for Therapists, Healers, Coaches, and Creative Entrepreneurs:Free Resource Library for Therapists, Healers, and Creatives: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/library-signupFree Facebook Community for creatives, helpers, and healers who want to lead from embodiment and wholeness: https://www.facebook.com/groups/embodiedleaderparadigmLearn more and/or apply for our year-long, internationally accredited somatic certification program and purpose-led career mentorship: www.healingembodied.com/get-certifiedLearn more about our flagship group program for leaders, healers, and creatives who want to make a positive impact through the work they do: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/embodied-leader-mastermindLearn more about our 6-month community experience for somatic healing: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/wholly-humanAdditional Resources for those who want to embody more love, trust, and wholeness in their lives and relationships:Want to be a client of Healing Embodied? Book a free 30 minute Clarity Call with a member of our team, and learn how we can support you in creating more trust, love, and joy in your life: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/applyOur Relationship Anxiety Resource Shop (mediations, masterclasses, courses): https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/shopGet on our email list for updates, podcast episode announcements, discounts, and more: https://healingembodied.kartra.com/page/sign-upCheck out all the ways we can support you here: www.healingembodied.com/healwithus

You sat in the circle.You heard the apology.And you knew… nothing actually changed.Restorative justice can work in schools- the research supports that.But the versions most campuses are implementing...Are something else entirely.Research describes restorative practices as structured, resourced, and time-intensive.What most schools are doing is faster, lighter, and handed off.That's how school counselors end up in the middle of things:Facilitating conversations that aren't meant to be rushedTrying to facilitate a process you were never really trained to leadKnowing the outcome doesn't match what the promises of true restoration, but not having the language to explain why.In this episode, we take a hard look at what restorative justice actually requires... and how to know if your campus is falling short.Because this isn't just about whether you believe in restorative practices.It's about whether what's happening on your campus even matches what the research is measuring-And what that means for the role you're being asked to play.Referred to in this episode:Ep. 191, "Your Campus Runs on a Pyramid of Lies"********Join our new Skool for School Counselors community ********Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We're doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind. Come join us! ********All names, stories, and case studies in this episode are fictionalized composites drawn from real-world circumstances. Any resemblance to actual students, families, or school personnel is coincidental. Details have been altered to protect privacy.********Ready to spend a few days this summer with me, geeking out over school counseling and preparing for your best year ever? Grab your ticket here before this limited-seat event sells out! Ready to spend a few days this summer with me, geeking out over school counseling and preparing for your best year ever? Grab your ticket here before this limited-seat event sells out!******** This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.

In this deeply meaningful episode of the Holistic Healers Community Podcast, Crystal sits down with Jose Orozco for a conversation that feels nothing short of destined.What began as a simple connection within the Holistic Healers Community unfolded into something far more personal, revealing that Jose is the cousin of Crystal's late biological father. This unexpected relationship opened the door for Crystal to revisit her own perceptions, memories, and unresolved emotions surrounding her father, creating space for a new layer of healing.Together, Crystal and Jose explore how two people can hold very different experiences of the same person, and how both truths can coexist. They reflect on the significance of our individual perspectives, the meaning we assign to our experiences, and how those interpretations shape our healing and growth.Beyond their shared story, this conversation expands into Jose's path of service: Facilitating a men's support group within the community, becoming a Reiki Master alongside Crystal, and integrating energy work into daily life. Jose also shares about his incense-making practice, how it supported his 26 years of sobriety, and his growing desire to guide others on their own recovery journeys. Rooted in a philosophy of service, this episode is a powerful reminder of the unexpected ways healing, connection, and purpose can find us.

In this podcast, experts Patrick I. Borgen, MD; Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO; Kevin S. Hughes, MD, FACS; and Banu Arun, MD, FASCO; discuss how genetic testing drives breast cancer management from screening and surgical decisions to targeted systemic therapies.

The Nurses Report on America Out Loud with Gail Macrae, BSN, RN – Explore how sound frequencies restore the body's natural blueprint through Biofield Tuning. Nurses share their shift from conventional medicine to holistic healing, using tuning forks to release trauma, regulate the nervous system, and support deep transformation. Discover a physics-based approach that empowers lasting wellness, emotional balance, and personal...

The Nurses Report on America Out Loud with Gail Macrae, BSN, RN – Explore how sound frequencies restore the body's natural blueprint through Biofield Tuning. Nurses share their shift from conventional medicine to holistic healing, using tuning forks to release trauma, regulate the nervous system, and support deep transformation. Discover a physics-based approach that empowers lasting wellness, emotional balance, and personal...

The All Local Afternoon Update for Wednesday, March 11th 2026

The Space Show Presents Trisha Epp. Sunday, 2-22-26Quick Summary:The Space Show hosted Trisha Epp, Director of Innovation at Freelancer.com, to discuss NASA's open innovation challenges and Freelancer's role in facilitating these competitions. Trisha explained how Freelancer works with NASA's Tournament Lab to run innovation challenges that attract solutions from around the world, with prize money awarded for successful ideas. The discussion covered the differences between Freelancer's approach and traditional government RFP processes, highlighting cost savings and broader participation as key advantages. Trisha shared that Freelancer has helped NASA achieve significant cost savings through their innovation challenges, with approximately 30-50 winners per year. The conversation also touched on the use of AI in submissions, ethical concerns around AI art, and potential expansion of these innovation methods beyond NASA to other industries.Detailed SummaryTrisha Epp, an innovation strategist based in Vancouver, discussed her work leading open innovation challenges for NASA, NIH, and other institutions through Freelancer.com's NASA Tournament Lab. She explained that Freelancer helps find engineers and carry out innovative projects, particularly those that fit within NASA's challenge section. The discussion also touched on potential future projects in space, such as 3D printing organs in space while David shared his personal interest in advancements in knee replacement technology derived from space tech.Trisha explained her role as Director of Innovation at Freelancer, where they work with NASA through the NASA Tournament Lab and Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation to explore open innovation solutions. She detailed how Freelancer facilitates innovation challenges where participants compete to solve specific NASA problems, with successful ideas being licensed to NASA and potentially leading to further development. Trisha mentioned that Freelancer is one of 25 vendors on NASA's Open Innovation Services 3 contract, specializing in finding global solutions, and shared a success story about a Norwegian engineer whose work on software testing for the Orion spacecraft will be used in the Artemis II mission.Trisha explained how NASA's Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation facilitates faster innovation through open competitions compared to traditional procurement processes. She detailed how Freelancer's platform helps connect solvers with NASA challenges, with typical prize pools of $100,000 and above, and described the evaluation process conducted by NASA engineers. Trisha also highlighted the diversity of participants, ranging from university students to professionals from various fields, and the motivation factors driving their involvement.Trisha discussed the challenges of treating rare diseases and the importance of developing effective delivery methods for treatments. She mentioned NASA's upcoming program to analyze data from astronauts on the Artemis II mission and a competition for innovative methodologies. David inquired about solutions for unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), but Trisha had not seen any official documentation on the topic. Trisha also shared her excitement about a global competition for designing a zero-gravity indicator for the Artemis II mission, which is still awaiting results. She expressed disappointment over NASA's decision not to publish winning designs from an art challenge due to the use of AI art, which she hoped would be addressed in the future.Trisha and David discussed the ethical concerns around AI, particularly regarding the use of artists' work without consent for training AI models. David shared that their website, thespacehow.com, was targeted by AI crawlers, leading to data loss and the implementation of Cloudflare for protection. Trisha mentioned her work on a program with ex-Microsoft AI professionals and the Department of Energy to develop a healthy human-AI interaction index. The discussion concluded with Trisha expressing interest in expanding their work beyond NASA to other industries, leveraging a methodology developed with NASA to tackle complex problems.Trisha explained that their innovation challenge methodology offers significant cost savings compared to traditional RFP processes, with only 1-10% of prize money paid out when solutions are not found, and highlighted their success in attracting new audiences and finding unexpected solutions. When discussing how to evaluate and compare different methodologies like NIAC's, Trisha suggested looking at metrics such as outreach and the number of people reached, while Philip noted that NIAC aims to find transformative ideas that could disrupt existing ways of doing things, though he questioned whether their published results truly meet this goal.Toward the end of the program we discussed NASA's grant program structure and competition model, where successful proposals receive direct awards rather than requiring deliverables. Trisha explained that NASA typically awards 30-50 winners per year across various programs, with winners receiving funds to scale up their work without strings attached. The participants explored the concept of independent oversight for proposal selection processes and discussed upcoming challenges, with Trisha sharing resources including NASA's COECI opportunities website.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223 (Not in service at this time)For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4514 Zoom Jim Muncy | Tuesday 10 Mar 2026 600PM PTGuests: James A. M. MuncyZoom: Jim Muncy on Artemis, policy and much moreBroadcast 4515: Hotel Mars with Dr.Pieter.van Dokkum, Yale Univ. | Wednesday 11 Mar 2026 930AM PTGuests: John Batchelor, Dr. David Livingston, Dr. Pieter van DokkumHotel Mars on the subject of runaway black holesFriday, March 13: No program today | Friday 13 Mar 2026 930AM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonNo program todayBroadcast 4516 Zoom: Phil Swan | Sunday 15 Mar 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Phil SwanZoom: Phil Swan discusses launching orbital data centers from the MoonSpace Show weekly schedule pending. See Upcoming Show Menu on the right side of our home page, www.thespaceshow.com. The weekly newsletter will be posted on Substack when completed. Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

Are you helping your loved one… or accidentally feeding the addiction? In this episode, we take a hard look at the ways family members “prop up” addiction — providing housing, covering for missed work, giving money, smoothing over consequences, fixing problems, and absorbing emotional fallout. Most of these behaviors are fueled by fear and anxiety. We think we're protecting them. We think we're preventing disaster. But what if all that effort is actually making the problem worse? Addiction thrives on over-functioning. When we over-parent or over-love, we create a false sense of control while quietly building resentment, exhaustion, and emotional burnout. We lose ourselves trying to manage someone else's chaos. And chemically, it can even guarantee the addiction continues — because pride, responsibility, and earned accomplishment are critical to rebuilding the brain's long-term pleasure systems. You'll learn:• The difference between creating unmanageability and allowing unmanageability• Why “satin pillow” protection keeps addiction comfortable• How enabling fuels dopamine-driven patterns in the brain• What actually happens to the brain in early sobriety (the 2-week and 30–45-day shifts)• How to evaluate the true “cost of doing business” with addiction• Why flattening your emotional rollercoaster is one of the biggest wins available This episode challenges you to ask one powerful question:Is what I'm doing helping me… or helping the addiction? Letting go of control feels terrifying. It feels like the boat is tipping. But if you don't stay the course, you'll drift right back to the same painful cycle. Real change requires tolerating discomfort — and trusting that allowing consequences may be the only path that creates even the possibility of recovery. If you're exhausted, resentful, and sick of being sick and tired — this conversation will help you reclaim your emotional energy and shift your relationship with addiction for good. https://www.familyrecoveryacademy.online/hff-membership https://www.familyrecoveryacademy.online/beyond-boundaries-1 https://www.familyrecoveryacademy.online/consultations https://bit.ly/hopestream312

Craig Unger reports that the Trump brand served as a status symbol for Russian oligarchs, facilitating money laundering in failed developments while FBI counterintelligence efforts reportedly failed to intervene. 14.1914

Breaking down the latest reports surrounding Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown. Information has surfaced that Brown's agent is officially looking for potential trade partners. We discuss the implications of this move and what it means for the future of the Eagles' offense.

When public life feels loud and divided, what does quiet faithfulness look like? In the US House of Representatives, every legislative day begins with prayer. This responsibility rests with the chaplain of the house and shapes the daily spiritual rhythms of the institution. "Chaplains aren't combatants. We carry no weapon." On January 3, 2021, Rev. Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben was elected by the House to be its sixty-first chaplain. She offers daily prayer and steady pastoral presence and care in one of the most visible and contested institutions in American life. In this conversation with Mark Labberton, she reflects on vocation, pastoral identity, pluralism, crisis leadership, prayer in public life, and the quiet discipline of blessing those entrusted with leadership. She reflects on her early call to ministry as a teen, her formation as a military chaplain to the Navy, a defining season in Afghanistan, and her unexpected path to serving in the House. Together they discuss confidential care, advising leaders, the ministry of presence, praying across differences, the history of prayer in Congress, and how to bless leaders without turning prayer into a tool of ideology. Episode Highlights "I had a sense of call to ministry when I was about fourteen." "Chaplains are where it matters, when it matters, with what matters." "What is your theology of ministry?" "It is the ninety-nine who were leaving the room that needed the shepherd." "God is on his throne. He hasn't stepped down." About Margaret Grun Kibben Rev. Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben serves as the sixty-first chaplain of the United States House of Representatives. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), she previously completed a thirty-five-year career in the US Navy, including service as the twenty-sixth chief of Navy chaplains and director of religious ministry for the Department of the Navy. In that role, she advised senior naval leadership and oversaw chaplains serving sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen around the world. She holds degrees from Goucher College and Princeton Theological Seminary and earned a doctor of ministry focused on theology and leadership. Her ministry has included deployments overseas and senior-level advisement in complex, pluralistic environments. Helpful Links And Resources Office of the Chaplain, US House of Representatives: https://chaplain.house.gov US House Chaplain YouTube Channel (Daily Prayers before Sessions) https://www.youtube.com/@USHouseChaplain January 6, 2026 Prayer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQLhXt3gWBg Show Notes Call to ministry at fourteen; early clarity of vocation Presbyterian upbringing and the influence of youth pastor Blair Mooney Visit to the Naval Academy and discernment of Navy chaplaincy Integrating Christian ministry with military service "Chaplains aren't combatants. We carry no weapon." Serving people in uniform, not serving an institution as ideology Four core capabilities: provide, facilitate, care, advise Religious pluralism in the armed forces; more than 200 faith traditions Protecting sacraments, holy days, and dietary practices in deployment settings Facilitating worship for traditions not one's own Confidential communication and priest-penitent privilege across beliefs "There is 100 percent confidentiality." Advising commanders on ethics, conscience, and moral complexity Early overwork, burnout, and lack of pastoral identity Mentorship and formation in the first years of service "What is your theology of ministry?" Doctor of Ministry studies and theological self-understanding Afghanistan deployment as convergence of preparation and calling "There wasn't a day… that I didn't have a sense that God had prepared me for that particular moment." Retirement discernment and formation of Virtue in Practice Unexpected invitation to serve as Chaplain of the House Bipartisan search process and interview experience Ministry of presence during extended floor sessions and late-night votes January 6: emergency, prayer, and calm in uncertainty "It is the ninety-nine who were leaving the room that needed the shepherd." Daily opening prayer as constitutional tradition since 1789 1774 Continental Congress and Psalm 35 as precedent Political interpretation of prayer across American history "Pray for and not pray on the members." Crafting public prayer that blesses without excluding "God is on his throne. He hasn't stepped down." #MargaretGrunKibben #HouseChaplain #FaithAndLeadership #MinistryOfPresence #MilitaryChaplaincy #Prayer #ChristianVocation #Conversing Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.

Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free "Remember the Alamo" hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! Got questions for the reporting team? Email editor@thetexan.news — they just might be answered on a future podcast.Early Voting for 2026 Primary Election Arrives in TexasSparks Fly Between GOP Candidates for Texas Attorney General at Nationally Televised DebateHere's the Ballot Propositions in Texas' 2026 Republican and Democratic Primary ElectionsAnnise Parker, Orlando Sanchez Lead in Democratic and GOP Primaries for Harris County JudgeTrump Endorses in Several Key Texas Congressional Seats Ahead of 2026 Primary ElectionCain, Mealer Lead in GOP Primary for Redrawn Houston-Area Congressional District, per New PollingRepublicans, Democrats Compete for 10th Congressional District Being Vacated by Michael McCaulSix Republicans Seek Party Nomination to Replace Luttrell in Houston-Area Congressional SeatTrump Yet to Endorse in Texas GOP U.S. Senate Primary, Says He Supports All Three CandidatesHUD Launches Investigation into ‘Muslim-Centric' EPIC CityPaxton to Investigate Three Texas School Districts for Facilitating in Anti-ICE ProtestsActing Texas Comptroller Doubles Texas' Investment in Israeli BondsHouston ISD to Close 12 Schools for 2026–2027 School Year

In this episode of ATTRA's Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Tammy Howard speaks with participants from her USDA‑funded project, Bringing the Farm to School. The project is designed to help agricultural producers build the skills and capacity needed to sell their products directly to schools. Alongside this training, NCAT and the National Farm to School Network have also hosted facilitated networking events to connect producers with school food buyers.Tammy talks with her NCAT colleague and Growtopia Farms owner Cody Brown, as well as Matt Hanson from the Central Texas Food Hub, a social enterprise of the Central Texas Food Bank. Both Matt and Cody attended one of these networking events in Central Texas. Their conversation highlights their personal experiences and offers practical advice for developing strong producer-buyer relationships that support successful school food sales.Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.NCAT Resources Bringing the Farm to School Through New Connections BlogScaling up for Regional Markets TutorialScaling up your Vegetable Farm for Regional MarketsFarm to School Sales: Profiles of Ranches Making It WorkFood Hubs: A Producer GuideEpisode 358. Abundant Montana “Meet Up” Meets with SuccessOther ResourcesBringing the Farm to School ProjectNational Farm to School NetworkCentral Texas Food BankGrowtopia Farms 

Review of Samuel T. Wilkinson, Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply About the Meaning of Our Existence (New York: Pegasus Books, 2024). 338 pages. $29.95 (hardback). Abstract: Many believers in God are troubled by assertions that the theory of evolution means life on earth is accidental and has no purpose. Additionally, some people worry that the theory's implied selfishness and “survival of the fittest” mantra have terrible implications for human society. Samuel T. Wilkinson's book Purpose is a thoughtful addition to the literature corroborating compatibility between creation by God and the theory of evolution. Evolution has a random component, but the critical selection step is non-random. Moreover, the process is iterative. As evidence for non-randomness, Wilkinson cites convergent evolution (where similar traits emerged in divergent organisms). Numerous examples suggest that natural selection has limited choices, not infinite or random possibilities as was once thought. Wilkinson discusses how human behavior and evolution imply that life has purpose. These purposes are compatible with teachings embraced by diverse believers in God. Behavioral studies strongly suggest human beings evolved to have both good and evil natures and to have ultimate happiness in loving family relationships. Such relationships build good lives and societies. Facilitating all of this, natural selection appears to occur at individual, kin, and group levels. When combined with the observation that we can freely choose, our dual nature suggests that this life is a test. For Wilkinson and others, harmony between faith in God and evolutionary theory came through epiphanies and by reasoning. These experiences increased their faith in God. Amid difficulties, persisting with faith is rewarded. The post Epiphanies and Reasonings: Compatibility between Evolutionary Biology and Divine Creation first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode Victoria continues the exploration of leadership through the lens of the High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI), building on the foundation laid in Part One.The conversation focuses on three critical leadership traits: Risk Approach, Ambiguity Acceptance, and Competitiveness — how they show up in individuals, teams, and organizations, and what happens when these strengths are overplayed. Through real-world examples, candid self-reflection, and DISC personality parallels, Victoria and Heather unpack how leaders navigate uncertainty, make decisions, manage conflict, and balance ambition with collaboration.The episode also introduces the concept of leadership derailers — the ways our greatest strengths can turn into liabilities when taken too far. By walking through common derailment patterns like perfectionism, aloofness, excessive caution, and passive resistance, listeners are invited into a practical and compassionate discussion about self-awareness and growth.This episode reinforces that leadership isn't about perfection or titles — it's about learning how to adapt, evolve, and lead effectively in everyday moments, both professionally and personally.Episode Timestamps00:00 – Facilitating opposing viewpoints: why more than one thing can be true00:00:32 – Welcome to Discovering You: Where Personality Meets Possibility00:01:00 – Mood check-in and DISC color conversation00:02:15 – Personal context and emotional awareness in leadership00:03:00 – DISC explained through a football analogy00:03:30 – Recap of HPTI and leadership traits from Part One00:04:00 – Trait #4: Risk Approach explained00:04:30 – High vs. low risk approach and DISC connections00:05:00 – Why risk approach matters in leadership00:05:30 – When high risk becomes a liability00:06:00 – How risk approach shows up in teams and groups00:07:00 – Personal reflections on risk tolerance and decision-making00:08:30 – Trait #5: Ambiguity Acceptance defined00:09:00 – Organizational culture and ambiguity tolerance00:09:30 – Leadership performance under uncertainty00:10:00 – The dangers of excessive ambiguity acceptance00:10:45 – Real-world facilitation examples and collaboration00:12:00 – Overplaying strengths and adaptability in business00:13:30 – Trait #6: Competitiveness explained00:14:15 – Healthy vs. unhealthy competitiveness in leadership00:15:00 – Individual and team dynamics around competition00:16:00 – Competing with others vs. competing with yourself00:18:45 – When competitiveness influences participation and motivation00:19:00 – Leadership derailment: when strengths become risks00:19:30 – Overview of the 10 common leadership derailers00:21:00 – Self-reflection: identifying personal derailment patterns00:22:30 – Perfectionism, excessive caution, and leadership awareness00:23:00 – Growth, coaching, and leadership beyond titles00:24:00 – Closing thoughts and how to learn moreIf you're interested in learning more about team building, coaching, strategic hiring and onboarding, let's connect!discoverwhatworks@gmail.com

Sean McMeekin challenges the myth of Stalin's nervous breakdown during the 1941 German invasion, arguing both sides were mobilizing for war and that becoming a victim created a public relations miracle facilitating Western aid while Stalin withheld intelligence about Japan from the US.1939 WINTER WAR

Your body already knows how to release stress — but you've been taught to suppress it. In this Mind Architect episode, Dr. David Berceli, creator of TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises), reveals how our natural tremor mechanism can help us discharge tension, process trauma, and restore balance.Dr. David Berceli developed TRE while living in war zones, observing how humans naturally contract and release during threat. His method has now spread to over 80 countries. Joining him is Elvira Stanescu, an internationally certified TRE provider who has been practicing for nearly 5 years. Facilitating the conversation is our colleague Adrian Dinu. We explored the following topics in our conversation with David and Elvira: Why children shake naturally during stress — and why adults suppress itHow tremoring communicates between the nervous system and brainThe difference between exhausting yourself through exercise vs. actual releaseHow TRE can help parents, athletes, helping professionals, and couplesCurrent research on TRE and depression from studies in ChinaResources mentioned:Dr. David Berceli's book on TRE (now available in Romanian) David's website Romanian TRE Association TRE Global website Dr. David Berceli's YouTube Channel for research results and tutorialsFive ongoing research projects in China examining brain activity changes with TRE, including studies on depressed teenagers and their parentsYou can join us live during episode recordings and get your questions answered directly by becoming a Mind Architect Premium Member here Episode produced in partnership with Editura Herald."(00:00) Introduction: The body's hidden stress release mechanism""(01:50) Welcome and episode overview""(03:55) How Dr. Berceli discovered TRE in war zones""(06:30) The tremor mechanism in all mammals""(08:35) What happens in the body when we tremor""(12:01) How people experience tremoring in the beginning""(14:07) Tension vs. trauma: Why both matter""(17:09) The risk of overwhelm and how to self-regulate""(20:13) Dos and don'ts: How to start practicing TRE safely""(23:57) TRE vs. exhausting exercise: What's the difference?""(26:32) How the body takes over and releases patterns""(29:14) TRE for athletes and military personnel""(36:41) Cultural adaptations: China, Latin America, Romania""(44:50) TRE for helping professionals: Coaches, therapists, trainers""(50:13) How to integrate mind and body without forcing it""(54:30) TRE for parents and family systems""(01:00:00) The body's ability to heal specific injuries""(01:01:48) Collective trauma and healing in community""(01:11:50) The future: Vibration, sound, and medicine""(01:14:45) Resources and where to learn more"

HEADLINE: US Intelligence, Tomahawks, and Escalation in the Ukraine War GUEST NAMES: John Hardie, Bill Roggio SUMMARY: The US is considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, potentially facilitating strikes on Russian energy nodes using US intelligence. While Russia warns of escalation, experts believe their response will likely be strengthening air defense rather than direct conflict with NATO. Ukrainian officials are urgently seeking air defense systems due to increasing Russian missile and drone production. 1957

HEADLINE: US Intelligence, Tomahawks, and Escalation in the Ukraine War GUEST NAMES: John Hardie, Bill Roggio SUMMARY: The US is considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, potentially facilitating strikes on Russian energy nodes using US intelligence. While Russia warns of escalation, experts believe their response will likely be strengthening air defense rather than direct conflict with NATO. Ukrainian officials are urgently seeking air defense systems due to increasing Russian missile and drone production. 1958