Podcasts about FedEx

On today's MJ Morning Show:Fester eating during show... Hard-boiled eggsMorons in the newsThief stories: Fedex employee, mail carrierHemorrhoids and sleep "Grand Theft Auto" leakGen Z's are most suspicious of others peopleUber Eats 4am delivery of a can of Coke. We took lots of calls.Text from listener about a local Dolly Parton encounterUncomfortable birthday celebration cake at a restaurantWoman peels her onion's bad layers to cost less at the registerCaller loves "Tires"Call to Michelle in NYList: Have you done these?DUI in car at the pickup lineFollow-up: Royal Band plays Dolly Parton songWhat's Aug-tober?Walmart customer says he shouldn't have to pay for cough medicine because he's sickToilet paper prices expected to surge?Meta settlementBodycam audio of Jed York arrestDelta Pilot radios in for emergency landing because he's sickChris Hansen still hasn't seen movie "Primetime"See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Super U Podcast, Erik Qualman sits down with legendary sports agent, entrepreneur, and best-selling author Leigh Steinberg. Often credited as the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire, Leigh has spent decades helping some of the world's greatest athletes turn talent into enduring brands, careers, and legacies. Leigh shares lessons from representing more than 300 professional athletes and coaches across football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing, and golf. With an unprecedented eight number-one overall NFL Draft picks and 62 total first-round picks, his career is defined by record-setting contracts, bold negotiations, and a relentless belief in the power of preparation, relationships, and vision. The conversation explores what it takes to build a personal brand, negotiate with confidence, and turn success into meaningful impact. Leigh also discusses securing more than $4 billion for his clients and directing over $750 million to charitable causes around the world, offering a powerful perspective on how achievement can be used to create opportunities far beyond the individual. Whether you're an athlete, entrepreneur, leader, parent, or simply someone looking to maximize your potential, this episode offers an inspiring look at what it means to build a legacy and use success to make a difference. Learn More About MDEnvoy: From speaking at conferences to publishing research to weighing in on public health conversations, many physicians put in hard work to be visible beyond the doctor's office. Yet most lack the resources to turn that visibility into brand deals, paid speaking engagements, or long-term career positioning outside traditional medicine. Why should doctors, much like athletes or influencers, be thinking about monetizing their professional brand, and what does it look like when they can capitalize on their visibility?   Through MDEnvoy, co-founders Leigh Steinberg and Dr. Michael Suk aim to help today's physicians enter into long-lasting and mutually successful relationships with their employers and provide other strategic support, including relocation planning, wealth management, intellectual property protection, branding, and more. https://mdenvoy.com/ Connect on Instagram Connect on LinkedIn Connect on Facebook Connect on X Follow on YouTube Five-time #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 60 countries and reached over 60 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind the Harry Potter series. Have Erik speak at your conference: eq@equalman.com Motivational Speaker | Erik Qualman has inspired audiences at FedEx, Chase, ADP, Huawei, Starbucks, Godiva, FBI, Google, and many more on Focus and Digital Leadership.  

Are you confused by your FedEx retro pay deposit? Learn why your payout looks lower than expected and how to manage the funds effectively.This video provides clarity for FedEx employees who have recently received payments from the five-year contract dispute. If you are wondering why the net amount in your bank account does not match your calculations, you need to understand the role of mandatory tax withholding. This breakdown explains exactly why those deductions occur and clarifies that they are standard government requirements outside of company control.While the tax withholding on your FedEx retro pay is non-negotiable, you do have full control over your financial planning moving forward. This video outlines practical steps to handle your retroactive pay taxes so you can make informed decisions with the remaining balance. Whether you are planning to save or pay down debt, understanding how you use this lump-sum from the FedEx contract dispute settlement is the first step toward better financial management.YOU'RE A FEDEX PILOT? GO HERE https://fedexpilotretropay.com/JOIN OUR FREE SKOOL COMMUNITY - https://www.skool.com/ibc-community-7282VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE RESOURCES - https://thewealthwarehousepodcast.com/AND - https://cospark.us/Chapters00:00 Intro02:10 The Power of Paying Yourself First02:56 Understanding the Survivor Benefit Plan05:08 Risks and Alternatives to Survivor Benefits07:01 Using Whole Life Insurance for Wealth and Security11:53 Market Volatility and the Buffer of Whole Life Insurance17:09 Creating a Non-Market Correlated Asset19:57 Leaving a Tax-Free Legacy22:06 Three Easy Ways to Get Started32:48 Advanced Strategies and Wrap-Upkey topics-Retirement lump sum strategies-Survivor benefit plan risks and alternatives-Using whole life insurance as a financial tool-Market diversification and volatility buffer-Tax-free legacy creationMusic licensed through Soundstripe. Code: ZFXBMJSIAGIPK6UY, LVMN7BQMUNVAMKNQ, LHZU7TAPOTBENINGDISCLAIMER: Licensed Authorized Infinite Banking Practitioners. Educational purposes only. Schedule consultation for personalized advice

Catch “The Drive with Spence Checketts” from 2 pm to 6 pm weekdays on ESPN 700 & 92.1 FM. Produced by Porter Larsen. The latest on the Utah Jazz, Real Salt Lake, Utes, BYU + more sports storylines.

Mortgage rates are about to move — and today I break down exactly what the Federal Reserve is watching before they do. The August 21, 2026 Rate Update for homebuyers and Realtors: PCE vs CPI, jobs and claims, where mortgage rates sit now, and the $100 billion in tariff refunds that went to corporations instead of consumers.CHAPTERS0:00 What This Week's Data Told the Fed1:15 PCE vs CPI — The Inflation Number That Sets Mortgage Rates2:40 Jobs and Jobless Claims: The Fed's Dual Mandate4:10 The Reports That Can Move Mortgage Rates From Here5:45 Where Mortgage Rates Sit Right Now7:00 $100 Billion in Tariff Refunds: Who Actually Got Paid8:30 Target, Amazon, Ford — Refunds Booked Into Earnings9:50 Why Consumers Aren't Getting a Tariff Refund Check10:50 What Homebuyers and Realtors Should Do NowMORTGAGE RATE UPDATE — FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026This week's economic data gave the Federal Reserve exactly what it watches most, and I walk through it the way the Fed actually reads it: PCE inflation over headline CPI, the jobs and jobless claims trend over any single monthly print, and the drivers underneath both — oil, shelter, and services. Then we look at what's ahead on the economic calendar and what could realistically push mortgage rates higher or lower.If you're buying a home, refinancing, or advising clients as a real estate agent, this hits your monthly payment directly. Mortgage rates follow the bond market and the 10-Year Treasury, not the Fed funds headlines — and understanding that difference is the biggest edge a homebuyer has right now.In the second half: roughly $100 billion of the $166 billion in struck-down IEEPA tariffs has been certified and sent out — to importers and corporations, not the consumers who paid it at the register. Target booked $994 million in tariff refunds and $1.65 in earnings per share while confirming it won't issue customer refunds. Amazon collected about $640 million. Ford recorded a $1.3 billion one-time tariff benefit. FedEx and UPS are among the few passing money back.Both halves land on the same place: your buying power.NEXT STEPS

What if the key to winning a negotiation isn't being the loudest person in the room—but knowing when to listen, when to pause, and how to build trust? On this episode of the Super U Podcast, Erik Qualman sits down with attorney, entrepreneur, talent executive, professor, and veteran dealmaker Ken Sterling, author of Tilt the Room. Ken shares the strategies he's developed across law, business, technology, entertainment, and high-stakes dealmaking to help people influence outcomes without becoming aggressive or burning bridges. Ken breaks down his Tilt the Room framework—trust, influence, leverage, and timing—and explains why successful negotiation is less about overpowering the other side and more about understanding people, preparing for the room, and creating relationships that last beyond a single deal. The conversation explores how to: • Build trust and rapport before you ever need leverage • Read the room and understand the people sitting across the table • Prepare thoroughly while staying flexible in the moment • Use silence and the "power of the pause" to your advantage • Stay calm under pressure instead of resorting to bullying • Avoid overplaying your hand when you have leverage • Give difficult feedback without destroying trust • Stay focused and fully present during high-stakes conversations • Approach negotiation as a long-term relationship rather than a one-time transaction Ken also shares his memorable philosophy: "Never call someone's baby ugly." In negotiation and leadership, ideas can feel deeply personal—and dismissing someone's idea can damage the trust and influence you've worked hard to build. From billion-dollar dealmaking principles to everyday negotiations at work and home, this episode is a masterclass in how to tilt the room without tipping the scales too far. Tune in for practical insights on negotiation, leadership, focus, influence, and the human side of getting to yes. Connect with Ken Sterling: www.sterlingmedialaw.com www.bigspeak.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kensterling/ https://www.instagram.com/ken.sterling/ Five-time #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 60 countries and reached over 60 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind the Harry Potter series. Have Erik speak at your conference: eq@equalman.com Motivational Speaker | Erik Qualman has inspired audiences at FedEx, Chase, ADP, Huawei, Starbucks, Godiva, FBI, Google, and many more on Focus and Digital Leadership.  

Esta semana se jugó la FedEx Cup y el reverendo Scottie Scheffler llegó a poner orden. Cuando hay presión, cuando hay algo importante en juego y cuando toca demostrar quién manda, Scottie parece tener la costumbre de aparecer y recordarnos por qué es el número 1.Pero mientras Scheffler sigue haciendo de las suyas, el otro gran tema del golf profesional vuelve a ser LIV. Después de todo lo que hemos hablado sobre el proyecto saudí, las cosas parecen estar tomando un rumbo bastante claro… ¿será que finalmente llegó a su fin?En este episodio hablamos de lo que pasó esta semana en la FedEx Cup, del dominio de Scheffler y, por supuesto, del presente y futuro de LIV Golf. ¿Estamos viendo el principio del fin del proyecto saudí o todavía nos tienen preparada alguna sorpresa?

DopeyCon Tickets: https://buytickets.at/thedopeyfoundation/2216905 Get Discounts and Good Stuff on PAtreon: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast Summary Interventionist, social worker, author and longtime Dopey favorite Joe Schrank returns to record with Dave in person for the first time since the early days with Chris. Joe explains why he believes the traditional rehab industry often confuses compliance with actual healing—and why recovery should be measured by improvement, reduced harm and staying alive, not only perfect abstinence. Dave and Joe dig into Brad Pitt's decision to drink moderately after years of sobriety, whether alcoholics can ever successfully return to controlled drinking, and why celebrities speaking publicly about recovery matters. They also discuss kratom and 7-OH addiction, medication-assisted treatment, cannabis in recovery, mental health care and the danger of treating relapse as a moral failure. Joe shares memories of employing Chris, how he responded to Chris's relapses and the shame Chris carried afterward. Plus: a drug-addled FedEx driver steals a customer's mailbox, Dave's painfully awkward encounter with Seth Rogen, Joe's upcoming book and screenplay, DopeyCon, Andy Cohen, baseball and the possible return of Rehab Confidential. ALL THAT AND MORE!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we kick things off by examining a strategic bet on orchestration software as national parcel carriers continue to shed unprofitable volume. Last-mile delivery technology company Burq is wagering that enterprise retailers will pay for orchestration platforms that sit above the growing bench of regional carriers and gig courier networks. With fifty-five percent of retailers now using carriers outside FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service, and alternative carriers moving two point six billion parcels last year, the last-mile delivery duopoly is rapidly eroding. Next, we discuss a messy legal battle in the air cargo sector that has officially come to an end. Miami-based charter operator Global Crossing Airlines has dismissed its thirty-million-dollar breach-of-contract lawsuit against Ascent Global Logistics and terminated their exclusive brokerage agreement. GlobalX had alleged its former investment partner failed to honor an agreement to steer air cargo business its way, and during the second quarter, the carrier's cargo revenue dropped two point nine million dollars, or about fifty percent, year over year. Finally, we explore a sophisticated international freight fraud operation as Armenian authorities busted a Yerevan-based group that posed as American carriers and converted stolen freight proceeds into crypto. Cyber police raided commercial space inside a Yerevan hotel on July twenty-third, where suspects allegedly used specialized computer equipment to gain trust from businesses arranging transportation services, then redirected shipments to different locations instead of completing intended deliveries. Follow the FreightWaves Today Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FedEx, Staples and LAZ Parking just cut about 500 jobs across Southern California — as the U.S. lost 23,000 jobs last month. Here's what to do if it hits you, and the #1 lesson: your paycheck is a starting point, not your safety net. Plus: the truth about Colombia turning away Mexican rescuers, LA schools emptying out, Coco 2 finally has a date, and today I teach you how to invest a little every month — no matter what. (Audio en español, subtítulos en inglés.) Hoy en Échale: FedEx, Staples y LAZ Parking cortaron unos 500 empleos en el sur de California. Te digo qué hacer si te tocó, y la lección #1: tu cheque es un punto de partida, no tu red de seguridad. Además: la verdad de por qué Colombia no dejó entrar a los rescatistas mexicanos, se vacían las escuelas de LA, ¡Coco 2 ya tiene fecha!, y en el Concepto: cómo invertir poquito cada mes, pase lo que pase. EN ESTE EPISODIO:

On this episode of AvTalk, we're joined by Goodyear Blimp Chief Pilot Michael Dougherty to learn more about his unique role in the aviation industry. Also on this week's episode, German investigators continue looking for answers for how a drone was able to make it onto the Leipzig Airport ramp. FedEx paints a 777 in […] The post AvTalk Episode 383: Goodyear Blimp Chief Pilot Michael Dougherty appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

Braxton reacts and reflects on the legendary career of Russell Westbrook and his shock retirement. He also previews the biggest storylines heading into week 1 of NFL Preseason, the latest from the MLB, and the NBA schedule release! Also, see his picks for the PGA FedEx St. Jude Championship! Follow or stream on any platform @Burgers&Brats

In episode 300 (that's right) of the Simple Flying Podcast, hosts Tom and Channing sit down to discuss,The podcast's top episodes (5-3)Delta Air Lines launches Austin to ParisThe podcast's top episodes (2-1)FedEx's retro Boeing 777British Airways' A380 flight to nowhere

A.M. Edition for Aug. 13. A Journal investigation finds that thousands of North Korean operatives have landed jobs at American companies and are funneling millions of dollars back to the regime. Plus, big businesses like Apple and FedEx start reeling in hundreds of millions in tariff refunds. And the WSJ's Stu Woo details how American chatbots are towing Beijing's party line. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Erick opens on the Wall Street Journal's tariff refund story (over 40 S&P 500 companies reporting some $9.6 billion, with Apple near $2.2 billion, Nike at $986 million, FedEx at $800 million, Amazon at $640 million, and GM at $500 million after the Supreme Court struck the tariffs) and skewers the populists who swore tariffs […]

What does it take to perform at your highest level—not just once, but consistently, when the pressure is on? In this episode of the Super U Podcast, hosted by Erik Qualman, we sit down with Dr. Tom Mitchell, performance coach and former sports psychiatrist for the Golden State Warriors, to explore the mindset behind peak performance. Tom shares insights from his career working with elite athletes, coaches, and leaders, along with lessons from his book co-written with legendary quarterback Joe Montana. Tom also pulls back the curtain on his time working alongside Chris Mullin, his experiences as a college basketball coach and the unique lessons that coaching taught him about leadership, resilience, and bringing out the best in others. The conversation explores mentality, focus, and what it really takes to perform when the stakes are high. Tom shares practical strategies for staying present, maintaining confidence, handling pressure, and keeping your mind focused on what you can control.  Whether you're an athlete, entrepreneur, leader, or simply someone looking to perform at a higher level, this episode is packed with powerful stories and actionable lessons on developing the mindset to stay focused, overcome challenges, and become your best self. Five-time #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 60 countries and reached over 60 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind the Harry Potter series. Have Erik speak at your conference: eq@equalman.com Motivational Speaker | Erik Qualman has inspired audiences at FedEx, Chase, ADP, Huawei, Starbucks, Godiva, FBI, Google, and many more on Focus and Digital Leadership.

Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader, Cerity Partners Three years after launching his independent RIA, Patrick Larkin merged with Cerity Partners—but not because that was the original plan. He explains how ownership changed the way he viewed enterprise value, optionality, and the future of his business. In Summary Going independent is often viewed as the destination. Patrick Larkin discovered it was just the beginning. Louis sits down with Patrick, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners and former founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, to discuss an unconventional journey: leaving Wells Fargo to build an independent RIA, then choosing to merge that business just three years later. Rather than following a predetermined exit strategy, Patrick shares how ownership fundamentally changed the way he thought about enterprise value. A conversation with a prospective acquirer revealed that buyers weren't interested in purchasing a book of business—they were looking for a business. That realization reshaped how he invested, hired, delegated, and ultimately positioned his firm for the future. The conversation from our Build Grow & Transact series also offers a candid look at life after a merger, from evaluating cultural fit and partnership to balancing autonomy with the resources of a larger organization. More broadly, it illustrates how ownership creates optionality—and why the most valuable decision an advisor makes may not be the one they originally envisioned. The Storyline After spending nearly 15 years building a successful practice at AG Edwards, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo, Patrick Larkin launched Oak Hill Wealth Advisors in 2022 with a simple objective: build a business on his own terms. Like many advisors, he expected independence to be the final destination for a long time. But then there was the realization that ownership changes more than economics; it changes perspective. And it became the beginning of an entirely different way of thinking. As acquisition inquiries arrived sooner than expected, Patrick realized something that fundamentally changed his strategy. Sophisticated buyers weren't evaluating his client relationships as a book of business; they were evaluating Oak Hill as an enterprise. That insight shifted his priorities from maximizing short-term profitability to building a business that could thrive beyond its founder. Just three years after launching, Patrick chose to merge with Cerity Partners—not because he was looking for an exit, but because he believed it strengthened the future for his clients, his team, and his family. Louis and Patrick explore what led to that decision, how ownership increased the value of his business almost immediately, why he compares independence to an IPO, and what advisors should consider if they hope to create options for the future—even if they don't yet know what that future looks like. Topics Covered Building enterprise value versus maximizing annual income Creating optionality through ownership Leaving Wells Fargo to launch an independent RIA Why buyers value businesses more than books of business Evaluating strategic partners and acquisition opportunities The economics of independence and business valuation Life after merging with Cerity Partners Balancing autonomy with enterprise-scale resources Leadership, succession, and building beyond the founder Long-term ownership and partnership models > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why did Patrick decide to leave Wells Fargo? (11:07) Patrick explains why growing frustrations around control, firm priorities, and the ability to build his business eventually outweighed the comfort of staying put. How did going independent immediately change the value of his business? (21:42) Patrick introduces one of the episode's biggest ideas: why launching Oak Hill felt like taking a company public and how ownership increased the firm's value almost overnight. Why did Patrick sell only three years after becoming independent? (20:03) An unexpected conversation with a prospective acquirer completely changed how he viewed enterprise value and accelerated his long-term thinking. What separates a business from a book of business? (21:42) Patrick discusses why recruiting advisors, delegating client relationships, and investing beyond himself made Oak Hill more attractive to strategic buyers. Why Cerity Partners? (26:48) Rather than focusing on valuation, Cerity emphasized culture, partnership, and long-term alignment—qualities Patrick says ultimately mattered most. What is life actually like after a merger? (37:57) Patrick offers an unusually candid perspective on autonomy, leadership, and why he says he hasn't second-guessed the decision once. Key Takeaways Ownership creates opportunities that often aren't visible until after independence. Enterprise value is built by creating a business that can thrive beyond its founder. The first acquisition conversation can be valuable even if no transaction occurs. Cultural alignment may ultimately matter more than valuation when selecting a long-term partner. Independence doesn't eliminate future options—it expands them. Strategic transactions can strengthen outcomes for clients, employees, and owners simultaneously. The goal isn't simply to own a business; it's to create choices for what comes next. https://youtu.be/f7FGLGjBbyo Quotable Moments “The day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public.” “Potential acquirers weren't interested in buying a book. They were interested in buying a business.” “Ownership isn't simply about control. It's about creating optionality.” “The fear of leaving is almost always worse than the actual experience of leaving.” FAQs Why did Patrick Larkin merge with Cerity Partners only three years after launching his RIA? Patrick explains that independence changed how he viewed enterprise value. After learning what sophisticated buyers were actually looking for, he intentionally built Oak Hill as a business rather than simply managing for annual profitability. Why does Patrick compare independence to an IPO? Because ownership immediately transformed the economic value of his practice. Rather than participating in an internal succession model, he owned an independent enterprise that carried substantially greater market value. What changed after Patrick became independent? Beyond gaining control, he began making decisions through the lens of enterprise value—investing in advisors, systems, and infrastructure that would make the business less dependent on him personally. What made Cerity Partners stand out? Patrick cites the firm's culture, partnership model, meritocracy, long-term vision, and ability to combine local autonomy with enterprise-level capabilities. Is this episode only relevant for advisors considering selling? No. The broader lesson is that ownership creates flexibility. Whether an advisor ultimately remains independent or joins another organization, understanding how enterprise value is created can influence decisions from day one. What is the biggest lesson Patrick hopes advisors take away? That independence isn't simply about leaving a firm. It's about creating the ability to choose what comes next on your own terms. Patrick explains that independence changed how he viewed enterprise value. After learning what sophisticated buyers were actually looking for, he intentionally built Oak Hill as a business rather than simply managing for annual profitability. Because ownership immediately transformed the economic value of his practice. Rather than participating in an internal succession model, he owned an independent enterprise that carried substantially greater market value. Beyond gaining control, he began making decisions through the lens of enterprise value—investing in advisors, systems, and infrastructure that would make the business less dependent on him personally. Patrick cites the firm's culture, partnership model, meritocracy, long-term vision, and ability to combine local autonomy with enterprise-level capabilities. No. The broader lesson is that ownership creates flexibility. Whether an advisor ultimately remains independent or joins another organization, understanding how enterprise value is created can influence decisions from day one. That independence isn't simply about leaving a firm. It's about creating the ability to choose what comes next on your own terms. Related Resources From Start-Up to $31B Behemoth RIA: The Catalysts Behind the Growth of Mega-Firm Cerity Partners Ownership Matters: What Advisors Need to Know When Evaluating Firms Top Tips for Setting Your Business Up for Success Years Before a Move Patrick LarkinPartner and Practice Leader Patrick is a Partner and Practice Leader in the Lansdowne, VA office. He is a member of the Lansdowne Practice, where he works closely with families, foundations, and non-profits to help them define and achieve their financial goals with clarity and confidence. With a deep specialization in retirement income distribution planning and complex risk and wealth management strategies, Patrick is known for helping clients simplify complicated financial decisions, reduce uncertainty, and build sustainable, long-term plans. His approach emphasizes fiduciary responsibility, transparency, and personalized guidance — ensuring clients always feel informed and empowered. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Patrick was the founding member of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, where he built a highly respected independent advisory practice that earned the trust of families, professionals, and mission-driven organizations across the region. His leadership was instrumental in shaping a client-first culture that continues today. Patrick's work is rooted in a passion for long-term relationships — guiding clients not just through markets, but through life's milestones such as retirement, business transitions, philanthropic planning, and wealth transfer across generations. He takes pride in being both a strategic advisor and a steady partner to the people he serves. Patrick lives in Bluemont, VA, with his wife Angela, their two children, Paige and Sean, and their Golden Retrievers, Huckleberry and Genoa. Outside of the office, Patrick and his family enjoy an active lifestyle — whether it's hiking and backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, biking the Great Allegheny Passage, or sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. These experiences reflect his belief in balance, resilience, and enjoying the journey — values he also brings to his work with clients. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years A conversation with Louis Diamond and Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader at Cerity Partners.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years. It’s a conversation with Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: Ownership as a way of creating opportunities you can’t always predict. That’s exactly why we created our Build, Grow, and Transact series. Independence isn’t the end of the story. It’s often the beginning of thinking differently about enterprise value, optionality, and what comes next. Today’s guest is Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners, and formerly the founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Patrick spent nearly 15 years building a successful practice at A.G. Edwards, Wachovia, and eventually Wells Fargo before launching his own independent firm in 2022. Just three years later, he merged that firm into Cerity. At first glance, that timeline might seem surprisingly short, but as you’ll hear, the merger wasn’t a change in direction. It was the result of seeing his business differently once he owned it. Yet, it’s this perspective that really brings that thought home. Patrick said the day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public because overnight, what had been viewed as a book of business became an enterprise with substantially greater value, some four to five times the value of what it was worth at Wells. And that realization changed the way he invested, the way he hired, and ultimately the way he thought about the future. Pat and I also talk about something advisors don’t often discuss candidly, what life actually looks like after a merger. How much control do you give up? What changes day to day? How do you know whether you’re joining a partner or simply selling a business? Whether your long-term plan is to remain independent forever or eventually join a larger organization, Patrick’s experience is a reminder that ownership isn’t simply about control. It’s about creating optionality and putting yourself in a position where the next decision is yours to make. So let’s get to it. Patrick, thanks for coming on our show today. Patrick Larkin: Oh, my pleasure. Nice to meet you, Louis. Louis Diamond: You too. So let’s start off basically how we start every interview. Tell us about yourself, your background, and how you found your way into our industry in the first place. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, thank you for asking. I knew I always wanted to be a financial advisor. That part really wasn’t in question, but upon graduating college and being a 22-year-old, I knew that it was probably not practical to walk in and start advising people my parents’ age with their life savings. Probably wasn’t going to be a recipe for success. So I took a quick tour through the pharmaceutical industry first, which ended up being unexpectedly valuable. My employers there pushed me to think like an entrepreneur and within our territories. And honestly, that mindset never left me. It shaped how I built everything that came after. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself in Loudoun County, Virginia in Northern Virginia, and I became an FA trainee with A.G. Edwards, absolutely fantastic firm to start my career. Now, what drew me to this career was pretty simple. I felt like it was one of the professions that we had an opportunity to do so much good for others while simultaneously also doing well for yourself, and those two things aren’t in conflict. I also really loved the idea that in this profession there was no hiding. You don’t get paid to show up. You get paid for what you actually do. And perhaps for me, what was most important, I loved the weight of responsibility. I loved earning people’s trust. I loved the idea of deserving, being deserving of their trust, and being a steward of what they’ve worked a lifetime to build. I never took that lightly, and I still don’t. Louis Diamond: That’s amazing. Yeah, I mean, the number of people I’ve heard, you talked so fondly about A.G. Edwards and there’s a bunch of other firms that have since been absorbed or emerged that are like the regional firms of old. So not surprised to hear you loved it. A.G. Edwards, obviously, became Wells Fargo Advisors or was acquired or merged with Wells Fargo. So I know you’re at Wells and A.G. Edwards until 2022. So give us a quick version. How’d you build your practice from the pharma world into being in FA? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, so as I started with A.G. Edwards, I came in at really just the perfect time. It was towards the end of the financial crisis. And I built the business the old-fashioned way with a lot of cold calling and eventually did some dinner seminars, which I can tell you is a very expensive way to learn how to speak in front of a room. But I made some progress, and I was also in a great office, small enough that some of the advisors there would hand off some of the smaller accounts that they weren’t interested in working with, and got an opportunity to get a lot of reps in working with real life clients and individuals. I knew early on I didn’t have enough talent to win on talent alone, so I made up for it and compensated for that with really hard work. The real turning point came for me when A.G. Edwards was first acquired by Wachovia Securities, and that was about five years into my career. And at that point, my branch manager, who was eyeing retirement, asked me to step in as her partner, and that changed everything. We eventually moved over to a Wachovia Securities office, another really great local office in Loudoun County, Virginia. And from that office, I worked on and became a CIMA, a CFP, worked with the clients, built a business through referrals. And I found at that point in my career when I would go to a meeting with Wachovia, eventually Wells Fargo, as a young 30-year-old, I would look around the room often and realize that I was the youngest person in the room. The funny thing was 10 years later, I would go into that same room and I’d look around and I still was the youngest guy in that room. And those demographics in our industry, and when I came into our industry, ultimately led that office that I worked in with Wells Fargo Advisors, I eventually was the recipient and party to five different succession plans- Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: … at Wells Fargo Advisors. I hoped that I had built a reputation as somebody that these other advisors would entrust with their clients. And over that time period, really, I would say professionally, one of my accomplishments I’m most proud of is all five of those retired advisors that I used to work with, who had an opportunity to see me work with clients, all became clients of mine, I still continue to work with. And it’s professionally just one of the greatest honors that I’ve ever had. Louis Diamond: I mean, that’s a large number of advisors you helped sunset, but I would agree it’s the ultimate proof of concept that they not only trusted you with their clients and their life’s work, but now also with their family’s wealth. So I like that, kind of the full life cycle there. So I’m curious, though, you stayed at Wells through a really turbulent time through the fake bank scandal. There’s a lot of attrition. I mean, obviously, they’re still a powerhouse to this day, but what kept you at Wells for as long as it did before you left in 2022? Patrick Larkin: You described it as a turbulent time. Pretty turbulent might be an understatement. Even before Wells, the transition to Wells, Wachovia Bank had been the first company that we transitioned to from A.G. Edwards. And we, of course, went through the financial crisis during that time period and handholding our clients and helping them get through that time period and dealing with concerns that we shouldn’t really have to be prepared with. “Is my money safe? It’s not what’s happening to the market, but is my money safe in your institution?” But once things stabilized, I found real purpose in partnering with some of the retiring advisors and opportunities that came up. It was a really wonderful climate and atmosphere in our local office. It was really a family-like atmosphere, and I still had a lot to learn. And all those advisors that I partnered with, I’ve joked I’ve never had an original idea in my entire life. I stole all my good ideas from them. And some of them were really ahead of their time, and I learned, adopted, and built my own philosophies by working closely with them. Ultimately, by the time I left Wells Fargo, I was finishing up the fifth sunset program and had only made my way halfway through the sunset before the opportunity presented itself to create my own practice. Louis Diamond: So I’m curious, when did you first seriously start thinking about leaving and what really tipped the scales for you? What was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, it really was a number of small items and ultimately one big one. But for a long time, I’d been content, but as I tried to grow the business beyond what I could do individually, I felt like I kept running into walls. There were it felt like limitations on how I could build out my team and structure the practice the way I envisioned it. Additionally, there were some new policies that also started to bother me. One of them was the platform advisory fee, which in my eyes was less about client transparency and more about replacing a declining revenue source on the firm’s balance sheet. And after dealing with clients and helping them through the bank scandal at the firm, I was concerned that this would come back and hurt me and the relationships that I had with my clients. Incidentally, I just recently onboarded a new client that transferred to us. And for them, looking at their statement, identifying this platform advisory fee- Louis Diamond: Oh boy. Patrick Larkin: … was the last straw for them before they moved about 15 million of assets to us. Also, I thought I would be I would be a better allocator of resources than Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo retained about half of the revenue that I earned for the business. They seemed to think that the best allocation of that money was additional middle management. Whereas, I thought investment in technology, investment in additional personnel, and an investment in marketing were best places to continue to build out my vision. The final straw, and really a thing that crystallized everything for me was when I read a book in 2021 called The Infinite Game, a book written by Simon Sinek. Chapter eight, the title is Ethical Fading. And it uses the Wells Fargo bank scandal as a case study in what happens when a firm loses its moral compass. I read the chapter and thought, “There it is, I have to do something.” That was really the final push I needed. I mentioned earlier I was very fortunate to start my career with a company called A.G. Edwards, a regional brokerage firm. And while I was at A.G. Edwards, there was a research report that came out on A.G. Edwards as a company. And I’m going to paraphrase a little bit on what was said in that report, but ultimately there was a line in there, and it was a criticism, but I took it as a huge positive as being an employee there. The line said, “While management does not necessarily say it, we believe the client is put ahead of the shareholder.” And that was something I was very proud of. And I just, upon reflecting on it, felt confident those were words that I never was going to see go to print about Wells Fargo. Louis Diamond: So you left Wells in 2022 and founded Oak Hill Wealth Partners in Lansdowne, Virginia. Walk us through that decision. Why go independent rather than going to another firm? Patrick Larkin: I really thought moving to another firm, the things that I had grown frustrated with at Wells Fargo Advisors, I would also find at another wirehouse firm. I was ready, and honestly, the simple answer is I thought I could do better. And I wanted control after having what I felt like was very little control. I had grown frustrated with others making important decisions, and I wanted an opportunity to grab the reins and make decisions on my own. I believe at that time, the future of wealth management was going to be built around fiduciary advice, and I didn’t want to watch that from the sidelines anymore. I was watching what was happening in the industry. And as we were trying to hire new advisors, reaching out to college graduates who were studying CFP programs, identified that they were more inclined to want to start employment with an RIA than a wirehouse. What made the timing work really well was Wells Fargo had actually introduced a program to help advisors in the private client group spin off and establish their own RIAs. Now, whenever I tell this to another advisor, particularly ones that are wirehouses, they can’t understand it. And quite frankly, I don’t understand why they helped us do it, but we were about the 30th practice that they helped us through this process and they provided real support. They hired consultants, made vendor recommendations, even referrals to financing so I could pay off my last succession plan before I left. The only really upside for Wells Fargo was that the ask was that we continue to use First Clearing as the custodian. And one of the downsides for me was I was going to leave all of my deferred comp behind with Wells Fargo. Now, all clients had to do to join me was sign a positive consent. And on May 9th, 2020, we turned on our computers in our new office and our clients were already there. That same day, we launched and started a relationship with Charles Schwab. And it was so exciting to be able to start shopping for what I thought was the best FinTech, really feeling like I was stuck with proprietary tools that Wells Fargo advisors had offered. I felt like I was a kid in a candy store. And if there was a cool tool that I identified that would help us serve our clients better, I was all in and I was buying it. I really feel that some of the technology that Oak Hill eventually bought into and some of the tools we’re using now are going to take years and years before they eventually trickle down to where the wirehouses are, if ever. Louis Diamond: Interesting. So it was really it was for the most part an internal move from one- Patrick Larkin: It was- Louis Diamond: … channel to the other. Patrick Larkin: … it was an internal move, but there was no requirement to stay at First Clearing. As a fiduciary, they couldn’t make those demands. And again, they helped us with the financing, which is really unusual that they helped us secure a loan so I could pay off the last retiring advisor. It’s really unusual that a bank will loan money where there is no business at the time, but because of previous experience that financial institution had working with Wells, they helped us facilitate the transaction. And the program is still in place at Wells Fargo, which is absolutely amazing to me after the experience that I’ve just had myself. Louis Diamond: Yeah, it’s interesting. I mean, does it cannibalize a more profitable revenue source? Sure. But if the alternative was all the assets go to Schwab or Fidelity, to me, honestly, it’s smart. I think they played the long game by not being adversarial on it. Patrick Larkin: I think they played a long game and they took the philosophy, and I think they use it as a recruiting tool that if you love them, set them free. And that’s exactly what they did. Louis Diamond: So for the rest of the episode, I want to talk about your eventual, and not that long period of time, transaction or decision to merge Oak Hill with Cerity Partners. This is our Build, Grow, Transact subseries. And I was really struck by your story because you were three years or so into running Oak Hill, and then your merger with Cerity Partners, an amazing RIA closed. That’s a fairly short runway. Usually when I see folks go independent for the first time, it’s 10, 15, 20 years, maybe never, that they decide to merge or sell. I’m curious to understand your thinking about the transaction. Were you looking to do something? Or was it just like right place, right time and the opportunity presented itself? Patrick Larkin: I had started Oak Hill with the intent of eventually down the road, much closer to retirement, looking for a partner. The opportunity and what I learned early on helped change that idea and philosophy, and I adapted and made modifications to take advantage of it. Louis Diamond: Interesting. So you weren’t necessarily planning on selling or merging the business, it just kind of circumstances happened the way they did? Patrick Larkin: Yeah. When we started Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, it was a really pretty short period of time before we started getting calls from larger national RIAs about potential acquisition, much sooner than I expected. Early on, I just brushed them off, but about a year in, I took one of those calls and it really just opened my eyes up. I realized for the first time this small firm, this little practice actually had some real value, way more than I’d given it credit for. That first call, that first exploration didn’t go anywhere. It wasn’t a good fit. But what it gave me was a much clearer picture of what the serious acquirers were actually looking for. And that changed decisions I made at Oak Hill going forward. I really at that point stopped trying to optimize for near-term profit and really thought of my business as a business and started building towards enterprise value, sometimes at the cost of short-term income. And that turned out to be exactly the right call. Louis Diamond: That’s such an interesting perspective. Let’s double-click into that concept. So it sounds almost counterintuitive that if you kind of had this light bulb moment that like, “Okay, maybe I want to transact my business sooner than I initially thought.” I think most people would say, “Let’s become lean and mean. Let’s become as profitable as possible so my EBITDA’s higher.” But you took the different approach. What were the decisions you did to invest more in enterprise value rather than current cash flow? Patrick Larkin: A true business is one that doesn’t need me to be here every day to operate. And when we left Wells Fargo Advisors, it was myself and one other advisor that created Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. I was responsible for about 95% of the assets and revenue. And one of the more significant investments we made is in additional advisors. I recruited three new advisors, all CFPs, to join Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Whereas, before I had been largely managing all the relationships myself. For someone that kind of grew up in the regional wirehouse space, it’s pretty counterintuitive to start moving relationships away from you onto other advisors. You’re trained and built to create a moat around your relationships, and realized that the potential acquirers are not interested, at least the ones I was interested in, weren’t interested in buying a book. They were interested in buying a business. And that just meant every decision we made going forward was not profit-driven, but how can I increase the value of the business? So after that first call, I knew I probably would be looking to move forward with a transaction sooner as opposed to the end of retirement. That information that I got on that first call helped me realize that when Oak Hill Wealth Advisors opened its doors on May 9th, 2022, we effectively had an IPO. I had great familiarity with how the succession plans at Wells Fargo Advisors worked. And on that day that we opened our practice, the value of my business jumped to be four to five times the value of it in a succession plan at Wells Fargo Advisors. Now, I knew going forward that I was going to be able to increase revenue. I was going to be able to increase EBITDA. I was going to potentially have some benefits from a market tailwind. I knew the multiples of EBITDA that the firms use may fluctuate, but the biggest change by far occurred leaving the wirehouse and having the value of my business grow four to fivefold in that same day. So what I really focused on was making sure that I was going to, when I was ready to start looking again after I had worked on improving the practice, really was going to look for a firm that was going to be a good cultural fit for both my clients, my team, and myself. Louis Diamond: That’s such a cool perspective. I’ve never heard anyone say that the day we launched your independent business was like an IPO. But honestly, it’s so true. You’re planting a flag in the ground that like, “Here is real value. This is value that we’ve created that we own rather than it being a book of business and a W-2 paycheck.” And it’s a fascinating perspective. Patrick Larkin: Yep. It really is amazing that the value changed that much on one day and the future value changes. Looking at the equity that I owned in Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, it made sense to consider is there a better way to take some risk off the table for myself and my family and diversify some of the equity that I had in Oak Hill Wealth Advisors with a larger enterprise? Louis Diamond: It makes complete sense. Obviously, everyone would sign up for 4 to 5X increase in value. Patrick Larkin: Sure. Louis Diamond: That’s not the reason most people go independent, but it’s important to know. And also, what I really liked about what you shared is I think a really valuable learning for anyone is those calls come in, whether it’s from annoying people like me or from an acquirer, from a firm, they’re not all noise. You took it as an opportunity to learn. Even though that first person who called wasn’t the right fit, it crystallized something in your mind and it let you make proactive decisions that ultimately paid off in spades when it came time to sign the dotted line for your transaction with Cerity. So I think it’s brilliant. And it’s very big picture, big-business-owner-type stuff that I think a lot of people will just filter out because it’s annoying and I’m young, I’m not looking to sell, but that was the journey. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, that first call changed my opinion about timing of when to move forward with a partnership. Originally, I thought this would be something at the end of retirement. The timing of doing so sooner seemed a lot more appealing after having that conversation and realizing what we had actually built. Louis Diamond: Amazing. So ultimately you decided to merge with Cerity Partners. We’ve had Kurt Miscinski from Cerity Partners on the show. They’re a real heavyweight within the RIA world. Most recently, they were valued at $8 billion in a recap, and it’s a very impressive firm. What specifically drew you to Cerity versus other potential buyers? Like you said, you got a lot of calls. Patrick Larkin: After that first call, I just got to work and focused on continuing to take care of our clients, building a team, adding new advisors, being a mentor to those advisors. But at the same time, we were being approached fairly regularly by that point. And I had a pretty good system for quickly deciding whether something was worth a second look, and most weren’t. But about a year ago, one of the national RIAs caught my attention and I started having conversations with them. And once I had progressed with them, I though, “You know what? If I’m giving this consideration, I really need to cast a wider net.” So I reached out to other RIAs that I had looked at and admired and been keeping an eye on. And ultimately, my longtime business coach, Barbara Kay, suggested I talk with Cerity Partners, a company that one of her other clients had just recently joined. And from the very first call, I could tell something was different. And I talked to many different companies. Cerity Partners, and an individual I spoke with, Geoff Newman, they weren’t leading with valuation formulas or deal structure. They were asking questions about my clients, my team, and how I actually ran the practice. They had a very defined process for identifying partners who were genuinely compatible, not just advisors with books that were transferable. And that distinction mattered greatly to me. They also offered really, in my opinion, the right balance of support and still having some autonomy. And their aspiration to deliver consistent standard of care to clients, whether they be in California or Virginia, so that those individuals get the same quality of experience, resonated with how I was already running things within my practice. That combination of support and autonomy, I really liked the idea of continuing to have oversight over my local practice, over our practice, which included the budget, salaries, and bonuses. It more than anybody else felt like a partnership and not a buyout. And I really appreciate it during that first call, Cerity was the only company that talked about a hundred-year plan. It was amazing to me to hear what their thoughts were. Most of the other firms I spoke with talked about valuations. And very quickly in the process, I found myself on a Zoom call with a Patagonia fleece vest-wearing private equity rep walking me through a valuation. And it was efficient, but it was not a cultural fit for me. And the infrastructure behind us and the combination of autonomy is really harder to find than most people think. As I progressed with Cerity, I remember early on in the process thinking to myself, “My God, I hope they want me, I hope they want me,” because I could tell I’m a very process-driven person They had a process with the way they brought me on board. And ultimately, we had a due diligence trip set up to go to one of their larger offices where I met with one of their leaders, Claire O’Keefe, part of their practice development, and had an opportunity to meet with different leaders within the firm and really get my arms wrapped around the potential that they had. Just the quality of the people I encountered through the whole process just kept reinforcing the decision. And by the time we got to the finish line, it didn’t feel like a transaction. It felt like I was joining something that I was excited to be part of. So just a little bit more about what attracted me to Cerity, their culture is just phenomenal. Cerity Partners uses the word “meritocracy” and they actually mean it. Ownership and influence here track your contribution, not your tenure or how well you play the politics. I just attended my first partner meeting in April, and without exaggeration, it was the most extraordinary professional meeting I’ve attended in my 25-year career. During the meeting, there was open debate about the direction of the firm, and every voice in the room carried weight. You could feel the culture. And that type of culture is built over years. You can’t fake it. Everyone in the room it felt like was rowing in the same direction. And by the time the meeting was over, I was so excited to get back to my team and tell them about what I had just witnessed, I wasn’t looking for the exit. I was looking for the brick wall to run through. I was so excited. And every once in a while I wonder having spent so much time in the wirehouse spaces, the bar just set really low for me when I talked to some of my other colleagues that have been independent for a long time. But it was just an absolutely amazing experience. And I do want to just add, one of the last really important things to me about Cerity Partners is I’ve been very fortunate with my career and in this profession. And part of my goal over the rest of my career is to have a legacy. And my legacy currently exists with the families I’ve advised and the team that I’ve built and have served and led. But Cerity Partners is helping me achieve even a greater legacy in our industry with our shared long-term goals. During my first meeting, they talked about their hundred-year vision of being a worldwide employee-owned professional services firm. And currently, and this is very exciting, the employees are the largest shareholder of the firm. No one else I talked to talked about their long-term goals like this, and it’s a vision I believe in. I want to contribute to help to see it accomplished. And one day when I do retire, I want to look back and see how I contribute it to a company that I believe is going to change the direction of professional wealth management. Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: My partnership with Cerity Partners is going to make that a reality. It’s just an amazing place. Yeah, very happy. Louis Diamond: Honestly, you can’t fake that type of enthusiasm. It sounds like- Patrick Larkin: It’s not- Louis Diamond: … you entered into a transaction, which is it’s like jumping into the deep end. How do you sort through what’s the sales process versus what’s real? How much of this is actually going to translate to my life? But hearing you not that long after the transaction, you still feel that and it’s very cool. In the press release I read, you cited estate planning, private markets access, and cross-border planning as key reasons for the merger. Can you talk about what it was about those? Maybe- Patrick Larkin: Yeah. Louis Diamond: … anything else that was missed? Patrick Larkin: Yeah. Louis Diamond: And were those not things that you felt like you could have delivered yourself as a standalone? Patrick Larkin: I thought that they were going to help me be able to be more effective in delivering those, but they weren’t the complete picture. The capabilities that we cited in the release were genuine gaps I wanted to fill and have available for clients and be able to prospect and go after new additional clients. But being fully honest, there were also deeper drivers. One was my team. Sometimes we get emotional about this. Being someone who’s trusted is really important to me, and that’s something I hold in high priority. There are people that followed me out of Wells Fargo to join me. One of my client associates had delayed her retirement so that she could join me and help us launch for the first three months. One of my other client associates has been with me close to 15 years. These are people that trusted me to do the right thing and to make sure that I wasn’t walking them off the plank. Being able to join Cerity Partners and give them a future that didn’t hinge entirely on my personal longevity was a huge relief. And Cerity Partners is an ownership culture. I’m so happy to say today that every single individual on my team in our practice in Lansdowne is now either an equity owner in Cerity Partners or very shortly will be an equity- Louis Diamond: So cool. Patrick Larkin: … equity owner. So they have a stake as well in what they’re building. It matters. My youngest client associate noticed how much it costs to send to FedEx. And he goes, “Now that I’m an owner, maybe we should rethink about sending regular mail.” Another driver was my family. And I’ve always had the philosophy of trying to prioritize and clients first, team and colleagues, and then my family. And I’ve always made decisions that if I put those others before myself, eventually I’ll be taken care of. And going through this transaction, it was so generous to my family and provided such security. There was a little bit of guilt that, “Am I doing this for all the right reasons?” But being able to secure my family’s future, converting equity in a three-year-old RIA into a stake of a $8 billion-plus valuation with institutional backing, that was a meaningful moment and I’d be less than honest if I glossed over that. I also really wanted to be part of something larger than myself. And the opportunity to help build a legacy in this business with Cerity Partners really gives me the platform to do that. Louis Diamond: Very cool. I can tell that you’re genuine, not just because of the way you sound, the way you’re speaking, but in the very beginning of the episode, you talked about the reason you got into this business was because you thought it gave you the dual purpose of being able to help people, but also being able to enrich yourself or your family. So this answer, it comes full circle. You’re able to accomplish all these goals, which made it the right decision. And I think, look, I say to advisors all the time, “You’re allowed to be greedy, you’re allowed to be selfish as long as the clients are still in the front of your mind as the most important thing.” There’s nothing wrong with doing better for clients, building a legacy in your case, but also reaping the rewards of all your hard work and labor and also all the risks that you’ve taken over your career. I got to ask you, though, from being an employee of Wells, where you were running your team, for the most part, you can run the business within their guardrails the way you want, to then running an RIA, which is really like you’re fully in control of everything, to now being a partner, but you’re not the one who has the name on the door anymore. Patrick Larkin: Right, right. Louis Diamond: Well, how do you think about the giving up control and full ownership of your practice versus owning a very small amount of a much larger entity? Patrick Larkin: There was such continuity. Oak Hill Wealth Advisors and Cerity Partners were so philosophically aligned that I genuinely never felt like I was giving up anything that I wasn’t glad to let go. My wife joined the business shortly before I left Wells Fargo Advisors. And still to this day, on my drive home from work, I call her up and say, “You’re not going to believe this.” And it’s all a positive, good thing. So Cerity has struck the perfect balance of that autonomy and support combination that I was looking for. So I still have control and a say over the way our practice is managed. Very shortly after the merger, my supervisor came down and met me for the first time, and we went out together after the day had ended. And early in the conversation I said to him, “What can I do to make your life easier?” And he said, “Pat, what can I do to make your life easier?” And that set the tone that still exists to this day. I almost cried when he said that because that was so different than what I had experienced up to that point. So the collaboration, the way we work together, it’s just absolutely amazing. And not once for a single moment have I second-guessed my decision. And it’s really weird because I’ve now been part of this organization for nearly nine months, and there just has not been one thing that’s occurred where I said, “That’s a disappointment.” It’s just been absolutely amazing every single day. Louis Diamond: Very cool. To me, there’s different arcs of when you want to ask people the question of, “Hey, any regrets?” And usually you don’t want to ask them too soon because they’re still going through the transition and integration and growing pains. And you don’t want to ask them too far in the future because you forget about what was life before. To be this short of a duration into this new partnership and to have these feelings, that’s absolutely pretty special. I got two more questions for you, Pat, if you don’t mind. Patrick Larkin: Sure. Louis Diamond: First one, economically, to me, one of the hardest things for really any advisor to really grapple with or to fully comprehend or make their own is, “I own 100% of the equity in my business. I get to decide when I want to sell in the future. My business is growing 10% per year. I wait to sell until 10 years from now, my business is going to be much bigger and I get to keep all the cash flow. I get to make all the decisions.” That compared to the path that you took, which was take cash off the table, which everyone understands, to, “Now, I own a much smaller piece of a much larger pie.” How would you talk to someone about the financial trade-off between a hundred percent ownership in their business, full control, full discretion over everything, versus becoming a minority equity partner in a larger entity? Patrick Larkin: You have to look at the valuation of my business, again, the day that we opened our doors as Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. There was such a massive jump in the value of the business. There was not going to be an opportunity for an appreciation at that level. So then, you have to compare what the growth rate is of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors versus a Cerity Partners. And I’m not embarrassed to say that Cerity Partners is and has been growing at a much faster rate of return. The value of the equity that I have retained in Cerity Partners, my ownership stake, I fully expect by the time I transact that business as I get closer to retirement, that’s going to be worth many times more than whatever opportunity I would have had at Wells Fargo with the valuation they would have provided me. Nevermind, very important, the tax consequences of a structure like this is all the retiring advisors that I worked with were taxed at their highest marginal rate. I owned a business and we were taxed at long-term capital gains rates. A significant difference in savings in what as the owner we actually realize. So yeah, I feel very comfortable with the ownership that I have and the control and continued opportunity with the meritocracy culture to increase my share of ownership in the company. Louis Diamond: Okay, and let’s do one more question here. I’ll pick it back up. So Pat, I think it’s a really cool perspective. It’s almost do your homework, and if you find the right horse and the right jockey that can run faster than you can on your own, that the equity value will compound and grow and appreciate in a faster, more efficient way than what you’re doing on your own, which makes complete sense. It’s the ultimate trade-off. And again, it’s like jumping into the deep end. On the one hand, Oak Hill was all you, right? You control the growth, for better or worse, for the good days, the bad days, the good years, the bad years, versus now your growth is diversified amongst hundreds of partners across M&A, across different lead flow channels, et cetera. It makes complete sense. But honestly, if I were an advisor, I don’t know how I would think about it. I think it’s all just fact-and-circumstance-based on where I am in my life and who the firm is and what I’m trying to accomplish. But it’s such a cool perspective because usually the playbook that we see, which is why we did this series, is go independent and there’s a long pause until there is a realization of all the value that’s been created. So seeing you do this in a much quicker timeframe, it seems like it was the absolutely right decision. To me, it just is another path, another way that an advisor or a firm is able to think about their future. Any final advice or parting words for someone who is sitting right where you were in 2021 or 2022 thinking about making the leap? And we’ll say a transition in general, or really anything you want to share to wrap our episode here. Patrick Larkin: Thank you for having me, and this is a great question. Happy to give a thoughtful answer to it. Before I’d left Wells Fargo Advisors through the program and started Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, I had an opportunity to go through a due diligence process and make sure that this was going to be a right move for me. There was no carrot out there that was obvious. I learned after that first conversation that I had built a practice that had some value to it. I was leaving behind the security of something I knew, leaving behind a significant amount in deferred compensation, and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. And through that due diligence process, talked to about five other firms that had recently left Wells Fargo to join this RIA program. I asked them a lot of different questions about what their experience was. And at every point during those conversations, they all said the same thing at different points. And it sounded like this. They said, “I’m working harder than I ever have before, but I wish I had done this sooner.” So my advice to those people, do it. I know that sounds simple, but I mean it. The fear of leaving is almost always worse than the actual experience of leaving. And I understand the inertia of not leaving and the real apprehension of what was on the other side. But what I found was a version of this profession I genuinely didn’t know was possible. One where I could do things the right way on my terms for the people I care most about serving. And not every path is going to look like mine. Some advisors should go fully independent and stay there, and that can be an incredible life. But when it comes time to look for a partner, quite frankly, if Cerity Partners is not on your shortlist, you’re making a significant mistake. And I say that not to sell anything, but because I’ve lived the comparison firsthand and there’s simply nothing else like it. Louis Diamond: So Pat, it’s been really fun, but I don’t think we’ve had anyone on the eight years or so we’ve been doing this show that’s gone through this type of arc or journey that you have. One of my big takeaways or sticking points that this episode brought for me is by going independent and taking control over your future, you created complete optionality for yourself to do exactly what you wanted to do with your business, even if that was different than what you initially planned. So in your case, it was selling within three years of going independent, but by taking action, being proactive, playing some offense, you made the opportunity happen on your terms and your timeline. So this has been fun in so many different ways. I loved your comment about how when you went independent, it’s basically like the day of your IPO, the four-to-five-times increase in value versus an internal succession deal, and even just the way to think about getting equity in a larger entity versus running your own plays only. So thank you so much for doing this. This has been fun. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibility seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firm’s or could a better option exist? Should I Stay or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind? It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively, whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook.   Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years A conversation with Louis Diamond and Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader at Cerity Partners.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years. It’s a conversation with Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: Ownership as a way of creating opportunities you can’t always predict. That’s exactly why we created our Build, Grow, and Transact series. Independence isn’t the end of the story. It’s often the beginning of thinking differently about enterprise value, optionality, and what comes next. Today’s guest is Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners, and formerly the founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Patrick spent nearly 15 years building a successful practice at A.G. Edwards, Wachovia, and eventually Wells Fargo before launching his own independent firm in 2022. Just three years later, he merged that firm into Cerity. At first glance, that timeline might seem surprisingly short, but as you’ll hear, the merger wasn’t a change in direction. It was the result of seeing his business differently once he owned it. Yet, it’s this perspective that really brings that thought home. Patrick said the day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public because overnight, what had been viewed as a book of business became an enterprise with substantially greater value, some four to five times the value of what it was worth at Wells. And that realization changed the way he invested, the way he hired, and ultimately the way he thought about the future. Pat and I also talk about something advisors don’t often discuss candidly, what life actually looks like after a merger. How much control do you give up? What changes day to day? How do you know whether you’re joining a partner or simply selling a business? Whether your long-term plan is to remain independent forever or eventually join a larger organization, Patrick’s experience is a reminder that ownership isn’t simply about control. It’s about creating optionality and putting yourself in a position where the next decision is yours to make. So let’s get to it. Patrick, thanks for coming on our show today. Patrick Larkin: Oh, my pleasure. Nice to meet you, Louis. Louis Diamond: You too. So let’s start off basically how we start every interview. Tell us about yourself, your background, and how you found your way into our industry in the first place. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, thank you for asking. I knew I always wanted to be a financial advisor. That part really wasn’t in question, but upon graduating college and being a 22-year-old, I knew that it was probably not practical to walk in and start advising people my parents’ age with their life savings. Probably wasn’t going to be a recipe for success. So I took a quick tour through the pharmaceutical industry first, which ended up being unexpectedly valuable. My employers there pushed me to think like an entrepreneur and within our territories. And honestly, that mindset never left me. It shaped how I built everything that came after. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself in Loudoun County, Virginia in Northern Virginia, and I became an FA trainee with A.G. Edwards, absolutely fantastic firm to start my career. Now, what drew me to this career was pretty simple. I felt like it was one of the professions that we had an opportunity to do so much good for others while simultaneously also doing well for yourself, and those two things aren’t in conflict. I also really loved the idea that in this profession there was no hiding. You don’t get paid to show up. You get paid for what you actually do. And perhaps for me, what was most important, I loved the weight of responsibility. I loved earning people’s trust. I loved the idea of deserving, being deserving of their trust, and being a steward of what they’ve worked a lifetime to build. I never took that lightly, and I still don’t. Louis Diamond: That’s amazing. Yeah, I mean, the number of people I’ve heard, you talked so fondly about A.G. Edwards and there’s a bunch of other firms that have since been absorbed or emerged that are like the regional firms of old. So not surprised to hear you loved it. A.G. Edwards, obviously, became Wells Fargo Advisors or was acquired or merged with Wells Fargo. So I know you’re at Wells and A.G. Edwards until 2022. So give us a quick version. How’d you build your practice from the pharma world into being in FA? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, so as I started with A.G. Edwards, I came in at really just the perfect time. It was towards the end of the financial crisis. And I built the business the old-fashioned way with a lot of cold calling and eventually did some dinner seminars, which I can tell you is a very expensive way to learn how to speak in front of a room. But I made some progress, and I was also in a great office, small enough that some of the advisors there would hand off some of the smaller accounts that they weren’t interested in working with, and got an opportunity to get a lot of reps in working with real life clients and individuals. I knew early on I didn’t have enough talent to win on talent alone, so I made up for it and compensated for that with really hard work. The real turning point came for me when A.G. Edwards was first acquired by Wachovia Securities, and that was about five years into my career. And at that point, my branch manager, who was eyeing retirement, asked me to step in as her partner, and that changed everything. We eventually moved over to a Wachovia Securities office, another really great local office in Loudoun County, Virginia. And from that office, I worked on and became a CIMA, a CFP, worked with the clients, built a business through referrals. And I found at that point in my career when I would go to a meeting with Wachovia, eventually Wells Fargo, as a young 30-year-old, I would look around the room often and realize that I was the youngest person in the room. The funny thing was 10 years later, I would go into that same room and I’d look around and I still was the youngest guy in that room. And those demographics in our industry, and when I came into our industry, ultimately led that office that I worked in with Wells Fargo Advisors, I eventually was the recipient and party to five different succession plans- Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: … at Wells Fargo Advisors. I hoped that I had built a reputation as somebody that these other advisors would entrust with their clients. And over that time period, really, I would say professionally, one of my accomplishments I’m most proud of is all five of those retired advisors that I used to work with, who had an opportunity to see me work with clients, all became clients of mine, I still continue to work with. And it’s professionally just one of the greatest honors that I’ve ever had. Louis Diamond: I mean, that’s a large number of advisors you helped sunset, but I would agree it’s the ultimate p

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst is joined by Nitesh Mukhi, Rohit Menon, and Sweta Jhalani to discuss how AI is transforming the FP&A profession and changing the way finance teams work. The guests share their experiences with the AI FP&A Programme, exploring practical AI applications, automation, financial analysis, and the skills finance professionals need to stay ahead. They also discuss why domain expertise, human judgment, and business understanding remain essential in an AI-driven finance world.Nitesh Mukhi is the Finance Director at Presight AI, an AI analytics and big data analytics company in Abu Dhabi, with over two decades of experience across auditing, financial analysis, treasury, and FP&A roles at companies including Schlumberger, FedEx, and KPMG. Rohit Menon is a Regional Finance professional at Bioltec with more than 19 years of experience across multinational companies, focusing on finance transformation and developing FP&A capabilities. Sweta Jhalani is a Chartered Accountant and FP&A Manager based in India who transitioned from audit into FP&A, building experience in financial planning, analysis, and business partneringExpect to Learn:How AI is transforming FP&A workflowsPractical finance use cases for AI toolsThe importance of financial modelling and business partneringWhy human judgment remains critical in AI adoptionBuilding the skills needed for the future of financeHere are a few relevant quotes from the episode:“AI is an enabler. It's going to enhance your work, and I think it's going to help you in your day-to-day work.” - Nitesh Mukhi“AI is not the solution to each and every problem.” - Sweta JhalaniAI is changing the way finance professionals approach their work, but the fundamentals of finance remain important. The ability to understand business needs, interpret data, communicate insights, and apply human judgment will continue to separate great FP&A professionals from the rest.Follow Nitesh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitesh-mukhi-7504456/Follow Rohit:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-menon1984/Follow Sweta:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caswetajhalani/Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) uses AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.Earn Your CPE CreditFor CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today's Episode:[00:00] - Introduction[01:21] - Guest Introductions[04:09] - What Great FP&A Looks Like[07:17] - Why They Joined the AI FP&A Programme[12:06] - Inside the AI FP&A Programme[14:35] - Real-World AI Use Cases[17:15] - Key Lessons From the Programme[22:11] - The Reality of AI in Finance[30:14] - AI Projects and Applications[34:03] - Advice for Finance Professionals[36:50] - The Future of AI in FP&A[40:21] - Essential FP&A Skills[43:34] - Skills Needed for AI Success[46:36] - Quick-Fire Questions[52:20] - Final Thoughts and Advice

Kenny is back from the beach and we get caught up on all of the golf news we missed. Another young gun takes home the title for the 3rd week in a row with Michael Brennan winning the Wyndham Championship. There is a hole in one cheating scandal that has taken over golf feeds on social media. FedEx is rumored to not be renewing their contract as the PGA Tour's tile sponsor right as the FedEx Cup playoffs are beginning.

FedEx pilots are about to receive a significant lump sum, and what happens next could have a lasting impact on their financial future. In this episode, Ryan is joined by David Befort to discuss a strategy pilots may want to understand before that money gets spent, transferred, or committed elsewhere. A lump sum can disappear quickly, but the right strategy may allow it to keep working for years to come.   Here's what we cover in this episode: ✈️ September Lump Sum: FedEx pilots have an important decision ahead

Send us Fan MailJon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 books, including Soundtracks, Finish, and All It Takes Is a Goal, which together have sold more than one million copies. His newest book, Procrastination Proof: Never Get Stuck Again (Baker Books, April 14, 2026), argues that procrastination isn't a character flaw but a learned coping mechanism, drawn from more than a decade of research and testing with over 30,000 participants. Named one of Inc.'s Top 100 Leadership Speakers, Acuff has delivered keynotes for organizations including Microsoft, Walmart, FedEx, Nissan, and Comedy Central.Acuff hosts the podcast All It Takes Is a Goal, where he has helped hundreds of thousands of listeners move past overthinking and finish what matters most to them. On this episode of Practical Wisdom for Leaders, he and host Scott Allen dig into “seven reasons people don't choose remarkable,” drawing on stories from his own career, including his years working alongside Dave Ramsey and starting over in his thirties. Acuff lives outside Nashville with his wife and two daughters.A Few Quotes From This Episode“Procrastination is when your actions don't match your intentions. Remarkable is the opposite, when your actions match your intentions.”“You're the most persuasive person you've ever met. You talked yourself into every decision, often bad ones.”“Most resolutions fail because we try to do something for a year we've never done for a day.”ResourcesBook: Procrastination Proof: Never Get Stuck Again by AcuffAll of Jon's BooksAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to HostingThe views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic.♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.

James Onieal of Raven Careers returns to break down the current pilot hiring market across the majors, regionals, cargo operators, fractionals, and cadet programs. He explains why hiring remains competitive, why ATP-CTP is becoming a practical minimum for first jet jobs, and why changing lanes can sometimes leave pilots farther behind. The crew also digs into NetJets, Flexjet, FedEx, Alaska-Hawaiian, low-time networking, and the danger of grinding for flight time without a realistic payoff. Listen and subscribe for a candid look at building a professional flying career without turning yourself into logbook dust. Raven Careers — Helping your career take flight. Raven Careers supports professional pilots with resume prep, interview strategy, and long-term career planning. Whether you're a CFI eyeing your first regional, a captain debating your upgrade path, or a legacy hopeful refining your application, their one-on-one coaching and insider knowledge give you a real advantage. Click here to learn more. Show Notes 0:00 Intro & Oshkosh 6:00 Cadet Programs & Decision Making 14:45 High Level Hiring Overview 20:58 Alaska Hawaiian 25:02 FedEx 28:13 Flexjet 36:19 Fractionals, Regionals, Majors 41:52 Burned out, what next? Our Sponsors Tim Pope, CFP® — Tim is both a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a pilot. His practice specializes in aviation professionals and aviation 401k plans, helping clients pursue their financial goals by defining them, optimizing resources, and monitoring progress. Click here to learn more. Also check out The Pilot's Portfolio Podcast. Advanced Aircrew Academy — Enables flight operations to fulfill their training needs in the most efficient and affordable way—anywhere, at any time. They provide high-quality training for professional pilots, flight attendants, flight coordinators, maintenance, and line service teams, all delivered via a world-class online system. Click here to learn more. Raven Careers — Helping your career take flight. Raven Careers supports professional pilots with resume prep, interview strategy, and long-term career planning. Whether you're a CFI eyeing your first regional, a captain debating your upgrade path, or a legacy hopeful refining your application, their one-on-one coaching and insider knowledge give you a real advantage. Click here to learn more. The AirComp Calculator™ is business aviation's only online compensation analysis system. It can provide precise compensation ranges for 14 business aviation positions in six aircraft classes at over 50 locations throughout the United States in seconds. Click here to learn more. Vaerus Jet Sales — Vaerus means right, true, and real. Buy or sell an aircraft the right way, with a true partner to make your dream of flight real. Connect with Brooks at Vaerus Jet Sales or learn more about their DC-3 Referral Program. Harvey Watt — Offers the only true Loss of Medical License Insurance available to individuals and small groups. Because Harvey Watt manages most airlines' plans, they can assist you in identifying the right coverage to supplement your airline's plan. Many buy coverage to supplement the loss of retirement benefits while grounded. Click here to learn more. VSL ACE Guide — Your all-in-one pilot training resource. Includes the most up-to-date Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and Practical Test Standards (PTS) for Private, Instrument, Commercial, ATP, CFI, and CFII. 21.Five listeners get a discount on the guide—click here to learn more. ProPilotWorld.com — The premier information and networking resource for professional pilots. Click here to learn more.   Feedback & Contact Have feedback, suggestions, or a great aviation story to share? Email us at info@21fivepodcast.com. Check out our Instagram feed @21FivePodcast for more great content (and our collection of aviation license plates). The statements made in this show are our own opinions and do not reflect, nor were they under any direction of any of our employers.

(1) Cap or No Cap from J&J - NBA early release schedule, Memphis Tigers sched (2) FedEx announcement, Boozer, Taylor Jenkins vs. Dusty May

FedEx moves 18 million packages every day, but customers shouldn't have to feel the complexity behind any of them. Using AI and two petabytes of daily data, FedEx can anticipate potential problems, improve delivery visibility, and give customers more control and peace of mind. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Neil Gibson, Senior Vice President of Global Customer Experience at FedEx, shared what it takes to deliver CX at this scale. Listen to the full episode for an inside look at how FedEx is using AI to turn massive operational complexity into a simpler customer experience. Subscribe to The Modern Customer Podcast for more conversations on customer experience, AI, leadership, and innovation. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here. Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com 

Picks, plays, and predictions for St Judes Fed Ex Playoff.

I’m ba-a-a-ck! Being a grandfather isn’t something that you train for.  It was quite challenging last week to go outside and shoot basketball for an hour in the summer heat with an 8-year old intent on dispatching his creeky ol’ Grandpa in morning games of one-on-one. He took the overall 3-game series, but Grandpa held his own (at least for this year).  Now, where did I put that tube of SportsCreme? In fact, the past month has found my lovely wife and I spending a full week with each set of our five young (10 and under) grandsons.  We have enjoyed a total summer blast! Now, the house is quiet again.  Our eight-year old rescued Old English Sheepdog (Molly) seems to be mourning the loss of our fine young gentleman visitors and their very patient Dad. Molly enjoyed extra company during her morning and evening dog walks every day. It has been difficult to keep close tabs on sports while traveling to visit or hosting our very sharp and fun-loving grandsons over the past month. Some things appear to have changed a lot.  Others didn’t. It’s time to catch-up. Good news!  Saints legend Drew Brees was inducted into the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame! New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the Black and Gold to their only Super Bowl appearance and title in February, 2010.  He set numerous NFL passing records during his stellar 20-year pro football career. The Texas-born Brees was an excellent student as well.  He majored in Industrial Management at Purdue University.  Drew Brees quarterbacked the Boilermakers football team to the Rose Bowl in 2001 as the team won a share of the Big Ten title. The San Diego Chargers selected Brees with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. It’s hard to believe that he played in San Diego for the first five years of his pro football career. A trade to the New Orleans Saints in 2006 also paired Drew Brees with new head coach Sean Payton.  It would be a match made in WhoDat Heaven for us Saints fans. Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in August, 2005.  The Louisiana Superdome was painstakingly repaired and refurbished the following year as New Orleans welcomed home its beloved football team along with a new quarterback and head coach. Drew Brees’ infectious positive attitude and leadership skills helped the Saints improve every season leading up to that Super Bowl victory. More importantly, the Saints’ rise served to boost the spirits of the entire Gulf South region during recovery efforts from both Hurricane Katrina and, a month later, Rita in southwestern Louisiana. Sorry, Archie Manning supporters.  The true GOAT (greatest of all time) for the majority of New Orleans Saints fans is Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees.  Congratulations! Red-hot Red Sox are blazing in baseball’s American League! The Boston Red Sox have won 27 of their last 32 baseball games through Sunday, August 9.  Boston was at the bottom of the American League East standings earlier in the season. The BoSox are still seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays with 45 games left to play in baseball’s seemingly never-ending 162-game regular season.  Late inning comebacks have been the rule during Boston’s recent hot streak during July and into early August. Will the Boston Red Sox remain hot during this hottest month of the year?  Stay tuned! The eight team UFL recently packed-up and left Houston and Birmingham.  Why? Spring pro football’s United Football League (UFL) quietly exited two of its long-time markets less than two weeks ago. The Birmingham Stallions won three straight spring football titles from 2022 through 2024.  A brand new college football stadium for UAB featuring nearly 40,000 seats played host for Stallions home games in each of the past five seasons. The UFL’s billionaire owner and apparent league spokesman, Mike Repole, jousted with Birmingham football fans earlier this season about their lack of support for the team. It’s no surprise that Repole just pulled the plug after attendance declined this year.  His excuse for leaving Birmingham is what has raised eyebrows in Alabama. He said, “With Birmingham, this decision was 100% about the wrong sized venue.  Even on opening day, when 16,000 Stallions fans showed up, the energy, passion, and game atmosphere was not felt due to the size of the venue.” Here’s a question for you, Mr. Repole. Doing just as you requested, the Houston UFL franchise vacated its college football stadium at the University of Houston.  The Houston Gamblers moved into the city’s downtown soccer venue with 20,000 seats this season.  How do you explain why less than 7,000 fans attended Houston Gamblers football games this spring?  The team did exactly what you asked for and had even less success.  Houston’s UFL franchise is now defunct. Perhaps Mr. Repole might consider that the UFL’s on-field product is simply not very good.  It is also played during increasingly hot spring weather – especially in the league’s southern markets.  UFL games – which are (generally speaking) low scoring and not very exciting to watch – have trouble attracting local fans when tickets were priced as low as $20 apiece. The market, sir, has been and continues to speak to you quite loudly. Golf – Welcome to the winner’s circle, Jackson Koivun and Asterisk Talley! Two weeks ago, former Auburn All-American golfer Jackson Koivun picked-up his first PGA win at the 3M Open in Minnesota.  It was only his third professional start! After Sunday’s middle-of-the-pack finish in his fourth PGA start at Greensboro, NC, the 21-year old Koivun has earned enough FedEx points to qualify for this week’s first round of PGA playoffs beginning Thursday in Memphis. Let’s also welcome a 17-year old upcoming high school senior golfer to the winner’s circle. Asterisk Talley (yes, that’s her real name) easily won her first USGA championship by taking the US Women’s Amateur title in Tennessee with an 8-up victory.  She had previously finished runner-up in the 2024 US Junior Girls Amateur and the US Women’s Amateur. Congratulations to Ms. Talley!  Yes, there will forever be an Asterisk next to her last name on the US Women’s Amateur trophy. LIV Golf remains on life support but wants to tee it up again in 2027 In this continuing soap opera, LIV Golf (completing its fifth season in late August) will lose its Sugar Daddy financial backers.  The Saudi Public Investment Fund (with over $1 trillion in assets) has lost more than $5 billion to start, fund, and prop-up this worldwide golf venture.  They are skedaddling by no later than the end of August. Last week, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neal announced that a new lead investor has been secured.   Before you say, “Hooray!”, the golf league’s boss did not reveal a lot of specifics.  We don’t know who the investor is, how much money was actually being injected, or any other details which translate into a viable 2027 LIV Golf campaign. Golfers expecting to participate in LIV Golf during 2027 (assuming there is a season) will be playing for smaller prize money and will likely be asked to share in the risk (and, if possible, the rewards) of the revamped league. The future still looks shaky for LIV Golf. The US Senate punted on 4th down to go on vacation and leave the future of college athletics hanging in the balance When you woke up on Saturday morning, the United States Senate had adjourned to take a well-earned (sarcasm intended) full month of vacation. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) were finally able to bring their college sports bill to the floor of the US Senate over the past few weeks.  It showed some encouraging signs of passage. The SEC and Big Ten finally jumped aboard to support the Senate’s “Protect College Sports Act” last week.  That was the equivalent to a two-minute drill in hopes of getting this bill across the Senate’s goal line prior to the legislative body’s annual August recess. College sports conferences have been unable to get their primary rule maker and enforcement arm (the NCAA) to take consequential actions in recent years.  Guidelines and enforcement of rules in today’s transfer portal and NIL high dollar environment have many mid-sized and smaller universities considering dropping sports altogether.  The SEC recently suggested it was willing to break away from the NCAA and establish its own set of rules if something doesn’t change soon. With the proverbial play clock running, some Senators (as they are prone to do) tried to add amendments to the college sports bill last week.  They wasted too much time and failed to bring it to a full Senate vote prior the month-long adjournment. However, the Senators are promising to bring this college sports bill to a vote when they return in early September. If that occurs, the sports bill must still be approved by the House of Representatives and then obtain the President’s signature to become law. Sounds like a Hail Mary could be needed to complete this legislation with the mid-term elections coming up in November! The post Let’s Catch up! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Keith explains why achieving scale rather than simply earning more is the key to long-term financial freedom and how income property uniquely delivers multiple forms of leverage.  He breaks down 25 years of inflation data to reveal which everyday costs have most outpaced wages and what that means for the real purchasing power of the dollar.  Keith also explains why markets like Memphis—combining strong cash flow fundamentals with a massive new AI infrastructure build-out—are positioned as compelling targets for long-term real estate investors. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/618 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  FAMILY to 66866  Join Mid South Home Buyers' one-time, free live webinar featuring Keith Weinhold on September 30 at GetRichEducation.com/MidSouth to learn how Memphis' economic expansion could create new real estate investment opportunities, and have your questions answered in real time. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript: Keith Weinhold  0:01   Welcome to GRE. I'm your host Keith Weinhold. When I talk to a 25-year-old, it's an epiphany. When I tell them that they need this one thing that they're lacking, then some fascinating takeaways about the 93% inflation we've experienced in the past 25 years, and what you can do about it today on Get Rich Education. What if I told you that one of America's strongest cash flow real estate markets is also becoming the new brains and brawn behind AI? That city is Memphis, believe it or not. In September 30th, we're going to show you why the smart money is paying attention now, along with an investing opportunity you won't want to miss. Join me, Terry Kerr and Matthew Van Horn of Mid South Homebuyers, the largest turnkey company in Memphis with more than 6000 homes under management, for a free live webinar the likes of which I've never done before. We're going to look at what billions in new investment could mean for jobs, housing demand, neighborhood appreciation, and your portfolio. Everyone who attends live will also get exclusive access to the best deal terms Mid South has ever offered. Reserve your free seat at getricheducation.com/midsouth again, that's September 30th. Don't say we didn't tell you. Save your spot at getricheducation.com/midsouth.   Speaker 1  1:33   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is Get Rich Education.   Keith Weinhold  1:49   Welcome to GRE from Livonia, Michigan, to Laconia, New Hampshire, and across 188 nations worldwide. You are listening to Get Rich Education. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold, heading up this slackjaw operation for another wealth-building week. But at least I'm just a slackjaw. If this slackjaw gets lockjaw, it would probably end the show. Now I've got to tell you, when I meet a 25-year-old, I soon tend to learn about their job because it takes a lot of their time, even if I don't ask them about it, and I find out that a 25-year-old is usually an employee of some sort. They're working for somebody else, depending on our conversational flow. I ask that person this question: Have you considered adding scale to your life? And they usually don't know what I mean. I ask that question because, sadly, today it's less common to live an economically vibrant life if you have a quote normal job like a teacher, engineer, retail manager, app developer, or other normal jobs like a firefighter, truck driver, physical therapist, or social media manager, that is not going to lead to an economically vibrant life with options and freedom. I mean, you used to be able to raise a family of four in New York City. That opportunity is just gone for anyone under a certain age. Well, what about say doctors, corporate executives, and attorneys, including some people that might be older than 25. I mean, professions like this can still pay exceptionally well. But even white-collar careers now have AI breathing down their necks. AI is drafting briefs, reading scans, and virtually attending meetings without pretending to enjoy them. Okay, well, what about the outcome for a 25-year-old that's gone along with the somewhat more nascent trend of rising AI sheltered trades like plumbing, electrical, HVAC, welding, carpentry, equipment repair, and these other types of jobs where ChatGPT can't crawl beneath your sink. Look, here's the thing: it doesn't matter whether you wear scrubs, a suit, or a tool belt. Employment has one stubborn limitation: even if you grind hard, even if your body holds up, even if promotions help you climb to the top of the corporate ladder, when you stop working, the income stops. That's the big problem, and yet people keep designing their life this way, employees lack scale. Now, what is scale? Scale is your ability to increase your wealth or income without increasing your personal time and effort at the same rate. Now, employees can find just a little scale. 401k contributions can compound for decades, sometimes with an employer match. Some employees receive stock compensation or bonuses, but employees generally sell one unit at a time. That unit is an hour. They're selling their hours for dollars, and here scale is limited, if not impossible. Real estate investors can stack several forms of scale simultaneously, and remarkably, doing it takes zero certification, zero qualification, no license, and no permission slip from the dean.   Keith Weinhold  6:05   The first way real estate investors have scale is through something that you already know so well: real estate pays five ways, leverage appreciation, 10 funded income, loan amortization, tax benefits on the entire asset, and inflation profiting on the bank's loan. Secondly, as a real estate investor, you have scale through operational leverage. Property managers, leasing agents, contractors, lenders, insurers, and software all allow just one investor, you, to control multiple properties. You don't personally collect every rent payment or replace every water heater. I mean, sheesh, that could be a plumbing career with less sleep. And this is all tenant funded. Thirdly, real estate investors have geographic leverage. An individual investor living in Los Angeles can own property in Atlanta, Tulsa, Cleveland, and Belize. Physical location does not limit where your capital works. Your body can only work in one city. Your capital can work the night shift in five. The fourth way real estate investors have scale is with replication. Once you learn how to buy and own one suitable rental, the process can be repeated. You buy, stabilize, finance, rent, and repeat. See, the first property is the hardest, and then your second property does not require learning an entirely new profession. It can be replicated. To review what you've learned so far, those are four dimensions where real estate investors achieve scale through real estate pays five ways: operational leverage, geographic leverage, and replication. Here's the important distinction: employees often mistake earning more with achieving scale.   Keith Weinhold  8:16   A surgeon making $900,000 a year earns a nice income, but see that surgeon has limited scale if the income stops when the surgeon stops working. But an investor earning just $150,000 from a portfolio possesses more scale because dozens of tenants, properties, loans, and operating systems continue functioning without your one-for-one labor. That's the distinction. That's why the $150K investor might or might not be living a better life than the 900K surgeon now, but they are set up to live a better life than the surgeon in the future. Now, your employer, the person who hires you, has scale with their many employees. But if you're an employee, you probably don't have scale. You cannot save your way to scale either. That's just stored labor. Savings become scalable only when you convert them into productive assets. Income is how much money comes in. Scale is how little your personal time needs to increase for more money to come in. You can work 20% more hours, but you cannot sustainably work 10 times more hours. Capital can be deployed across 10 assets without requiring 10 times more personal effort. And you know, once I realized this, at a certain point in my life, I was motivated to obtain loans for rental. This helped me scale and own more, replacing my active income with mostly passive income sooner. All right, so what should you do when you have this epiphany? It doesn't mean you should flip over the stupid copier machine as you storm out of work today and announce that you are now a real estate magnet. Not right away, at least employment that can be your launchpad, just like it was for me when I was a humble construction materials inspector for the state DOT. A job does provide you with some benefits like short-term advantages, seed capital, mortgage qualification.   Keith Weinhold  10:45   I'm talking about health insurance and some steady cash flow, and even some skills. But the mistake, whether you are aged 25 or 55, is allowing employment to remain the only economic engine for your entire life. Your job can fund your future, but having just one single linear income source that should not be your entire future. But you know, some people just stay on lazy cruise control at a slow speed and let their life unfurl that way. Others, you know, they merely haven't been exposed to thinking this way, and fortunately, now you have been. Really, the bottom line here is that labor won't scale; capital does scale; it compounds, and few, if any, investments offer more dimensions of scale than real estate. And you also get all kinds of other ancillary benefits by gradually tilting away from active income and toward passive income. Because increasingly, when it comes to taxes, you're going to pay lower capital gains tax rates instead of the higher ordinary income rates. The sooner you optimize this and get into as many properties as you can, you're also going to gain the ability to borrow against your assets tax-free, and so much more. Scale or fail-that's the lesson here, and most people fear change. It's why they stay stuck in relationships longer than they should, and why they stay stuck in jobs longer than they should. They keep settling for a B plus life. Don't settle for a B plus life. This is something that NYU professor Susie Welsh talks about: If you have a D life, oh, everything is lousy. You don't live where you want to live. You don't have reliable transportation. You don't have friends, and you're so very motivated to change that. If you have an A plus life, you've got it all. You get to do what you want to do, who you want to do it with, and you're tremendously incentivized to keep that. But having a B plus life like so many do, and being stuck in it, that is the most dangerous place to be. You could tread water for years and stay stuck in a life that you know you're not fully satisfied with, but it isn't so terrible that you feel compelled to change it. So the people that grow wealth know it means that sometimes you have to give up the good to have the great, and the K-shaped economic divergence that we've had in the past five years. This is really bringing things to a head, so get scale.   Keith Weinhold  13:43   Scale is the difference between grasping the financial abundance that's available to move you toward that A plus life, or staying on the treadmill, stuck and struggling. Two different people living a B plus life, you know, they have the same starting point, and making a plan is your difference maker. We help you with that here. If you're ready to add real estate scale to your financial life, drop a quick email to GRE Investment Coach Naresh for a complimentary strategy session at Naresh at getricheducation.com. You don't need any qualifications. It can take as little as a 20% down payment on a 200k to 400k rental property, and we have access so that you can buy directly from the builders and get a mortgage rate in the fives. And we are chasing the next hot thing here. Last week we discussed co-living on the show. We waited until that strategy was proven. I like strategies that have had some contact with reality. AI can compose a song, or summarize a meeting, or fabricate a photo of some. Wacky like Abraham Lincoln riding a dolphin, but it still cannot download an affordable bedroom, affordable housing. You're scaling into something sustainable that has a future and can't be easily disrupted by AI. Scale or fail. Stop settling for the B plus life. We can help right now at this moment. Drop a quick email to naresh@getricheducation.com. I should spell that out for you. It's n a r e s h@getricheducation.com.   Keith Weinhold  15:36   More straight ahead. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to Get Rich education. What if you got your mortgage loans the same place I get mine? You sure can at Ridge Lending Group NMLS 42056. They provided GRE listeners with more loans than anyone because Ridge specializes in investment property. They'll help you build a long-term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequal and even chat directly with President Caeli Ridge. While it's on your mind, start at ridgelendinggroup.com. That's ridgelendinggroup.com.   Keith Weinhold  16:13   Let me ask you something: If you've worked hard to build wealth, is your money positioned to actually support your goals? A lot of accredited investors leave capital sitting in cash because it feels safe, but inflation and missed income opportunities can quietly erode its value. Freedom Family Investments offers freedom notes for investors seeking structured income backed by real estate. It's a straightforward approach built on real assets, not speculation. In full disclosure: I'm an investor myself. What I like is that their team walks you through how it all works, so you can decide if it aligns with your portfolio and income goals. Every investment carries risk, and nothing is guaranteed. But with a track record of consistent, on-time investor payouts, they built real credibility. Go to freedomfamilyinvestments.com to book a clarity call, or text family to 66866. That's family to 66866.   Chris Martenson  17:17   This is Peak Prosperity's Chris Martenson. Listen to Get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and don't quit your daydream.   Keith Weinhold  17:33   Welcome back to Get Rich Education. I'm your host Keith Weinhold. Having residual income from real estate, it can make you more comfortable for sure, but for me, I like to primarily use it to buy back my time. I'll tell you how I just did this. It's a small thing, a small win. It is time for my car's annual routine maintenance. Boring. I really don't want to lose my time dropping it off at the dealership in the morning and then picking it up again. Those two boring round trips don't add anything to my life. But the dealership had the option of, for just 100 bucks, picking it up for me and dropping it off for me at the end of the day. Oh well, that is an opportunity for me to buy some time, so that's why I did that. Now, when it comes to flying, sometimes I fly coach and sometimes first class. I just booked a flight and I refused to pay six times as much for first class. It just wasn't really worth it this time because the experience isn't that much better, and it sure doesn't save me any time. I tend to do that if the price is just 3x more, so I'll pay to save time, but not always to borrow a wider seat for five hours. And you and I both make hundreds of time versus money decisions every day, most of them small.   Keith Weinhold  19:04   With the more residual income you have, you're gonna make better decisions where you can choose the time over the money. One thing's for sure: whatever we're doing with our money, and that is that our dollar does not go as far as it used to. Let's look at inflation during the first 25 years of this century. This is really interesting. We're going to see how the cost of goods and services has changed from 2000 to the end of 2025 on some select categories that you spend on, and then I've got some mind-bending takeaways for you once I describe this chart, and this is the same chart that I sent to you last Thursday. If you are one of my newsletter readers, but I can open up and talk about it more here than I can in the newsletter because I keep that short. Overall inflation is about. 93% during this time period. 93% over these 25 years. Now, here are the items that rose less than that much, meaning that they became then more affordable over this span. What fell the most is the price of televisions down more than 90% in the first 25 years of this century? Toys down 74% Computer software down 73% Cell phones down 44% By the way, this all uses the government's CPI inflation rate, clothing up just one and a half percent, and even though it's up, that's still more affordable because it's up less than the overall 93% CPI inflation rate over this span. Household furnishings up 21% and finally new cars up 26% So all those items became more affordable because they rose less than the general rate of inflation. All right, moving on up. Now we're going to go above the line. Items above the 93% overall inflation rate, food and beverages were up 106% housing up 111% average hourly wages up 131% All right, let's pause. Yes, wages then outpacing 93% inflation. but of course, since that 93% uses the government CPI, well, that's pretty understated. Probably, you know, the true dispersing power of the dollar is probably more than 93% So it's debatable about whether there are real wage gains from 2000 to the end of 2025, medical care services up 147% Next in the category that has become less affordable is childcare, up 159% And as I'm naming these, there are some common threads here where I think you're going to have a few epiphanies when I point them out. College textbooks up 177%. Sheesh, what a scam! College tuition and fees up 197%, and finally the major category that became less affordable here at the top is the worst of all: hospital services. They have soared the most, up over 281% All right, there they are.   Keith Weinhold  22:57   And what takeaways do we have here? The items that became less affordable tend to be where the government either provides subsidies or they heavily regulate and mandate the product or service, like education, child care, and medical care. The categories that have become more affordable-that's where there is little or minimal government intervention, like clothing and technology. The lesson is that free market competition kept prices low, and some of these categories that became more affordable-you know-they would have become even more affordable than that if it weren't for profligate dollar printing, sadly, the items that have become less affordable-and this could really upset you-the items whose price increases exceed the overall rate of inflation, like medical care and housing, these are life's necessities. They are not once the stuff you need most got harder to obtain, healthcare is the ultimate example of this. It's sad to say, but you'll either pay the fee or you'll die, and the price reflects this. With hospital services up 281% outpacing the overall rate of inflation by about 3x. Also, items that have become more affordable, they are then generally the more discretionary purchases like furnishings, toys, and televisions. You can live without that stuff. Items that have become less affordable. They also tend to be more in-sourced activity, while those more affordable are outsourced, like to China. If you've noticed the trend, then anything involving people in the United States will be expensive, like child. Care and medical care. It involves people in the United States, and then it just gets more and more expensive. And this is also why service prices increase more and goods prices increase less. People are expensive.   Keith Weinhold  25:18   Microchips don't ask for dental insurance, and microchips don't file sexual harassment lawsuits. Overall, inflation was just 2.66% per year during this time period. But when it's compounded for this long, that's how it got to 93% cumulatively. But of course, inflation is higher than this 2.66 rate here in the late 2020s, and inflation is poised to rise even more than the level that it's at now. The war in Iran has pushed up energy prices 24% and these costs seep into almost everything, all right. But you're probably aware of this already, so I'm not going to discuss it much more because I discussed that before, like on episode 606, nearly two months ago when I called it our most important message in years, all right. But few seem to understand that this is just one part of a new inflation triple whammy. First, you've got spiking energy prices, like I mentioned. Second, more U.S. tariffs, and third, you've got mushrooming AI spending, and as a result of all this, this new inflation triple whammy that most people aren't aware of, this has pushed up bond yields to their highest point since 2007, and pressure is mounting for the Fed to jack up rates. Mortgage rates are soaring right along with them, and they are now near 7% Could mortgage rates reach 8% This is a real question now. The bottom line here is that inflation made the dollar lose nearly half its purchasing power in the first quarter century. Real asset owners will win, especially leveraged income property owners. This raises the property's replacement costs, spikes rents, and erodes your mortgage's real burden. Nearly everyone else is going to lose, and I don't want to lose a learning moment for you here. Bond yields-they are closely tied to what future mortgage rates are going to be. It's not about what the Fed does, and this is not as esoteric as some people think. This correlation between inflation, bond yields, and mortgage rates. Bonds pay a fixed interest rate long term.   Keith Weinhold  28:01   For example, the 10-year Treasury bond right now pays about 4.7% each year for the next 10 years. That's what that means. Now, would you lock in your investment for 10 years in order to get a 4.7% return? Well, if you were a conservative investor, maybe you would if you knew that inflation was only going to be 2% because then you'd be making about a 2.7% real return on your investment each year risk free. But if you expect inflation was going to be 5% over the next 10 years, oh well, then locking in a return of 4.7% means that you would lose real purchasing power every year. Investors don't want to lose money, so if investors expect that inflation is going to be higher, they will only buy bonds if they're paying higher amounts. And the bond market is telling us that as of today, investors expect at least 4.7% inflation over the next 10 years. If things change and they expect inflation to be higher than that, well, then bond yields will go up. If they expect inflation to decrease, for example, from a recession, bond yields will go down. So therefore, Treasury bonds are a true representation of investor inflation expectations and the movement of that bond yield-that is the number one factor that moves mortgage rates in that same direction. There's your explanation. That wasn't so hard. The market does not believe we're going to escape the Middle East war without substantial inflation or energy supply chain issues. That's what that means. Now, what else is going on in this era is the continuation of a reduction in the volume. Of housing transactions, fewer deals are happening. It had its recent peak of 6 million existing homes changing hands back in 2021. In 2022, it was 5 million, and it's been about 4 million transactions every year since. Now, as far as investor activity, just looking at that, for big investors, activity that's been sideways to a little down these past few years. But let's look at ourselves for smaller investors, mom and pop types, defined as those doing 10 or fewer deals per year, which probably includes you. You know, each of the past three years, activity has been up for smaller investors like you. You have gradually been purchasing more property, and this is as reported by realtor.com. Okay, what are the reasons for this?   Keith Weinhold  30:55   Well, back during the pandemic, you had to compete with owner-occupied buyers, that's when open house lines stretch down the block, and today there are fewer bidders in the room, and small investors are buying because builders are buying down your mortgage rate for you. That's another reason, and the source analysis it found that investors are sticking to affordable Midwest and Sun Belt markets that have strong rental demand. In fact, they're buying at least one out of every five homes in Memphis, Kansas City, St. Louis, Birmingham, and Oklahoma City. Real estate providers know that some prospective owner-occupant homeowners and even some investors-they won't buy anything at today's market mortgage rates, even though you and I know that these rates are historically normal. But providers-they need to stay in business. They need to keep turning things over. They need to sell property. They need to keep their people busy. They're not running museums here, so they're making sure that mortgage rate buydowns happen. And one of the most lucrative sources that I know about for investors is Mid South Homebuyers because they have investment property where the numbers work in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas with mortgage rates in the fives and a conventional loan with 25% down. A lot of their income properties cost under 200k, and these are quality homes in decent neighborhoods. I've physically walked inside many of them myself, not by drone, not with a virtual tour, not by AI, and not through some glossy brochure with suspiciously perfect lighting. The reason I'm telling you about this now is that this mortgage rate is one part of their limited triple five program. Here's what else we get as investors: a mortgage rate near 5% like I mentioned, and a 5% property management fee for five years. Though leverage has its benefits, if you decide to pay all cash instead, they provide you with the 5% property management for life, even if you finance later. I think they call that their forever five. Frankly, it's just amazing how many investors rave about the quality of their rehabs and say that their property management never seems to mess up in this industry. I mean, that is about as common as a calm political debate, or perhaps an airline actually improving legroom, and I have helped recommend Mid Health Homebuyers to our listeners for over 11 years. I know some followers that have looked at their available properties and scooped up three properties on one phone call. In fact, where they're based and have a lot of their available properties, Memphis. You know, Memphis has a story where I don't know if any other market in America can tell it right now. Do you know what's happening? Memphis is developing into having both the new brains and the brawn behind AI, and you got more smart money moving there now. Memphis is now home to the world's largest AI supercomputer. It's XAI's Colossus. It's now part of SpaceX. It's the biggest single-site AI facility on the entire planet. Anthropic is paying over a billion dollars a month to run Claude on it. Google just signed a deal worth up to 30 billion starting october 1, and I look forward to announcing that I have got a live event that I am co-hosting for you the day before this happens on september 30.   Keith Weinhold  34:56   So yes, that's the night before Google's money starts flowing. Into Memphis in one year, XAI became the second largest taxpayer in Memphis after FedEx, and the city has committed 25% of the property tax revenue from those sites to infrastructure in the surrounding neighborhoods. And when you add in FedEx, because Memphis already moves more physical goods than anywhere else in the country, you can see how Memphis is increasingly becoming the brains of the digital economy, while it's already been the brawn of the physical one. In every other market, you know they showcase things like their population growth and the rent-to-price ratios, and those attributes certainly matter, but now the fact that perhaps the biggest infrastructure story in America is happening in the most affordable major cash flow market—I mean, this is something that almost nobody has connected the dots on. So join me and my two co-hosts that lead Mid South Home Buyers.   Keith Weinhold  36:01   We're going to discuss market fundamentals, the AI build out, what it means for jobs, rent in neighborhoods over the next decade, and then a heavy live Q and A on Mid South. You're invited to join me. This is happening again on Wednesday, September 30th. It's at 8p.m. Eastern. Yes, you will have me live. Sign up at getricheducation.com/midsouth. It's a special event as Memphis is positioning to become both the brawn and brains of AI and a property provider that already makes a lot of sense for investors. Save your spot at getricheducation.com/midsouth. Until next week, I'm your host Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream.   Speaker 2  36:54   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal, or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial, or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of Get Rich Education LLC exclusively.    Keith Weinhold  37:22   The pre- program was brought to you by your home for wealth building, getricheducation.com

Torrey rambles about Collection Plates, Fedex, and Weed Shows

In this episode of "Solder & Soot," we sit down Gary Henton of Enfield Tubes and Capalex. NARSA members will get an inside look at these two companies as part of the 2026 International Tour in England. Hear what makes these businesses unique and what members can expect during the factory visits. This episode is sponsored by ⁠Johnson Manufacturing⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠4RFasteners⁠ & ⁠FedEx⁠.

In this episode, hosts Karl Bryan and Rode Dog dive deep into business models, sales mindsets, and the power of operating systems for coaches and business owners alike. Joined by guest Chance, the crew addresses automation, high-level thinking, and actionable strategies for scaling coaching businesses, all while serving up humor, real-life scenarios, and a dash of tough love on what it really takes to make it in this industry. Key Topics Covered Sales: The Reluctant Skill Every Self-Made Entrepreneur Must Master Chance asserts that almost every self-made millionaire or billionaire started with sales skills—not born with money (07:27). Changing your context around sales is crucial; stop seeing it as cold-calling and instead as the fastest path to helping people and building wealth (08:58). Business Models: Scaling vs. Growth Chance distinguishes "growth" (expensive, linear, tied to more resources) vs. true "scale" (growing revenue without matching increases in cost) (15:04). Classic examples: a modular home builder vs. a custom home business, and Amazon's cash-forward approach (16:22). Dell and Salesforce are analyzed for their customer-paid, build-to-order, and upfront revenue models that fuel rapid scale (17:12). Keeping Clients vs. Losing Them: The Two Rules of Business Any business boils down to just two things: "get clients" and "keep clients" (34:43). Why business coaches can keep clients for years, while "solution-completion coaches" (like grief coaching) have expiration built into the model (19:57). 10x Thinking: High Leverage Moves and Mindset Real 10x moves (over just 2x improvements): Ford inventing the car versus upgrading a buggy, Jobs launching the App Store not just a better phone (22:15). How modular systems, software frameworks, and focusing on the biggest three levers in your business accelerate breakthroughs (25:29). Operating Systems: The Secret Ingredient for Calm and Consistent Growth Chance gives a granular breakdown of "operating systems" like those used at McDonald's, and how small incremental improvements compound into big results (26:30). Installers (not wingers or hiders) have the edge—frameworks enable coaches to keep 200+ clients, not just 20 (25:25). Mindset, Leadership, and the Power of Three Chance shares a "moment of zen" on confidence and trust in oneself (32:01), and unpacks why the number 3 is essential for coaching, business simplicity, and focus (FedEx, Apple, Tesla examples). Focused action: Knowing what you want, why you want it, then committing to the price—even if it means failing and course-correcting frequently (43:00). Notable Quotes "You can't transfer that which you don't own." – Chance (09:34) "Growth is buying more trucks… scale is adding more revenue without new expense." – Chance (15:15) "The ultimate hack in business isn't a strategy, a tactic, or a business model—it's a higher level of thinking." – Chance (21:43) "If you want to be lucky, you've got to know what you want, why you want it, and commit to the price required to get it." – Chance (42:49) "The first person you must influence is you." – Chance (37:10) Actionable Takeaways 1. Reframe Your Sales Mindset Stop dreading sales; see it as persuasion and service, not cold-calling (09:02). Sell yourself on your offer before you try to sell anyone else. 2. Build for Scale, Not Just Growth Pursue business models where growth isn't tied 1:1 to expenses (think modular, SaaS, franchise, or upfront-payment approaches). 3. Seek Incremental (2-5%) Improvements Across Multiple Areas The compounding effects of small improvements in 12-40 operating areas outperforms single "big wins" (30:00). 4. Focus on Client Longevity The best business models create situations where clients need and want to stay for years—not short, one-off solutions. 5. Simplify with "Rule of Three" Define your business (and your client work) in threes: top three priorities, services, or outcomes to avoid overwhelm and spur action (39:08). 6. Be an Installer, Not a Winger Develop and implement repeatable frameworks for yourself and your clients—don't improvise every time (26:08). 7. Lead Yourself First True confidence and leadership start with keeping promises to yourself; the first sale is always to you (37:10). Resources Mentioned Profit Acceleration Software™ (developed by Karl Bryan): Core system for demonstrating and delivering client value. Focused.com (44:39): Home to the daily coaching email and business coaching community. The Six-Figure Coach Magazine: Free subscription to strategies and stories from top coaches. Books referenced: 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan & Ben Hardy Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, share with a fellow coach, and leave a review. Grow your coaching business by joining the daily email and using the Profit Acceleration Software™ at Focused.com.

Tim McKernan and Anthony Stalter break down what could be the most chaotic conference in college football this season. With several teams gunning for Texas Tech's throne after Brenden Sorsby's suspension. Will the title stay in Lubbock? Then we're heading out East. Will the Eagles take home their 3rd straight NFC East title? Or will it be Dallas taking back the division?Plus the PGA regular season is closing out with the Wyndham Championship. Which golfers need the win the most, how a win here could get them off the bubble for the FedEx cup.The Spread Zone is presented by @FanDuel Sportsbook!LEGAL DISCLAIMERWe provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only. Please confirm gambling regulations in your state of residence. To participate in sports gaming, you must be 21 years of age or older and be physically present in a state where sports betting is legal. If you or someone you know has a sports betting or gambling problem, please call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www.ncpgambling.org for more information and further assistance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's easy to walk out of a rushed appointment, an unexplained bill, or a denied claim and quietly blame the person in the white coat. Doc G (Doctor Jordan Grumet), the hospice physician and longtime Stacking Benjamins favorite, argues that's exactly the wrong target, and that the confusion isn't an accident. Somewhere between the insurance company, the pharmaceutical company, the private equity firm, and the electronic records system, a lot of people are getting paid, and the two groups actually providing and receiving care are left holding the bag. Here's the good news: almost nobody appeals a denial, and appeals win far more often than you'd expect. This episode gives you the real playbook.What You'll Walk Away WithThe exact first move to make when a claim gets denied, and why documenting it matters more than people realizeWhy a procedure can get pre-approved and still get denied months later, and what to save to protect yourselfA simple "who do you call first" framework for untangling a prescription, billing, or coverage problemThe pharmaceutical industry trick of repackaging old drugs as "new" ones, and the one question that sidesteps it completelyHow to spot whether your doctor's office is privately owned or backed by private equity, and why it changes the care you getWhy so much unnecessary testing exists purely to protect doctors from lawsuits, not to protect youThe real math on insurance appeals, and why giving up is exactly what the system is counting onWhy This Matters NowHealthcare confusion isn't just an annoyance, it's a real financial risk hiding in plain sight. A denied claim, a surprise bill, or a medication that suddenly isn't covered can undo months of careful budgeting in a single afternoon. The difference between losing that fight and winning it usually isn't luck, it's knowing the specific, doable steps to push back before you give up. This isn't about becoming your own doctor or insurance expert. It's about not getting steamrolled by a system that's counting on you not knowing what to do next.From the BasementA story about FedEx's founder famously saving the company with a lucky night at a Vegas blackjack table becomes the day's trivia detour, and somehow ties neatly back into an episode all about refusing to give up when the system says no.Resources MentionedThe Healthcare Heist by Jordan Grumet, MD — Doc G's new book on fixing the doctor-patient relationshipEarn & Invest podcast — Doc G's award-winning personal finance podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this recap episode, Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell revisit Lesley's conversation with Amy Dickens, a joy advocate, author of 101 Ways to Spread Joy, and creator of Joyfully You. Amy found joy after years of mental health struggles and turned it into a practice for nervous system regulation. The hosts get honest about what it costs to stay positive inside a negative industry, and why joy is something you build rather than something you wait for. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:The importance of being the joy you wish to see in the world.How relationships act as the key predictor of joy and happiness.Building community as a learnable skill to combat the loneliness epidemic.Miracle walks as an active practice for noticing and maintaining joy.Calendar blocking to prioritize scheduling connection and joy before work.Episode References/Links:UpLift's Waitlist - xxll.co/uwseLevate - lesleylogan.co/elevateOPC Summer Tour (Powered by Balanced Body) - https://opc.me/tourOPC Pilates Flashcards – https://opc.me/flashcardsOPC Pilates Posters – https://opc.me/postersNevada SPCA – https://nevadaspca.orgOPC YouTube Live – https://onlinepilatesclasses.comVaccinate Your Family – https://vaccinateyourfamily.com101 Ways to Spread Joy - https://www.livejoyfullyyou.com/101waystospreadjoySubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  It's the idea of, like, okay, your house burnt down, so at least I get to design that master bedroom that I wanted. Like, that would be a toxic positivity thing. Finding joy is the neighbors that came over and showed how much they love and support you, and brought you new items and new things. I think finding joy or being the joy doesn't mean that you're not feeling feelings. It just means that you are not hyper-focused on all the shit.Lesley Logan 0:25  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Brad Crowell 1:08  Take it away.Lesley Logan 1:09  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap, where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the delightful combo I had with Amy Dickens in our last episode. If you haven't yet, listen to that interview. Feel free to pause this now. Go back because you missed out on some joy stuff. Like it was all joyful. Super joy. Brad Crowell 1:23  Yes you did. Lesley Logan 1:24  So, if you want to miss on joyLesley Logan 1:26  It was delightful. Lesley Logan 1:27  You can listen to this first to see how much joy is in it, and then get that joy intrigue fixed by listening to her episode after. Today is August 6th. It's a day after my brother's birthday, 2026, and it kicks off.   Brad Crowell 1:39  Clutter Awareness WeekLesley Logan 1:41  Which I'm sure the people who have clutter also hate that it's kicking off on a Thursday, but that's how they did it, which takes place annually, shining a light on the often overlooked issue of physical and mental clutter. Ooh, mental clutter too. This week encourages individuals to identify, confront, and overcome disorganization in their lives. Join the movement by decluttering a space, donating unused items, or learning new organizational strategies. So, I am super excited to say that I have, by the time you listen to this, taken all of our old dish towels, studio cleaning towels, old towels, Brad doesn't like that, but I'm taking old towels, all to the SPCA, the Nevada SPCA, because they will use them, and I got myself some new microfiber towels for the studio. And I'm gonna find kitchen towels that actually soak up shit because the ones we have, I don't know if you noticed, Brad, they just move it around. They just move the liquid around. There is something wrong with these towels, so they are gone. I'm taking them away. Time for some matching cute towels.Brad Crowell 2:45  That is funny. Yeah, you're not wrong, and it's interesting because sometimes it's easy to get stuck in cleaning just so that you can focus, and then... Lesley Logan 2:55  Well that's definitely ADHD...Brad Crowell 2:57  But then other times I go through not cleaning, and it just piles up. Things just pile up. Lesley Logan 3:02  I'm looking at a basket, and I was looking at it before we started this call. Before I knew what the week announcement was, and I was like, "This should be a box. Why is this an open basket? And why is this basket here?" And then if we take, you guys cannot see because what you see is very strategic, but this podcast room has become Monica's closet. I'm just gonna say it. If you know Monica from Friends, this is Monica's closet. And by the time you hear this, I'm going to say that we have done something to it because it's time.Brad Crowell 3:34  It's time to declutter.Lesley Logan 3:35  Alright. So tell us. Make sure you send a win in of what you decluttered this week. Send in a win to the beitpod.com/questions. Okay, really quick, as you have heard, the rumors are true. I created a teacher training program for new teachers or somewhat trained teachers who want to study Pilates the way I teach it. So if you like the style of my Pilates instruction, you like my tutorials, my flashcards, you want to go through my training. It's called UpLift, the capital L. And the educators for this program are people who trained with me through my mentorship program, eLevate. And so, if you are a comprehensively trained teacher and you want to study directly with me, then you want to do eLevate. If you actually just want to train through a training that I've created and that I'm very intimately involved in, but my eLevate grads will be teaching, you want to go through UpLift. So, UpLift's waitlist for teachers and people who want to be in that training is xxll.co/uws, and if youBrad Crowell 4:29  Yeah, that's just to also make a distinction, UpLift is for people who are not yet teachers.Lesley Logan 4:34  Not yet teachers. However.Brad Crowell 4:35  But eLevate is are for comprehensively trained teachers already.Lesley Logan 4:40  Yes, and I have to keep saying this because it's important. The industry is very unique. There are people who've only been trained on Mat or Reformer or Mat and Reformer, and so if you want to do a comprehensive training, you could go through UpLift because you cannot go through eLevate because you have to have had a comprehensive training to do eLevate. Yes. If you are already a comprehensively trained instructor and you're like, "Oh, I want to learn your teaching style, but it doesn't have to be directly with you. I prefer something in person." You could be a bridge participant in UpLift. So it's definitely for people who want to become a Pilates instructor. But there are ways where you're already doing some sort of teaching that you may prefer UpLift to eLevate. Those of you who are asking me how you can be an educator for eLevate, I love you. Thank you. I'm so glad you're so excited. You actually need to go through eLevate. So the actual proper channel is to go through eLevate, and so you want to go to lesleylogan.co/elevate. If you just want to study with me and not teach UpLift, you can still go through eLevate, but you have to be a comprehensively trained instructor. Boom. There, we did it. Okay.Brad Crowell 5:41  Slayed.Lesley Logan 5:41  We are on summer tour. We are on the road. It's happening. I don't even know what day, we must be in Lawrence, Kansas, or we might be in Nashville today. Hold on.Brad Crowell 5:49  The 6th. I think we're in Lawrence or Knoxville. Let's see.Lesley Logan 5:53  Well, I don't know what day the tour starts, and I actually haven't looked, but we do start in Denver. That sold out. Lawrence, Kansas, that's sold out. Then it's Nashville. Then it's Knoxville, a rooftop location for the mat class. It's going to be so freaking cool. Then it's Greensboro, North Carolina. I know we have a day off before we go to Augusta, Georgia. Then Atlanta, Georgia.Brad Crowell 6:13  We're in Lawrence on A ugust 6.Lesley Logan 6:14  August 6. So this is Lawrence, Kansas. Second day of the tour is August 6. Oh, we start on my brother's birthday. There we go. That'll be easy to remember. So there is, at the time of this recording, still space in stops 3 all the way to 14, but spaces are very much running out in Atlanta, Huntsville, Birmingham, Jackson, and Tucson. In fact, they might already be gone by the time you listen to this. But there is some good space in Nashville, Knoxville, Greensboro, Augusta, Frisco, and El Paso. So in El Paso, we're going to be teaching in Spanish. I mean, I'm going to have a translator. I don't know how to teach in Spanish. I know how to understand if she's saying what I said in Spanish. So don't worry, I can hear that. So our tour is powered by Balanced Body, which means we have gift certificates and prizes to give away. We have the Contrology equipment to bring in, so you can try it out. We have a discount, something you can use to buy your own equipment. Sure. So come on down, opc.me/tour. And then if you're new here, don't forget to check out our Pilates flashcards and our posters. Our flashcards are amazing, and you can buy them from us and support an amazing small company, and part of the money that you spend goes to the Nevada SPCA, which helps dogs, cats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and bunnies get well taken care of till they find their furever home, as they would say, furever home. And if you want our posters, we have those, too.Brad Crowell 7:38  I caught that (inaudible).Lesley Logan 7:39  Yeah, well, you just looked around like, "What did she say?" So, opc.me/flashcards, opc.me/posters. Look how easy we make those links. What is not easy is if you want to send your win in to celebrate that you got those posters or flashcards, you have to send it into beitpod.com/questions. All right, we no longer take your questions here. We do those on Sundays on YouTube, on our YouTube Live, so come to that. Our OnlinePilatesClasses.com has a YouTube channel, and we go live every Sunday chatting with you. So instead, we bring up a charity that's topical for the time. So what is it, Brad?Brad Crowell 8:15  That's right. All right, this month is Vaccination or Immunization Awareness Month.Lesley Logan 8:19  Vaccination or Immunization Awareness Month.Brad Crowell 8:22  That's what it is. So August, we're focusing on Vaccinate Your Family. Kicking off our immunization spotlight, we're featuring Vaccinate Your Family, a nonprofit with serious roots. It was founded in 1991 by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.Lesley Logan 8:34  Love the Carters.Brad Crowell 8:36  And former Arkansas First Lady Betty Bumpers.Lesley Logan 8:41  It looks like "Ladybug" if you go too fast because it says "First Lady Betty Bumpers," and I just read "Ladybug."Brad Crowell 8:46  That's amazing. Originally as Every Child By Two, renamed Vaccinate Your Family in 2018. Lesley Logan 8:52  The goal was to like get people vaccinated by two years old.Brad Crowell 8:55  Its mission is to protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases by reaching everyone in the U.S. with science-based information and a real pathway to immunization, including a tool that helps families figure out how to actually pay for vaccines and a grassroots advocacy program that trains everyday people to share their stories. In a year where measles has come roaring back across our entire country, the work matters more than usual. And this month we're featuring a very well-vetted...Lesley Logan 9:22  YesBrad Crowell 9:23  ...charity. I mean, they don't get more vetted than this. They have a 92% score and four-star rating from Charity Navigator, plus a Gold Seal of Transparency from Candid. Whether you're a parent, a caregiver, or someone who just wants families to have clear answers and real access, this one is absolutely worth a look. Find out more and support them at vaccinateyourfamily.com.Lesley Logan 9:42  And I think this is really important because it's a really weird time right now where people are trusting influencers over actual science-based information, and that can be very harmful. Not just for the people who get misinformation, but also for the people that that misinformation negatively affects, right? Like there are people who believe that these vaccines are causing autism out in the world. Autism has been here before vaccines. It's not a thing you catch. It's a thing that's part of how your body and brain all work together. And when people spread that misinformation, it negatively affects people who are autistic in a way that's unfair and unwarranted and awful. But the other reality is there are people who cannot get vaccinated for whatever reason. Like there are people who are either not old enough for certain vaccines or their system is going through something. They have cancer or things like that, and so they cannot. And so as a community, we are supposed to be doing this together. And because of misinformation about vaccines that has been debunked too many times, the U.S. is no longer measles-free, and in fact, they think that we'll never get it back. And it's a sad thing because measles does ruin your entire immune system, including things you were already immunized from.Brad Crowell 10:59  And you could die.Lesley Logan 11:00  Yeah, you can. And if you want to see a real-life example of how they educate and talk about that and be entertained, watch The Pitt. Yep, very interesting episode about that. Maybe you don't die, but maybe the person that got exposed to it in those first four days that you had it...Brad Crowell 11:12  Yeah.Lesley Logan 11:13  ...couldn't be vaccinated. I mean...Brad Crowell 11:14  When they did, I can't remember if it was smallpox or measles back in the day. The pitch was not everybody can get the vaccine.Lesley Logan 11:22  Yeah.Brad Crowell 11:23  So therefore, it's incumbent on us to give a shit about our neighbors who can't get it.Lesley Logan 11:28  It was polio.Brad Crowell 11:29  I think it was polio.Lesley Logan 11:30  Your great uncle got polio.Brad Crowell 11:31  You're right. I think it was polio. So not everyone can get the vaccine because of immunity stuff. So the best thing for the community is for everyone who can get the vaccine to get the vaccine so that we are not carriers or passing things along. A nd it protects others.Lesley Logan 11:49  Well, and also it's really interesting. Dr. Divya on Instagram did this whole thing about the best peptide you can get, the best peptide. And she talked about how amazing peptides are, what peptides are, how they come from your body. GLP-1, the P stands for peptide, and everyone in the world is super into peptides. And she said the best peptide is a vaccination.Brad Crowell 12:09  Right. B ecause that's what they fucking are.Lesley Logan 12:14  That's what they are.Brad Crowell 12:16  Right. Yep.Lesley Logan 12:16  It's hard. It's fucking hard. Anyway, there's a lot of bad stuff. I understand there's all the awful history about how a lot of vaccinations were done and how racist stuff happened, and so I get that there are so many layers, and I don't want our conversation here to be pedantic or small about it. But I do want to acknowledge that we got rid of fucking measles, and now we're not.Brad Crowell 13:17  Yeah, now it's back.Lesley Logan 13:18  Vaccinate your family, if you want to help support them, to help people who are not misinformed yet get taken care of and get the help they need because a lot of these things are free if they know about it.Brad Crowell 13:30  If you have a charity that you think should be featured or we should be talking about, let us know. Go to beitpod.com/questions, and you can also leave us a win for the Friday episode. Stick around. We'll be right back. We're going to talk about Amy Dickens.Brad Crowell 13:43  All right, welcome back. Let's talk about Amy Dickens. Amy is a joy advocate, author of 101 Ways to Spread Joy, and the creator of Joyfully You. She helps people reconnect to their joy as a tool for nervous system regulation and transformation. After struggling with mental health challenges into her mid-to-late 20s, Amy discovered that finding joy became her turning point. Her experience led her to explore how community and intentional joy practices reshape lives, and she's known for leading joy parades in the streets and helping others overcome social anxiety to build meaningful connections. That's pretty freaking cool.Lesley Logan 14:23  So cool. And I have to be honest, I'm sure someone in her life was like, "You're gonna make money doing this?" But she is, and she's doing a great job, and she brings such a smile to your face. I loved so much of what she said. When we show up as the joy that we wish to see in the world, that creates this invisible ripple effect, and it's so true.Brad Crowell 14:43  Did you say be it till you see it?Lesley Logan 14:45  Be it till you see it. I think that's what she said. That's what I said. Yeah. No, and I think this is so true. If there's an idea, if you need love, go give love. If you need joy, go give joy to people. Go smile. Go be. She says in a world full of fear and divisiveness, joy acts as a breath of fresh air. Yeah. And it really is true. In the industry that I'm in, it can be really negative, really nasty. I'm super pissed about people taking my IP and all this stuff. But I have this girl who's in a similar situation where someone in another country is using her stuff, has gone through all these efforts, and she's finally at the end of the rope. She's like, "All I can do is actually just put all the evidence on Facebook, call them out, and blast it because I can't go any further." And she's like, "Would you help me share this?" And I said, "I can't do that." I said, "It's not that I don't support you. Not that I probably wouldn't do the same thing. It's that I try not to put out negative stuff in this industry. I try to find a positive way to talk about the shit so that there's hope." And that goes through, like, how can we figure out a way to be the breath of fresh air?Brad Crowell 15:50  Yeah.Lesley Logan 15:51  In our offices, in the family situation, so that not only do we experience joy, but people do too. And maybe those people who are fearful and divisive might actually, I don't know. Maybe something happens when they experience a little bit of joy..Brad Crowell 16:03  Yeah, it's interesting. It's tough to stay focused on the positive, especially if somebody is maligning you or stealing from you. So yeah, that's a hard thing.Lesley Logan 16:14  I think that's a distinction in the joy. And then we had a guest last year where we talked about toxic positivity. Being a breath of fresh air and finding joy does not have to be in the shit that's happening. It can actually be next to the shit, right? It's like the idea of, like, okay, your house burnt down, so at least I get to design that master bedroom that I wanted. Like, that would be a toxic positivity thing. Finding joy is the neighbors that came over and showed how much they love and support you, and brought you new items and new things. I think finding joy or being the joy doesn't mean that you're not feeling feelings. It just means that you are not hyper-focused on all the shit.Brad Crowell 16:54  Hyper-focused on all the shit. Yep. I really loved when she was talking about how do you predict joy and happiness. She said that the number one predictor is your relationships.Lesley Logan 17:09  Yes.Brad Crowell 17:10  In life.Lesley Logan 17:10  We were talking about this with another person. Not us, with another person. You heard a guy talking about happiness and quality of relationship. It has to be with three prongs. So this is very fascinating. Your number one predictor of happiness is your relationships, and it's like the idea of you're the average of the five people you hang out with.Brad Crowell 17:28  Yeah, sure.Lesley Logan 17:28  So if they're shitty people, you're probably not going to have a lot of joy.Brad Crowell 17:31  Yeah, she said it includes both deep, intimate relationships, but also saying hi to random strangers.Lesley Logan 17:37  I like that you do that. My mom does that. I think I smile. I acknowledge.Brad Crowell 17:43  Yeah, I definitely started doing that when I was a teenager, and I would just compliment people. You know, "I like your shoes," or "I like your sweatshirt."Lesley Logan 17:52  All the time. They don't even listen sometimes. He said something one night in the airport. He told this one person, "I like your jacket," and a guy with a shitty jacket was like, "This thing?" And it was like, "No, I was talking to her."Brad Crowell 18:02  It was like, "Oh my god."Lesley Logan 18:04  But anyways, we all had a good laugh, so there was joy there. And you were a little pocket of joy for someone.Brad Crowell 18:09  So funny.Lesley Logan 18:09  Yeah. But if you are, "I can't say hi to strangers because what if they're crazy? What if they come at me?" Ladies, I feel you, which is why I actually make sure I'm very kind to the people behind the counter of the places that I get coffee. They are safe. They are behind the coffee thing.Brad Crowell 18:26  Yeah.Lesley Logan 18:26  Someone vetted them to work at that coffee place, and so I will bring joy to them. And then if I want to the people around me, I have a witness. So I feel good about it. I don't do it on the street as much, but, you know.Brad Crowell 18:36  She said that even saying hi to your neighbor actually matters for your mental health and joy. Yeah. So saying hi, or waving, or being kind to the mail person or whatever. She said we are in a loneliness epidemic right now, and learning to build community is a skill.Lesley Logan 18:51  Yeah. Brad Crowell 18:52  Learning to build community is a skill. The hard part requires being brave, that moment of hello, but the payoff is actual community and connection, right? That is amazing for our own loneliness, our own mental health, for our own joy and our own happiness. So she said, you have to put yourself in situations where you feel really scared and you're doing it anyways.Lesley Logan 19:17  It's like she listened to the podcast.Brad Crowell 19:20  Yeah. Actually, I was laughing because so many things—do it scared. She didn't say "be it till you see it," but she basically described that. A lot of the things that she was talking about, I was laughing because I was like, "Oh yeah, we say that. We talk about that."Lesley Logan 19:35  I love it. I love it. I know, and I think that's really true. There is a loneliness epidemic. One thing that I love about our situation where we live now versus the apartment, because we couldn't really just, I guess we did know our mail person at the apartment, but we know our FedEx driver, we know our UPS people, we know our mail lady. And even the ones we don't know, we're always out there. We meet them outside, like, "Hey, how's it going?" They know. They're like, "Oh, this is the Pilates house, right?" They probably don't have a lot of engagement. They're just on the roads dealing with people. So if you just even be nice to them, you might be the impact that they need.Brad Crowell 20:20  By doing that, you're the impact that you need.Lesley Logan 20:22  Yes, I agree. I remember, oh my gosh, when I worked in retail, we had the same UPS driver Monday to Friday and a different guy on Saturday, and we loved our Monday-to-Friday guy. We would talk to him every day. One day we didn't have him. He's like, "Oh yeah, I was subbing around in Newport." "You're going to leave us for the ocean, aren't you?" And he's, "No, I'm in AC all day. I don't have to do anything." But we were such good friends with our UPS driver, and it was something to look forward to every day. It's like part of the routine. Here he comes.Brad Crowell 20:47  That's fun. Yeah, I love it. Well, stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into those Be It Action Items. Welcome back. Let's talk about those Be It Action Items that you had with Amy Dickens. What bold, executable, intrinsic, or targeted action items can we take away from your convo? She said she uses two practices for maintaining joy. The first one is miracle walks.Lesley Logan 21:12  I love this.Brad Crowell 21:13  Yeah, and she said... Lesley Logan 21:14  Like, the miracle dreams person we had.Brad Crowell 21:17  She said, just walk around. Walk your block. And she said, "Look up." She changes her perspective instead of looking down at her phone or ahead on the sidewalk. Look up. What are you actually seeing? She said, "You cannot return until you identify three miracles on this walk." Okay, so miracle number one might be dew on a leaf or birds singing, right? So three things where you're just observing something that is amazing, something that is astounding.Lesley Logan 21:43  I do this every morning. I take a note of the moon and the sunrise every morning.Brad Crowell 21:48  I love that.Lesley Logan 21:48  Yes. I see if I have a third one.Brad Crowell 21:51  For me, it's often like a cactus. I'll take a closer look at them because they're all fascinating, how they grow. It's completely different.Lesley Logan 22:01  They change every day.Brad Crowell 22:02  Yeah, it's crazy.Lesley Logan 22:03  Especially right now because of the flowering.Brad Crowell 22:05  Yeah, I know. This part of the year is so beautiful in Vegas. She said this trains your brain to actively scan for beauty and joy in places you've already walked a thousand times.Lesley Logan 22:16  Yes.Brad Crowell 22:16  So instead of just letting it all pass you by, even in the city, there are amazing things to see. So I love it. Miracle walks is one. Two, calendar blocking. Prioritize scheduling connection and joy before filling your calendar with work.Lesley Logan 22:31  This is actually very much on brand with what I say when I teach people how to do their schedule on our retreat, which is you have to put your priorities first.Brad Crowell 22:40  Yep.Lesley Logan 22:40  Sleep.Brad Crowell 22:41  Yep.Lesley Logan 22:42  Light is genius. Sleep.Brad Crowell 22:43  Yeah, your rocks in your schedule, the way we describe that, is prioritizing the opportunity for connection and joy should be paramount. It should absolutely be a part of your schedule.Lesley Logan 22:56  Yes, yes.Brad Crowell 22:57  You know, for me, youLesley Logan 22:58  You cannot fit joy in. You're gonna fit it in. It's gonna stress it out.Brad Crowell 23:02  Yeah, for me, it's been sitting on the front porch, drinking my coffee in the morning, just gathering my thoughts and enjoying the day. You know.Lesley Logan 23:10  You know what we have not done?Brad Crowell 23:11  Tell me.Lesley Logan 23:12  We have not told the podcast we have a dog.Brad Crowell 23:14  Oh. We have a new dog.Lesley Logan 23:18  Yeah.Brad Crowell 23:18  Congratulations, us.Lesley Logan 23:20  Yeah. We'll talk more about that another day.Brad Crowell 23:22  Yeah, we'll we'll share that more, if you're on socials. I'm sure you've seen it on Instagram.Lesley Logan 23:26  And your morning, the reason that thought dolphined up, is because you sit out on the porch in the mornings with the dog.Brad Crowell 23:43  Yes.Lesley Logan 23:43  And Darla tried to join this routine, and it did not bring Darla joy.Brad Crowell 23:47  She lasted about five minutes. It did not bring Darla joy. Lesley Logan 23:50  No, no, no. Brad Crowell 23:52  What about you? What was your biggest takeaway?Lesley Logan 23:53  Okay, give yourself permission to follow your joy, whatever big or little ways that might be. Okay, this is really important. Let me finish her thought. Take a deep breath. Be honest with yourself. Write it all down. Say, "Okay, today, what would I feel like if I was 5% more alive right now?" So she's giving you permission to follow your joy, whatever that is. I want to just make sure I say this. My loves, my ADHD people, my high overachiever perfectionists, just because something brings you joy does not mean you have to get paid to do it. So please, permission to follow your joy and not make it have a return on investment other than joy.Brad Crowell 24:35  Right.Lesley Logan 24:36  As soon as I started telling people I was reading my tarot, I kept having people say, "You do a reading for me." No. Don't take my joy from me. And so I stopped telling people because they're trying to make a job out of it. And then some people might go, "Oh, why are you doing that? You can't make money from that." That's not your point. So just protect your joy thing. Yep. Okay.Brad Crowell 24:52  I love it.Lesley Logan 24:52  So, in giving yourself permission to follow your joy, you don't have to rewrite your whole life story, but allow yourself just a little of that as a tiny little reframe, like a new way of telling the same thing about yourself or a new way of adding something in. You're not changing everything about yourself to add a little bit of joy, but you are probably an affirmation of, like, "I am someone who sees joy in my morning walks." That's not changing everything you are, but it's changing that one little spot and reframing those things. So, anyways.Brad Crowell 25:22  Yeah, I dig it.Lesley Logan 25:23  I think she's great.Brad Crowell 25:24  This was a really fun podcast. Her demeanor and her attitude were amazingly joyfu and it's contagious.Lesley Logan 25:30  Oh yeah. And also, 101 Ways to Spread Joy. All these people who can do 101 anything, I am already impressed because 101, that is so many. Give me 10.Brad Crowell 25:44  Check that out. Amy Dickens, 101 Ways to Spread Joy.Lesley Logan 25:48  I'm Lesley Logan,Brad Crowell 25:48  and I'm Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 25:49  Send this to your friend who needs to spread some joy so they can feel some joy. Send the episode with Amy, and then they'll come here and see how chaotic we are, and then hopefully they're stuck. And until next time, Be It Till You See ItBrad Crowell 26:02  Bye for now.Lesley Logan 26:03  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 26:46  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 26:51  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 26:55  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 27:02  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 27:05  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What does it really take to stay focused in a world full of distraction? In this special audience Q&A episode, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and professor Erik Qualman answers questions spanning leadership, AI, keynote speaking, business, personal growth, and the habits that have shaped his career. Topics include: • How Erik prepares backstage before a keynote • Favorite places and audiences he's spoken to around the world • Where he'd most like to speak next • How focus influences leadership and decision-making • AI, innovation, and the future of work • Lessons learned from writing bestselling books • Building a career around purpose, curiosity, and continuous learning • Advice for aspiring speakers, leaders, and entrepreneurs Whether you're leading a company, building a business, preparing for your next presentation, or simply looking to become more focused in your personal and professional life, this episode offers practical insights you can put into action immediately. Because the future doesn't belong to the biggest, the fastest, or the loudest. The future belongs to the focused. Submit your questions for Erik to eq@equalman.com Five-time #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 60 countries and reached over 60 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind the Harry Potter series. Motivational Speaker | Erik Qualman has inspired audiences at FedEx, Chase, ADP, Huawei, Starbucks, Godiva, FBI, Google, and many more on Focus and Digital Leadership.

"FedEx is not simply selling an asset, it is trading a warehousing unit for a deeper transportation relationship with one of the world's largest container lines, which is a smarter reallocation than a straight divestiture." — Bruno Digital FedEx just sold its Supply Chain unit to CMA CGM for $1.4 billion. It sold for the same price FedEx paid for the same business, under a different name, back in 2015.  But FedEx didn't just sell an operating unit. They also entered into a larger agreement for ocean and air cargo that highlights some interesting trends in global logistics. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: - What the $1.4 Billion deal includes, and the multi-year ocean and air cargo agreements worth an estimated $3.5 Billion that are riding along with it - Why U.S. law would make it impossible for CMA CGM to ever buy FedEx outright - Whether CMA CGM's growing air cargo fleet is competition for FedEx, or something else entirely   Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-barner-6884443/ Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/art-of-supply-6895142546301960193  Art of Supply on AOP: http://www.artofsupply.com  Subscribe to the Art of Procurement Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe   

Brendan Porath and Joseph LaMagna convene for a Wednesday Scramble to discuss breaking news in the golf world. On Wednesday morning, LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil announced that LIV has landed a lead investor, securing future funding of the league. In what capacity will the league operate moving forward? Brendan and Joseph discuss. Also covered, a report that TPC Southwind is not part of the PGA Tour's Championship Series vision, placing doubt on the future involvement of one of the Tour's longest-running sponsors, FedEx.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this exclusive, high-impact episode of The Ash Said It Show, host Ash Brown sits down with award-winning Internet Safety Expert, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and Sekuva founder Fareedah S. Shaheed (widely known as CyberFareedah) for a game-changing conversation on protecting children, teens, and privacy in the fast-evolving age of artificial intelligence. As generative AI, deepfakes, and sophisticated online grooming transform the digital landscape, traditional technical restrictions like software monitoring apps, firewall filters, and screen bans are no longer enough to guarantee youth safety online. Bridging technical threat intelligence with deep emotional awareness, Fareedah introduces parents and caregivers to her revolutionary human-centric "SAFE Method," establishing that psychological safety and genuine parent-child trust are the ultimate firewalls against digital risks. Fareedah opens up about her personal turning point as a teenager—a pivotal moment when she nearly fell victim to an online predator but chose to confide in her mother instead. She reveals the exact non-judgmental, calm response her mother offered that prevented her from shutting down, preserved their family connection, and ultimately sparked her lifelong career in cybersecurity. Moving beyond basic technical controls, the discussion dissects the biggest misconceptions parents hold regarding youth online behavior, unpacking how children primarily seek belonging, identity, and peer validation rather than reckless trouble in digital spaces. Listeners gain actionable strategies for navigating the modern balance between necessary parental digital oversight and a teenager's growing need for independence. Fareedah provides clear guidance on shifting from intrusive surveillance to collaborative digital mentorship, establishing transparent home boundaries, and leveraging native privacy tools while maintaining open lines of communication. The episode concludes with a powerful look at systemic digital culture, emphasizing the urgent need for "Safety by Design" architecture across social media platforms, tech company accountability, and a collective shift away from parent-shaming toward shared community protection. Essential listening for parents, educators, and guardians, this exclusive interview equips families with the practical tools and emotional framework needed to foster a secure, resilient next generation in an AI-driven world. Web: https://www.cyberfareedah.com/ About: Fareedah Shaheed, widely recognized as CyberFareedah, is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Internet Safety Expert, cybersecurity strategist, and international speaker dedicated to keeping children safe online. As a teenager, Fareedah experienced the hidden dangers of the web firsthand when she connected with an online predator posing as a friend. Seconds away from running away from home, she chose to confide in her mother—a life-changing conversation that sparked her lifelong passion for digital safety and family protection. Drawing from her personal experience and extensive background in cybersecurity and threat intelligence, Fareedah developed the SAFE Method. This unique approach positions parent-child trust and open communication as the cornerstone of youth internet safety, translating complex cybersecurity concepts into actionable strategies for families. Fareedah has shared her expertise with premier global organizations, delivering keynotes and workshops for brands like NASA, Mozilla, FedEx, H&M, Common Sense Networks, and Love146. Her work has also been featured extensively across major international media outlets, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, NASDAQ, Cisco, FOX 46, NBC4, and Yahoo!. Beyond her corporate and technical achievements, Fareedah's primary mission is connecting with loving parents to help them build stronger digital trust with their children, ensuring a safer online environment for families everywhere. #InternetSafety #Cybersecurity #DigitalParenting #AISafety #KeepKidsSafeOnline #TheAshSaidItShow #AshSaidIt #FareedahShaheed #CyberFareedah #ChildSafetyOnline #OnlineSafety #ParentingInTheDigitalAge #SAFEMethod #TechSafety #CyberHygiene #YouthOnlineSafety #DeepfakeAwareness #AIPrivacy #ParentingTips #DigitalCitizenship #OnlinePrivacy #PodcastEpisode - Ready to ignite the spark that levels up your entire life? Meet Ash Brown—the American powerhouse, motivational architect, and ultimate hype-woman dedicated to your personal and professional evolution. Ash is far more than a voice in the personal development space; she is a trusted ally who delivers a masterclass in real-talk wisdom and infectious energy. Whether you are navigating a crossroads or ready to scale your grandest ambitions, Ash fuels your journey with a high-octane blend of heart and hustle.

Dimensional (DIM) weight pricing is the carriers' way of encouraging parcel shippers to optimize box sizes. This discourages wasted space inside the boxes, which destroys room in their trucks. The package's DIM weight replaces the billable weight if it's higher than the physical weight. For standard FedEx DIM weight calculation, the DIM weight divisor is 139 for ground and express domestic shipping and international shipments. Read More Since 2006, Refund Retriever has audited FedEx and UPS packages for late deliveries and billing mistakes. Through a complete logistics analysis, we help shippers maximize carrier discounts and achieve best-in-class pricing. Are you paying too much for your shipping?

The explosive growth of GLP-1 obesity drugs is creating a massive cold storage logistics boom, with FedEx, UPS, and DHL racing to build out healthcare supply chain capacity in a market they can't afford to miss. We explore the second and third-order investment opportunities that most investors are overlooking in the GLP-1 revolution.Today's Stocks & Topics: Comcast Corporation (CMCSA), Marke Wrap, Liberty ETFs, Apple Inc. (AAPL), Dividend Reinvestment, Taxes, The GLP-1 Ripple Effect: How Obesity Drugs Are Reshaping Logistics, Healthcare, and Supply Chains, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), AstraZeneca PLC (AZN).Our Sponsors:* Check out Anthropic and use my code Claude.ai/invest for a great deal: https://www.anthropic.com* Check out Chilipad and use my code INVEST for a great deal: https://sleep.me* Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/INVEST for a great deal: https://www.quince.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code INVEST20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Most supply chain discussions get bogged down in hype and theoretical buzzwords. In this episode, they get stripped back to reality. In this debut episode of The Collective on Supply Chain Now, a powerhouse panel of battle-proven commerce veterans comes together to dive deep into the forces currently reshaping the global trade landscape. The panel features Kim Reuter (Chief Advisor and Leader at CSG Consulting), Derreck Travers, Jack Mowreader (Founder & Principal at Ascendant Business Solutions), and Kerry Gibson-Morris (VP of Global Sourcing & Product Development at BDA, LLC).  Drawing on their extensive experience building foundational programs at Amazon and scaling operations across air cargo, trucking, luxury retail, and finance, the team breaks down the critical shifts in modern supply chain management and where the industry is heading next. Kerry kicks off the conversation with a frank look at AI in smart sourcing, warning against the trap of treating technology as a total labor replacement rather than a strategic amplifier. She emphasizes the critical need for "checking the checker," maintaining strict data hygiene, and exercising executive oversight to avoid costly operational mistakes. Jack pivots the focus to the financial volatility of modern trade, breaking down how rapid tariff changes, shifting de minimis policies, and shorter planning cycles are forcing companies to abandon hyper-lean "just-in-time" models in favor of strategic safety stock and bonded warehousing. Finally, Derreck unpacks the massive wave of industry consolidation, highlighting CMA CGM's acquisition of FedEx's supply chain unit, and analyzes why M&A deals often fail to deliver customer value, drive up costs, and open doors for nimble market disruptors. If you're looking for an unvarnished, real-world breakdown of where supply chain, leadership, and modern trade are actually heading, this conversation earns its time.   Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Intro (02:44) Introducing The Collective (05:15) AI and smart sourcing (11:22) Checking the checker: Data integrity & oversight (14:39) The financial risks of AI (17:08) Tech hype vs. system architecture (21:06) Tariff volatility and financial risks (27:36) Domino effects in alternative sourcing markets (28:47) Re-evaluating just-in-time inventory (32:46) Foreign trade zones and bonded warehousing (34:16) Carrier consolidation (CMA CGM & FedEx) (38:19) What industry consolidation means for e-commerce (49:53) Looking ahead: agentic commerce Additional Links & Resources: Connect with Kim Reuter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-reuter-csg/ Learn more about CSG Consulting: https://www.clarityscalegrowth.com/ Connect with Derreck Travers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrecktravers/ Connect with Jack Mowreader: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmowreader/ Learn more about Ascendant Business Solutions: Connect with Kerry Gibson-Morris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-gibson-morris-179453/ Learn more about BDA, LLC: https://www.bdainc.com Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/ WEBINAR- From Volume to Resilience: How Automotive Supply Chains Are Adapting to a New Market Reality: https://bit.ly/4f6SUGA WEBINAR- The Automotive Industry's Next Digital Breakthrough: https://bit.ly/4vhUwT4 WEBINAR- From Disruption to Stability: Building Resilient Logistics Solutions in a Rapidly Changing Global Market: https://bit.ly/3TguZMt This episode was hosted by Kim Reuter and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/introducing-collective-1617 The content in this episode, including all audio, videos, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now.For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com© 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Steve Boecker shares his extensive journey in the aviation industry, detailing his early passion for aviation, and reflects on his time at FedEx, Pratt & Whitney, and Delta Airlines.  We discuss various aspects of the aviation engine market, including current trends in lease rates, the reliability of engine types, and the expectations from OEMs regarding engine performance. He emphasizes the importance of managing costs in engine maintenance and the impact of new technologies on the market.  We also touch on the disruptive nature of companies like FTAI in the engine market.

In 1996, a pipe bomb packed with masonry nails exploded in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, killing two people and injuring more than a hundred. The FBI's first suspect was Richard Jewell, the security guard who'd found the bag and helped clear the area. By the time he was cleared 88 days later, investigators had no idea who they were looking for. Columnist John Archibald had covered the Olympics that summer, never imagining the bomber would come to his own city.On January 29, 1998, a bomb hidden in a FedEx box exploded outside a Birmingham abortion clinic, killing an off-duty police officer and gravely wounding nurse Emily Lyons. This time someone saw the bomber walk away — a UAB student named Jermaine Hughes, who followed him to a gray Nissan pickup with North Carolina plates. The name that came back was Eric Robert Rudolph. Within hours he vanished into the Nantahala National Forest, where he'd stay for five years while locals put up signs reading "Run, Rudolph, Run."Subscribe to our newsletter: ⁠https://jedlipinski.substack.com/⁠ Connect with Jed Lipinski:⁠https://www.instagram.com/gonesouthpodcast/⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonesouthpodcast/⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jed-lipinski/

If you prefer to watch the video you can find it at the bottom of this webpage. Episode Sponsors: CCW Safe – https://www.ccwsafe.com HK – https://www.hk-usa.com About This Episode: Riley Bowman sits down with Jarrel Cappell, a FedEx courier whose ordinary delivery run turned into a fight for his life. Jarrel did everything he was “supposed” to do during an armed robbery — and was shot anyway. What he did in the seconds that followed is a masterclass in mindset, training, and the will to keep fighting when you’re already hurt. We walk through that night, the long road afterward, and the hard-earned lessons every armed citizen should take to heart. This is a Justified Save you won’t forget. As always, any questions or suggestions for future episodes can be submitted to podcast@concealedcarry.com! Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below. If you enjoyed the podcast the biggest compliment you could give us would be to subscribe to future episodes via a podcast app on your phone or via iTunes. You can find past podcast episodes by clicking here. Video Recording: Press PLAY on the video below to watch the video recording! {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https://www.concealedcarry.com#/schema/video/4253799","name":"S14E2: Shot First, So He Fired Back – This FedEx Driver’s Justified Save","description":"Concealed Carry Podcast brought to you by HK - "Shot First, So He Fired Back - This FedEx Driver's Justified Save" Episode Sponsors: -CCW Safe u2013","thumbnailUrl":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/60ukE29XvAA/maxresdefault_live.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-07-23T17:00:17-06:00","embedUrl":"https://www.concealedcarry.com/player-embed/id/4253799/?autoplay=0","duration":"PT01H36M22S","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"http://schema.org/WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":2}}

President Trump insists his economic policies have supported a reshoring of manufacturing jobs. At a rally held at a Michigan GM facility on Monday, he doubled down. In reality, the U.S. has lost 75,000 manufacturing jobs since Trump took office in 2025. In this episode, we fact check the President's claims, and consider the future of Michigan's auto industry. Plus: Companies begin to offer insurance for AI mistakes, the U.S. trade deficit shrank a bit in June, and UPS winds down its Amazon delivery fulfilment partnership.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Read the stories in today's episode:Trump says his aggressive trade policy is bringing back factory jobs. Is it?No really, what is Kevin Warsh thinking?New insurance products cover damages caused by AIUPS and FedEx are moving from higher volumes to higher marginsThe trade deficit fell in June, but remains highAs mortgage rates stay high, this lender is seeing buyers accept the new normal

President Trump insists his economic policies have supported a reshoring of manufacturing jobs. At a rally held at a Michigan GM facility on Monday, he doubled down. In reality, the U.S. has lost 75,000 manufacturing jobs since Trump took office in 2025. In this episode, we fact check the President's claims, and consider the future of Michigan's auto industry. Plus: Companies begin to offer insurance for AI mistakes, the U.S. trade deficit shrank a bit in June, and UPS winds down its Amazon delivery fulfilment partnership.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Read the stories in today's episode:Trump says his aggressive trade policy is bringing back factory jobs. Is it?No really, what is Kevin Warsh thinking?New insurance products cover damages caused by AIUPS and FedEx are moving from higher volumes to higher marginsThe trade deficit fell in June, but remains highAs mortgage rates stay high, this lender is seeing buyers accept the new normal

Ukrainian President Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Trump today and all will attend Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral.  A tornado rips roofs off homes and flips cars in Wisconsin. Lindsay Clancy's ex-husband will be back on the stand today in her murder trial. According to the FAA, seats on hundreds of 737 Max jets must be reinstalled.  Plus, a 6-foot iguana gives FedEx workers a scare.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*Timestamps are approximate* TIME TOPIC 0:00 Podcast intro with Dave & Chuck "The Freak"0:01 - - - AD MARKER - - -0:01 Warning about A.I. generated ads0:17 Thins you don't eff with anymore due to an experience you had0:36 NEWS0:36 3 women drove off of an overpass, landed upside-down 0:40 Update on Cyclosporiasis outbreak0:45 Massage therapist busted for getting too handsy with a client0:48 Group of rafters got caught in a storm0:52 More troubles being caused by self-driving cars0:55 Bear spotted in a drive thru0:58 - - - AD MARKER - - -0:58 First pictures of the guy who was partially sucked out of an airplane1:02 CELEBRITY DIRT1:02 More numbers connected to the World Cup coming in 1:05 Jake Paul criticizes athletic ability of NFL players1:09 Dad and son on a mission to play catch every day over a year1:13 Full contents of a the Nancy Guthrie ransom note released for the first time1:16 Guy dressed as Spider-Man helped a man in a wheelchair cross the street1:20 Jason Sudeikis initially turned down season 4 of Ted Lasso/why he eventually agreed1:23 Video of Johnny Depp at Comicon dressed as Scrooge1:26 Bon Jovi having trouble singing on his tour1:36 - - - AD MARKER - - -1:36 FAST FOOD FREAKOUT1:36 One fast food worker threw pot of boiling water at a co-worker1:44 Pastor busted taking upskirts at the store1:51 Pastor accused of defrauding 2 churches to fund gambling and lavish lifestyle1:52 A naked guy busted trying to break into homes1:54 Guy was stabbed by samurai sword during an argument1:56 Woman stole vodka and bacon1:59 Guy found a guy hiding in his pickup truck when he got home2:03 Large iguana jumped out of package at a FedEx store2:09 Woman was charged for the entire minibar at a hotel2:14 Nude hairdresser 2:19 FLORIDA'S EFFED UP2:19 Sugar daddy date gone wrong with an old Villages resident2:22 - - - AD MARKER - - -2:22 Listener sent pic that looks like she is flashing Jason2:25 ASK DAVE & CHUCK THE FREAK2:25 EMAIL: Admitted to going to a rub & tug 3 years before meeting girlfriend, she is pissed2:33 EMAIL: Girlfriend tells him about sexually charged conversations with another guy2:40 EMAIL: How the show made him feel like a cuck during the birth of his child2:51 - - - AD MARKER - - -2:51 NEWS2:51 IDIOT CRIMINAL OF THE DAY2:51 Guy ordered a box of cocaine through the mail2:55 Mutant rats becoming a problem2:59 Bill to ban on phone audio without headphones on flights3:02 - - - AD MARKER - - -3:02 Guy tried to return $20K the IRS gave him by mistake, IRS now wants to take his farm3:05 The average drive-thru wait times3:09 Guy sets up his remote work office wherever he is3:13 - - - AD MARKER - - -3:13 WHAT'S UP WITH THE ASIANS?3:13 Refrigerators for humans END OF SHOWSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A missing package can easily ruin a day, but chasing where that package went — or even a refund — is like following Odysseus on his treacherous journey.And in the age of AI chatbots, the process is a whole lot less human.Dillon Thompson is currently on such a journey. He is looking for an e-bike that FedEx said had been delivered. In his search, Thompson found himself in the AI chatbot hellscape that customer service lines have become.“Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Thompson about his trials and tribulations as he chased his tail from company to company and chatbot to chatbot in hopes of finding his missing bike.

A missing package can easily ruin a day, but chasing where that package went — or even a refund — is like following Odysseus on his treacherous journey.And in the age of AI chatbots, the process is a whole lot less human.Dillon Thompson is currently on such a journey. He is looking for an e-bike that FedEx said had been delivered. In his search, Thompson found himself in the AI chatbot hellscape that customer service lines have become.“Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Thompson about his trials and tribulations as he chased his tail from company to company and chatbot to chatbot in hopes of finding his missing bike.

Godfrey is joined by Dante Nero, Akeem Woods, and Vishnu Vaka to talk about Turkey and Egypt turning away a gay cruise ship at the border, Argentina opening up a "Big Nigga Burger" restaurant after wiping out their Afro-Argentine population, why racist white dudes only pick fights with Black people at gas stations and Walmarts, Godfrey getting called a "tether" by FBAs and not caring, Vishnu getting called the N-word by another Indian cab driver, FedEx losing an entire box of Godfrey's merch on the way to Orlando, and old white dudes at the gym blow-drying their balls in the locker room. Legendary Comedian Godfrey is LIVE from New York, and joins some of his best friends in stand up comedy, Hip-Hop and Hollywood to talk current events, pop culture, race issues, movies, music, TV and Kung Fu. We got endless impressions, a white producer, random videos Godfrey found on the internet and so much more! We're not reinventing the wheel, we're just talking 'ish every week... with GODFREY on In Godfrey We Trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices