Podcasts about FedEx

The cryptolocker virus was the attack that turned ransomware from a nuisance into a full-blown criminal industry — and in this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, we break down exactly how that happened. W. Curtis Preston (Mr. Backup) sits down with co-host Prasanna Malaiyandi and cybersecurity expert Dr. Mike Saylor to trace the full evolution of ransomware and explain why CryptoLocker was the turning point.If you've ever wondered how ransomware went from fake pop-up messages to billion-dollar criminal enterprises, this is the episode for you. We start with the earliest days — scareware attacks that did nothing more than frighten you into paying — and walk through the progression of encryption methods that made ransomware increasingly dangerous. Dr. Mike Saylor breaks down the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption in plain language, and explains why the move to public-private key pairs made it so much harder for victims to recover without paying up.Then we get into the cryptolocker virus itself: how it spread through fake FedEx emails, why it kick-started phishing awareness training, what Operation Tovar did to shut it down, and — just as interesting — what the bad guys learned from its failures. We cover the role of the Zeus botnet, how Bitcoin became the payment method of choice, and why ransoms started out at just a few hundred bucks. We also talk about what happened next: the rise of data exfiltration, double extortion, and even triple extortion where attackers go after the victims of the victims.Plus, we take a side trip into the LastPass breach and pour one out for the guy who lost his crypto fortune in a landfill.Whether you're in IT, security, or just want to understand how ransomware works, this episode gives you the full picture.Chapters:00:00:00 — Intro00:01:22 — Welcome and Introductions00:04:11 — The Three Generations of Ransomware00:05:01 — Scareware: Fake Attacks That Did Nothing00:05:42 — Ciphers and Decoder Ring Encryption00:06:38 — Symmetric Encryption Explained00:09:25 — Asymmetric (Public-Private Key) Encryption00:12:46 — Why Asymmetric Encryption Made Ransomware Stronger00:15:44 — What Was the CryptoLocker Virus?00:16:25 — Lessons CryptoLocker Taught Victims and Criminals00:18:03 — Operation Tovar Takes Down CryptoLocker00:19:54 — Bitcoin, Ransom Amounts, and Getting Paid00:23:20 — Botnets Explained: Networks of Zombie Computers00:26:22 — Recap: Three Phases of Ransomware00:27:09 — Double Extortion and Data Exfiltration00:28:01 — The LastPass Connection00:28:47 — The Lost Crypto Hard Drive

Hay noticias corporativas relevantes en Europa. Hapag-Lloyd compra su rival israelí ZIM Integrated Shipping Services por 4.200 millones de dólares. Con esta operación, la alemana consolidará su posición como una de las mayores compañías navieras del mundo. Las acciones de ZIM, que cotiza en la bolsa de Fráncfort, suben un 28%. Las de Hapag se hunden un 8%. Por otro lado, la gestora británica Aberdeen votará en contra de la adquisición de la polaca InPost por un consorcio liderado por Fedex. La oferta era de 9.200 millones de dólares. La ración de IA la deja Alibaba. Ha presentado hoy Qwen 3.5, un nuevo modelo de IA diseñado para ejecutar tareas complejas de forma independiente, con grandes mejoras en rendimiento y coste que, según el gigante tecnológico chino, superan a los principales modelos rivales estadounidenses en varios parámetros de referencia. En Bolsa española, lideran los avances en Ibex35 ACS, tras recomendación, Santander y Aena. Al frente de las caídas se ponen Amadeus, Fluidra y Puig. El análisis es de Gisela Turazzini, de Blackbird.

Crypto News: Bitcoin is setting up for a major reversal relief rally. Trump's Truth Social files for 2 crypto etfs. FedEx joins the Hedera Council to advance trusted digital infrastructure for global supply chains.Brought to you by

L'e-commerce passe du SEO au GEO : Entre agents autonomes et révolutions logistiques.Dans ce 257ème épisode, Laetitia et Adrien décryptent la bascule historique que nous vivons : la fin du moteur de recherche au profit du moteur de conversation. Entre l'alliance Shopify x OpenAI et l'arrivée de la pub sur ChatGPT, le retail ne sera plus jamais le même.Au programme de cet épisode :

This audio clip from Erik Qualman's #1 bestselling book The Focus Project explores the importance of using common technological tools in a responsible way.   5x #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 55 countries and reached over 50 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling.   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.   Learn more at https://equalman.com

Carl Quintanilla, David Faber and Michael Santoli discussed the markets and sectors that are thriving in wake of the recent pullback in tech. Add commercial real estate stocks to the list of equities hit by AI fears. Shares of Cisco down sharply as guidance on soaring memory chip costs overshadowed a Q2 earnings beat. McDonalds posted better-than-expected quarterly results, citing its emphasis on value meals and affordability. The anchors reacted to the House's passage of a resolution to overturn President Trump's tariffs on Canada. Also in focus: What the CEO of FedEx told CNBC ahead of the company's investor day, AppLovin's earnings and the slump in software stocks, a $13.5 billion deal to create a transatlantic asset-management giant. Squawk on the Street Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

#329 | Dave is joined by Emma Robinson, Head of B2B Marketing at Canva, and Kristine Segrist, Global Head of Consumer Marketing at Canva, to break down how Canva is scaling growth across both enterprise and consumer audiences. They talk about how Canva balances brand-building with pipeline accountability, how they turn bottom-up product adoption into enterprise deals, and why brand investment is a long-term growth lever. Emma and Kristine also share how their team structure, data science investments, and creative bets like the Love Your Work campaign help Canva scale without losing the brand identity that made them famous.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:21) - – Canva's marketing org structure (06:21) - – Blurring B2B and B2C (11:21) - – How Canva measures marketing impact (16:21) - – Turning free users into enterprise deals (21:21) - – Data science's role in marketing (24:21) - – Balancing brand bets with ROI (30:59) - – Inside the “Love Your Work” campaign (37:59) - – How Canva executes large campaigns (41:59) - – Building enterprise credibility and trust (44:59) - – FedEx case study on brand governance (48:59) - – Lessons from Google and Meta (52:59) - – Why creativity is a marketing superpower (54:59) - – Closing thoughts Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Brought to you by:Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.Optimizely - An AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Get a free, personalized 45-minute AI workshop to help you identify the best AI use cases for your marketing team and map out where agents can save you time at optimizely.com/exitfive (PS - you'll get a FREE pair of Meta Ray Bans if you do). Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.  ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

✈️ Retire Pilots the Right Way!

Lionel dives into the absurdity of the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case, dissecting the bizarre Ring camera footage of a suspect who appears to be wearing "oven mitts" or boxing gloves while holding a revolver like an old-time gunslinger. Lionel and his callers debate whether the "incompetent" suspect is a man or a woman based on their walk, eyebrows, and "sweatpant flaps," while mocking the decision to hide from the camera using a handful of leaves and twigs. From theories about FedEx drivers to a confusing stop in Rio Rico, Lionel tries to make sense of a crime involving Bitcoin ransom, potential fake mustaches, and a suspect who might just be the "worst" criminal ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(00:00:00) Opening (00:00:43) Midweek BONUS Stupidity (01:07:14) Insane Week In Review (01:19:42) Genius Awards (01:29:29) Closing If you watched the "Big Game" you may have seen the commercial for Bear Poo Brew...and it's everything that you would expect. If you don't want poo in your brew, would you have it in the Potomac River when you go in for a swim? FedEx is known for its on time delivery but a bably definately was not considered when making that claim!In this Midweek BONUS Episode...Southwest Airlines Starts New Policy For Plus-Sized PassengersBear Poo Brew: ‘Nature Calls' to Debut at 2026 Super BowlCarjacking Suspect Stole SUV to Go See Grandmother, Crashed During ChaseA "Small Geyser" of Poop Water Is Flooding Into the Potomac RiverFlorida Man Caught Driving A Car That Was ON FIRE—While DrunkAlabama Man Survived Being Crushed in Garbage Truck—TwiceA Couple Hid 100 Plastic Ducks Throughout Their Home to See If a Hired Cleaner Did Their JobMore Than ⅓ of Teenage Boys Have Admitted to Gambling in the Past YearWoman Launches a "Deli" On A Seat Tray—from 30,000 Feet in the AirSnowplow Driver Caught Purposefully Burying Cars in SnowMaryland Peeping Tom Gets Peeped On—Gets ArrestedDebate: Should a Waitress Refuse to Cut Someone's Burger?NM Police Arrested  A Couple for Armed Robbery...at an "Adult" StoreWild Turkeys Are Chasing Wisconsin Residents In TownCourt Reinstates MS Assistant Principal Fired for Reading Children's Book Called I NEED A NEW BUTTSubstitute Teacher Fired After Asking Class Why It is Okay For Black People to Use N-Word But Not Whites'Drunker Than Cooter Brown': Substitute Teacher Arrested for DUI at SchoolEXPRESS DELIVERY: IA Woman Gives Birth During Work Shift at FedEx Facility After Not Knowing She Was PregnantLouisiana Sicko Arrested 3rd Time Hoping Someone Would Change His DiaperMan Strips Naked in Front of Families on Universal Studios Tour, Taunts Employees, Rolls Around on FloorPhilippine Airlines Crew Forced To Scoop Human Waste Mid-Flight After Total Toilet FailureYou'll get all the up-to-date with the latest current events stupidity from the Insane Week In Review and be introduced to 7 new "winners" who are in this week's Genius Awards!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/insane-erik-lane-s-stupid-world--6486112/support.Real-time updates and story links are found on the TELEGRAM Channel at: https://t.me/InsaneErikLane  (Theme song courtesy of Randy Stonehill, ”It's A Great Big Stupid World”. Copyright ©1992 Stonehillian Music/Word Music/Twitchin' Vibes Music/ASCAP) Order your copy on the Wonderama CD from Amazon!This episode includes AI-generated content.

Polski InPost sprzedany? Wszyscy krzyczą o zdradzie, a ja pokazuję liczby. Zobacz, dlaczego Rafał Brzoska MUSIAŁ to zrobić, żeby przejąć 700 samolotów FedExu i dlaczego to my możemy na tym wygrać.✅ Sprawdź i subskrybuj nasz NOWY kanał na YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrzegorziPrzyjaciele?sub_confirmation=1______________________________✅ Zamów nasze książki i ebooki:https://ksiegarnia.grzegorzkusz.pl/yt

Czy InPost znów znika z giełdy? Konsorcjum z udziałem FedEx i Advent proponuje 15,60 euro za akcję, wyceniając spółkę na 7,8 mld euro. To kolejny etap znanego cyklu: wykup, budowa wartości, IPO i ponowny powrót do prywatnych właścicieli.Sprawdzamy:– co oznacza wejście FedEx – firmy działającej w 220 krajach i obsługującej 16–17 mln paczek dziennie,– dlaczego Wall Street rotuje z technologii do defensywy,⁠– czemu niemiecka stal jest tańsza o 5 proc. od polskiej, ⁠⁠– oraz jak polska marka odzieżowa z niszy merino rośnie o 50 proc. rocznie.⁠To poranny przegląd rynków, kapitału i realnej gospodarki.Jeśli cenisz konkret i liczby – subskrybuj PB Brief.

Low Value Mail is a live call-in show discussing current events, politics, conspiracies and much more.Every Monday night at 7pm ETSupport The Show:

In this episode of The Commentary Booth, Jamie Apps & Corrina Mabey celebrate 25 years of Cast Away, the iconic survival drama that transformed Tom Hanks and made Wilson a household name.Discover the incredible production story behind this Robert Zemeckis masterpiece, including how Hanks gained and lost 50 pounds, the year-and-a-half filming schedule, and why the crew shot What Lies Beneath during breaks.We explore Chuck Nolan's harrowing journey from time-obsessed FedEx executive to island survivor, discussing the film's most intense moments: the devastating plane crash, the infamous tooth extraction, and Wilson's heartbreaking farewell. Learn surprising behind-the-scenes facts, including FedEx's involvement, the genius of the opening package sequence, and that ambiguous crossroads ending. Our conversation dives deep into Tom Hanks' unforgettable performance, the ingenious production behind the film — including Hanks' dramatic physical transformation and the unexpected role of Wilson the volleyball. We explore the movie's lasting themes of isolation, hope, and human resilience, while sharing behind-the-scenes stories about director Robert Zemeckis and the unique challenges of filming. Highlights Breakdown: - Behind-the-Scenes Filming Secrets - The Unexpected Role of Wilson - Tom Hanks' Physical & Emotional Journey - FedEx's Real-World Impact - Enduring Themes & Ambiguous EndingDoes this emotional powerhouse still hold up after 25 years? Find out in this deep dive into one of cinema's greatest survival stories.This week's episode is brought to you byAustralian Wrestling CardsCheck out more great content from Pario Magazine on our website.-------------------------------------------------------------SUPPORT PARIO MAGAZINE & THE COMMENTARY BOOTH- PATREON- BUY MERCH- AMAZON PRIME VIDEO- TUBEBUDDY- Subscribe to AEW Plus using my code (q0yydoz) to earn $10 in FITE credit- Shop Online With Honey- Shop Online With SatechiMY EQUIPMENT- Elgato Facecam- Rode PodMic- Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP- Streamlabs Talk StudioFOLLOW JAMIE ON SOCIAL MEDIA- Twitter- Facebook- Instagram- TikTokFOLLOW PARIO MAGAZINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA- Twitter- Facebook- Instagram

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews RIMS 2026 President Manny Padilla on several topics, including his first connection with RIMS and his attendance at RISKWORLD on a scholarship. Manny is the first RIMS president of Hispanic descent. This is a historic moment. Manny remarks on the support for diversity he has experienced in RIMS since joining.   Manny's background spans corporate risk leadership, military service, and teaching. Manny speaks of his teaching practices and how he links the academic side to real situations and strategies the students will face. Manny shares anecdotes from his military service. Justin and Manny discuss the objectives of the RIMS Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 18th and 19th, and Manny invites all members to register and participate.   Manny continues the interview with reflections on the RIMS-CRMP, other certifications and designations, and how investing in developing yourself will make you stand out as a risk practitioner. Justin and Manny discuss the nature of polycrisis. Manny asks you to participate and become involved in your RIMS chapter and educational events.   Listen for career advice for both new risk practitioners and seasoned risk professionals.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. We are delighted to be joined by RIMS 2026 President Manny Padilla. We're going to learn about his plans for the presidency and his unique career in risk and pre-risk. But first… [:47] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Virtual Workshop will be led by Joe Mayo on February 17th and 18th. On March 10th, we have a RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with John Button, a recent RIMScast guest. [1:04] On March 4th and 5th, we have a virtual workshop, "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making" with Joe Milan. Register today and strengthen your risk knowledge! RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:21] Webinars. On March 6th, RIMS presents "Hard Hats & High Stakes: Women Leaders Shaping Construction Risk Management". We'll be joined by a Chief Risk Officer, an underwriter, and a broker. [1:36] They will explore their career paths, risk and safety philosophies, and lend some insight as to why this is the time for the next generation of leaders to rise. [1:47] On March 12th, Global Risk Consultants returns with "Don't Waste the Soft Market: Where to Reinvest Insurance Savings Before the Window Closes". Register for these and other webinars by visiting RIMS.org/webinars and the link in this episode's show notes. [2:07] The RIMS 2025 Compensation Survey is now available through the link in this episode's show notes. The survey incorporates data from 867 U.S. and 201 Canadian Risk Professionals. Download it today and see how you measure up to your peers. [2:25] RIMScast has its first spinoff, RIMScast Canada! It is a video podcast hosted by RIMS Canada Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni, with Justin as co-host. Check it out at RIMS.org/canada. This is a monthly series, and we are stoked to share it with you! [2:50] On with the Show! I am so pleased to present our guest today! He has been a big supporter of RIMScast for years! I'm thrilled that he is our 70th President here at RIMS. I'm talking about Manuel "Manny" Padilla. [3:05] Manny was RIMS 2025 Vice President. He's been a positive force on the Board. He is also the Vice President for Risk Management & Insurance for MacAndrews & Forbes, Inc. He is a RIMS-CRMP holder. He truly loves risk management! He will be a fantastic RIMS President! [3:26] We're going to talk about his career pre-risk-management and bring us up to the present, what his experience with RIMS has been like, and his perspective on what it takes to achieve success in the profession today. Let's get to it! [3:40] Interview! RIMS 2026 President Manny Padilla, welcome to RIMScast! [4:02] Manny says everyone's energy is up there, and he's looking forward to having a very positive 2026. [4:16] Manny says that being Vice President involved a lot of learning. He says that the RIMS board participation is very much a training program. You learn to see how the organization responds. In the Executive Board, you start to see how RIMS is run. [4:34] Manny says, as you move forward from Secretary to President, you pick up a lot of training. It's a good training program. [5:00] Manny says that on the Board, there's a lot of excitement and a lot to do. There's a lot of information to impart to our professional society. We're very active and motivated to get that information out there. [5:15] Manny is the 70th president of RIMS. In 1992, Manny attended RISKWORLD in New Orleans through the Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program. The information was on a board at the College of Insurance. He applied for it and was sponsored to attend. [6:30] In the College of Insurance, Manny was sponsored by an insurance company as an assistant junior underwriter, in the days when computers were just meant to write letters and fill out policy forms. He knew just one side of the business. [6:55] Going to RISKWORLD got Manny out of New York for a week. When he learned what risk management was, his eyes opened, and he said, this is what fits best for me. It was looking at risk strategically and doing things to protect the company's assets. That resonated with him. [7:48] When underwriters and brokers answer the phone, often it's with Hello, this is (Company). How can I help you? Manny says that when he answers the phone, it's with Hello, this is (Company), this is Manuel Padilla. I hope you're having a great day! How can I help you? [8:04] That approach made a difference. From the very first, Manny found that this is a relationship business. It's very direct. You know who you're doing business with. People have an open mind and are willing to listen and hear you out. [8:41] Manny has relationships over the years through RISKWORLD; some have become primary vendors. He notes that there has been a lot of change in the last decade, and since COVID, there's a whole new group of professionals. Some are going to RISKWORLD for the first time. [9:20] Manny says, as our technology develops, and as we become more crucial to the companies we manage and represent, he sees it on the floor at RISKWORLD. As risk professionals, you need to step out from behind the table and go into the industry. [9:52] The industry is welcoming and will provide you with a significant number of opportunities. [10:17] Manny Padilla is the first RIMS President of Hispanic descent. He finds that personally meaningful, but says that RIMS has always extended a hand to all. He felt that when he first stepped onto the conference floor. He has met some unique people and friends through RIMS. [11:02] Manny says it's great to get the recognition, but it's secondary. RIMS is a good environment. If you're looking at a career change or looking to expand your horizons, this is the organization that you team up with for development. [11:42] The bigger picture and strategy are built into risk management. Risk managers do better when they raise their hand and say, "This doesn't smell right." They tend to be strategic, forward-thinking, and practical when executing their jobs. Manny speaks up at Board meetings. [12:30] Seeing the big picture comes with a responsibility. Not being able to operate a significant portion of your business or have your product on the shelves sends your customers to your competitor. [13:39] Manny gives a shoutout to all veterans in RIMS and shares some thoughts from his military experience. He was in the Navy 24 hours after he graduated from high school. He has been to every country except those that are sanctioned. He was in the Navy from 1982 to 1988. [14:50] He says it was a wonderful time. The Berlin Wall came down while he was in the military. [15:03] Manny was an Assistant Master-at-Arms for Fighter Squadron 124 in San Diego. The movie Top Gun was filmed on the base at Miramar Naval Air Station. Manny met Tom Cruise and the rest of the crew briefly during the filming. [15:57] Some of the Squadron 124 instructors were in the movie as background in the club scene. The Top Gun character was based on a real pilot, who later went into state government. [17:01] Manny is an adjunct at the Greenberg School of Risk Management. He has some latitude in how he teaches. What he teaches is centered on a set of accepted books and information. There's the technology the students need to know, and the practice that he teaches them. [17:42] Manny links the definitions, structures, and policy designs to real-world situations and his experience on how those situations were handled. A lot of it has to do with the customization of products and policies to address typical risk exposures. [18:01] It goes to the risk management process, RIMS-CRMP issues, and ARM-type approaches. Every policy and program is custom, based on the risk appetite and risk tolerance of the insured company and what they've decided to do. [18:25] Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [18:44] Booth sales are open now. General registration and speaker registration are also open. Marketplace and hospitality badges will be available starting March 3rd. Links are in the show notes. Check RIMS.org for more information. [19:02] The Spencer Educational Foundation will also have a presence at RISKWORLD. Spencer's CEO, Megan Miller, recently joined us on RIMScast. February 23rd 2026, will mark the 7th Annual Spencer Day. [19:19] We believe in celebrating this industry's diverse and talented future and would love for everyone to join us in this virtual celebration. Visit SpencerEd.org and help us reach our fundraising goal of $7,500 to support an additional scholarship that will be awarded this Spring. [19:37] We're hoping you will make a $47 donation today, in honor of Spencer's 47th year of operation. A link to Spencer Day is in this episode's show notes. [19:48] You can visit SpencerEd.org. There is also a link to Megan's appearance on RIMScast in this episode's show notes. [19:57] Let's Return to Our Interview with RIMS 2026 President, Manny Padilla! [20:07] Manny says there is much overlap between ISO and COSO. He doesn't do one versus the other; he does both. Both have shared technologies and wording. You need to understand each because you can be in different jurisdictions with audits that may be biased toward one. [21:12] Manny explores the meanings of investing in yourself. For early-career professionals, it's building your technical depth and professional credibility. It means understanding policies, claims dynamics, the financial impact on you, and how the industry comes into play. [21:56] For seasoned professionals, the investment is fluency in strategic issues. It's understanding enterprise risk, governance, capital strategy, and how emerging risks are changing, through technology, geopolitics, climate, and litigation, and how they interact. [22:30] It also means investing time in mentoring and developing future leaders. It expands your ability to manage your duties, brings new ideas into the industry, and is important for your brand. [22:48] It's your career. If your company won't pay for you to go to RISKWORLD, remember it's your future and your brand. Invest in your brand. You're the person who carries it forth into the future. You need to see where the movers and shakers are heading. You will learn from them. [24:27] The RIMS Legislative Summit is on March 18th and 19th. Manny says it's a little challenging and overwhelming to think of going into the government to speak with Congressmen, Senators, and other legislative folks. [25:01] It helps you develop new skills. Manny learned how to approach and discuss sensitive topics with regulatory bodies and meet with other people who are focused on that area. [25:17] Manny says, when you sit across the table to discuss the Federal flood program, the terrorism program, the pandemic risk insurance program, and the qualified risk manager description, and you move it through various channels, it's mind-boggling and most rewarding. [25:41] While you're a risk insurance person, you're not there to represent your company. You're there to represent RIMS and the risk profession. [26:05] Manny has a 20-plus-year relationship with the Coast Guard Auxiliary. They have a legislative group there, and Manny will generally step into the office and say hello and figure out how things are going and how policy gets through. [26:27] At the RIMS Legislative Summit, you're there to pitch a very specific set of topics. They are very willing to listen to the topics. In some cases, they are the policy experts on those topics. What they are looking for is a variety of different approaches from actual professionals. [26:52] They refine their development of policy based on these meetings. Manny says it is very helpful to participate, and you're all invited. [27:05] Manny says the pitch is specific to a specific person, such as the Senator involved in Federal flood insurance. Manny explains how you can team up with other legislators to come on board with your pitch. [28:15] Manny says he likes pairing with a risk professional to meet legislators. He says, in some cases, we have affiliations with some insurance carriers, brokerages, and vendors. He likes going with them, as well. In some cases, they have a robust system in place. [28:32] Manny says it's good to see the professionals at the table and how they do it. But as professional risk managers, we don't do too badly. We add a lot of value, and the legislators do appreciate that. [28:54] Justin shares his experience of going with Mark Prysock, RIMS GC, Robert Cartwright, RIMS President at the time, and Gary Raymond of FedEx at the time. Justin shadowed them and watched how they worked. [29:31] RIMS has legislative priorities. Major priorities are the Federal Flood Program and the Terrorism Risk Act. Manny says that what tends to happen is that every year they get extended for a short period until Congress comes together to argue about something else. [29:55] It's always under a threat of not being renewed, but then it gets extended again. Manny says it's a key issue that keeps coming up. Manny says to look at the Legislative Affairs page at RIMS.org/advocacy for the list of priorities. [30:21] The first day of the RIMS Legislative Summit is for sitting down and talking about the specifics of each of the items. Then we bring in some experts in each particular area to talk about what is on the floor to be able to get through Congress to final agreements. [30:47] Justin announces that Mark Prysock will be on RIMScast next week to do a deeper dive on the RIMS Legislative Summit. [31:13] Quick Break! The RIMS CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management is RIMS' live virtual program, led by James Lam. Great News! A brand new cohort has been announced. Registration closes on April 6th. [31:34] Beginning on April 14th, bi-weekly workshops will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time through June 23rd. Register now! A link is also in this episode's show notes. [31:46] Save the dates, March 18th and 19th, 2026, for the RIMS Legislative Summit, which will be held in Washington, D.C. Join us for two days of Congressional Meetings, networking, and advocating on behalf of the risk management community. [32:03] Book your hotel room at the Sofitel Washington, D.C. in Lafayette Square by February 16th after you register for the event, and you will receive a special RIMS rate of $359 per night. [32:18] Let's Conclude Our Interview with RIMS 2026 President, Manny Padilla. [32:30] Manny has several certifications after his name. The first is RIMS-CRMP. Justin first interviewed Manny after the RIMS-CRMP. In that interview, Manny said the RIMS-CRMP helps risk professionals stand out by signaling a commitment to continuous learning. [33:25] Manny looks at designations and certification as how you stack up with your peers and how corporations look at you, compared to others. Certifications prove your higher knowledge. [33:54] RIMS recently released the Compensation Survey. If you start looking at the differences in pay, pay for persons who have no designation vs. those who have any designation, vs. those who have the RIMS-CRMP certification, you will see the difference in the six figures. [34:44] Manny would rather have a nice designation and a job that pays six figures more than a job for a person with no designation. You also have to demonstrate love for the industry and prove that you're keeping up. [35:12] A good portion of Manny's designations are based on his major in risk management and insurance. However, the technology, words, and approach have changed during his career. A risk manager became a strategic risk manager, then an enterprise risk manager. What comes next? [35:50] Manny states that we should be certified and have these designations so that we understand the world we are living in. [36:08] Manny says we are facing a convergence of risks, or a polycrisis. We have geopolitical instability, accelerated technology adoption, climate expectations, and an increasingly complex litigation environment. The financial world depends on what the government says at any time. [36:39] Manny asserts that these risks don't exist independently anymore. Manny deals with catastrophes every day. He's trying to stay one step ahead of the calamities. We need to start acknowledging the strategic nature of risks and the ability to address them simultaneously.  [37:09] We also need to keep in mind that we live in an environment where digital access to information, data, and real financial information comes very quickly. [37:23] Twenty years ago, you could have major catastrophes in countries around the world, and if you weren't directly impacted by it, you didn't pay attention to it. It would take weeks to get basic information on them. Today, information comes to us at a mind-boggling velocity. [37:59] Justin and Manny discuss last year's L.A. wildfires and how the people are still reeling from them. [38:44] Manny, it's been such a pleasure to see you, and I'm very much looking forward to what you're going to bring to the presidency this year. Are there any parting words regarding what people can expect at RISKWORLD, or anything you are working on? [39:10] Manny says, I would basically say many thanks to all of you who are listening here. It's an honor to have been selected as the 2026 RIMS President. I ask that each of you participate with RIMS at our many professional events and learning opportunities. [39:27] We are seeking out leaders and participants for our chapters, the many committees we support, and at our legislative events. Don't be shy. Engage. Invest in yourself. And see you all at RISKWORLD! [39:44] Special thanks again to RIMS 2026 President, Manny Padilla, for rejoining us here on RIMScast! It is always a pleasure to see him. I've got links to Manny's prior RIMScast episode as well as the press release announcing his presidency. [40:00] Manny will be at the RIMS Legislative Summit on March 18th and 19th in Washington, D.C. That's two days of advocating for the best interests of the risk profession. You must be a member to attend. [40:15] Book your hotel room by February 16th to register and reserve your hotel room at the special RIMS rate of $359 per night at the Sofitel Washington D.C. Register at RIMS.org/advocacy. [40:30] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [40:58] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [41:17] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [41:34] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [41:51] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [42:05] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [42:17] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RISKWORLD 2026 Registration — Open for exhibitors, members, and non-members! Reserve your booth at RISKWORLD 2026! Spencer Educational Foundation | Spencer Day — Feb. 23, 2026 RIMS Legislative Summit — March 18‒19, 2026 on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. | Register now! RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | April‒June 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam RIMS Newsroom: Manny Padilla Named 2026 President of RIMS RIMS Leadership Corner: Polycrisis Meets Polysolutions RIMS Compensation Survey 2025 — Download Today RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Story, featuring John Button RIMScast Canada — Debut Episode Now Live Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam PrepMarch 10‒11 | April 21‒22, 2026 | June 9‒10 RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep: Feb 17‒18 | Led by Joseph Mayo Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule RIMS Virtual Workshop — "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making" | March 4‒5 | Register Now See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops Risk Foundations Certificate Program | Feb. 10 Upcoming RIMS Webinars: "Hard Hats & High Stakes: Women Leaders Shaping Construction Risk Management" | March 6 | Presented by RIMS "Don't Waste the Soft Market: Where to Reinvest Insurance Savings Before the Window Closes" | March 12 | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants RIMS.org/Webinars   Related RIMScast Episodes: "Spencer Day 2026 | The Future of Strategic Risk Management" "Risk Outlook '26 with Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle" "James Lam on ERM, Strategy, and the Modern CRO"   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Manny Padilla, RIMS President 2026 Vice President, Risk Management & Insurance, MacAndrews & Forbes Inc.   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

On today's show, we discuss the major deal in which a consortium led by FedEx has agreed to acquire InPost in a transaction valued at nearly $9.2 billion. This acquisition will give FedEx a significant foothold in the European e-commerce market by granting access to a massive network of automated parcel lockers. We also cover the latest developments at the Port of Jacksonville, where Southeast Toyota Distributors has opened a new $145 million vehicle processing center. The modern facility on Blount Island features on-site rail and truck loading capabilities aimed at increasing processing capacity to nearly 430,000 vehicles annually. In legal news, federal investigators are expanding their probe into a network of alleged "chameleon carriers" following a deadly crash in Indiana involving an Amish community. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has identified specific companies and a training school accused of fraud and evading safety regulations to keep unqualified drivers on the road. Finally, stay tuned for a new episode of "What the Truck?!?" airing today at noon on FreightWaves TV. If you miss the live broadcast, the episode will be available for streaming on our YouTube page. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fantasy golf guru Rob Bolton of pgatour.com joins the live show on ESPN 700 to kick off the 2026 Jed X Jug, the backdoor fantasy game on Utah Golf Radio where we idenify the bubble boys, the players who will barely make the Fed Ex playoffs. Sponsored by Goldenwest Credit Union. 

On today's show, we discuss the major deal in which a consortium led by FedEx has agreed to acquire InPost in a transaction valued at nearly $9.2 billion. This acquisition will give FedEx a significant foothold in the European e-commerce market by granting access to a massive network of automated parcel lockers. We also cover the latest developments at the Port of Jacksonville, where Southeast Toyota Distributors has opened a new $145 million vehicle processing center. The modern facility on Blount Island features on-site rail and truck loading capabilities aimed at increasing processing capacity to nearly 430,000 vehicles annually. In legal news, federal investigators are expanding their probe into a network of alleged "chameleon carriers" following a deadly crash in Indiana involving an Amish community. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has identified specific companies and a training school accused of fraud and evading safety regulations to keep unqualified drivers on the road. Finally, stay tuned for a new episode of "What the Truck?!?" airing today at noon on FreightWaves TV. If you miss the live broadcast, the episode will be available for streaming on our YouTube page. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miramos a FedEx, Eli Lilly o Kroger con Ignacio Vacchiano, responsable de distribución en España de Leverage Shares.

- Where is Savannah mama? and my theories and instrusive thoughts on the matter. -Glorilla have an obligation to retire her mom from FedEx?- The complication with the Bad Bunny and Olympic athlete hatesin amor por el país-Are you ready for what Beyonce & Jay-Z are doing next? + my first week living in a subdivision (story time)

This audio clip from Erik Qualman's #1 bestselling book The Focus Project explores the importance of maintaining momentum in our daily lives - and how doing daily tasks will help us in the long run.   5x #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 55 countries and reached over 50 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling.   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.   Learn more at https://equalman.com

This episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute highlights FedEx's plans for a massive infrastructure upgrade at its Memphis World Hub to support e-commerce growth. The proposed "Project Hercules" involves a new 1.6 million-square-foot automated sort center that will connect to existing facilities. In Washington, Republican lawmakers are urging the Surface Transportation Board to apply stricter scrutiny to pending rail mergers. They argue that regulators must reject any consolidation deals that fail to demonstrate clear, tangible benefits for shippers and the public. Finally, the podcast reports that a digital marketplace for truck parking has rapidly expanded to 4,000 locations nationwide. The company aims to more than double its network by the end of the year to help alleviate the critical shortage of safe parking for drivers. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 539 of The Rob V Show with Jenni Tay: Jenni and I recapped our recent road trip. Jenni called her brother to ask if sleeping with 51 women is too many—he agreed with me. Jenni shared yet another wild story that left me shaking my head in disbelief. My suit still hasn't arrived from FedEx. We discussed my cold streak with women and kicked off plans for our "50 Shows in 50 States" tour. Check out the full episode here.

This episode of the FreightWaves Morning Minute highlights FedEx's plans for a massive infrastructure upgrade at its Memphis World Hub to support e-commerce growth. The proposed "Project Hercules" involves a new 1.6 million-square-foot automated sort center that will connect to existing facilities. In Washington, Republican lawmakers are urging the Surface Transportation Board to apply stricter scrutiny to pending rail mergers. They argue that regulators must reject any consolidation deals that fail to demonstrate clear, tangible benefits for shippers and the public. Finally, the podcast reports that a digital marketplace for truck parking has rapidly expanded to 4,000 locations nationwide. The company aims to more than double its network by the end of the year to help alleviate the critical shortage of safe parking for drivers. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rickey Smiley Morning Show Podcast dives into today’s most urgent and eye‑opening celebrity and news stories. Nicki Minaj continues to spark controversy by doubling down on her support for Donald Trump’s immigration policies, equating border enforcement to protecting a private home—comments that have intensified public debate following her recent appearances with Trump and the revelation that she received a “gold card” giving her a pathway to citizenship. Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian is generating major buzz as her rumored romance with Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton grows more visible, supported by multiple sightings in Paris and the UK, where the two were seen arriving together and spending private time at luxury locations. Adding to the week’s explosive topics, GloRilla faces public scrutiny after her sister accused her of failing to support their mother—who allegedly still works at FedEx—despite the rapper’s rising success and multimillion‑dollar net worth, sparking heated debate online about celebrity responsibility to family. The podcast also highlights deeply troubling updates in the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy, after investigators confirmed a ransom note containing specific details about her home and appearance on the night she vanished, though authorities have not validated its authenticity; with concerns heightened due to Nancy’s fragile health and evidence suggesting she was abducted from her home. Website: https://www.urban1podcasts.com/rickey-smiley-morning-show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GloRilla faces public scrutiny after her sister accused her of failing to support their mother—who allegedly still works at FedEx—despite the rapper’s rising success and multimillion‑dollar net worth, sparking heated debate online about celebrity responsibility to family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Hennigan shares his evolution from a pilot to a leader in airport operations. He pulls back the curtain on the complexities of managing hubs like Denver, Houston, and RSW—discussing everything from engineering runways for the Boeing 777X and navigating complex financial strategies to weathering hurricanes and planning for the future of travel. Steve recounts his journey from flying for FedEx and United to overseeing major airport operations. This episode dives into the business side of aviation, covering the strategic planning required for future infrastructure, the financial intricacies of bond refinancing and FAA funding, and the daily challenges of balancing market demands at RSW and Pagefield. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at how airports manage growth, natural disasters, and the passenger experience. 

Incogni advertisementUse code “https://nordvpn.com/earthancients at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an anual Incogni plan.Your URL is: https://incogni.com/earthancientsMichael J. Menard: Greater Than Gravity, How Childhood Trauma is Pulling Down HumanityWhat if America's #3 leading cause of death has been hiding in plain sight?In Greater Than Gravity, Michael Menard exposes a devastating truth that will shock the world: Childhood trauma is killing 889 Americans every day—more than accidents, strokes, and diabetes combined. Yet it doesn't appear on any official cause-of-death list because we've been counting the bodies wrong.When someone with severe childhood trauma dies of a "heart attack" at 55 instead of 75, we call it heart disease. When they overdose, it's addiction. When they take their own life, it's suicide. But strip away the medical terminology and you see the truth: these are trauma deaths, pure and simple."This is the largest threat to the well-being of humanity known today." —Dr. Glenn Schiraldi, world-renowned trauma expertAfter building a corporate empire and creating fourteen revolutionary patents, Menard made a discovery that stopped him cold. While writing his memoir about growing up with thirteen siblings, he realized their "tough childhood" was actually complex trauma. Its deadly fingerprints were everywhere—two brothers lost to addiction, his family stalked by depression, and invisible wounds that bled across generations.His engineer's mind couldn't let it go.What he uncovered will change everything: Childhood Trauma is the #1 cause of addiction, suicide and incarceration. 89% of teen suicide attempts trace to childhood trauma. 85-100% of addiction patients have trauma histories. 90% of prisoners carry childhood scars. The $14 trillion annual cost exceeds our entire defense budget. We've been treating symptoms while the real epidemic claims nearly 900 lives daily.But here's what no one saw coming: The very force pulling humanity down could become the force that lifts us up.Greater Than Gravity isn't just a book—it's the battle cry that breaks the silence on America's hidden killer. Through his foundation UACT, Menard presents the first comprehensive plan to end childhood trauma entirely. Not reduce it. Not manage it. END IT. The 889 daily deaths we could prevent. The lives we could heal. The future we could change.It all starts with opening this book.Labeled as "non college bound" he was placed in a trade school program. At the age of twenty-one Michael Menard joined Johnson & Johnson to operate the blueprint machine. Twenty-five years later he was named the company's first VP of engineering and an officer of the company with responsibilities in forty-four countries. Now labeled as "exemplary creator", he has received fourteen US and multiple international patents, including the inventions of infant disposable diapers with elastic legs and sanitary napkins with wings for women.As co-founder and president of The GenSight Group, a company helping corporations find a systematic approach to strategic choice and resource optimization, Michael has advised senior leadership at institutions such as Fedex, Westinghouse, Cisco, Glaxo, Pfizer, Coca-Cola, and the US Department of Energy. Michael has contributed to numerous professional publications including Harvard Management Update, Gartner Research, and The Journal of the American Management Association.https://www.michaeljmenard.com/aboutBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

Det er fortsatt kaldt i Asker når vi spiller inn ukens episode tirsdag 3. februar. SAS lanserer nye langruter, Delta kjøper nye fly, veksten fortsetter hos Avinor og COMAC har kommet på en ny idé for å selge C909. Velkommen ombord på flight 372! Ulykkesflight 372:Ethiopian 372: 15. juli 1960Dagestan Airlines 327: 4. desember 2010AKTUELTNy kinesisk fraktrate på Oslo LufthavnTre nye langdistanseruter fra SASBoeing ønsker å øke kapasiteten Air Cambodia bestiller 737MAX-8Delta bestiller 787 for første gang ...... og flere Airbus widebodiesUPS pensjonerer alle MD11...mens FedEx håper å ha sine tilbake i drift i maiAvinor uke 4COMAC selger første C909 brannsluknigsfly

On this week's Vogue & Amber: Online trolls test Vogue's patience, Amber vents about bigoted comments, and we chat FedEx rage, cinema piggery, extortionate perfume prices, early-bird dinners, and why being in bed by 7.30 is elite behaviour.Plus, the girls tackle dream voices, foods they wish they liked, emotions they'd delete, disgusting habits that should be illegal, and give a nostalgic nod to Catherine O'Hara. Watch us on Youtube! CLICK HERE! or search Vogue & AmberRemember, if you want to get involved you can:Email us at vogueandamberpod@global.com OR find us on socials @voguewilliams, @ambrerosolero @vogueandamberpodListen and subscribe to Vogue & Amber on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.

In "Home Delivery World: The Future of Fulfillment", Joe Lynch and John Beasley, General Manager of Home Delivery World, discuss he critical strategies and emerging technologies redefining the high-stakes journey from the warehouse to the consumer's front door. About John Beasley John Beasley, General Manager of Home Delivery World, has been part of the HDW team since 2021. With over 8 years in the events world, his goal is to bring innovation to the event and foster a community where attendees can make meaningful connections and drive their businesses forward. His background in sales, business development, partnerships combined with a degree in Operations Management with a specialization in Supply Chain Management has come full circle and has been instrumental in building Home Delivery World into the most important last-mile event in North America. About Terrapinn Terrapinn events have been sparking ideas, innovations and relationships that transform business for over 30 years. Using our global footprint, we bring innovators, disrupters and change agents together, discussing and demonstrating the technology, strategies and personalities that are changing the way the world does business. Home Delivery World is Terrapinn's premiere event in America and HDW is the leading event redefining the future of ecommerce logistics and supply chain strategy across North America. The event continues to be the go-to platform for big-box retailers, DTC shippers, grocers, manufacturers, and ecommerce brands seeking innovation and transformation in the last-mile. Key Takeaways: Home Delivery World: The Future of Fulfillment In "Home Delivery World: The Future of Fulfillment", Joe Lynch and John Beasley, General Manager of Home Delivery World, discuss he critical strategies and emerging technologies redefining the high-stakes journey from the warehouse to the consumer's front door. Laser Focus on the "Final Mile": Unlike general supply chain events like Manifest (which Joe calls the "Super Bowl of logistics"), HDW is a niche, specialized event. It focuses specifically on the journey from the warehouse to the consumer. If your business revolves around B2C delivery, middle-mile logistics, or white-glove service, this is the dedicated "world" for those specific challenges. The Delivery Team as a Brand Extension: A critical takeaway from the interview is that the delivery person is often the only physical point of contact a customer has with a brand. Whether they are a third-party contractor or a direct employee, their behavior—from wearing shoe covers to their attitude at the doorstep—can either solidify customer loyalty or ruin a multi-thousand dollar purchase in the "last 50 feet." Rapid Evolution of Delivery Technology: The "Future of Fulfillment" isn't just a buzzword; it's actively being deployed. The podcast highlights the shift from experimental to practical use of: Drones: Solving issues like "porch pirates" by delivering to backyards. Robotics & Autonomous Vans: Navigating the transition from diesel to electric and automated fleets. Inventory AI: Managing complex stock levels across multiple social commerce channels like TikTok and Instagram. Logistics as a Competitive Business Strategy: Logistics is no longer just a back-office cost; for ecommerce companies, it can represent up to 20% of revenue. The interview emphasizes that "free shipping" is a strategic business choice, not a logistical reality. Companies must attend these events to find regional carriers that offer better rates or services than national giants like UPS or FedEx. Managing Consumer Expectations: Unlike B2B deliveries, home consumers are not industry pros; they have extreme expectations and often want products almost the moment they hit "order." This necessitates a shift from traditional bulk shipping toward highly strategic inventory placement to ensure seamless same-day or next-day delivery. The Rise of Big & Bulky White-Glove Service: Fulfillment is moving beyond small parcels. A significant portion of HDW is dedicated to "Big and Bulky" items (like Pelotons, sofas, or outdoor fireplaces). These require specialized equipment—such as pallets with handheld brakes for steep driveways—and specialized services like in-home assembly, which are becoming major revenue drivers for retailers like Wayfair. Education Through a Diverse Ecosystem: The event serves as a massive "live classroom" where 200+ industry leaders from brands like Wayfair, Ulta Beauty, and Albertsons share what worked and what failed. It bridges the gap between massive "big dogs" (JB Hunt, Maersk, Amazon) and three-year-old startups, fostering a community where the most important connections happen between the shippers and the solution providers. Learn More About Home Delivery World: The Future of Fulfillment John Beasley | Linkedin HDW | Linkedin HDW HDW: Register Here HDW Agenda OneRail's Winning Strategy for Final Mile with Bill Catania Drone Delivery is Here with Tom Walker The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube  

In today's culture, respect for our elders and wisdom, has been replaced by idolizing youth and outward appearances. As Christians, we believe that ALL human beings are created by God in His image. Therefore every person has inherent dignity and creator-ordained worth. To be created in the likeness of God means that each  person bears His image and with it, a value beyond our unique characteristics or individual attributes.  Do you treat ALL people at work with the same respect? Do you say hello, and look into the eyes of the janitor or the server at lunch?  The FedEx guy? Do you know their names?  We challenge you this week to treat everyone you meet with the dignity and respect you previously reserved for only those "who merit it."

In this week's episode of The Wrap, Chris Whalen breaks down President Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair, calling him "the only choice" and a "classic hawk" who won't be afraid to lecture Congress on the link between deficits and inflation — something no Fed chair has done in 30 years. Chris explains why Warsh will likely shrink the balance sheet while giving Trump one or two rate cuts, and predicts the nomination may actually keep Powell on the board through 2028 just to deprive Trump of another conservative seat. On markets, Chris sees a more boring year ahead after 2025's extraordinary run, with gold and silver due for a 10-15% correction — though the bull market isn't over. He notes that crypto platforms like Hyperliquid are now trading precious metals, signaling money flowing from crypto into the "shiny object that's moving most." Chris also warns that private equity is becoming a major risk, with one in five firms now illiquid or in default, representing hundreds of billions in potential bank losses.Links:    The Institutional Risk Analyst: https://www.theinstitutionalriskanalyst.com/  Inflated book (2nd edition): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inflated-r-christopher-whalen/1146303673Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rcwhalen    Website: https://www.rcwhalen.com/   Timestamps:0:00 Welcome 1:09 Kevin Warsh nominated as Fed Chair — Chris's reaction 2:15 Warsh will have to build consensus on the FOMC 3:01 Warsh won't be afraid to link deficits and inflation 3:15 Will Warsh be more hawkish? 4:26 Warsh during the financial crisis — what to expect 5:25 The martyrdom of Jerome Powell: Yellen and Powell did too much6:04 Hard decisions the market won't like 6:15 A conservative Fed puts pressure back on Congress 7:21 Will Trump like Warsh lecturing on deficits? 7:49 Powell refusing to say if he'll stay as governor 9:32 Is staying on the board political? 10:32 What will Powell's legacy be? 12:09 The state of the Fed's balance sheet: Poor 13:21 Central banks should keep assets short — the Fed didn't 14:15 Powell's comments on the deficit being "unsustainable" 16:08 Markets: S&P briefly hit 7000 17:47 Credit-sensitive stocks under pressure, metals outperforming 18:41 Labor market and layoffs: Amazon, UPS, FedEx 19:19 Personnel costs and inflation 19:42 Gold to $5,600, silver to $110 — correction coming? 20:50 Crypto platforms now trading gold and silver 22:21 Central bank gold holdings now exceed foreign Treasury holdings24:26 Where Chris is putting his money 24:43 WGA 50 bank rankings preview 26:57 Private equity risk: 1 in 5 firms illiquid or in default 28:29 AI companies leveraged to their eyebrows 28:50 Viewer mail: Taking profits on Annaly?32:29 Parting thoughts: Earnings, Warsh, and what's ahead 34:47 Closing

Dave and Chuck the Freak talk about the studio being cold, National Fun At Work Day, National Croissant Day, woman put JBL Speaker up butt and has viewers pick the song, guy who taste tests hot dogs through a glory hole, woman's TikTok review goes viral because of helmet hair, stripper decapitated boyfriend, man tried to break Luigi out of jail, the south hit by winter storm, woman spotted walking across Detroit River, man crushed twice in garbage truck compactor, lady slaps a woman during road rage incident, family protects calf from the cold, woman becomes first American woman to row solo across the Atlantic, couple asked ChatGPT for baby names, Bill Belichick Hall of Fame snub, how much it would cost to attend Super Bowl, how excited Americans are for the Olympics, biggest Tennessee Vols fan meets Peyton Manning, Blake Lively voice memo, most streamed shows, new dating show on Netflix, host of Naked Attraction says the virgin was craziest guest, guy bought flowers and chocolates for stripper using fake money, devil's threesome in back of tuk-tuk in Thailand, billionaire dies after penis enlargement surgery, woman is squishing guys for cash, FedEx worker didn't know she was pregnant, woman grew 3rd boob, Ask Dave & Chuck The Freak, update on Dave and Kim, met a butter face, gained weight and she wants more sex than him, brother has weird obsession with his GF, and more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A woman in Iowa gave birth at a FedEx facility...and she didn't even realize she was pregnant! What's your bizarre birth story?

This audio clip from Erik Qualman's #1 bestselling book The Focus Project dives into the advantages of waiting and explains how lot of the times it's better to play the long game.   5x #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 55 countries and reached over 50 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling.   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.   Learn more at https://equalman.com

Today on the Woody and Wilcox Show: Wilcox gets worked up about mayonnaise; Fun With Football Audio; Siegfried and Roy series on Apple TV; New Rachel McAdams movie Send Help; Release Your Tight End Super Bowl commercial about prostate cancer; FedEx employee did not know she was pregnant and gave birth on the bathroom floor; Oklahoma legislators want strippers to be licensed; Trevor Noah hosts the Grammys; And more!

We'd love to have your feedback and ideas for future episodes of Retail Unwrapped. Just text us!Customers have high expectations in their transaction experiences that do not end with the purchase. Today's empowered and convenience-focused consumers want easy returns, and FedEx is on a mission to make that a reality using AI as a tool to improve the experience.  Join Shelley and Jason Brenner, Senior Vice President Digital Portfolio at FedEx as they delve into the fascinating world of returns logistics and how the process has evolved. Jason says consumer familiarity with ‘no box, no label' returns jumped from 37 percent to 48 percent in just one year. He attributes the increase to consumers' perceived value around the experience. “Nearly half of U.S. customers say they're now familiar with ‘no box, no label' returns and the usage continues to increase year over year; the reason is that once shoppers try it, they understand how convenient and how low stress it can be,” he adds. Their conversation deconstructs shipping logistics and reveals why confidence comes from predictability and visibility that is grounded in a simple UX supported by reliable communications with thoughtful updates throughout the post-purchase journey. As with any customer service, trust, reducing stress and anxiety and managing expectations are crucial. Listen and learn how this iconic logistics organization continues to push the envelope to deliver better customer experiences.Special Guest: Jason Brenner, Senior Vice President Digital Portfolio, FedExFor more strategic insights and compelling content, visit TheRobinReport.com, where you can read, watch, and listen to content from Robin Lewis and other retail industry experts, and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

D&P Highlight: How do you NOT know you're pregnant? Unexpected delivery at a FedEx facility. full 491 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:55:00 +0000 aPurYMG5fH3ozHcGLYIOFDsIS3z1dFc7 news The Dana & Parks Podcast news D&P Highlight: How do you NOT know you're pregnant? Unexpected delivery at a FedEx facility. You wanted it... Now here it is! Listen to each hour of the Dana & Parks Show whenever and wherever you want! © 2025 Audacy, Inc. News False

How to Use AI for B2B Storytelling Without Losing Your Brand So many B2B companies and marketing teams waste budget on generic content that fails to resonate or support core business goals. In an era where AI-generated is everywhere, smaller B2B brands often struggle to maintain a unique identity while competing against larger firms with massive content engines. The key to staying relevant lies in a B2B brand’s ability to be authentic, human-centric, and strategically consistent despite the pressure to automate everything. So how can B2B brands effectively integrate AI into their marketing workflows without losing their unique voice and brand integrity? That's why we're talking to Nick Usborne (Founder, Story Aligned), who shared his expertise on leveraging AI through the lens of strategic storytelling. During our conversation, Nick discussed the critical distinction between simple narrative and a brand’s unique story, highlighting a significant gap where only 7% of top AI prompt libraries actually focus on storytelling. He shared actionable advice on building a “story vault,” training staff to avoid “brand drift,” and enforcing consistent AI usage to maintain the trust of the audience. Nick also underscored the importance of keeping human elements at the forefront of content creation to prevent AI from feeling overly mechanical, and advocated for a balanced approach that ensures scalable growth without sacrificing a brand's authenticity. https://youtu.be/dtgvg2-XXoU Topics discussed in episode: [02:53] The “Why” Behind AI Adoption: Why companies must embrace AI not just for efficiency, but to avoid being left behind by competitors who are already scaling their reach.  [04:10] The “Moat” of Storytelling: Why narrative and voice can be easily copied by AI, but your brand's unique “lived story” is the only defensible moat you have.  [11:27] Pitfalls of Inconsistent AI Use: The dangers of “shadow AI” use by employees (e.g., Using personal accounts vs. company custom GPTs) and how it leads to brand drift.  [16:46] The Human Element vs. AI: Nick explains why AI can describe the beach but can't “feel the sand between its toes,” and why human “messiness” is key to connection.  [24:26] Building a Story Vault: Nick provides a practical framework for formalizing your brand's folklore—from founder stories to customer service wins—so they can be systematically used in AI content.  [28:17] Actionable Steps for Marketers: Three immediate steps to take: build your story vault, interview key stakeholders (founders, early employees), and analyze customer service transcripts for sentiment.  [30:11] The Problem with “Killer Prompt” Libraries: Why copying “top 20 prompt” lists is a strategic mistake that leads to generic, non-differentiated content. Companies and links mentioned: Nick Usborne on LinkedIn  Story Aligned  Transcript Nick Usborne, Christian Klepp Nick Usborne  00:00 AI can do a wonderful job in many ways, but it’s never walked down the beach and felt the sand between its toes. It’s read about it. It’s never eaten ice cream. It’s read about that, but it’s never felt it. So that’s what I mean by lived experience. I think that content and stories that truly resonate with people you use those kind of touch points the the deeply human side of being alive. And like, say, I think AI can get close when you prompt it really well, but also, there’s a messiness that makes us recognize one another, the little mistakes we make. That’s what makes us human. We are messy. AI, it’s not very good at being messy. You can ask it to be messy, and it’ll try to figure that out, but it’s really not the same. And like I say, I think people are very sensitive to this kind of nuance. Christian Klepp  00:51 When brands rely on the same AI tools and prompts, they start to sound like everyone else. That loss of voice can hurt trust and lead to something called Brand drift. So how can B2B Marketing teams scale content with AI while staying true to their story? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers in the Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today, I’ll be talking to Nick Usborne, who will be answering this question. He’s the Founder of Story Aligned, a training program for Marketing teams that want to scale content using AI while protecting the integrity of their brand story and voice. Tune in to find out more about what this B2B Marketers Mission is. Mr. Nick Usborne, welcome to the show, sir.  Nick Usborne  01:32 Thank you very much. Thank you Christian. Thank you for having me.  Christian Klepp  01:35 Pleasure to have you on the show. Nick, you know we had such a fantastic pre interview call. It was a bit of a you did drop a few hints and clues about what was to come, and I’m really looking forward to this conversation. I’m going to keep the audience in suspense a little while longer as I move us into the first question. So off we go.  Nick Usborne  01:55 Okay. Christian Klepp  01:56 All right, so, Nick, you’re on a mission to equip Marketing teams to scale AI powered content while staying aligned with their organization, story and voice. So for this conversation, let’s focus on the topic of how to use AI for B2B content without losing trust. And it is at the time of the recording, the end of 2025 and of course, we’re going to talk about AI, but we’re going to zoom in on something specific as it pertains to B2B content and a little bit of branding in there as well. But I wanted to kick off this conversation with two questions, and I’m happy to repeat them. So the first question is, why do you believe it’s so important for brands and their Marketing teams to embrace AI so that they can scale? And the second question is, why does this approach require the right prompts and guardrails? I think that’s one thing that you mentioned in our previous conversation, the whole the whole piece about prompts and guardrails. Nick Usborne  02:53 Well, the first question, why do companies need to embrace AI? And the ridiculous answer to that. It’s not a good answer, but it’s true is that because everyone else is, because your competitors are, and they will create content at scale while you are not, and they will achieve reach that you can’t achieve without AI. And in fact, if they do it well, their content, their new content, will be very good, content deeply researched beyond perhaps what you can do. So it’s like everything within AI right now, like, like, Why? Why do all the companies like open AI and Google and Meta, why they all racing? Because if they don’t, someone else will get there first. And it’s, I’m not saying it’s a great reason, but I think it is the fundamental reason for companies to embrace AI, is that you will be left behind if you don’t. This is a transformational moment, and as much as we’d like to have choice, I think in this matter, we don’t have a lot of choice. So that’s my answer to that question. Repeat the second question for me. Christian Klepp  04:00 Absolutely, absolutely so based on, based on that, like, why does this approach require the right prompts and guardrails? Nick Usborne  04:10 As part of my business, I’m constantly researching this, and in particular, I’m researching the prompts people do so when say, could be writers coders, but in our world. Let’s say writers, principally, or marketers, are using AI. They’re using prompts, and they’re generally prompting about two things. One is narrative, like, what should we say? Or, you know, please write us a blog post about x. So that’s the that’s the topic, that’s the narrative. And then they’ll put in something say, oh, please do it in a voice that is authoritative and yet accessible. All right, so now that’s a voice. What they haven’t mentioned is what I think is the foundational layer, which is, which is story. And that’s important, because story is the only thing that is uniquely yours, if you have an narrative, if you, if you have voice, if you talk about something in a particular way, I can copy that with AI. I can copy it at scale. I can, I can look at the transcripts of Christian podcasts, and I can say, oh, I want to do one in exactly. Tell her the same topic. I can, you know, so when you focus on narrative, on what you write about in voice. I can copy it. There’s no moat. The only moat you have is with story, because every company’s story is unique. We can look at origin stories, foundation stories, we can look at customer stories through case studies, things like that. Those are always unique. No one else has Apple’s origin story. No one else has virgin Atlantic’s Founder’s story, etc. But we did some research recently. Actually, we did some research months ago, and I reconfirmed it earlier this week. I ran it. I ran it all again to look at the data. If you look at the top 20 prompt libraries that you know the big, trustworthy companies and organizations that put out prompt libraries for companies. If you look at the top 20 libraries and the 1000s and 1000s of prompts within there, 76% of those prompts are about the narrative. What to say? 17 are about voice. How do you sound? Only 7% relate to story. So this, to my mind, is where we have a problem. We have a disconnect. Everyone is going crazy, prompting for narrative and story, both of which have 0, zero mode, anyone can copy them at scale. And only 7% this very small percentage, are actually focusing on the one thing that is uniquely theirs and cannot be copied or challenged. So that when you say, when you, when you say I’m on a mission, that’s the mission for me to say, Hey guys, wake up. You’re You’re prompting the wrong things in the wrong way. Let’s like, go back and look at story Christian Klepp  07:12 Absolutely, absolutely. It almost sounds like an oxymoron to us to a certain degree, because you’re saying scaling B2B content using AI without losing trust. Because, you know, the narrative that I keep seeing on social media, particularly LinkedIn, is that if people are using AI, there is a bit of a trust factor there. But I think it’s to your point and correct me if I’m wrong, it’s being able to embrace AI and you leveraging it the right way, so it’s not, it’s not, it’s not to replace, it’s not to replace the writers, right, or to replace the Marketers, I hope not. Nick Usborne  07:50 It may replace some. But, yeah, yeah. I mean, I mean, you’re right, and the keyword you mentioned there is trust. I think, I think trust is going to be the most valuable commodity that a company can have in the months and years to come, because people don’t actually don’t if we’re talking about brand. So we’re trying to protect brand with story, right? And brand is something that a lot of companies have spent millions of dollars building and protecting over years or decades and well, one of the things let me come back to trust in a moment. But if I’m looking at brand, and I’m looking at all the stuff goes out there, it either builds brand or it burns brand. And if you burn brand, you lose trust. So if you’re going out with a whole bunch of content that sounds like everyone else is that it’s kind of meh. It’s ordinary. It’s in the middle, which is what AI is really good at. Without the right prompting, it will give you kind of in the middle, mediocre output. So you got to be much better at prompting than just like a, I don’t know, being careless about it, or taking a shortcut, shortcuts, or being lazy about it, because then you get brand drift, and all of a sudden the brand doesn’t sound quite right. And when that happens, you lose trust. And when you lose trust, you lose revenue. I mean, you really do. And people are getting very sensitive to brand of brand trust we saw recently. Was it tracker barrel tried to just change its logo. People freaked out. People freaked out.  Christian Klepp  09:27 It was an awful rebrand, but, yes.  Nick Usborne  09:30 Yeah, but it wasn’t. These weren’t. These weren’t. Saying is, I don’t think the design is up to snuff. It’s like, don’t mess with my tracker barrel. We actually feel very strongly about the brands. Talk to people who are absolute fans of Apple. Doesn’t matter that it costs twice as much, perhaps as not quite as good. It’s Apple. It’s my brand. Don’t mess with my brand. So we’re very sensitive to our loyalty to brands. And in fact, in some sense, it’s brand define us like a football team, a baseball team, in part, we can be defined by the brands that we support, local, Pepsi. You know, it’s like everywhere. So when a company uses AI carelessly at scale and all of a sudden that blog post, it kind of sounds like them, but something’s a tiny bit off. And then that LinkedIn update. Again, yeah, it’s them, but again, it’s, did I say is that the same as they were six months ago? You get the you get these little these little things that sound off, and now you get brand drift. And now you get people feeling uneasy, and the public are sometimes we think we can just make the public believe whatever we want them to believe, or companies to believe whatever we want them to believe, but actually, individuals, in their home lives and in their business lives are very, very sensitive to brand and they’re very, very sensitive to voice and what they hear, and if it’s off, they really don’t like it, and that does translate into loss of trust, and that does directly translate into loss of revenue.  Christian Klepp  11:07 Absolutely. I’m going to move us on to the next set of questions, particularly that one pertaining to key pitfalls that Marketers need to avoid when they’re trying to scale their B2B content using AI without losing trust. So what are some of these key pitfalls they should avoid, and what should they be doing instead? Nick Usborne  11:27 What I’m hearing from inside a number of companies is that there is an inconsistency in how people are using AI and even when systems are in place, that not everyone follows the system. So it’s early days. It is. These are messy times for, you know, working with AI within companies. So I think it’s really important that companies do have some frameworks in place, that people within the organization are using the same tools in the same way, and that they are encouraged to be consistent in what they do. So I’ve heard stories of where companies are set up, you know, they’re using Copilot, or whatever they use, and then some of the manager will walk by someone’s desk, and they’re actually, actually, they’re using Claude on their phone. That person like phone, and it’s like, well, yeah, but no, this is now, you know, you have no control. You also have to get people to do what they ask. I was talking to a Founder the other day. She has a PR (Public Relations) company, plenty of clients, and she’s smart. She’s created custom GPTs for each client. So each custom GPT is trained on with with a kind of database of information on that client and the content, so that you know when you when you ask it to do something else, it’s already has the context and the voice instructions and everything, and you can and it’s great, you get this consistency. But she says, what’s happening is some of her employees come in in the morning, they start work on client X, and they’re using that custom GPT. Then they move on to client Y, but they keep using the original custom GPT and not switching out. So the management has put in the structure in place to be consistent and to output the best, you know, the best content, but the employees are not always playing game, you know, going along with that. So so I do think we’re in a messy period now where companies are not entirely sure how to apply this, how to structure it, what kind of frameworks and guidance to put in place. What guardrails to put in place? Like? Again, I’ve heard horror stories of people grabbing content that should not be shared and putting it into a large language model and then turning that into customer facing or public facing content.  Christian Klepp  13:57 Oh, plagiarism.  Nick Usborne  14:04 So yeah, it is messy. So what I would say is, before you even try to make the best of the use of AI that you do, need to put systems and frameworks in place and educate your staff. So if you want your staff to use AI effectively give them access to training. Don’t just throw them at a tool and say, go for it, because they won’t know what to do with it, or they’ll be able to create stuff, but they won’t be able to create good stuff. So invest in the systems, invest in the frameworks and instructions, and invest in training for the people who are going to be using the tools.  Christian Klepp  14:46 Definitely some relevant points. I wanted to go back to something you said, though, because I think it’s really important. It’s certainly one thing to have the prompts and the guardrails in place and some kind of like, framework and structures. But to your earlier point, how do you enforce that? And I think you gave a really good example about like, if you have a custom GPT, and then they resort to like, using. Um Claude on their personal accounts, and then it’s a little bit like the wild west out there, isn’t it? Nick Usborne  15:06 It is, it is, and it’s and it’s, how do you enforce it? Well, that’s going to be a company by company decision. Like, like the Founder with the PR of the PR company, when she was telling me about how her employees just weren’t doing what they were asked. I was like, part of you is thinking about, why haven’t you kind of cracked down on this? But again, it depends on the company and what options you have when it comes to enforcing stuff like this. But I do think you need to, because then if we circle right back, if you have people who are untrained, and that’s the company’s responsibility to train their employees. If you have people who are untrained and they’re using these tools inconsistently, that is when you far more likely then to see errors for, you know, unforced errors like publishing stuff that you shouldn’t but you’re also going to see more brand drift, because you’re going to get this inconsistency between output and that is a disaster. Like I say, companies have sometimes spent, in a decade, several years in establishing and building a trustworthy brand. And people are very unforgiving. You can, you can lose all that goodwill very, very quickly. So, yeah, training frameworks make sure people are, you know, working within those boundaries, but as a company, it’s your responsibility to help make that happen. Christian Klepp  16:29 Yeah, yeah. Oh, absolutely, absolutely. You kind of brought this up already, but you mentioned that AI can help to scale content, but it can’t replicate your lived story, so please explain what you meant by that, and provide an example. If you can, Nick Usborne  16:46 AI can do a wonderful job in many ways, but you know, it’s never walked down the beach and felt the sand between its toes. It’s read about it. It’s never eaten ice cream. It’s read about that, but it’s never felt it. So that’s what I mean by lived experience. So I think that content and stories that truly resonate with people, you use those kind of touch points, the deeply human side of being alive and like say, I think AI can get close when you prompt it really well, but also there’s a messiness that makes us recognize one another, the little mistakes we make, that’s what makes us human. We are messy, and it’s not very good at being messy. You can ask it to be messy, and it’ll try to figure that out, but it’s really not the same. And like I say, I think people are very sensitive to this kind of nuance and the lived story. It’s the it’s the weird stuff. I think that resonates. So I’ve spent quite a bit of my career doing copywriting for companies, and for a long period, I was doing some freelance, a lot of freelance copywriting. So this is just a little side note, a little side story for you. I used to live on a hobby farm. We had some sheep and pigs and chickens and all that good stuff, the good life. And also had freelance customers. And I went in, and I was and I went, you know, you go out, you feed the animals, you come in, I sit down to work, and my client said, this is just on the phone. This is even before the internet. Client said, Hey, you’re late. I was just out farming the pig and feeding the pigs. And the guy says, what? And this, I hadn’t realized. I never told him that I lived on a farm. He thought somewhere. So anyway, we talked a little bit about the pigs, then we get to work. So the project we’re working on worked out really well, and it won an award. So we fly off to your hometown, Toronto, for the awards ceremony, direct marketing awards ceremony, and he stands up and he says, Thank you very much. Blah, blah, blah. And special thanks to Nick Usborne, the pig farming copywriter. And I’m like, I’m like, in the audience, and I’m thinking, oh, please no. This guy is like, rebranding me constantly in front of all my peers, all my potential clients for next year. Big drama turns out so, so that that’s messy, all right? AI wouldn’t do that, you wouldn’t imagine that it wouldn’t do that. That’s a deeply human moment of my humiliation and him laughing, and everyone slapping me on the back and laughing and asking about my pigs. Turns out, over the next 12 months, I got a few phone calls out of the blue. And I say, Hello, Nick Usborne. I said, Oh, is that Nick Usborne? The cover of James Barber. And I say, why? Yes. And so I actually got work out of that, because it was such a distinct difference from every other copywriter out there. I was the only copywriter who had pigs. So that was just a fun story, but it also speaks to the difference between humans and AI, and it’s a live that’s a lived experience, and it’s a lived anecdote, and I tell the story, and it’s a true story that is really important, I think so, even when we use AI, even when we use it at its best, and it can be really good when you use it well, I think everyone should keep leave space for the human in the loop, as they say, keep that human element in there, big for those stories. So I so I encourage companies to create what I call like a story vault. So there’s the obvious stories, like the Founder story, the origin story, the six original success story, also put in the little quirky stories, like that one I just described, and and make that part of your process. And also go, you know, if you’re creating something with AI and it’s a big project, take the time to go and interview someone, talk to someone, get a human story, put it in just because you’re using AI, doesn’t mean to say that everything you create has to be 100% AI, you can, you can? I do this all the time. I look for it a draft with AI, then I’d go back in and I’ll rewrite the beginning with an anecdote, like the small s story, not a big dramatic story, just a little story. And what it does then is that then connects it with us, because as people, we recognize stories. Story is profound to all of us. I think in every country in the world, parents read their children bedtime stories. It’s something we share in common. It’s how we communicate, and it’s how we recognize our humanity in a sense of like, if you tell me a story, you connect with me, and vice versa. So that’s why I think stories are so important in this world of AI, because if you just go AI, it can get a little cold, and sometimes, as a reader, you don’t quite understand what’s happening and why, but you kind of feel it. There’s an absence. There’s something missing, and that what’s what you feeling is missing is that human touch, that human element, Christian Klepp  21:59 Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, there’s like, there’s like, telltale signs, right? Like em dash being one of them,  Nick Usborne  22:06 em dash Christian Klepp  22:07 Yes, or Yeah. Or it tends to, like, regurgitate the same type of war. It’s like, I find it loves using the word landscape or navigate, you know, things of that nature, right?  Nick Usborne  22:20 Yeah.  Christian Klepp  22:21 Or uses these funny like, you know, the colon or for, for, for titles of episodes, for examples. Nick Usborne  22:30 In titles, even when I give it clear instructions, do not use them. So sometimes, when I create content like that is, I’ll create it in with one model like say, GPT5, and I’ll take it over to flawed, and I’ll say, hey, please edit and clean this up for me, and remove any, you know, repetition or whatever. And sometimes it comes back say, hey, looks pretty clean, pretty good. Other times it’ll change stuff. And then, of course, always I will, you know, I will review. And that’s the other thing that the companies need to think about. Is that, at the moment, content generation at scale within companies, it is a bit like a conveyor belt in a factory of all these boxes flying off the end into the FedEx back of the FedEx van, and without, without any kind of quality control, which, which is actually what you do have with income within you know, if you’re manufacturing, and you do have quality control, and you pick out every 20th item or whatever to make sure that it’s good, a lot of that isn’t happening, that isn’t happening with a lot of people using AI is people don’t even see it. It’s fully automated, like, like a week’s worth of social media is automated, or a month’s work worth, and no one, no human, has read it or reviewed it. It’s just flying out automatically. And that is where at some point you’re inevitably going to have a problem. And it may not be a big problem, it may be lots and lots of small problems, lots of lots of things sounding not quite right, and then all of a sudden, when you’ve got enough little things not sounding right, then you start getting a medium sized problem. Christian Klepp  24:06 Yeah, yeah. No, exactly, exactly. Okay. Now, you talked about it a little bit in the beginning, but talk to us about some of these, these frameworks and these processes that B2B companies can use to help them, you know, organize themselves and reap those benefits of AI without losing trust. Like, what are some of these processes and frameworks? Nick Usborne  24:26 I do some training, and I have done a few rubrics where people can kind of use those to formalize the process. But I think if we talk about story, and I think I already mentioned the idea of each company having a story vault, so be formal and deliberate about it. Everyone can chat about their company’s stories, but if I say to you, hey, is there a folder? Can I can I get a Google folder and find a compilation of all of these stories? And have you graded those stories in terms of how strong and relevant? And they are, and how engaging they might be, or how evocative they might be, and the answer is almost always no, the story is around. But there’s no story vault, and there’s no rubric in place to grade those stories and decide which might be the most appropriate points at which to share those stories. So it’s that, it’s that formalizing the process, and I don’t like being 100% rules based, but I think in the AI world right now, where we are in that kind of messy middle period, I think it’s really important to have some systems in place so that we do have a consistent output, so that when you so that your brand doesn’t suffer from brand drift, and that you don’t make some significant missteps along the way. So somebody within the organization needs to be responsible for this. Maybe it’s the Chief AI Officer, if you have one, or otherwise, somebody in Marketing. So yeah, help people with training, but also help them by giving them some framework, some rubrics and some just a system like, you know, hey, picked up a story from customer service, put it in the story vault, categorize it. Customer service in the story vault says someone else can come back and find it. So it’s not just word of mouth. It’s not accidental. There’s a place where people can go to and then you’re going to do the same with narrative, the things we say. And you have another vault, as it were, and another rubric to to assess voice, how we say it. So it’s just this formalization of the process, and also trying to make sure that people use these systems as you put them in place. So somebody’s got to be walking along behind, behind and sort of, and again, it’s like, I guess, like early days of anything. Not every, not everyone will love the process. Not everyone loves using AI. But it’ll come. It’ll come. People will get in their heart better, not only using AI, but doing it well and following these processes. Christian Klepp  27:02 Okay, fantastic, fantastic. Let me just quickly recap, because I was writing this down. So obviously, having a story vault, grading them if you can, if possible, having systems and frameworks in place, training the team and getting them to familiarize themselves with the systems having a vault for narrative and voice, I think was the other piece. And finally, using, using the systems, once you have them, not letting them collect dust, as it were, right? Nick Usborne  27:32 Like and it is, I get it right now. I get it. It’s hard for a lot of companies, because I think using AI has been very kind of mixed. Some companies have dived straight in. Others are resistant, particularly companies that have compliance issues, financial, medical stuff like that. They’re being very careful, very cautious, and for very good reason. So the rate of adoption is very uneven at the moment, Christian Klepp  28:01 Absolutely, absolutely, all right. Nick you’ve given us plenty here, right? But if we’re going to talk about actionable tips, like something that somebody who’s listening to this conversation that they can take action on right after listening to this interview, what are like some of the top three things you would advise them to do? Nick Usborne  28:17 Well, I guess first is just we’ve talked quite a bit about the story, the story of collecting stories. Just do that because, like I say, I think story is your is your superpower, because it is the only place where you have a moat you don’t in what you say and how you say it. Anyone can copy you, and I can automate copying you through AI as well, but I cannot steal your story, because it’s just not true if, if it’s not my story. So I’d always start there and again, start, start that. Build the vault, select the story and formalize that process. Interview the Founders, if you can, interview early employees, even if they’re retired, interview the first three clients, if you can access them, interview customer service. So often overlooked, customer service in one way or another, so long as that’s not all automated, if there’s still humans in that loop, then have conversations with them. And you can, you can, you can, get transcripts, customer service transcripts, and feed them into AI and say, hey, please analyze and summarize this. What are, what are the most powerful messages we can get from our customer service? Sort of stream of content? Do? Do a sentiment analysis? What are people upset about? What are people happy about? So, yeah, story, I think, is like, I say, it will be your motive, it will be your savior. So first start to formalize that process of getting story and then making sure that it finds a place, somewhere in your automation of, you know, AI generated content, Christian Klepp  29:58 Fantastic, fantastic stuff. Okay, soapbox time. What is the status quo in your area of expertise that you passionately disagree with, and why? Nick Usborne  30:11 I guess again, I’m just going to overlapping. I don’t know what a status quo, but the thing that I passionately disagree with is is every time you see most or a social media title that says top 20 killer, unbeatable prompts.  Christian Klepp  30:31 Oh, yeah. Nick Usborne  30:32 No, no, no, absolutely, just, just no for two reasons. One is that they’re going to be generic. They’re not going to apply to your company in particular, they’ll be generic, and just because they work for someone else does not mean they’re going to work for you. And like I say, we did, I’ve done research on those prompt libraries, and only 7% of them even touch on story. So if I’m writing stories, the most important thing almost all of those prompt libraries are missing out on that. They’re just focusing on narrative and voice and ignoring stories. So not good and and, yeah, so, so that is, I don’t know whether the status quo, but it’s something I keep seeing, and it irritates me when I get it. I understand why they’re doing it, but not helpful for your company. Christian Klepp  31:18 Yeah, you and me both. I mean, those are the those are the pulse they attempt to ignore immediately. I mean, I just skim through it and see the prompts, and I’m like, Nah, but I think it’s human nature too, isn’t it? Like everybody wants to chase the next hack. They want to find that the you know, the shortcut, like the quickest route to get something done. And I get that, but it sometimes does more harm than good. Nick Usborne  31:43 Easy button, but also to be fair and to be a little bit more generous. This is early days, and so people are looking for help. And if it says top 20, this is, oh my goodness, thank you. I’ll take that now. Over time, that’ll change, and people will become a little more sophisticated, I think, but like us, like you. You know, I get it. I understand why those those posts and titles are attractive, and that’s why people create them. But we can do better. We can do better Christian Klepp  32:12 Absolutely, absolutely we can, and we will, hopefully, all right, here comes the bonus question. I’ve been thinking about this one, but Nick Usborne  32:23 I feel strangely nervous. I feel nervous, but it’s a bonus question. Christian Klepp  32:30 Just breathe. Just breathe. I mean, clearly from this conversation, you know, writing is in your blood, right? It’s something that you are passionate about, but it’s also something you’ve done professionally for a long time, I suppose. The bonus question is, if you had an opportunity to meet your favorite writer or author, living or dead, who would it be, and what would you talk about?  Nick Usborne  32:55 One of the people, I really admire, and I’ve already spoken to him, is David Abbott. So David Abbott is a copywriter from from England, and he had an agency called Abbot Mead Vickers, and he was an amazing writer. So I’ve already met him. Who I haven’t met I would like to re write to meet is Susie Henry. She was the copywriter behind a series of advertisements in the UK for an insurance company, and she is just a delightful writer, so I told you, well, no, I hadn’t told you. Maybe I will tell you I’m like, when I started out copywriting, it was at the tail end of the Mad Men period, and creatives were the Kings and Queens, and copywriting was such a craft, it was something to be absolutely proud of, like we’d go through so many drafts, and it was, I was, you know, I was, I was a craftsman, learning from other craftsmen. And David, ever I met, he was in a fantastic writer, just written Susie Henry so good, very, very conversational writer, which was very unusual for that time. So I’d like to meet and talk with her, and I still can’t remember the fiction writer. He’s science fiction writer. I completely lost blank on his name, and I’ve actually met him once briefly, but I’d like to get back to him and chat, but I can’t, because he’s he’s since passed. Christian Klepp  34:19 Oh, I see, I see, I see. All right, well, that’s quite the list of people, but, um, but yeah. No, fantastic. No. Nick, thank you so much for coming on the show and for sharing your experience and expertise with the listeners. And please quick introduction to yourself and how people can get in touch with you. Nick Usborne  34:37 All right. Hi. My name is Nick Usborne, so my business build Story Aligned. So storyaligned.com and what we do there is pretty much, what I’ve talked about today is we train teams within companies to look at story, narrative and voice with a lot of emphasis on story, because that’s where the note is, so if you get a Story Aligned, you’ll find we have a white paper you can download. We have a blog that you can read, the description of the training. So yeah, if this interests you, if you find this an interesting topic, there’s plenty to do when you get there. So Story Aligned, A, L, I, G, N, E, D, yeah. Story Aligned. Christian Klepp  35:21 Fantastic, fantastic. And we’ll be sure to pop that into the show notes so that it’ll be easy for everyone to access. But once again, Nick, thank you.  Nick Usborne  35:28 Sorry, one last thing, if you want to please opening myself up, if you want to just talk to me directly, you can write to me at nick@storyaligned.com. Christian Klepp  35:38 Perfect, perfect. Nick, once again, thanks so much for your time. Take care, stay safe and talk to you soon. Nick Usborne  35:44 Thank you. Thank you for inviting me. It’s been a pleasure. Christian Klepp  35:47 Thank you. Bye for now. You.

Setting up an IC-DISC the right way can mean the difference between maximizing tax savings and having issues down the road. In this episode of The IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Brian Schwam, IC-DISC specialist and tax attorney, to walk through the complete IC-DISC setup and compliance process from start to finish. This conversation was inspired by a CPA request for a comprehensive guide covering every step of the IC-DISC journey. Brian breaks down the entire process chronologically, from the initial consultation to determine if a business qualifies, through the critical formation steps that can make or break your IC-DISC. We cover proper capitalization requirements, the infamous 90-day election window, why non-interest bearing bank accounts matter, and the draconian 60-day payment rule that catches many businesses off guard. He explains the difference between simple and transaction-by-transaction calculations, sharing an example where detailed analysis increased a client's commission from $4 million to $17 million on $100 million in export sales. Whether you're a CPA learning about IC-DISC for the first time or a business owner considering this strategy, Brian's systematic approach demonstrates why working with a true specialist matters when navigating these complex regulations.     SHOW HIGHLIGHTS A detailed transaction-by-transaction calculation increased one client's IC-DISC commission from $4 million to $17 million on the same $100 million in export sales. Missing the 90-day election filing window requires a private letter ruling costing $35,000-$40,000 to fix, making it cheaper to just set up a new IC-DISC. The 60-day payment rule requires paying at least 50% of your estimated commission in cash or promissory note within 60 days of year-end to avoid disqualification. Setting up an IC-DISC with no par value stock is a fatal error that will cause the IRS to reject your election, regardless of everything else done correctly. A non-interest bearing bank account is essential because even $1.50 of interest income can disqualify your IC-DISC if no commission is paid that year. Export sales typically need to reach $3-5 million before an IC-DISC makes economic sense, though exceptions exist for businesses with exceptionally high profit margins.   Contact Details LinkedIn - Brian Schwam LINKSShow Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance Brian SchwamAbout Brian TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dave: Good morning, Brian. Welcome to the podcast. Brian Hey, good morning David. Good to be here. Dave: So I, I now refer to you as the Bob Hope of the podcast because I believe that Bob Hope holds the record for the most appearances on the Johnny Carson Show. So that's why you're like the Bob Hope of the podcast. You have more appearances than anyone else with today's appearance. Brian That's good company to be in if you're of a certain, if you're of a certain age. Dave: Yeah. And I'm not even sure you and I are quite old enough to even be of that certain age. Brian I probably never saw him on Johnny Carson. Dave: Yeah, me too. So this is an episode that was requested by a CPA of one of our clients who was retiring and he had a new. Partner taken over and he said, Hey Dave, can you send over a link to the episode that just goes through all the details of the IC disc from start to finish? And I'm like, well, we don't have that episode, but it's a great idea. So that's what's behind this. So let's start at the very beginning. Somebody calls you up and says, Hey Brian, I need an IC disc, or I want an IC disc. What's the very first step? Brian Very first step for me is to say why. Dave: Okay, Brian tell me about your business. Dave: Okay. Brian You know, do you have qualified export receipts? Do you have qualified export property? That those are very complex areas. And some people might think they do when they don't, and others might think they don't when they do. Dave: Okay. Brian And more likely than not, they heard about IC disc from. Somebody they met at a, you know, business leader meeting or something and somebody said, oh, hey, I have an IC disc. You should have one. Dave: Okay. Brian And not everybody can utilize one, but there's many out there that can utilize 'em that do not. Dave: Okay. And do you charge anything for that consultation? Brian No, because to me it's just a fact finding. Dave: Okay. So step one, figure out if their fact pattern warrants having an IC disc. Brian Right? Right. Well, it's, it's actually, that's one step. If you deter, if we determine that yes, an IC disc makes sense because they do have qualified export property, they do have qualified export receipts, then we have to talk about volumes. Because, you know, if you have 500,000 of export sales, most like more likely than not. Disc isn't gonna make sense. Dave: Economic sense when Brian you factor Right. Economic, the Dave: costs Brian not right. There's not enough benefit to offset the cost at that, at that level, most likely. Of course. It [depends on what, what it is they're selling. Dave: Sure. Do you have a rule of thumb you typically use? Is it like three or 5 million where it typically makes sense or every case Brian For most, for most businesses, that's sort of the range that where it starts to make sense, but there are always exceptions to that. Dave: Sure. Brian So like I had a client that had, you know, 600,000 of export sales, but their bottom line profit was 80%. Dave: Okay. Brian So in that instance, hey, it made sense, but for most companies that have 600,000 of export sales, it, it probably doesn't make sense. Dave: Okay. So let's say they have 5 million of exports, good margins, looks like it makes economic sense. What's the next step then? Brian Well then we talk about what is the tax structure of that exporting company? Is it a flow through entity? Is it a C Corp? And how is it owned? Sometimes [00:04:00] it's owned by a foreign company that makes things way more complicated. Okay. It's owned by a combination of different shareholders, some of which are individuals, some of which are corporations. So that can be complicated. And sometimes it's just a, it's just a pass through entity that's owned by, you know, let's say it's an S corporation that's owned by a family owned. Dave: Sure. Brian You know, so you, you can have a lot of different fact patterns and that will dictate a lot of things with, with respect. Dave: Okay. Brian To how the disc is organized. Dave: Might that also be the time? You inquire as to whether multiple discs might make sense for their structure, or do you typically just focus on kind of getting the initial disc in place and then exploring that over time? Brian Probably the latter. Dave: Yeah. Brian Initially I, you know, the goal is, you know, do you have enough activity? Do you have the right kind of activity? What kind of benefit is it that you think you can, we can get for you? And then, okay, if the answer to all those are in the positive, then it's like, okay, how should this disc be owned based on what we're trying to achieve and where should it be set up? Because that also can have a lot of negative surprises if you set it up in the wrong place. Dave: Yeah. So let's say and I think there's some rules of thumb like if if the. Exporting company is a C corp, you typically don't want the C Corp to own the disc, is that correct? Brian That is, that is correct. And that's because a C corporation pays tax on a dividend. It receives from the IC dis, so effectively there's no benefit. Dave: Okay. So with a C corp, typically it would be the individuals, individual or [individuals that Brian are Oh, the, the shareholders typically, Dave: yeah. Brian You know, possibly a management group could be involved as well, but typically we're talking about the shareholders of the C corporation. Dave: Yeah. And the shareholders of the disc do not necessarily have to mirror the shareholders of the C corp. Right. Brian That is sort of up in the air. I, I prefer that to be the case, but it doesn't have to be the case. Dave: Yeah, like in a simple example, census C Corp owned by one person and when they set it up, they wanna add a couple key employees to it. Brian Yeah. That, that, that's probably fine. You know, there's some old revenue rulings out there from the early 1980s that have a bad fact pattern, which the IRS held that the structure created gift tax issues, but that was like a mom and a dad and a son and a daughter, and mom and dad set up a disc and then gave the stock to the son and the daughter. And, and so that, that's, I see that's a bad fact pattern. What you described is a completely different fact pattern. There's no donative intent in that fact Dave: pattern. Yeah. Okay. In Brian fact, that I have a client that started out where the disc and the C Corp was. It did have mirror ownership, but over time, that has changed dramatically. But still, there's no donor of intent because we have all these unrelated families that own shares in the company in this quote company. And when there have been redemption opportunities over the years, they have the choice redeemed, the disc shares redeemed. The, the C corp shares redeemed them both. So some of like kept their dis shares, but gotten rid of the C Corp shares and vice versa. But really without the donative intent, plus some court case you know, precedent, I, I'm not [00:08:00] so concerned about that issue. Dave: Okay. Now let's switch gears and let's say it's a flow through an S-Corp partnership et cetera. Do you typically want the individuals to own it in that situation? Say that the company has three shareholders, would you just make them the three owners of the disc? More often than not, no. Okay. And why is that? Brian Because it, you get the same benefit by making the disc a subsidiary of the S corporation without some of the extra complexity associated with having the disc be owned by the shareholders. Now that, that's, that's preferred, but there are also situations where that doesn't make sense. Dave: Okay. Brian So let's say the, the S corporation is in California and the shareholder lives in Texas, or Florida. Or Nevada. Dave: Okay. Brian So they might want that dividend income flowing directly to them so that there's [00:09:00] no state Oh. So that there's no state income tax on the dividend. Dave: Sure, sure. Brian Okay. Okay. Yeah. So again, it's just another fact you need to uncover in the process of trying to figure all this out. Dave: Okay, so you've met with the client, you've figured out a disc makes sense, you've dug further you figured out the ownership structure of the disc. That makes sense. So then I guess you have to figure out where to incorporate, huh? Brian Yeah. And that again, there are good states and bad states. Dave: Okay. Brian Some states will tax an IC dis as a regular C corporation, you wanna avoid those states. Some states don't have an income tax at all, and those are good states to deal with. Dave: Okay. Brian And the three, you know, I'd say there's three states that are predominantly viewed as positive, and that would be Delaware, Texas, and Nevada. Okay. They're all fairly similar. For filing. And, and none of them have a corporate income tax on the dis so that's, that's all good in terms of not adding additional costs to the, the structure. Dave: Okay. So I'm in Texas and thus you, it seems like most of my clients end up incorporating in Texas. Do you just so here we are January 8th. We're recording this of 2026. So do you just do you just get around to doing it anytime before the end of the year and then you could use the disc the whole year? Is that how it works? Brian It's not how it works. It's generally a prospective opportunity. So you wanna get that entity formed as quickly as possible. Dave: Okay. Yeah. I've had people, I've heard [00:11:00] people say that if you don't do it on January 1st, you just have to wait till the next year. Brian No. That, well, that's certainly not true. And from any date forward that you set it up, you can certainly get benefits or shipments. Okay. That they, but one other item that I forgot to mention earlier, they also like to ask if the, if the related supplier entity, which is the exporter, if they're an accrual based company or a cash basis, Dave: ah, Brian that's an, that's an incredibly important issue Dave: Sure. Brian Dealt with. That's why. Dave: Okay. Brian Because the disc is an accrual base taxpayer by default. Dave: Yeah. Okay, we'll get into that when we get further around the, Brian okay. Dave: I think about when I was a kid, there was a, there was a Saturday morning TV series I think called schoolhouse Rock. And one of the episodes was how, how a bill becomes a Law [00:12:00] And there's the whole steps, the Brian episode, everybody remembers. Dave: Yep. Yep. So everybody our age at least. Okay, so you've got the disc set up and say you do it in Texas and let's say they make the decision January 8th, takes a few days to, you know, just kind of get stuff, you know, information from the client set up. And let's say you get it set up January 15th, so then they're good to go, huh? They can just start using that disc and away we go. Anything else? Ha. That has to be done Or is it, is it that some Brian on the, on the surface, yes, that's true. Dave: Okay. Brian But beneath the surface, there's other things that have to take place. Dave: Okay. What's the next thing that has to happen after you've formed the disc? Brian Well, you have a, there's a 90 day window to file a disc collection with the IRS. That's probably the most critical thing that has to happen. You have to file an actual paper form with the IRS to elect disc status for the company, because the company, when you set it up, it's just a corporation. Without that election, it's not a disc. Dave: And that election, is this the famous form 48, 76 dash a, is that said election, Brian famous or infamous in some cases, Dave: yes. Yeah. Okay. So you have to, so you just well, you just go to the IRS website. Download the form, send it in, bing, bam. Boom. You're done. You're good to go. Brian Not exactly. Dave: Okay. That's the Brian first Dave: step. Brian Skip. That's the first step. But the I mean, first of all, when you're setting up the disc, you have to make sure you incorporate it properly. Dave: Okay. Brian I kind of glossed over that. Dave: And what are some of the elements of proper incorporation? Brian Well, for example, when you go to a, the Texas website or any other secretary of State website to organize the company, because it can be done all online, [00:14:00] like the default is always, you know, no par value stock, right. Brian If you just select the default, you are going to have a problem because Okay. Dis rules require, you know, par or stated value of $2,500 on the, issued an issued an outstanding stock of, of the disk. So I had a client that came to me years ago. They had set up a company in, well, they used Wyoming, which is also possible to use, and it's not a bad jurisdiction. And they had, he had his quote unquote friend that who was an attorney, set it up for him. And there were some issues with the DISC collection and it went back and forth and then ultimately took a look at the articles of incorporation and it had, you know, $1 power stock, 1000 shares. Dave: Ah, that's a problem. Brian That's, [00:15:00] yeah. So no matter what happened with the disc election and the back and forth with the IRS, the disc election was ultimately never approved because the entity didn't meet the requirement. Having enough outstanding capital stock. So you have to have one and it can only have one class of shares. So there are, you know, there are some hoops you have to jump through in terms of not doing things incorrectly or doing things correctly. So you have to make sure there's one class of stock, $2,500 par value. There can't be foreign sales corporation in the same patrol group, which years ago was a big deal, but now it's not really a big deal because those have been gone for many years and almost nobody has one left. Not, not really an issue there. And what, you know, those are the formation matters that, that mattered, that are important to make sure you, you meet when you form the entity. Okay? If it's formed wrong, right from the get go, you have a problem. If [00:16:00] it's formed correctly, then the next step is yes, file a disc election. Dave: And, but before you file the disc election, there's a step we're missing, right? Doesn't the DISC election require. To put the corresponding EIN for the distance. Oh yes. I mean, I just assumed we, yeah, you obviously you have to apply for an ID number for the new entity that does not come automatically with the incorporation. Brian 'cause that's done with the state as opposed with the IRS yes. Dave: Yeah. And that's become more challenging. It used to be pretty easy to get an EIN you could apply under a corporate name or Brian yeah. But there, there's a, you know, there is an online portal with the IRS to get an EIN for a domestic company. So it's not, it's not Dave: terrible. Yeah. Brian It's not terrible. Dave: Yeah. So you have the EIN that you need for the 48 76 ae. Brian Right. Dave: You have you have 90 days, Brian you have the proper capitalization. Dave: Yeah. Brian You figured out who's gonna own the disc because the, the disc collection is. Signed, you know, it's not just made by the disc entity. It's made by the disc entity, then consented to by the shareholder. So you have to make sure that all that takes place. I can't tell you the number of times where somebody filled out part one, the disc signed it, and then the shareholder forgot the consent to it. And if you don't do the 48 76 dash eight correctly, you get it filed timely. It's an extremely expensive fix to try and get that Dave: rectified. Brian Generally, you have to try to get a private letter ruling, which will grant an extension of time to file the late disc collection. Dave: Okay. Brian And that's that's an expensive process. It's a 25 to $30,000 exercise to [00:18:00] file the private letter, really. Plus you have to pay a user fee to the IRS of 10,000, 11,000. Dave: Wow. Yeah. It seems that seems inconvenient at, at best. Brian And for most companies, they're better off just setting up a second dose Dave: Sure. Brian As opposed Dave: to process, Brian because how much volume there is. Dave: Yeah. Yeah. And I understand the IRS itself refers to these as a, a paper entity. So I guess since it's a paper entity, that's it. No need to fuss around with a bank account or actually have to capitalize it with actual money is there. Brian It's, it's recommended, but you're right, it's not required. There's no requirement in the disk rules to set up a bank account. Dave: Okay. Brian So there it could simply have. A receivable receiv for the capital stock. And that can be, its working capital doesn't have to have a bank account, but that's sort of a misnomer that people think it must have a bank account. Okay. In the original regulations, that was a requirement, but when the regulations are finalized, the requirement was removed. Dave: Okay. But practically speaking, it you probably wanna have a bank account. Brian Yes. Practically speaking, it makes all the sense in the world to have a bank account, a non-interest bearing bank account. Dave: And why is the non-interest bearing important? Brian Well, it, it has to do with one of the annual requirements of a disc. That 95% of its receipts have to be qualified export assets. I'm sorry, receipts. And so let's say in a year the company decides. You can't always decide not to use the DIS even though you've got it in place. So let's say the company says, well we're not gonna use the, this year we had a loss. In our business there's no using. Dave: Okay. Brian We say, okay, and then the DIS bank account earned a dollar 50 of interest income. Dave: Okay, Brian well 100% of the receipts are now not qualified receipts. Okay. Income and no other revenue. If there was a non-interest bearing bank account, it would just have no receipts and then it would be fine. But the earning, the dollar 50 of interest would disqualify that. Dave: Okay. So non-interest bearing account and then I guess the dollar amount in the bank account, what you start with, $2,500 initially. Brian Yeah, pretty much keep it there forever. Dave: But, but it doesn't matter if you end up, oh, if you're a little lazy and you forget to distribute all the money and you end up with 50 grand at the end of the year, that, that's not a problem, is it? Brian It is. Dave: It is. Everything's a problem Brian with you, Brian, because everything, 'cause the, these rules are draconian and everything can become a problem. So a commission dis anyway, a comm, [00:21:00] you know, a paper entity commission dis doesn't need $50,000 of working capital. And the IRS would hold that, that that's not a qualified export out. Like having too much working capital in DIS will cause it to fail. The other test, which is the 95 qualified export asset test 2,500, you know, an amount of cash equal to the capital stock is fine. Dave: Sure. Brian Amounts above that start to, you know, raise questions as to whether. That's reasonable working capital or not? Given that the entity's a paper entity, it doesn't really have any expenses. Maybe some bank fees. That would be about it. In most cases, it really doesn't need cash sitting. Dave: Yeah. Yeah. So maybe 3000, 3,500 to account for some bank fees or, Brian yeah, at most, yeah, we start getting about 5,000. It really starts to [00:22:00] look questionable. Dave: Okay. Oh, I just realized, I think in the initial assessment there was a step we forgot and that's, do they want to make it a buy sell disc or a commission disc? What percentage of your clients are commission discs? Mine a hundred percent. That's Brian 99%. Dave: Yeah. So we're just stepping ahead assuming that it would be a commission disc, Brian right. I mean, the only time you would really have a buy sell disc. 'cause if you have a business where. They're buying inventory from unrelated parties. And all the inventory is manufactured in the US and all of it is export. Dave: Yeah. Brian Okay. That, that, that I do have, like I said, two clients that have adopted that structure. One was commissioned disc with an S-corp and they converted, they merged the S-corp into the disc and just became an operating disc. You know, and that's a little different than a buy sell disc. I mean, an operating disc. People think of buy, sell dis an operating disc for the same thing. They're really not. I mean, 'cause you could have a, the equivalent of a commission disc, but have it be by sell where it could buy product from its related exporter and then export it. Dave: Okay. Brian It's possible that, that, that tho that fact pattern, I don't have any clients in. Dave: Okay. Brian It's possible. Dave: Okay. So we've got the election filed and then at some point the IRS will send the taxpayer letter approving the election, right? Brian Correct. That is, that was true. Dave: And then so we've got the, the B and usually it makes more sense to have the disc bank account at the same bank as the operating company, right? Brian It typically does, Dave: yes. Yeah. And we'll get into that when we get further into the operation of the disc. Okay. So it's all set up. And elections filed, election approved. So now certainly we're done with incorporation and government governance matters, right? Brian No. No, Dave: not yet. Brian Not yet. Not yet. Okay. We still have to make sure there's a a call, a related supplier agreement or disc commission supplier agreement in place between the, the exporting entity or entities and the disc itself. This document is, it's not, again, it's not required in the regulations, but it is recommended. It gives the related supplier a lot of flexibility in how it uses the disc and if it uses the disc and it gives it unilateral powers to decide not to use the disc. It also lays out the, you know, sort of boil legal boilerplate language about an inter intercompany agreement between the two business. Dave: So you could just go to chat GPT and have them spool up a one page sales agent agreement. Is that right? Brian Maybe. I don't know. I haven't tried that 'cause I don't wanna teach chat GPT how to, how to do that, but because every time you ask it a question, you teach it, right? Dave: Sure. Brian General, no, it's a pretty specific agreement and it has very specific provisions in it. Provisions and so somebody that knows what they're doing really needs to draft them. Dave: Okay. Okay. So this is kind of pointing away from just having your general corporate attorney who's never heard of a disc, do all that quote paperwork. Brian Yeah. I never recommend. I always recommend that a specialist do it, namely myself take care of it. Dave: Okay. Yeah. 'cause you are, in addition to having an accounting background, you're also a tax attorney, correct? Brian Correct. Dave: Correct. Okay. Brian Yeah. And you know, some of the documents that need to be created, yeah. That can be done by a general corporate attorney like bylaws and those as well and or other organizational documents that aren't disc specific can only be done by any attorney. But but if, but really it doesn't make sense to split that work up amongst different attorneys. Dave: Okay. Sure. Brian It all sort of be done by the same party to make sure that it's, that everything gets taken here. Dave: Okay. Brian And timely because there's a 90 day window to get this, in my opinion, to get this all done. Dave: Yeah, to co to coincide with the election filing. Brian Right. Because typically I don't provide any of the documents, including the election, to the, to the client until all these things are done. Dave: Yeah. Oh, I see. Sure, sure. Because then there's, Brian you know, they have to sign the disc election and there's all these other documents they need to sign and put in a minute book. And so rather than piecemeal it, we just give it to them all at once. Dave: Okay. So they've got their binder with all their signed documents or a signed copy of the 48 76 A that was filed a copy of the approval from the IRS. So now finally, are we ready to get started using our disc? Is there. Brian Collection the I. Yeah. As you've probably seen in the news, things are changing at the postal service as far as postmarks and what they can be relied on as when something was considered filed. So they're not promising the postmark things that they, you drop them in the mail anymore. Dave: Oh, really? Okay. I hadn't heard that. Brian Yeah. So it's recommended to go, like, walk it to a counter and have it hands stamped with [00:28:00] a postmark. Yeah. But more importantly, and unfortunately not everybody listens to this, send the form certified mail return receipt requested. 'cause many times document is sent to Kansas City and they lose track. Oh, we never got your dis election. We can't process your dis return, whatever. And then there's proof that it was sent and then they have to, you know, find it basically. Dave: Okay. Or Brian at least accept it, maybe even if they never find. Dave: Yeah. Brian But there's one other thing about the disc and that we didn't talk about and, and I'm reminded of it because something you asked me in passing last week, which is something about the year end of the disc, the year end of the disc must coincide with its principal shareholder. So if I have a C corp that's a fiscal year, but the owners of the disc aren't gonna be [00:29:00] individuals, that disc will be a calendar year disc. Dave: Sure. Brian Not be a fiscal year company. And you know, if. It's owned by, let's say an S corp that has a fiscal year, then the disc will have a fiscal year. It, it must have the same year as its principalship. Dave: Okay. Yeah. Good. Thanks for the reminder of that. Brian And sometimes the disc collection gets filled out incorrectly. Somebody assumes one thing and, and then when a return is filed, the IRS, they're like, they, they dunno what to do. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Alright. Now finally, do we have a little bouncing baby disc to be delivered to its proud parents? I think so. Dave: Okay. Okay. Okay. Brian And that's usually, it's usually about three to five months after it was formed. Dave: Okay. Brian Is when it started eating solids. Dave: Okay. Alright, so now we've got the disc set up and 9:45 AM I'm, I'm sorry, I keep touching my watch and it says the time, apparently it's time to just take off my watch. Okay. So now, so let's just say that they have not yet set up the bank account. They've done everything else, and now it's time to set up the bank account so they, you know, call their local banker. They get it set up at the same bank, so it can be on the same online banking platform. And then they fund it. And does it matter where the funding comes, comes from for that bank account? Can they just like say the company. I mean, can just anybody fund it? Say there's three shareholders, can just one shareholder write a check for $2,500 to fund it? Or how does that all look? Brian Well, I mean, there, there will be a subscription agreement that shows how much each shareholder owes for their shares, and each shareholder should pay for them. Okay. Can't just be one. Dave: Okay. So we have the bank account set up, we're ready to go. And so now we're at the end of the year, or approaching the end of the year. Let's say we're in November of 2026. Anything we need to do before the end of the year Brian for an accrual based taxpayer? No. Okay. There's nothing paid to do, but before the end of the year. Dave: And what about for a cash basis? Brian For a cash basis, taxpayer, if we want a deduction in 2026. We need to pay the DIS in 2026, so Dave: we Brian would need to gather information in order to estimate a DIS commission for 2026 before the end of the year. Dave: Okay. So cash basis, that's what we need to do by the end of the year. Accrual basis. Basis, no. Do I need to do [00:32:00] anything by the end of the year? Brian You don't need to. You have an option to, if you'd like to, if you wanna have an idea of what the disc commission might be, or you actually wanna pay it before the end of the year, but there's no requirement. Dave: Yeah. And if you don't, and if you don't pay it by the end of the year, you get a deferral benefit Brian possibly. Dave: Yeah so say, say you did a hundred million of exports and your commission was $20 million. You just get to defer that whole thing till the next year, right? Brian No, Dave: no. Brian, all you say is No. Every good idea have you just say No. Brian It could defer 10% of it to the next year because only the income related to 10 million of export sales can be deferred, and it'd be a little less than 10% because the disc wasn't there the whole year. So we'd have to prorate that 10 million for the number of days the disc existed. And then some sliver can be deferred, but the rest of it is gonna be taxed to the shareholders as a deemed dividend Dave: in the current year. In the Brian current. Dave: Okay. Brian Then not taxed when physically distributed in the following. Dave: Okay, so we have an accrual tax payer. We get into the to 2027, and let's say they're extending their corporate return and they're planning to file that in August of 27. So we're done. We don't have anything else to do before August. Right? Brian That's not true either. Dave: Brian, Brian you're Dave: killing me. Brian Yeah, well, it, I mean, it depends. If nothing was done before the end of the year, then something needs to be done within the first 60 days after the accrual base taxpayer. Or, you know, let's say the cash base taxpayer says, I don't [00:34:00] care if I get my deduction next year, so I'm not gonna pay anything this year. Something needs to be paid at this within 60 days of the end of the year. Dave: So is this one of those things like the sales agent agreement, that that's just recommended? Brian No, this is required. Dave: Required. Okay. Brian Yeah. This is required. This is, this is one of the hot buttons the IRS will try to use to disqualify your disc. Dave: Okay. Brian So the disc accrues a receivable at the end of the year, even though it doesn't know the amount at the end of the year for all, for, for disc purposes and books an an accrual for the income at the end of the year. That accrual or the receivable is only a qualified export asset if, if the payment rules around that receivable or satisfy. Dave: Okay. Okay. Brian One Dave: rule Rules. Rules. There's always rules. Brian Yeah. It's very draconian. You have a 60 day rule and a 90 day rule. 60 day rule says you must pay a reasonable estimate of the disc commission to the disc within 60 days of the end of the year in cash or. It could be cash, it could be a note. Dave: And reasonable is just any old amount. You just put your finger in the air and ah, I think a hundred dollars is reasonable. Brian Again, that's not the case. There is a safe harbor for what is reasonable, and that safe harbor is f at least 50% of the final commission amount that you Dave: determine. But how do you know that in February Brian you have, Dave: if you're not preparing the corporate, Brian you have to try to compute an estimate before the end of FE Dave: and you have to nail it exactly at 50%. So if you think the commission's gonna be $1,217,412, you need to pay exactly 50% of that, Brian at least. [00:36:00] Dave: Oh, at least. So you could pay more. At Brian least you could pay more. And we always recommend maybe paying 75 to 80%. Dave: Okay. Brian Because if you pay whatever you pay. That amount is gonna be your limit. So if you thought it was gonna be a million and you paid 500,000 and it turns out to be 1,000,500, too bad. So sad, you only paid 500,000, you're capped at a million. Dave: Okay? I mean, that's the safe harbor. I suppose there might be circumstances where, where one could argue that they maybe the first year of the disc, and you know, they, they, Brian you can argue it, you can try to argue it, but there's no guarantee that the IS will accept any of the arguments. And the private letter rulings that exist from the 1970s would imply that they, they're really not going to accept just about any rationale for being reasonable other than that 50% bright [00:37:00] line safe harbor. Dave: Okay so you make the payment, Brian make that payment, and. Dave: Can you just book a journal entry? Do you, do you actually have to really move the money? It sounds like a hassle. Brian I mean, in, in general you have to, you have to either create a note or move cash. Dave: Okay. Brian Okay. Dave: But that might be a lot of money though. Like what if, what if it's like $2 million and million? The company only has a million dollars in the bank. Brian They could use the same capital multiple times. Dave: Oh, okay. Brian And roundtrip the money as many times as they need to, or like I said, use the, use the promissory note. Dave: Okay. Brian Short term promissory note to satisfy that requirement because it does say cash or property. Dave: Okay. So we get through February, we've made our, our 60 day payment. We've, we've, you know, sh sh we've, we, instead of doing 50%, we did about 80% of what we thought it was gonna be to give us some cushion, and now we can go take a vacation till the till the corporate returns ready. Brian Yeah. I, I, I think so. Dave: Okay. Brian I think so. Dave: Okay. So it's time to now. So it's time. Now, if they extend that corporate return, I guess they're gonna have to extend the disc return as well. Brian Well, the disc return is due September 15th as a matter of course. Dave: Oh, Brian are handy. There are no extensions. So really as far as the disc and its compliance goes, once you make that 60 day payment, there's really not much you can or should do or are able to do until the related entities tax return. Prepared. [00:39:00] So a lot of times they'll say, well, that's not gonna be done till September 15th, and we have to have a discussion about how that doesn't work because the disc return has to be done by September 15th, but in order to do the disc return, you need to basically a completed within it supplier returns. So then we have to work backwards from September 15th to figure out like when's the latest they can have that, that other return done in order Dave: to Brian get the disc return done. Now that's relatively easy in the past through context because all those pass through returns are also due September 15th on extension. Dave: Sure. Brian Whereas a C corporation, it's not so easy because the extended due date for a C corporation, if it's a calendar year is October 15th. So it may be that you have to file a disc return with a made up number on time and then amend it after. Okay. After September 15th. I've done that a number of times. Dave: Okay. So that makes sense. Brian Because as is good as CPAs are, they're deadline driven. So if a return is due October 15th, they're unlikely to have it done by the end of August. Dave: Yeah. Okay. So it's time to file the disc return. I assume the CPA firm probably has that disc return and their standard tax software with all the other forms. So you just have the CPA go ahead and prepare the disc return. I've looked at it, it's a short return. It's like 10 pages long. So you just go ahead and have the CPA prepare the disc return, then bing, bam, boom, you're done. Brian Could do that. Dave: Okay. Is there a drawback to doing that? Brian Yeah, it would probably be wrong. Dave: Okay. Why do you say that? Now, remember [Brian, we have a lot of CPAs who we have very good relationships with that we share clients, you know, saying that they're probably gonna do it wrong. I mean, heck, I don't really wanna annoy all my great CPAs we work with Brian Well, okay, but it, well, it's just a fact. It'll probably okay Dave: be Brian wrong because they might see one or two or three a year. They, they think they know what all the different terms on the district return mean, but they're not as familiar with that as they are with a S Corp return or a partnership return, or 1120. So they do what they think is right, and it may be right, it may not be right. So again, I, in my opinion, you want a specialist preparing the district return. Dave: Okay. Brian Okay. Because we know exactly how it's supposed to be filled out. And then if, if the calculation is done on a transaction by transaction [00:42:00] basis, there's this schedule P that gets attached to the return. Well, if you don't do a T by T, there's one Schedule P. If you do a T by T, there could be thousands of them. So I don't think CPAs and their software are equipped to complete thousands of schedule Ps and attach Dave: Yeah. Brian To the district. Dave: No, good point. And you're, you're getting your your enthusiasm to get to T by t had me, you got a little ahead of me. 'cause I was gonna ask, so client says, Hey, we have a desk. Our accounting department's busy. What's just the bare minimum of information we need to send you? What's the bare minimum? Brian Bare minimum would be qualified export sales. Dave: They just need to send you a number. Brian Yes. Dave: Then you take that number and how hard can it be? Right. Just take the, Brian it's not, it's not necessarily that hard at that point. Dave: Yeah. But say the profit on those sales [00:43:00] is the average profit of the company and taxable profit. And you compute the disc commission, you go through the Schedule P and compute the disc commission and pick the higher of the two numbers that you, that you compute. So you would just be like the final draft, corporate return and that total export number, you know, dollar amount for the year. And, and that's really all you need to, to do. That's Brian the bare bone. That's the bare bones, yeah. Dave: Okay. And that's what some people would call the standard calculation or a simple calculation, Brian I'd call it simple. Yeah. Dave: Okay. And that's also known as the 4% 50% calculation in some circles. Right. How does that work? Brian Well, it's also known as the safe harbor calculation in certain circles as well. Back to that, Dave: back to that safe harbor again. Brian Yeah. But that's actually not a safe harbor, so that's why I bring that up. Dave: Okay, well Brian that's the safe harbor calculation. I'm like, no, it's not. It's just the [00:44:00] calculation. There's nothing safe harbor about Dave: it. Okay. Brian Okay. It's just the rules that are found in the code and regs for computing and disc commission, and they're the two predominant methods. 4% of sales and the 50% of net profit, Dave: you just cherry pick whichever one works better. Brian Yeah, but the 4% method has limitations. So Dave: more limitations probably. Why? Why can't this just be simple? You said it was the simple calculation and now you're already telling me there's inherent complexity. Brian Even if it's simple, it's not totally simple. Dave: Okay. Okay, Brian so the, and I've seen this done wrong. Millions, well, not millions, hundreds of times, and I can say it is hundreds of times. Client computes the 4% method just by choosing 4% of sales. They don't look at what their net income is on the, on the [00:45:00] activity. They just say, oh, I'm allowed to use 4% of sales. The limit there is you cannot create a loss. There's something called the no loss rules. You can't create a loss with a disc commission if one doesn't already exist. So if the profit on, say, on the sales are 2% of sales, you can't take 4% of sales. You're limited to 2% of sales. And if, for example, you have a loss of the company, you're limited to zero. But I've seen situations where that's completely ignored. Dave: Okay? Brian Properly computed this commission of 4% of sales, but it should have been something less or possibly zero. Dave: Okay? So more complexity, but the good news, that's the extent of the complexity. One, schedule P, 4%, 50%, you know, make sure you, you don't create a loss. Now we're, we're all done. Pop. You [00:46:00] know what, what? Dusted and dusted and delivered we're, we're good to go. They've maximized their dis commission, right? And we're all done. They have a nice 10 page return to send to the IRS. Which by the way, can they file that electronically, that return? Brian Fortunately, there are no provisions for electronic filing of the disc return. It must be, Dave: what is this, the 1970s or something? Brian Pretty much Dave: Okay Brian with, with regard to the disc? Yeah. And, and some other forms. Yeah. But the, the, the benefit of that, here, I'll give you a benefit. The benefit of the fact that you must file a paper return is they can have an electronic signature on it. Okay. It doesn't have to have a wet signature. Dave: Okay? Okay. Brian So you could theoretically, for example, send your client the return using DocuSign, have them sign it. You print it, you file it for, Dave: okay. Okay. But, but now we're finally done. It's signed, it's done. And they say, boy, thank you very much, Brian. You've done, your team did a great job, and boy, I really appreciate, you know, we had 10 million of exports. We have all kinds of variability in our profit margins. And, but thank you very much. You, you created the amazing $400,000 or you calculated the 400,000 disc commission. Thank you very much. I couldn't imagine you went above and beyond. I couldn't imagine you could have done anything more. And then what do you say? Do you graciously say, oh, you're welcome. It was our pleasure. Brian I would graciously say, you know, we, we've just computed your minimum disc commission. Dave: Okay, Brian not your maximum. Because you have Dave: vast, lemme guess. Lemme guess. There's more complexity coming. Brian More complexity, which relies on more data being. Pulled from the client's [00:48:00] records to, to allow for a calculation of the DISC commission at a more detailed level, ideally at a line item by invoice level, Dave: line item. That sounds like a lot of work. Brian It can be. Can be a Dave: lot. What if the client says, our accounting department's busy? Sounds like we're gonna have to spend weeks gathering all this data for you. Eh, it's just, we're too busy, it's not worth it. What do you say then? Brian I gu I almost can guarantee you it will be worth it. Okay. Because looking at the detail is likely to cause at Disconnect commission to be anywhere from 50 to three, 400% higher than what it otherwise would've been. Now, unfortunately, in that first year, since you've already filed with a certain number, you're limited to two times what you paid in that 60 day window. But going forward. You know, there's no limit. Dave: Okay. Brian Whatever we compute can be your disc commission. So different industries have different amount of variability and t and transaction by transaction calculations have different impacts depending upon the industry, the profitability of the business, how many products they have, who they sell to. But it can vary. But I'll give you an example of one that we worked on recently where company had a hundred million of export sales. They took 4% of sales, and they've been taking 4% of sales year after year, after year, after year, after year, Dave: okay. Brian They brought us in like three weeks before the district return. Dave: Okay. Brian And we went through the calculations and we actually calculated 17 million Dave: as opposed to 4 million. Brian As opposed to four. Dave: [00:50:00] Yikes. That's a big difference. Brian It's a huge difference. And fortunately they were, you know, well, I mean they were very pleased with the result. And so now on a going forward basis, we're not doing 4% of sales. Dave: Okay? But you still have this. But if they were able to get a $17 million commission, then that means their corporate taxable income must have been at least 17 million. 'cause didn't I hear you say the disc commission cannot cause a loss. Brian It cannot cause a loss at the level at which you're computing the commission. So there's no, you're killing me, Brian. Just more complexity. Yeah. Well, it's very complex area. There's, there's no overall no loss rule. Like if you, you can, as long as you're meeting the rules as they're written, you can cause your entity to go into a loss position. Now, this particular instance, it did not do that, but [00:51:00] you could do that. Dave: Okay. And then if you get into a loss position, there are other non disc complexities that come into play that impact whether you want to maximize the loss in that entity or you want to target a particular loss in that entity. And that's not something that we get involved with, but we're certainly sensitive to it. Sure. Sure. And so you're saying for this client, even though I've heard some people say you've got the simple calc and then the hard calc. And so you'd wonder why would anyone do the hard calc? Well, it's because their commission went from 4 million to 17 million, which saved them hundreds of thousands of dollars. You created hundreds or millions of dollars with additional tax savings. Brian Right, right. Dave: Okay. Brian And by the way, after the first conversation we had with them, they said, oh [00:52:00] yeah, this is not something we can do. The accounting department said, this is not something we can do. Then the owner said, this is something you're gonna, Dave: it's funny how that, how that works. Okay. And then I'm guessing this extra work. You, you're probably gonna have to create another schedule P or two. So now the disc return, it's gonna be 10 pages. It's what? 20 pages? Is that kind of a typical page count? Brian No, it could be Dave: no. Brian Thousands of pages. Dave: Thousands. I mean, Brian, a ream of paper is 500. So thousands would be reams of paper. Brian Yes. I've had some returns that have like 15 binders of paper. Dave: Yikes. Brian Yeah. Just goes in a big box and I'm sure the IRS types, all those schedule Ps into their, Dave: I'm sure they do. Okay. So the return gets filed, so the return's ready. You take that box, you just slap a you print off a postal label online, drop it off at the post office. And you're done, right? You just give it to carrier, Brian understand, Dave: carrier, carrier your house or whatever. Brian Well, you can send it via FedEx. You can send it via UPS. And actually, in some ways, I think that might be better these days than the postal service. Dave: And why do you have to do that? Can you just slap, I mean, if you have your 15 binders, couldn't you just put a hundred stamps, you know, on the, the box and ship it in because they'll get it, right? I mean, it's not like they're gonna lose it or anything. Brian They might, they could very well lose it. And you definitely want proof of delivery and you want proof of mailing. So again, it's a certified mail if you're using the postal service or if you're using a private carrier like FedEx, you know, you get all that documentation about when it was shipped and when it was delivered.[00:54:00] Dave: Okay, well now at least we're finally done. Right? You ship it off. The CPA pulls the numbers from the disc return, puts it on the corporate and shareholder returns. Now we're done. It's gone to the IRS. We never have to think about it again. Right. Brian I'm not sure if that's a trick question or not, but in some ways that could be true, Dave: right? Yeah. But it, but I guess you could get audited, right? Brian Could get audited by an agent who has no idea what they're doing, which is typically the case. Dave: So that's why you want your CPA defending you in that case. 'cause then it's like the blind leading the blind. Brian No, I think it's better if someone with site is involved. So again, the specialist who did the disc work should represent the taxpayer or be involved with the representation of taxpayer in the case of the audit. Dave: Okay. Brian And the should be involved. Because really what's under, what's really in question is the [00:55:00] deduction on that entity's tax return. The dis itself doesn't pay tax. So they rarely audit a dis quote. Dave: Okay? So if I break it down, you to do it really right? You need a specialist to guide you on the initial structure of the disc. You need another specialist to set up the, the disc. You need another specialist to do all the paperwork, make sure the document's correct another specialist to prepare the return, and then another specialist to defend you. So is that about right? So do you need like five different people to make sure everything's done right? Brian? Isn't there some way that you could just have one person that could just do it all for you and be done with it? Brian Well, of course. Dave: Okay. Finally, finally, I get a simple answer, Brian right? So if you, if you engage a disc specialist, that [specialist should be able to do all that. Dave: Okay? Brian Okay. Now, not every disc specialist is created equally. Dave: Sure. Brian You know, I brought up during our conversation that there are some non disc things that can also add complexity to the situation. Not every disc specialist will be sensitive to those things. Not every disc specialist will understand those things. So the benefits that like our organization brings is that. Least myself in particular, I didn't always just do IC disc work. I, I, I have a well-rounded knowledge of all of the, of the tax world. And so I am sensitive to non disc things. You know, for example, you know, another example, oh, a company has a lot of export sales. You would think it's a no brainer. They should have a dis, they should use the dis. They should, they, they should want to convert that ordinary income to qualified dividend [00:57:00] income. Well, what if the S-corp is owned by an ebit? What if there are passive shareholders? All of those things impact whether the disc commission actually helps or hurts their tax situation. And I would get, I would venture a guess that, you know, if you went out and Googled, you know, I see this specialist, you would find a handful. At most that understand all that stuff and how all it all interplays together as opposed to the multitude of those that won't understand any of it. Dave: Okay. Brian So I think a, a disc specialist that is sensitive to all the other tax rules is, is definitely something that is valuable. Dave: And you probably want someone with some experience who's done maybe, you know, what a dozen disc returns in their career, maybe 50 if they're really good. Like how many, how many have we done organization wide? Probably Brian probably 10,000. Dave: 10,000? Well, that's a lot more than 50. Brian Yes. Over the years it's probably close to that number. And we've probably claimed billions of dollars of just deductions and saved clients, hundreds of millions of dollars of tax. And, and I'm proud to say that every dollar we've ever claimed we've. Okay. Dave: So Brian I've never had an adjustment from the IRS. Dave: Well, that sounds like a, a good a good record. So bottom line, Brian that's, that's the best you can come up with a good record. I'd say it's Dave: well, I didn't wanna say a perfect record. I didn't want to jinxy. Brian No, but it's, it's, it's, it's pretty outstanding record. Dave: Yeah. It's a, it's an impressive record Brian because there are also just providers out there that say, well, you know, Dave: it's the Wild West. Brian The wild west, the IRS doesn't really understand it, so let's be as aggressive as possible. And, and that's not the way we approach it. Dave: Yeah. Wow. Well, this has been this has been a lot. So really it's that simple. So the person who wants to just do all this themselves, we've laid out the whole playbook for them. Brian Yeah. The only simple thing they have to do is call us. Dave: There you go. That is it. Yeah. And, and oh, the other thing, not only are you the Bob, hope you now have moved from number two to number one for the most experienced icy disc guy. I know now that Neil Block is retired. Brian Well, that's, I don't know if that's a plus or not. Whether I'll take it just means I've been doing it a long time myself. So Dave: yeah, Neil was, I think my second, first or second guess. And and I was just happy. 'cause his billing rate back then was like $1,500 an hour. I was just glad I didn't get a bill a month later for him being on the podcast. But he, [01:00:00] he did it for exactly 50 years at one firm, baker and McKinsey in Chicago. He had one office, one phone number, like the whole 50 years. Brian Yeah. That's, Dave: that is something you don't see much anymore. Brian Definitely not, no. It's, but it's very, that's. That's very cool. And Neil is a very, you know, is a very intelligent savvy guy. Dave: Yeah, that is for sure. Well, Brian, anything else that we didn't cover that you can think of? Brian I can't think of anything. I think we covered a, a great deal here. Dave: Okay. Brian Can't think. Dave: Well, I, I'll let Brian we omitted. Dave: Well, great. Well, hey, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it. And I'll let you get back to your, your exploration of your yard there. Brian Yeah. I feel like, it's funny I shrunk the kids. Dave: I know. Well, hey, well, well again, thanks again, Brian. We all appreciate your time. Brian You're welcome. Have a good day. Dave: You too.

On the 7th of April 1994, at just after 3pm, FedEx Flight 705 departed Memphis, Tennessee for a flight to San Jose, California. What followed was one of the most harrowing and heroic journeys of the 20th century.CW: discussion of suicide + plane related turmoil + hammer-based violenceThis is a comedy/history podcast, the report begins at approximately 10:05 (though as always, we go off on tangents throughout the report).For all our important links: https://linktr.ee/dogoonpod Check out our other podcasts:Book Cheat: https://play.acast.com/s/book-cheatPrime Mates: https://play.acast.com/s/prime-mates/Listen Now: https://play.acast.com/s/listen-now/Who Knew It with Matt Stewart: https://play.acast.com/s/who-knew-it-with-matt-stewart/Jess Writes A Rom-Com: https://shows.acast.com/jess-writes-a-rom-comOur awesome theme song by Evan Munro-Smith and logo by Peader ThomasDo Go On acknowledges the traditional owners of the land we record on, the Wurundjeri people, in the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders, past and present. REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING:https://tailstrike.com/database/7-april-1994-fedex-705/ Tailstrike.com Cockpit Voice Recorder Database: A database containing CVR transcripts of aviation accidents and incidentshttps://web.archive.org/web/20180330092721/http://aenlogistics.com/general-interest/remembering-fedex-flight-705/https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/money/industries/logistics/2019/04/05/fedex-plane-hijacking-flight-705/3286453002/Black Box Down podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FedEx defines a residential surcharge as a shipment addressed to a home or private residence, including locations where business is conducted from home or a shipment where the shipper designates the delivery address as residential. UPS and FedEx charge a higher price for residential addresses. In short, this additional charge is due to the inconvenience of delivering one shipment to a single location, compared to possible multiple deliveries with a commercial address. Read More Since 2006, Refund Retriever has audited FedEx and UPS packages for late deliveries and billing mistakes. Through a complete logistics analysis, we assist shippers in maximizing carrier discounts and achieving best-in-class pricing. Are you paying too much for your shipping? Refund Retriever also offers a solution to all your Amazon FBA reimbursement problems. We manually check the whole inventory lifecycle to guarantee all inventory is available for sale. To learn more about FedEx/UPS auditing, contract negotiation, or Amazon FBA reimbursement services, visit: https://zurl.co/ZUqV

The regulatory battle between Washington and Sacramento reaches a boiling point as the ⁠DOT threatens to strip California of its authority to issue commercial driver's licenses⁠. This unprecedented "nuclear option" escalates beyond the initial dispute over non-domiciled credentials and could leave hundreds of thousands of drivers unable to operate in interstate commerce. On the weather front, the FMCSA has issued a ⁠massive 40-state regional emergency declaration⁠ to assist with relief efforts during Winter Storm Fern. While the Northeast battles snow, the Southeast faces dangerous ice storm conditions that have ⁠left over one million people without power⁠ and grounded thousands of flights. In market news, ⁠FedEx Freight prepares for its spinoff as a standalone company⁠ with a freshly assigned investment-grade credit rating. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines leverages its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines to ⁠launch new international cargo routes into London and Rome⁠. Finally, analysts predict a ⁠dramatic rise in transportation M&A activity by late 2026⁠, though buyers remain focused on specialized carriers rather than general freight. This recovery favors companies with defensible service models while pure spot market brokerages may continue to struggle. ⁠Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode dives into the future of longevity, healthspan, and proactive healthcare with Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, a world-renowned longevity expert and CEO of Optispan. He shares his unlikely "comic book origin story," from playing in rock bands and working blue-collar jobs to becoming a leading scientist at MIT and a founder of multiple longevity initiatives including the Dog Aging Project. The conversation breaks down the difference between lifespan and healthspan, why lifestyle "four pillars" (eat, move, sleep, connect) matter most, and how simple shifts like cutting ultra-processed foods can dramatically improve long-term vitality. Dr. Kaeberlein also explores the promise and pitfalls of AI in healthcare, why longevity is not just for billionaires, and how Optispan aims to use advanced diagnostics and personalized, science-backed care to reclaim 10–20 years of higher-quality life for everyday people. Along the way, he gives pragmatic takes on GLP‑1 drugs, creatine, supplements, microplastics, and the mindset shift of "choose love, not fear" as a guiding principle for a longer, better life.   Dr. Kaeberlein is also the host of The Optispan Podcast, a top-rated show with tens of thousands of loyal listeners. Through both the podcast and his growing Instagram presence (@mkaeberlein), he breaks down complex topics—from gut health to cellular aging—bringing scientific clarity to a crowded wellness landscape.   Is there a guest you want Equalman to interview on the podcast? Do you have any questions you wish you could ask an expert? Send an email to our team: Equalman@equalman.com   5x #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 55 countries and reached over 50 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling.   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.   Learn more at https://equalman.com

This audio clip from Erik Qualman's #1 bestselling book The Focus Project explores the "Rule of Three," the idea that information grouped in threes is more memorable for audiences.   5x #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 55 countries and reached over 50 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling.   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.   Learn more at https://equalman.com

For 35-year-old Crystal Rogers, nothing was more important than her family - her parents, her four kids, and her long-term boyfriend, Brooks. So on July 4th weekend, 2015, when all of these people realized that none of them had heard from her in days, panic ensued. Her car was soon found abandoned on the side of the highway. It had a flat tire and her purse, cell phone, and wallet were all left inside the vehicle. So what happened? Was she abducted? Did she take off? As the police and her parents begin to investigate separately, they find more questions than answers. And when the cops connect her disappearance to two other murders in the area, a picture starts to come into focus. The journey to finding out what happened to Crystal WILL LEAVE YOU SCREAMING. So, you know, come scream with us. Find and watch "The Trouble in Bardstown" on PeacockWE'RE ON YOUTUBE - Want to view the episodes and not just listen?  Check our new video feed to see full video episodes starting today. CLICK HERE TO WATCH AND SUBSCRIBE!LOOKING FOR MORE TCO? On our Patreon feed, you'll find over 400 FULL AD-FREE BONUS episodes to BINGE RIGHT NOW, including our episode-by-episode coverage of popular documentary series like Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, LulaRich, and The Curious Case of Natalia Grace; classics like The Jinx, Making A Murderer, and The Staircase; and well-known cases like The Menendez Murders, Casey Anthony: American Murder Mystery, and The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and so many more!Episode Sponsors: Hers - Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit www.forhers.com/TCO to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. Hiya - The pediatrician-approved superpowered chewable vitamin. Receive 50% off your first order at www.hiyahealth.com/TCO Our Place - Stop cooking with toxic cookware, and upgrade to Our Place today. Visit www.fromourplace.com/TCO for 10% off sitewide Chime - Make progress towards a better financial future with Chime. Open your account in 2 minutes at www.chime.com/TCO Stamps.com - Print postage on demand and get up to 90% off carrier rates like FedEx, UPS, and USPS!  Go to www.stamps.com and use code tco to get sixty days risk-free!  Join the TCO Community! Follow True Crime Obsessed on Instagram and TikTok, and join us on Facebook at the True Crime Obsessed Podcast Discussion Group!  AND INTRODUCING THE NEW TCO DISCORD CHANNEL AS WELL!!!

Mind Pump Fit Tip: The Magic Macronutrient: The Power of Protein. (2:37) The crazy story of how FedEx almost went bankrupt! (24:33) Going down the 'Squatter Hunter' rabbit hole. (27:32) Approved drugs that get taken off the market. (33:06) Holding your breath to get your way. (39:23) Biggest tantrums. (41:12) Why children save their hardest emotion for their mother. (43:08) The hidden benefits of Shilajit. (49:44) #ListenerCoaching call #1 – Are you genetically limited to gaining more mass? (58:12) #ListenerCoaching call #2 – Advice on progressing my lifting, setting new goals, and modifying the MAPS programs for five days per week. (1:08:19) #ListenerCoaching call #3 – Can you recommend how I can now go on a cut while ensuring I don't hurt my neck while doing exercises? (1:27:12) Related Links/Products Mentioned Get Coached by Mind Pump, live! Visit https://www.mplivecaller.com  Visit Crisp Power for an exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! ** Code MINDPUMP10 for 20% off. Give your snack game a serious upgrade. Crisp Power Protein Pretzels deliver super crunchy and delicious snacks that are up to 28g of protein, low carb, zero sugar, and high in fiber! ** Visit Organifi for the exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! **Code MINDPUMP at checkout for 20% off** January Promotion: Code NEWYEAR50 at checkout for 50% off the following programs: MAPS Starter, Transform, Anabolic, and Performance! Mind Pump Store Mind Pump #2450: The Smartest Way to Use Protein to Burn Fat & Build Muscle Mind Pump #2763: Eat as Much as You Want, but Don't Get Fat (JUST follow these 2 rules) Mind Pump #2731: The Ultimate Muscle Building Diet (Without Getting Fat) New weight loss drugs could boost cell energy safely Why children save their hardest emotion for their mother Shilajit, a Natural Phytocomplex Acts as a Neuroprotective Agent Against Amyloid Beta-induced Cytotoxicity and Inflammation Shilajit for Testosterone: Scientific Evidence  Shilajit extract reduces oxidative stress, inflammation, and bone loss to dose-dependently preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Does Shilajit Increase Muscle Growth? Exploring the Benefits of This Ancient Ayurvedic Treasure Visit Joymode for an exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! ** Enter MINDPUMP at checkout for 20% off your first order. ** Mind Pump #2560: How to Break Free from Destructive Body Image Issues Mind Pump #1510: Four Things Women in Their 40's Need to Know About Fitness Mind Pump Podcast – YouTube Mind Pump Free Resources People Mentioned Mike Matthews (@muscleforlifefitness) Instagram Justin Brink DC (@dr.justinbrink) Instagram