Podcasts about FFS

This week (***we wrongly say eppy 166, we DO mean 165, ooopsie) the huns love hedgehogs, Hannah's not socially well and did Big S date a bad boy? We discuss army lads, exes and there's every chance the world's ending. But what a lovely time we're having. It's best we turn to the tarot to find out if WW3 is coming. Spoiler - it is the King of Wands. Which predicts Big Masculine Energy. FFS.  Anyway, who cares! This week is... a Creep of the Week Special!!!! Where we hear a lovely selection of YOUR spookiest stories! COW COW COW COW! CA-COW! Story 1  Big S takes us to South London. A terrifying haunting on Anerley Hill... in Room 3B. Sent by Dio. Story 2  Hannah has a gorge story from Helena - some AUDIO EVIDENCE OF A GHOST in Devon! In Stoke Fleming...!!! Which is where we went and experienced a table tipping by itself.  Story 3  Suzie gots a tale from anonymous... This is a creepy but wholesome one from the West Coast of Scotland. Story 4 Hannah narrates a stun story about the Ancient Ram Inn in Gloucestershire. VIDEO EVIDENCE! Sent by a gorge Suzi. Finally, we end with telepathy which is getting us closer to being... Pros. Sort of.  ENJOY HUNS WE LOVE YAAAAA xoxoxo JOIN OUR PATREON! EXTRA bonus episodes AND a monthly ghost hunt for just £4.50!  Or £6 for AD-FREE EPS and weekly AGONY HUNS! We'll solve your problems huns!  Sign up here: www.patreon.com/GhostHuns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can you build iconic characters that your readers want to keep coming back to? How can you be the kind of creator that readers trust, even without social media? With Claire Taylor In the intro, Dan Brown talks writing and publishing [Tetragrammaton]; Design Rules That Make or Break a Book [Self-Publishing Advice]; Amazon's DRM change [Kindlepreneur]; Show me the money [Rachael Herron]; AI bible translation [Wycliffe, Pope Leo tweet]. Plus, Business for Authors 24 Jan webinar, and Bones of the Deep. Today's show is sponsored by Bookfunnel, the essential tool for your author business. Whether it's delivering your reader magnet, sending out advanced copies of your book, handing out ebooks at a conference, or fulfilling your digital sales to readers, BookFunnel does it all. Check it out at bookfunnel.com/thecreativepenn This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Claire Taylor is a humour and mystery author, the owner of FFS Media, and a certified Enneagram coach. She teaches authors to write stronger stories and build sustainable careers at LiberatedWriter.com, and her book is Write Iconic Characters: Unlocking the Core Motivations that Fuel Unforgettable Stories. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why Claire left social media and how she still markets her books and services What the Enneagram is and how core fears and desires shape character motivation Using Enneagram types (including Wednesday Addams as an example) to write iconic characters Creating rich conflict and relationships by pairing different Enneagram types on the page Coping with rapid change, AI, and fear in the author community in 2026 Building a trustworthy, human author brand through honesty, transparency, and vulnerability You can find Claire at LiberatedWriter.com, FFS.media, or on Substack as The Liberated Writer. Transcript of the interview with Claire Taylor Joanna: Claire Taylor is a humour and mystery author, the owner of FFS Media, and a certified Enneagram coach. She teaches authors to write stronger stories and build sustainable careers at LiberatedWriter.com, and her book is Write Iconic Characters: Unlocking the Core Motivations that Fuel Unforgettable Stories. So, welcome back to the show, Claire. Claire: Thank you so much for having me back. I'm excited to be here. Joanna: It's great to have you back on the show. It was March 2024 when you were last on, so almost two years now as this goes out. Give us a bit of an update. How has your writing craft and your author business changed in that time? Claire: One of the things I've been focusing on with my own fiction craft is deconstructing the rules of how a story “should” be. That's been a sort of hobby focus of mine. All the story structure books aren't law, right? That's why there are so many of them. They're all suggestions, frameworks. They're all trying to quantify humans' innate ability to understand a story. So I'm trying to remember more that I already know what a story is, deep down. My job as an author is to keep the reader's attention from start to finish and leave them feeling the way I hope they'll feel at the end. That's been my focus on the craft side. On the author business side, I've made some big shifts. I left social media earlier this year, and I've been looking more towards one-on-one coaching and networking. I did a craft-based Kickstarter, and I'd been focusing a lot on “career, career, career”—very business-minded—and now I'm creating more content again, especially around using the Enneagram for writing craft. So there's been a lot of transition since 2024 for me. Joanna: I think it's so important—and obviously we're going to get into your book in more detail—but I do think it's important for people to hear about our pivots and transitions. I haven't spoken to you for a while, but I actually started a master's degree a few months back. I'm doing a full-time master's alongside everything else I do. So I've kind of put down book writing for the moment, and I'm doing essay writing and academic writing instead. It's quite different, as you can imagine. It sounds like what you're doing is different too. One thing I know will have perked up people's ears is: “I left social media.” Tell us a bit more about that. Claire: This was a move that I could feel coming for a while. I didn't like what social media did to my attention. Even when I wasn't on it, there was almost a hangover from having been on it. My attention didn't feel as sharp and focused as it used to be, back before social media became what it is now. So I started asking myself some questions: What is lost if I leave? What is gained if I leave? And what is social media actually doing for me today? Because sometimes we hold on to what it used to do for us, and we keep trying to squeeze more and more of that out of it. But it has changed so much. There are almost no places with sufficient organic reach anymore. It's all pay-to-play, and the cost of pay-to-play keeps going up. I looked at the numbers for my business. My Kickstarter was a great place to analyse that because they track so many traffic sources so clearly. I could see exactly how much I was getting from social media when I advertised and promoted my projects there. Then I asked: can I let that go in order to get my attention back and make my life feel more settled? And I decided: yes, I can. That's worth more to me. Joanna: There are some things money can't buy. Sometimes it really isn't about the money. I like your question: what is lost and what is gained? You also said it's all pay-to-play and there's no organic reach. I do think there is some organic reach for some people who don't pay, but those people are very good at playing the game of whatever the platform wants. So, TikTok for example—you might not have to pay money yet, but you do have to play their game. You have to pay with your time instead of money. I agree with you. I don't think there's anywhere you can literally just post something and know it will reliably reach the people who follow you. Claire: Right. Exactly. TikTok currently, if you really play the game, will sometimes “pick” you, right? But that “pick me” energy is not really my jam. And we can see the trend—this “organic” thing doesn't last. It's organic for now. You can play the game for now, but TikTok would be crazy not to change things so they make more money. So eventually everything becomes pay-to-play. TikTok is fun, but for me it's addictive. I took it off my phone years ago because I would do the infinite scroll. There's so much candy there. Then I'd wake up the next morning and notice my mood just wasn't where I wanted it to be. My energy was low. I really saw a correlation between how much I scrolled and how flat I felt afterwards. So I realised: I'm not the person to pay-to-play or to play the game here. I'm not even convinced that the pay-to-play on certain social media networks is being tracked in a reliable, accountable way anymore. Who is holding them accountable for those numbers? You can sort of see correlation in your sales, but still, I just became more and more sceptical. In the end, it just wasn't for me. My life is so much better on a daily basis without it. That's definitely a decision I have not regretted for a second. Joanna: I'm sorry to keep on about this, but I think this is great because this is going out in January 2026, and there will be lots of people examining their relationship with social media. It's one of those things we all examine every year, pretty much. The other thing I'd add is that you are a very self-aware person. You spend a lot of time thinking about these things and noticing your own behaviour and energy. Stopping and thinking is such an important part of it. But let's tackle the big question: one of the reasons people don't want to come off social media is that they're afraid they don't know how else to market. How are you marketing if you're not using social media? Claire: I didn't leave social media overnight. Over time, I've been adjusting and transitioning, preparing my business and myself mentally and emotionally for probably about a year. I still market to my email list. That has always been important to my business. I've also started a Substack that fits how my brain works. Substack is interesting. Some people might consider it a form of social media—it has that new reading feed—but it feels much more like blogging to me. It's blogging where you can be discovered, which is lovely. I've been doing more long-form content there. You get access to all the emails of your subscribers, which is crucial to me. I don't want to build on something I can't take with me. So I've been doing more long-form content, and that seems to keep my core audience with me. I've got plenty of people subscribed; people continue to come back, work with me, and tell their friends. Word of mouth has always been the way my business markets best, because it's hard to describe the benefits of what I do in a quick, catchy way. It needs context. So I'm leaning even more on that. Then I'm also shifting my fiction book selling more local. Joanna: In person? Claire: Yes. In person and local. Networking and just telling more people that I'm an author. Connecting more deeply with my existing email lists and communities and selling that way. Joanna: I think at the end of the day it does come back to the email list. I think this is one of the benefits of selling direct to people through Shopify or Payhip or whatever, or locally, because you can build your email list. Every person you bring into your own ecosystem, you get their data and you can stay in touch. Whereas all the things we did for years to get people to go to Amazon, we didn't get their emails and details. It's so interesting where we are right now in the author business. Okay, we'll come back to some of these things, but let's get into the book and what you do. Obviously what underpins the book is the Enneagram. Just remind us what the Enneagram is, why you incorporate it into so much of your work, and why you find it resonates so much. Claire: The Enneagram is a framework that describes patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions that tend to arise from nine different core motivations. Those core motivations are made up of a fear–desire pair. So, for instance, there's the fear of lacking worth and the desire to be worthy. That pair is the Type Three core motivation. If you're a Type Three, sometimes called “The Achiever,” that's your fundamental driver. What we fear and desire above all the other fears and desires determines where our attention goes. And attention is something authors benefit greatly from understanding. We have to keep people's attention, so we want to understand our own attention and how to cultivate it. The things our attention goes to build our understanding of ourselves and the world. Being intentional about that, and paying attention to what your characters pay attention to—and what your readers are paying attention to—is hugely beneficial. It can give you a real leg up. That's why I focus on the Enneagram. I find it very useful at that core level. You can build a lot of other things on top of it with your characters: their backstory, personal histories, little quirks—all of that can be built off the Enneagram foundation. Why I like the Enneagram more than other frameworks like MBTI or the Big Five is that it not only shows us how our fears are confining us—that's really what it's charting—but it also shows us a path towards liberation from those fears. That's where the Enneagram really shines: the growth path, the freedom from the confines of our own personality. It offers that to anyone who wants to study and discover it. A lot of the authors I work with say things like, “I'm just so sick of my own stuff.” And I get it. We all get sick of running into the same patterns over and over again. We can get sick of our personality! The Enneagram is a really good tool for figuring out what's going on and how to try something new, because often we can't even see that there are other options. We have this particular lens we're looking through. That's why I like to play with it, and why I find it so useful. Joanna: That's really interesting. It sounds like you have a lot of mature authors—and when I say “mature,” I mean authors with a lot of books under their belt, not necessarily age. There are different problems at different stages of the author career, and the problem you just described—“I'm getting sick of my stuff”—sounds like a mature author issue. What are some of the other issues you see in the community that are quite common amongst indie authors? Claire: One that comes up a lot, especially early on, is: “Am I doing this right?” That's a big question. People say, “I don't know if I'm doing this right. I'm going to mess it up. This person told me this was the way to do things, but I don't think I can do it this way. Am I doomed?” That's the fear. A lot of what I help people with is seeing that there isn't a single “right” way to do this. There's a way that's going to feel more aligned to you, and there are millions of ways to approach an author career because we're all constructing it as we go. You were there in the early days. We were all just making this up as we went along. Joanna: Exactly. There was a time when ebooks were PDFs, there wasn't even a Kindle, and there was no iPhone. We were literally just making it up. Claire: Right. Exactly. That spirit of “we're all making it up” is important. Some of us have come up with frameworks that work for us, and then we tell other people about them—“Here's a process; try this process”—but that doesn't mean it's the process. Understanding what motivates you—those core motivations—helps you see where you're going to bump into advice that's not right for you, and how to start making decisions that fit your attention, your life, your desires in this author role. Early on we do a lot of that work. Then there are the authors who started a while ago and have a bunch of books. They hit a point where they say, “I've changed so much since I started writing. I need to figure out how to adjust my career.” Joanna: Tell us more about that, because I think that's you and me. How do we deal with that? Claire: Well, crying helps. Joanna: That is true! There's always a bit of crying involved in reinvention. From my perspective, my brand has always been built around me. People are still here—I know some people listening who have been with the podcast since I started it in 2009—and I've always been me. Even though I've done loads of different things and changed along the way, at heart I'm still me. I'm really glad I built a personal brand around who I am, rather than around one genre or a single topic. How about you? How do you see it? Claire: I'm the same. I just can't stick with something that doesn't feel right for me anymore. I'll start to rebel against it. There's also that “good girl” part of me that wants to do things the way they're supposed to be done and keep everybody happy. I have to keep an eye on her, because she'll default to “this is the way it should be done,” and then I end up constricted. As we advance through our careers, positioning around what motivates us and what we love, and allowing ourselves to understand that it's okay to change—even though it's painful—is crucial. It's actually destructive not to change over time. We end up forfeiting so many things that make life worth living if we don't allow ourselves to grow and change. We end up in this tiny box. People sometimes say the Enneagram is very restrictive. “It's only nine types, you're putting me in a box.” It's like: no. These are the boxes we've put ourselves in. Then we use the Enneagram to figure out how to get out of the box. As we start to see the box we've put ourselves in with our personality—“that's me, that's not me”—we realise how much movement we actually have, how many options we have, while still being ourselves. Joanna: So many options. This kind of brings us into your book, because part of the personal brand thing is being real and having different facets. Your book is Write Iconic Characters, and presumably these are characters that people want to read more about. It uses the Enneagram to construct these better characters. So first up— What's your definition of an iconic character, as opposed to any old character? And how can we use the Enneagram to construct one? Claire: An iconic character, in my imagination, is one that really sticks with us after we've finished the story. They become a reference point. We'll say, “This person is kind of like that character,” or “This situation feels like that character would handle it this way.” It could be our friends, our enemies, someone we meet on the bus—whoever it is might remind us of this character. So they really get lodged in our psyche. An iconic character feels true to some fundamental part of the human condition, even if they're not strictly human. So, all the alien romance people listening, don't worry—you're still in! These characters take on a life of their own. With an iconic character, we may hear them talking to us after the book is done, because we've tapped into that essential part of them. They can become almost archetypal—something we go back to over and over again in our minds, both as writers and as readers. Joanna: How can we use the Enneagram to construct an iconic character? I'm asking this as a discovery writer who struggles to construct anything beforehand. It's more that I write stuff and then something emerges. But I have definitely not had a hit series with an iconic character, so I'm willing to give your approach a try. Claire: It works with whatever your process is. If you're a discovery writer, start with that spark of a character in your head. If there's a character who's just a glimmer—maybe you know a few things about them—just keep writing. At some point you'll probably recognise, “Okay, it's time to go deeper in understanding this character and create a cohesive thread to pull all of this together.” That's where the Enneagram becomes useful. You can put on your armchair psychologist hat and ask: which of the nine core fears seems like it might be driving the parts of their personality that are emerging? Thankfully, we intuitively recognise the nine types. When we start gathering bits for a new character, we tend to pull from essentially the same constellation of personality, even if we don't realise it. For instance, you might say, “This character is bold and adventurous,” and that's all you know. You're probably not going to also add, “and they're incredibly shy,” because “bold and adventurous” plus “incredibly shy” doesn't really fit our intuitive understanding of people. We know that instinctively. So, you've got “bold and adventurous.” You write that to a certain point, and then you get to a place where you think, “I don't really know them deeply.” That's when you can go back to the nine core fears and start ruling some out quite quickly. In the book, I have descriptions for each of them. You can read the character descriptions, read about the motivations, and start to say, “It's definitely not these five types. I can rule those out.” If they're bold and adventurous, maybe the core fear is being trapped in deprivation and pain, or being harmed and controlled. Those correspond to Type Seven (“The Enthusiast”) and Type Eight (“The Challenger”), respectively. So you might say, “Okay, maybe they're a Seven or an Eight.” From there, if you can pin down a type, you can read more about it and get ideas. You can understand the next big decision point. If they're a Type Seven, what's going to motivate them? They'll do whatever keeps them from being trapped in pain and deprivation, and they'll be seeking satisfaction or new experiences in some way, because that's the core desire that goes with that fear. So now, you're asking: “How do I get them to get on the spaceship and leave Earth?” Well, you could offer them some adventure, because they're bold and adventurous. I have a character who's a Seven, and she gets on a spaceship and takes off because her boyfriend just proposed—and the idea of being trapped in marriage feels like: “Nope. Whatever is on this spaceship, I'm out of here.” You can play with that once you identify a type. You can go as deep with that type as you want, or you can just work with the core fear and the basic desire. There's no “better or worse”—it's whatever you feel comfortable with and whatever you need for the story. Joanna: In the book, you go into all the Enneagram types in detail, but you also have a specific example: Wednesday Addams. She's one of my favourites. People listening have either seen the current series or they have something in mind from the old-school Addams Family. Can you talk about [Wednesday Addams] as an example? Claire: Doing those deep dives was some of the most fun research for this book. I told my husband, John, “Don't bother me. I need to sit and binge-watch Wednesday again—with my notebook this time.” Online, people were guessing: “Oh, she's maybe this type, maybe that type.” As soon as I started watching properly with the Enneagram in mind, I thought: “Oh, this is a Type Eight, this is the Challenger.” One of the first things we hear from her is that she considers emotions to be weakness. Immediately, you can cross out a bunch of types from that. When we're looking at weak/strong language—that lens of “strength” versus “weakness”—we tend to look towards Eights, because they often sort the world in those terms. They're concerned about being harmed or controlled, so they feel they need to be strong and powerful. That gave me a strong hint in that direction. If we look at the inciting incident—which is a great place to identify what really triggers a character, because it has to be powerful enough to launch the story—Wednesday finds her little brother Pugsley stuffed in a locker. She says, “Who did this?” because she believes she's the only one who gets to bully him. That's a very stereotypical Type Eight thing. The unhealthy Eight can dip into being a bit of a bully because they're focused on power and power dynamics. But the Eight also says, “These are my people. I protect them. If you're one of my people, you're under my protection.” So there's that protection/control paradox. Then she goes and—spoiler—throws a bag of piranhas into the pool to attack the boys who hurt him. That's like: okay, this is probably an Eight. Then she has control wrested from her when she's sent to the new school. That's a big trigger for an Eight: to not have autonomy, to not have control. She acts out pretty much immediately, tries to push people away, and establishes dominance. One of the first things she does is challenge the popular girl to a fencing match. That's very Eight behaviour: “I'm going to go in, figure out where I sit in this power structure, and try to get into a position of power straight away.” That's how the story starts, and in the book I go into a lot more analysis. At one point she's attacked by this mysterious thing and is narrowly saved from a monster. Her reaction afterwards is: “I would have rather saved myself.” That's another strong Eight moment. The Eight does not like to be saved by anyone else. It's: “No, I wanted to be strong enough to do that.” Her story arc is also very Eight-flavoured: she starts off walled-off, “I can do it myself,” which can sometimes look like the self-sufficiency of the Five, but for her it's about always being in a power position and in control of herself. She has to learn to rely more on other people if she wants to protect the people she cares about. Protecting the innocent and protecting “her people” is a big priority for the Eight. Joanna: Let's say we've identified our main character and protagonist. One of the important things in any book, especially in a series, is conflict—both internal and external. Can we use the Enneagram to work out what would be the best other character, or characters, to give us more conflict? Claire: The character dynamics are complex, and all types are going to have both commonalities and conflict between them. That works really well for fiction. But depending on how much conflict you need, there are certain type pairings that are especially good for it. If you have a protagonist who's an Eight, they're going to generate conflict everywhere because it doesn't really bother them. They're okay wading into conflict. If you ask an Eight, “Do you like conflict?” they'll often say, “Well, sometimes it's not great,” but to everyone else it looks like they come in like a wrecking ball. The Eight tends to go for what they want. They don't see the point in waiting. They think, “I want it, I'm going to go and get it.” That makes them feel strong and powerful. So it's easy to create external and internal conflict with an Eight and other types. But the nature of the conflict is going to be different depending on who you pair them with. Let's say you have this Eight and you pair them with a Type One, “The Reformer,” whose core fear is being bad or corrupt, and who wants to be good and have integrity. The Reformer wants morality. They can get a little preachy; they can become a bit of a zealot when they're more unhealthy. A One and an Eight will have a very particular kind of conflict because the One says, “Let's do what's right,” and the Eight says, “Let's do what gets me what I want and puts me in the power position.” They may absolutely get along if they're taking on injustice. Ones and Eights will team up if they both see the same thing as unjust. They'll both take it on together. But then they may reach a point in the story where the choice is between doing the thing that is “right”—maybe self-sacrificing or moral—versus doing the thing that will exact retribution or secure a power-up. That's where the conflict between a One and an Eight shows up. You can grab any two types and they'll have unique conflict. I'm actually working on a project on Kickstarter that's all about character dynamics and relationships—Write Iconic Relationships is the next project—and I go deeper into this there. Joanna: I was wondering about that, because I did a day-thing recently with colour palettes and interior design—which is not usually my thing—so I was really challenging myself. We did this colour wheel, and they were talking about how the opposite colour on the wheel is the one that goes with it in an interesting way. I thought— Maybe there's something in the Enneagram where it's like a wheel, and the type opposite is the one that clashes or fits in a certain way. Is that a thing? Claire: There is a lot of that kind of contrast. The Enneagram is usually depicted in a circle, one through nine, and there are strong contrasts between types that are right next to each other, as well as interesting lines that connect them. For example, we've been talking about the Eight, and right next to Eight is Nine, “The Peacemaker.” Eights and Nines can look like opposites in certain ways. The Nine is conflict-avoidant, and the Eight tends to think you get what you want by pushing into conflict if necessary. Then you've got Four, “The Individualist,” which is very emotional, artistic, heart-centred, and Five, “The Investigator,” which you're familiar with—very head-centred and analytical, thinking-based. The Four and the Five can clash a bit: the head and the heart. So, yes, there are interesting contrasts right next to each other on the wheel. Each type also has its own conflict style. We're going into the weeds a bit here, but it's fascinating to play with. There's one conflict style—the avoidant conflict style, sometimes called the “positive outlook” group—and it's actually hard to get those types into an enemies-to-lovers romance because they don't really want to be enemies. That's Types Two, Seven, and Nine. So depending on the trope you're writing, some type pairings are more frictional than others. There are all these different dynamics you can explore, and I can't wait to dig into them more for everyone in the relationships book. Joanna: The Enneagram is just one of many tools people can use to figure out themselves as well as their characters. Maybe that's something people want to look at this year. You've got this book, you've got other resources that go into it, and there's also a lot of information out there if people want to explore it more deeply. Let's pull back out to the bigger picture, because as this goes out in January 2026, I think there is a real fear of change in the community right now. Is that something you've seen? What are your thoughts for authors on how they can navigate the year ahead? Claire: Yes, there has been a lot of fear. The rate of change of things online has felt very rapid. The rate of change in the broader world—politically, socially—has also felt scary to a lot of people. It can be really helpful to look at your own personal life and anchor yourself in what hasn't changed and what feels universal. From there you can start to say, “Okay, I can do this. I'm safe enough to be creative. I can find creative ways to work within this new environment.” You can choose to engage with AI. You can choose to opt out. It's totally your choice, and there is no inherent virtue in either one. I think that's important to say. Sometimes people who are anti-AI—not just uninterested but actively antagonistic—go after people who like it. And sometimes people who like AI can be antagonistic towards people who don't want to use it. But actually, you get to choose what you're comfortable with. One of the things I see emerging for authors in 2026, regardless of what tools you're using or how you feel about them, is this question of trustworthiness. I think there's a big need for that. With the increased number of images and videos that are AI-generated—which a lot of people who've been on the internet for a while can still recognise as AI and say, “Yeah, that's AI”—but that may not be obvious for long. Right now some of us can tell, but a lot of people can't, and that's only going to get murkier. There's a rising mistrust of our own senses online lately. We're starting to wonder, “Can I believe what I'm seeing and hearing?” And I think that sense of mistrust will increase. As an author in that environment, it's really worth focusing on: how do I build trust with my readers? That doesn't mean you never use AI. It might simply mean you disclose, to whatever extent feels right for you, how you use it. There are things like authenticity, honesty, vulnerability, humility, integrity, transparency, reliability—all of those are ingredients in this recipe of trustworthiness that we need to look at for ourselves. If there's one piece of hard inner work authors can do for 2026, I think it's asking: “Where have I not been trustworthy to my readers?” Then taking that hard, sometimes painful look at what comes up, and asking how you can adjust. What do you need to change? What new practices do you need to create that will increase trustworthiness? I really think that's the thing that's starting to erode online. If you can work on it now, you can hold onto your readers through whatever comes next. Joanna: What's one concrete thing people could do in that direction [to increase trustworthiness]? Claire: I would say disclosing if you use AI is a really good start—or at least disclosing how you use it specifically. I know that can lead to drama when you do it because people have strong opinions, but trustworthiness comes at the cost of courage and honesty. Transparency is another ingredient we could all use more of. If transparency around AI is a hard “absolutely not” for you—if you're thinking, “Nope, Claire, you can get lost with that”—then authenticity is another route. Let your messy self be visible, because people still want some human in the mix. Being authentically messy and vulnerable with your audience helps. If you can't be reliable and put the book out on time, at least share what's going on in your life. Staying connected in that way builds trust. Readers will think, “Okay, I see why you didn't hit that deadline.” But if you're always promising books—“It's going to be out on this day,” and then, “Oh, I had to push it back,” and that happens again and again—that does erode the trustworthiness of your brand. So, looking at those things and asking, “How am I cultivating trust, and how am I breaking it?” is hard work. There are definitely ways I look at my own business and think, “That's not a very trustworthy thing I'm doing.” Then I need to sit down, get real with myself, and see how I can improve that. Joanna: Always improving is good. Coming back to the personal brand piece, and to being vulnerable and putting ourselves out there: you and I have both got used to that over years of doing it and practising. There are people listening who have never put their photo online, or their voice online, or done a video. They might not use their photo on the back of their book or on their website. They might use an avatar. They might use a pen name. They might be afraid of having anything about themselves online. That's where I think there is a concern, because as much as I love a lot of the AI stuff, I don't love the idea of everything being hidden behind anonymous pen names and faceless brands. As you said, being vulnerable in some way and being recognisably human really matters. I'd say: double down on being human. I think that's really important. Do you have any words of courage for people who feel, “I just can't. I don't want to put myself out there”? Claire: There are definitely legitimate reasons some people wouldn't want to be visible. There are safety reasons, cultural reasons, family reasons—all sorts of factors. There are also a lot of authors who simply haven't practised the muscle of vulnerability. You build that muscle a little bit at a time. It does open you up to criticism, and some people are just not at a phase of life where they can cope with that. That's okay. If fear is the main reason—if you're hiding because you're scared of being judged—I do encourage you to step out, gently. This may be my personal soapbox, but I don't think life is meant to be spent hiding. Things may happen. Not everyone will like you. That's part of being alive. When you invite in hiding, it doesn't just stay in one corner. That constricted feeling tends to spread into other areas of your life. A lot of the time, people I work with don't want to disclose their pen names because they're worried their parents won't approve, and then we have to unpack that. You don't have to do what your parents want you to do. You're an adult now, right? If the issue is, “They'll cut me out of the will,” we can talk about that too. That's a deeper, more practical conversation. But if it's just that they won't approve, you have more freedom than you think. You also don't have to plaster your picture everywhere. Even if you're not comfortable showing your face, you can still communicate who you are and what matters to you in other ways—through your stories, through your email list, through how you talk to readers. Let your authentic self be expressed in some way. It's scary, but the reward is freedom. Joanna: Absolutely. Lots to explore in 2026. Tell people where they can find you and your books and everything you do online. Claire: LiberatedWriter.com is where all of my stuff lives, except my fiction, which I don't think people here are necessarily as interested in. If you do want to find my fiction, FFS Media is where that lives. Then I'm on Substack as well. I write long pieces there. If you want to subscribe, it's The Liberated Writer on Substack. Joanna: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Claire. That was great. Claire: Thanks so much for having me.The post Leaving Social Media, Writing Iconic Characters, and Building Trust With Claire Taylor first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Welcome back instructor and friend of the show Drew Gill. We take a deep dive into FFS and even deeper into how effective a jerkbait can be in the cold. 

This summer we've curated your Help I Have A Teenager playlist with a healthy dose of culture-savvy conversation parents actually want - Parenting Out Loud. On Parenting Out Loud this episode: The rise of the stealth mum. From Margot Robbie's press tour to your work colleague who's never mentioned having kids, we're exploring why hiding motherhood has become the new cultural currency. Plus, praising your child is a fraught business. Do you compliment their efforts, their appearance, their creations? Perhaps millennial parents are overthinking things... again. We discuss. And, there's a tiny internet feud happening on Facebook that we need to talk about. Plus, our recommendations:

This summer we've curated your Help I Have A Teenager playlist with a healthy dose of culture-savvy conversation parents actually want - Parenting Out Loud. Welcome to Parenting Out Loud where you can be sure you're kicking off your weekend right. Monz, Amelia and Stacey are here to unpack the week once more — through the wild, wonderful lens of parenthood. On the show this week: KPop Demon Hunters is smashing records. Kids love it, parents ADORE it so, what’s behind all the hype? Tracking apps: a non-negotiable today, or are we just spying on the ones we love? The evidence that says having kids young is a good idea. We’re not completely sold, but we are talking about it. And Anne Hathaway: the quiet queen of gentle parenting who put the paps in their place. Settle in — it’s the group chat you won’t want to mute. Plus, it’s our recommendations:

This summer we've curated your Help I Have A Teenager playlist with a healthy dose of culture-savvy conversation parents actually want - Parenting Out Loud. Want more Parenting Out Loud? Click here. In this episode of Parenting Out Loud: We reflect on Father’s Day and the distinct shift in its marketing. Amelia unpacks what’s changed and why. Bluey: adorable? Absolutely. But is this the kids' TV show that's also making us feel… bad? Welcome to the Bluey Inadequacy Complex. Monz explains all. Plus, ❤️

It's one of our favorite episodes of the year where we recap a bad (or is it actually a genius?) holiday movie. This year's pick: Christmas at the Catnip Cafe. Olivia, a marketing exec (OF COURSE SHE IS) is left half a cat cafe in her aunt's will and who owns the other half? A hot vet who loves cats, obviously. Olivia hates cats! And has no time for romance or small towns! But does love to make vegetable tians! Oh my god, WHAT will happen?!  Have a very festive, safe holiday y'all. And men, ask how you can help, FFS. 

The podcast features a return visit from Erick Godsey, who has worked alongside Kyle for over six years in Fit For Service (FFS) and previously at Onnit, where their desks were next to each other. They share a deep bond over discussions on Jungian psychology, tarot readings, and personal growth. The conversation primarily centers around their recent shared experience participating in a vision quest guided by Ken Conte, recounting their transformative journeys and the lessons learned. Kyle and Erick discuss the physical and psychological challenges they faced, the spiritual teachings they encountered, and the profound impacts on their personal lives and relationships. They also touch upon the end of their time with FFS, the grief and growth that came with it, and their plans for future ventures like Full Temple Reset and the Kyle's new digital community. Throughout, the importance of facing adversity, alchemical transformation, and continuous self-improvement is emphasized.   FULL TEMPLE RESET registration is now open. Check it out here: https://kingsbu.com/fulltemplereset   Connect with Erick here: Instagram Lucid University   From Kyle: The Community is coming! Click here to learn more   Our Sponsors: Let's level up your nicotine routine with Lucy. Go to Lucy.co/KKP and use promo code (KKP) to get 20% off your first order. Lucy offers FREE SHIPPING and has a 30-day refund policy if you change your mind. To SUPERCHARGE YOUR STEM CELLS, go to qualialife.com/kyle15 for up to 50% off, and use code KYLE15 for an additional 15%. Go to tonum.com/KKP, use the code KKP, and get 10% off your first order of Nouro.   Connect with Kyle: I'm back on Instagram, come say hey @kylekingsbu Twitter: @kingsbu Our Farm Initiative: @gardenersofeden.earth Odysee: odysee.com/@KyleKingsburypod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Kyle-Kingsbury Kyle's Website: www.kingsbu.com - Gardeners of Eden site If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe & leave a 5-star review with your thoughts!  

EPISODE 189 - Just stay back a few minutes until the truck passes by, FFS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FFS

FFS! RIGHT MUST UNITE TO BEAT STARMER  #Starmer #Farage #BenHabib #RupertLowe #TommyRobinson #ReformUK #JonGaunt #Live  Starmer is clinging on and is determined not to resign so the Right of politics need to stop their playground squabbling and unite to prevent and obstruct Starmer's determination to wreck the UK.  We can not wait another 4 years to remove this lousy Labour Government we need an united opposition.  Farage and Rupert Lowe need to "kiss and make up." Ben Habib's considerable intellect needs to be employed and of course Tommy Robinson has the ability to get people out on to the streets. All of these leaders claim they are Patriots so now they need to prove that with their actions by uniting and opposing all the social engineering that Starmer will want to implement: ID cards, illegal migrants, rejoining EU, and FREE SPEECH restrictions and much more. Starmer and Lord Hermer have already shown their intent with their attacks on Farage and his alleged comments as a 13 year old boy!  Farage today the rest of them tomorrow?  Join me and tell me what you think.  #Starmer #Farage #BenHabib #RupertLowe #TommyRobinson #ReformUK #JonGaunt #Live #KeirStarmer #LabourParty #ReformUK #UKPolitics #jongaunttv #JonGaunt #TalkRadio #FreeSpeech #CancelCulture #Brexit #UKPolitics #NoCensorship #CultureWar #PoliticalCommentary #AntiWoke  Starmer, Farage, Ben Habib, Rupert Lowe, Tommy Robinson Reform UK, Jon Gaunt, Live This is political blogging and hard-hitting social commentary from Triple Sony Gold Award-winning talk radio legend, Jon Gaunt — former host on BBC, Talk Radio, and Sky News. On Jon Gaunt TV, we cut through the noise and say what others won't. No political correctness. No censorship. Just real conversations that matter.

Happy Holidays to all you FFs! We're eternally grateful for each and every one of you. See you soon!

On this episode of Low Budget Live (Not So Live), Luke runs his mouth about Thanksgiving traditions, a heavy week, the MLF team series, the Jaden Parrish Bassmaster DQ, and is joined by The Dean Himself, Pete Gluszek, to talk seeing it all on the road, a very special trip to Alabama, being inspired by younger anglers, his passion behind The Bass University, FFS excitment and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fee-for-service model isn't just failing your clients; it's actively burning out the very doctors they're supposed to trust. My guest this week, Dr. John Van Der Veer, isn't just a critic of this broken model; he's a refugee from it. After hitting his own breaking point as a primary care doc and Chief Medical Officer, he built the alternative: a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice. In this episode, Dr. Van Der Veer gives you a doctor's firsthand account of why the FFS system is designed to fail. We get into the new framework that DPC provides, how it actually aligns incentives to save your clients money, and how he's scaling it through a massive partnership with Hy-Vee. This is the proof you need to finally lead your clients away from the problem and toward the solution.▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Callhttps://calendly.com/aneary/strategy-sessionKEY MOMENTS(00:00:00) A Doctor's Take On How Fee-For-Service Is Failing Your Clients (00:09:05) The DPC Fix: Realigning Incentives with Patient Care (00:09:24) The Gateway to Smarter, Cheaper Advanced Care (00:11:29) More Time, Better Outcomes: The DPC Patient Experience (00:24:01) Scaling the Solution: The Hy-Vee Partnership (00:32:22) The Engagement Strategy: Getting People to Actually Use DPC CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

This week - from vegan sea gulls to stunning football - the new study that destroys the fairy tales of Farage, Badenoch and even Octopus….The exit tax that gives a budget clue, poisonous tap water and what did privatisation ever do for us? Musk descends deeper into his hole …. and Reform's promises evaporate on contact.  An awesome listener observation - a tale of two bacons in the Guardian ….and Dale fact checks himself - with FFS.

L'11 gennaio del 1945, il fuoco aereo alleato uccide un macchinista sulla sua locomotiva FFS alla stazione di Chiasso. Si tratta di Lindoro Bezzola.Silvana Bozzola Rigolini ricompone il mosaico di una tragedia dimenticata nel libro presentato a Radio3i e Teleticino.

This week on Ike Live, we're coming to you LIVE from the bar! Ike and Becky are back from an unforgettable trip through Spain and Portugal, and they're sharing stories, fishing insights, and all the wild moments from the road. But that's just the beginning… We're also diving into two massive breaking updates in the tournament bass fishing world: Bassmaster's shocking new rule banning anglers from livestreaming their tournament days – what does this mean for anglers, sponsors, and fans? Major League Fishing's new forward-facing sonar rule at the BFL level – anglers are now limited to just 3 hours of using FFS and 360 sonar during tournament days. Is this the start of a sport-wide shift? Join Mike and Becky for real talk, strong opinions, and unfiltered takes on where the sport is headed. Grab a drink, settle in, and let's talk fishing.   #IkeLive #MikeIaconelli #BassFishingPodcast #MLF #Bassmaster #LivestreamBan #ForwardFacingSonar #BFL #FishingControversy #FishingNews #ProFishing #TournamentFishing #FFS #FishingRules #FishingCommunity

This week we sit down with a couple veteran PMTT anglers Chris Riebe and Scott “2 Pounder” Popowski that teamed up for the first time for the 2025 trail. We go into depth of their progression into the sport and where it's take them. From fishing with zero electronics to using Tony Grant as a human FFS. These two have a ton of knowledge and have been successful all over the muskie range. Theres a ton of take aways and laughs throughout this episode. Sit back, grab a cold one and enjoy.

ON the latest episode of Bass Cast Radio, we sit down with one of the brightest young men in the sport, Tucker Smith. We discuss his 2025 Rookie of the Year title, his 1st Bassmaster Elite Series victory. Then we dive into probably one of his biggest accomplishments in the sport, shutting down the FFS haters & taking home 1/2 million dollars at the Ultimate Angler Championship on Lake Guntersville. Will this quite the noise or get us all more excited for 2026? We end it all discussing the 2026 Bassmaster Classic on the Tennessee River. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bass-cast-radio--1838782/support.Become a Patreon memebet now for less then a pack of worms you can support Bass Cast Radio as well as get each epsiode a day early & commercial free. Just click the link below. PATREON 

Spooky season is just about to hit and we’re asking: what’s the point of Halloween, anyway? And are Australians missing one crucial trick about it that could change... everything? Monz unpacks. Then, Amelia makes a bold claim — some nepo babies are better than others. But why do some rise while others flop, even within the same famous family? And in a twist no one saw coming, Hailey Bieber just became our accidental parenting guru. Yep, that wasn't on our bingo card for 2025 either. Stacey has feelings. Big feelings. Grab your headphones and join the conversation. Our recommendations:

When I was a kid (many MANY years ago) I thought it was the coolest thing to look in other people's tackle boxes. If I'm being honest, I still do! What do they throw, colors, hooks, weird bait's I've never seen or heard of. It's just cool / intriguing / fun. So I grabbed a totally random box outta my boat and decided to open it up and talk about it. I also go on two old man rants about BASS and their new FFS stuff and the tragedy of Flint Davis. PLEASE GIVE US A 5 STAR POSITIVE REVIEW ON WHATEVER PLATFORM YOU'RE ON! TELL A FRIEND. SHARE THE WORD! Seriously though, it really helps us! POSITIVITY IS WORTH THE EFFORT! ALL FISHING IS FUN FISHING! ⁠https://www.tackleandtacos.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.grizzlycoolers.com-⁠ code WCB for 15% off ⁠https://hookandarrowsupply.com⁠ ⁠https://www.leupold.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.workingclassbowhunter.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/p/Moldys-Marine-100067184804787/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, we welcome on Research Scientist Ryan Henry. We get to sit down with Ryan and chat about some of his recent research projects, including the impacts on new technology on our fisheries, preserving potential record breaking fish the RIGHT WAY, protecting bass populations from natural disasters, and more!   Brought to you by:  American Legacy Fishing & Outdoors www.americanlegacyfishing.com Use Code: TACKLETALK5 for 5% Off (including sale items!)

Your weekend sanity check has arrived. A new episode of Parenting Out Loud is here with all the conversations you need - because if parents are thinking about it, we're talking about it. Are you feeling ‘The Squeeze’? The daily chaos of modern parenting is real. We unpack why you’re feeling maxed out and overwhelmed and talk about whether there’s actually anything you can do about it. Plus, are you raising readers or just scrollers? And in today’s digital world, is it even important? We discuss whether it’s possible to get over your scrolling addiction and get you (and your kids) back into books. And, the dads are in their feelings this week, and we’re here for it. George Clooney reflects on the sacrifices he’s made for success, while Prince William reveals how even Royal dads can feel overwhelmed when it comes to raising tiny humans. Our recommendations:

In this Bright Spots in Healthcare episode, host Eric Glazer brings together an all-star panel of leaders who are reshaping the future of Medicaid and social care. Our guests include: Vanita Pindolia, Vice President, Medicare Star Ratings, Emergent Holdings (BlueCross BlueShield Michigan) Jason Merola, MD, Chief Medical Officer, MVP Health Care Charlotta Eriksson, Lead Director, National VBC Partnerships (Specialty), Aetna Mary O'Connor, MD, Chief Medical Officer & Co-Founder, Vori Together, they explore: How Medicare Advantage plans are embedding Stars, CAHPS, and adherence metrics directly into provider contracts to drive accountability, improve quality, and sustain year-over-year performance gains. How payers like Aetna are expanding value-based care into specialty domains—from CKD and oncology to musculoskeletal and cardiology—by partnering with specialty-aligned organizations rather than converting individual specialists to risk models. How MVP Health Care is designing hybrid incentive structures that reward specialists for closing quality gaps and improving outcomes, without requiring full downside risk. Why MSK care is becoming pivotal to Stars success, as physical and mental health measures grow in weight through 2027, and how holistic, physician-led models are improving activity, satisfaction, and cost savings simultaneously. How digital-first specialty networks are solving access challenges, reducing “ghost network” exposure, and creating new opportunities for plans to meet CMS adequacy standards while improving the member experience. How collaboration across utilization management, Stars, and member experience teams helps avoid trade-offs, ensuring that cost controls don't come at the expense of satisfaction or CAHPS performance. Panelist Bios: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/events/stars-savings-and-satisfaction-unlocking-msk-and-specialty-care-strategies-for-medicare-advantage-success/ Download the Episode Guide: Get key takeaways and expert highlights to help you apply lessons from the episode. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a_rX23Ev5VRrJKqb8_UwAYBd9tUBIfWA/view?usp=sharing Resources:  Maximizing 2026 Medicare Advantage Performance with Physician-Led MSK Care This report outlines how Vori's physician-led, virtual-first musculoskeletal (MSK) model helps Medicare Advantage plans:Improve up to 12 Star measures across preventive care, chronic condition management, and member experience Deliver faster access to care—appointments available within 48 hours Enhance outcomes for pain, fall prevention, and osteoporosis care while achieving an NPS of 87 Align with the new 2026 Star measures for Improving and Maintaining Physical and Mental Health To request your copy, email nroberts@brightspotsventures.com. Clinical Quality Performance of Value-Based and Fee-for-Service Models for Medicare Advantage: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2839238 This JAMA Health Forum article compares clinical quality outcomes for Medicare Advantage patients whose care is delivered under value-based payment (VBP) models versus traditional fee-for-service (FFS). It finds that VBP arrangements, especially those with two-sided financial risk—in general are associated with better performance on standardized clinical quality measures than FFS. Thank you to our Episode Partner, Vori: Vori partners with health plans and providers to improve musculoskeletal (MSK) care through data-driven, physician-led solutions. Their approach helps reduce unnecessary surgeries, improve recovery outcomes, and enhance patient satisfaction—supporting plans in achieving better Stars performance and overall member experience. To learn more, visit vorihealth.com. Schedule a meeting with Mary O'Connor Chief Medical Officer, Vori: To dive deeper into how Vori can help your plan improve outcomes, reduce costs, and strengthen Medicare Advantage Star Ratings,or to schedule a meeting with Mary O'Connor. Reach out to nroberts@brightspsotsventures.com  to schedule the meeting. About Bright Spots Ventures: Bright Spots Ventures is a healthcare strategy and engagement company that creates content, communities, and connections to accelerate innovation.   We help healthcare leaders discover what's working, and how to scale it. By bringing together health plan, hospital, and solution leaders, we facilitate the exchange of ideas that lead to measurable impact. Through our podcast, executive councils, private events, and go-to-market strategy work, we surface and amplify the “bright spots” in healthcare, proven innovations others can learn from and replicate. At our core, we exist to create trusted relationships that make real progress possible. Visit our website at www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com.  

On this episode of Low Budget Live (Not So Live), Luke is joined by Drew Cook, Patrick Walters, and Trent Palmer from Generostee Creek Lodge during the 2025 NPFL Championship! The foursome talk about rocks that move, no info rules, what not to do after touching a pepper, the future of FFS and belonging to the most dominant generation in fishing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, a federal court vacated the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2023 Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) Final Rule.This action is reshaping the landscape for Medicare Advantage compliance. The rule had authorized contract-level extrapolation and eliminated the longstanding fee-for-service (FFS) adjuster — two changes that dramatically increased the potential scale of overpayment recoveries.Reporting this developing story during the next live edition of Monitor Monday will be senior healthcare analyst Frank Cohen,The weekly broadcast will also include these instantly recognizable features:• Monday Rounds: Ronald Hirsch, MD, vice president of R1 RCM, will be making his Monday Rounds.• The RAC Report: Healthcare attorney Knicole Emanuel, partner at the law firm of Nelson Mullins, will report the latest news about auditors.• Risky Business: Healthcare attorney David Glaser, shareholder in the law offices of Fredrikson & Byron, will join the broadcast with his trademark segment.• Legislative Update: Adam Brenman, senior legislative affairs analyst for Zelis, will report on the news happening at the intersection of healthcare and congressional action.

The kids are at home, the holiday activities are seemingly endless and you probably need a break. So welcome back to the podcast that's not just any parenting podcast. On the show today: You're officially excused from ever attending your child's sport practice. Don't believe us? Just ask the professional soccer player Abby Wambach. Plus, are you an eldest daughter? Well, so is Taylor Swift and the birth order theory might explain a lot. And, magicians are having a moment. But this time it's not just for the kids. So get the girls over, put the kids to bed and enjoy some whimsy. And our recommendations:

On today's episode, we discuss which is worse: losing a big fish right at the boat or getting skunked all day long. We also talk about Hobie being purchased by Bass Pro Shops, an underrated pond lure, whether or not to add technology to your kayak, backpack bags, tiny boats builds, the weirdest things we've ever hooked, and more!     LINK TO AMAZON MARCHWAY 20L DRYBAG: https://amzn.to/4pHH5Ko      Brought to you by:  American Legacy Fishing & Outdoors www.americanlegacyfishing.com Use Code: TACKLETALK5 for 5% Off (including sale items!)

The school holidays are upon us and Monz, Amelia & Stacey are back to distract you with some Millennial core memories, a flashback to Shania Twain and a playlist that will lift your mood. On the show this week: Genius or completely unhinged? Do our kids need ‘Social Media Prep School’? We've got thoughts. And, are you holding onto a room full of stuff to hand down to your kids? How A$AP Rocky & Rihanna and Sarah Jessica Parker are rebranding your clutter. Plus, the childcare conversation we need to have & one woman's controversial solution. And our recommendations:

Welcome back to Parenting Out Loud where we've got a brand new episode to start your weekend off right. On the show this week: The rise of the stealth mum. From Margot Robbie's press tour to your work colleague who's never mentioned having kids, we're exploring why hiding motherhood has become the new cultural currency. Plus, praising your child is a fraught business. Do you compliment their efforts, their appearance, their creations? Perhaps millennial parents are overthinking things... again. We discuss. And, there's a tiny internet feud happening on Facebook that we need to talk about. Plus, our recommendations:

This week on The OneCast Pete, Trey, and Ben talk about the upcoming Bassmaster Elite Series Season, The Bassmaster Opens and EQs and the changes to FFS regulations.  The guys give their predictions and opinions on the rules changes.  What are your thoughts? Support those who help to make this possible!   Hobie Eyewear! If you are looking for highly affordable and high quality polarized glasses to keep you safe on the water look no further than Hobie Eyewear!  Use the link to save 15% off your order! Terry Carpenter Licensed NC Realtor at Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston! Terry is available for all your central NC Real Estate, if you are in the market for a home in the Raleigh Area reach out to Terry at carpentert@hpw.com! Deep Dive App!  Download the Deep Dive App today from your phones app store to get the inside track on where to fish, what to throw, weather, wind, water clarity, and so much more!  Deep Dive App helps you catch more fish! Carolina Waters!  Check out Carolina Waters for all your performance fishing gear, casual t shirts, and headwear.  Use the code TheOneCast and Save 20% off your order. OneCast Fishing! Head over to  OneCast Fishing and use the code TheOneCast at checkout to save 10%!  Join the snagless revolution, catch more fish and lose less tackle! Join the conversation and our community where we work to build the culture of anglers helping anglers OneCast at a time head to The OneCast Community on Facebook Head over and follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes videos, studio tours, and sneak peaks of what's coming!  The OneCast on Instagram Help us to continue to grow a culture of Anglers helping Anglers OneCast at a time! If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and is thinking about harming themselves, reach out  (912)270-3726 (800)273-8255 Support these great organizations who are helping those who help keep us safe and free to talk about fishing! Special Operations Bass Anglers Take a Warrior Fishing Inc. FX3 Inc Heroes' Harvest For His Glory Outdoors Hosts Social Media Pete on Instagram Trey on Instagram

On this episode of Low Budget Live (Not So Live), Luke runs his mouth about the Tennessee/Georgia game, the senseless Charlie Kirk tragedy , and breaks down ALL the new FFS rules across the pro fishing world in county school fashion! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textIn this episode, I sit down with Maryland fisheries biologist Ryan Gary to dive deep into one of the most debated topics in bass fishing: forward-facing sonar. Ryan compiled and analyzed data from the entire 2025 Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour season, comparing tournament outcomes, trends, and outliers between anglers who relied on sonar and those who didn't. We break down what the numbers reveal, discuss how technology is shaping the sport, and uncover insights every angler can learn from.If you've ever wondered just how much FFS is impacting bass fishing—or whether the controversy is backed by real data—this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Outlouders, we are back in your feed for the last time. Parenting Out Loud, in your ears to start your weekend off right. Monique Bowley, Amelia Lester and Stacey Hicks are here to unpack the zeitgeist through the unique lens of being a parent. But, if you like it (how could you not) make sure to keep listening in the Parenting Out Loud feed where eps will continue to drop EVERY. SATURDAY. Search Parenting Out Loud in your podcast feed and press '+ follow' so that you never miss an episode. This week: KPop Demon Hunters has broken every record and we’re here to talk about it. Plus, tracking apps are everywhere, but do children have a right to privacy and what are they actually teaching our kids? And, there’s a case to be made for having kids younger. We’re not going to make that case, but we’re certainly going to talk about it. And why Anne Hathaway is proving again and again that she's THE gentle parent. Settle in and welcome to the group chat you won't want to mute. Plus, it’s our recommendations:

Welcome to Parenting Out Loud where you can be sure you're kicking off your weekend right. Monz, Amelia and Stacey are here to unpack the week once more — through the wild, wonderful lens of parenthood. On the show this week: KPop Demon Hunters is smashing records. Kids love it, parents ADORE it so, what’s behind all the hype? Tracking apps: a non-negotiable today, or are we just spying on the ones we love? The evidence that says having kids young is a good idea. We’re not completely sold, but we are talking about it. And Anne Hathaway: the quiet queen of gentle parenting who put the paps in their place. Settle in — it’s the group chat you won’t want to mute. Plus, it’s our recommendations:

For the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series season, anglers voted for limitations of Forward-Facing Sonar. What limitations? Some can say screen size or number of transducers, others wanted half the schedule it be allowed and the other half be restricted. How do we choose which events allow and restrict the use of FFS? A good ole fashioned coin flip determining how the 5 to 4 split would be determined.#bassmaster #fishing #eliteseries

On today's episode, we talk JIGS. We ask you which type of jig you would rather use for the rest of your life: a flipping jig, a swim jig, or a football jig, and then we discuss the results. We also talk about working jigs in current and working jigs from the bank. We also discuss the 'coin flips' heard 'round the world, a dirt cheap Amazon buy that we highly recommend, our favorite ways to cook fish, and more!   LINK TO THE AMAZON PRODUCT FROM THIS EPISODE: https://amzn.to/3V80pCI    Brought to you by:  American Legacy Fishing & Outdoors www.americanlegacyfishing.com Use Code: TACKLETALK5 for 5% Off (including sale items!)

Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/09/09/veikkausliiga-2025-runkosarja-reviewed-by-fans/ IN THIS EPISODE... Producer Mark rounded-up our band of Veikkausliiga fans to record an update to our preview episodes. As the ‘runkosarja' has now finished and the league table splits in two, we asked each fan to give us an update on their club's season so far. You will hear each fan's personal report, starting at the bottom of the table and working up, so you'll hear a change in tone, satisfaction and level of optimism, as the show progresses. Huge thanks from FFS to all the fans for sharing their insights about their club! 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:31 KTP Kotka, Sami 00:07:24 FC Haka, Tuomas 00:11:17 AC Oulu, Tuomas 00:16:10 IFK Mariehamn, Jouni 00:23:01 FF Jaro, Petter 00:26:19 VPS Vaasa, Sebastian 00:33:02 Half-time 00:34:20 IF Gnistan, John 00:40:04 SJK Seinäjoki, Jules 00:43:42 KuPS Kuopio, Jouni 00:47:56 HJK Helsinki, Ally 00:52:06 Ilves, Jamie 00:56:37 Inter Turku, Jussi ------------------------------------------------------------------ FFS MERCH

In this episode, we're tackling the massive news shaking the bass fishing world: the new BASSMASTER rules on Forward-Facing Sonar (FFS). Join the discussion as we break down the controversial decision to split the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series season, with some tournaments allowing FFS and others banning it completely. We'll reveal which tournaments are FFS-free, including Lake Champlain and Santee Cooper, and which ones will still allow it, like the St. Lawrence River and Lake Murray. This change has huge implications for professional anglers. We also cover the latest retirements from two icons of the sport, Skeet Reese and Bernie Schultz, and discuss their legendary careers. Plus, we dive deep into the angler cuts from both the Bassmaster Elites and the MLF Bass Pro Tour, listing the pros who didn't requalify and debating what's next for them in the world of tournament bass fishing. Whether you're for or against the FFS ban, this is a must-watch conversation for every bass fishing fan. We share our candid opinions and want to hear yours in the comments! #BassFishing #ForwardFacingSonar #Bassmaster #MLF #Fishing #TournamentFishing #BassmasterElites

Frank and Matt talk about the upcoming Bassmaster coinflip to determine FFS on the Elite Series in 2026.

It all started with a Google Doc. Half of you—like Holly—are going to love it. The other half? Yeah, maybe not so much. But stick with us, because this isn’t just admin—it’s a document your loved ones will thank you for one day. We've made it easy for you by including a link to it below. Download or... ignore. And, Amelia’s latest internet obsession takes us deep into the world of weddings of the super rich. Think: Croesus, filthy rich, LOADED. Yes, we're saying hello to Becca Bloom and discussing the rise of Rich-Tok. What does a 'status wedding' actually cost—and why can’t we look away? Plus, your weekly reccos:

Outlouders, it's that time of the week again. Parenting Out Loud is back in your ears to start your weekend right. Each week, Monique Bowley, Amelia Lester and Stacey Hicks unpack the zeitgeist through the unique lens of being a parent. On today's show: Father’s Day is tomorrow and there's been a distinct shift in its marketing. Amelia unpacks what’s changed and why. Bluey: adorable? Absolutely. But is this the kids' TV show that's also making us feel… bad? Welcome to the Bluey Inadequacy Complex. Monz explains all. Plus, ❤️

Excellent news, friends. We're back with another episode of Parenting Out Loud. Father’s Day is tomorrow and there's been a distinct shift in its marketing. Amelia unpacks what’s changed and why. Bluey: adorable? Absolutely. But is this the kids' TV show that's also making us feel… bad? Welcome to the Bluey Inadequacy Complex. Monz explains all. Plus, ❤️

For 48 hours, the internet swore Donald Trump was dead. He’s not—but the rumours about the President's health aren’t going anywhere. Amelia’s got three clues to explain why this is one conspiracy that just won't die. Then, why are we all so bloody rude? A new report shows retail workers are copping it worse than ever, and we’ve got a theory. And, the Balmoral Test: the royals’ bizarre initiation ritual for new family members. Holly reveals what it involves—and asks if you’d survive it. Support independent women's media What To Listen To Next: Listen to our latest episode: An Entirely Random List Of Things We Deem Offensive Listen: The Millionaire CEO Going Viral For A… Snatch Listen: The Snow Globe Effect & Brad Pitt’s Victory Lap Listen: An Emergency Meeting About Taylor Swift's Engagement Listen: Did Someone Get Engaged? Oh Look, Mia Just Barged In Listen: Taylor Swift & Why Her Boyfriend's Podcast Listen: Taylor, Travis & The Breakup Document Listen to Parenting Out Loud: The Third Kid Dessert Analogy & FFS, Stop With The Texts Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here Watch Mamamia Out Loud: Mamamia Out Loud on YouTube What to read: When the customer is just... wrong. The thread that sums up working in hospitality or retail. Will Smith is launching a comeback. It’s not going well. Meghan Markle's show exposes the royal family's big mistake. Princess Catherine won't be sharing her outfit details anymore. There's just one problem Virginia Giuffre's family just asked Trump the question we all want answered. THE END BITS: Check out our merch at MamamiaOutLoud.com Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening. Send us an email at outloud@mamamia.com.au Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message. Join our Facebook group Mamamia Outlouders to talk about the show. Follow us on Instagram @mamamiaoutloud and on Tiktok @mamamiaoutloud Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oh, labubus. The nightmare-fuel plushies the internet can’t get enough of are... cute? Cursed? Or, literally possessed by Pazuzus requiring religious intervention? There's a sentence we never thought we'd be typing on a Monday afternoon. Whatever. We investigate WTF is going on. Plus, a millionaire CEO caught swiping from a child. Is this the Coldplay CEO 2.0? And can someone please stage a CEO PR intervention? They might be good at running companies but personal publicity? Yeah, not so much. And the fertility test women have been paying for. Doctors now say it doesn’t actually work. Jessie, Holly and Amelia unpack what that means for women everywhere. Support independent women's media What To Listen To Next: Listen to our latest episode: The Snow Globe Effect & Brad Pitt’s Victory Lap Listen: An Emergency Meeting About Taylor Swift's Engagement Listen: Did Someone Get Engaged? Oh Look, Mia Just Barged In Listen: Taylor Swift & Why Her Boyfriend's Podcast Listen: Taylor, Travis & The Breakup Document Listen: Remember The Singles Conversation? Jessie Has An Apology Listen to Parenting Out Loud: The Third Kid Dessert Analogy & FFS, Stop With The Texts Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here Watch Mamamia Out Loud: Mamamia Out Loud on YouTube What to read: The rise of the teddy bear adult. Why grown adults are obsessed with toothy little monsters called Labubus. 'Celebrities keep pulling PR stunts and I'm officially exhausted.' Everything you need to know about 'fertility windows'. THE END BITS: Check out our merch at MamamiaOutLoud.com Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening. Send us an email at outloud@mamamia.com.au Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message. Join our Facebook group Mamamia Outlouders to talk about the show. Follow us on Instagram @mamamiaoutloud and on Tiktok @mamamiaoutloud Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While recovering from surgery, comedian Marley Gotterer (who you probably already know from TikTok and Insta reels) made time to tell us about getting facial feminization (FFS) and chat about her love of sports, how she got to run social media for Cardi B, and lifting twinks live on stage. Check out Marley's work and get notified about her upcoming shows on her Instagram(s) @marleyismarley and @transsportsgirl. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch! We're almost sold out of most items- get them while you can!  

On this episode of Low Budget Live (Not So Live), Luke runs his mouth about crazy plane rides, high school frog gigging tourneys, Laker Howell following in his Dad's footsteps, and is joined by Elite Series' pro, Kyle Patrick, to talk near fatal tick bites, having to press pause on his second Elite Series, the FFS debate plaguing bass fishing and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Low Budget Live (Not So Live), Luke talks about the special month that August is in his life, social media companies intentionally stirring the pot, and is joined by the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitational Rookie of the Year, AND, Angler of the Year, Banks Shaw, to discuss never finishing outside the top 10, trying to graduate college and compete on the BPT, FFS impacts on fisheries, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're tired. You're hot. You're yearning for autumn to set you free. But how your garden looks right now has everything to do with the choices you made in past planting seasons and a lot to do with foliage. Have you capitalized on the resilient summer foliage options that keep working when the lobelia has melted and the poppies are so over? This week on The Garden Mixer, Leslie and Marianne explore six of their favorite foliage plants for summer — each choosing a perennial, a shrub, and a tender perennial (aka ‘temperennial') — and then choose their favorite option from the suggestions sent in by listeners on The Garden Mixer Chat on Substack. Overall, the girls are in remarkable agreement this week…except for one, notable exception.What are we looking for in summer foliage? Are flowers a necessity or a bonus? And, how many times, precisely, should a gardener kill a plant before giving up?All this and Leslie learning the meaning of FFS, on this week's The Garden Mixer._______________________________Be sure to hit the subscribe button so we can keep you smiling while you hit the mess [your garden] out there.Full Show Notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Garden Mixer Podcast's Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠________________________________Socials – Pick Your Platform:Follow us on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thegardenmixer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Indulge us on TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@the.garden.mixer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spar with us on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gardenmixerpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“French Bistro” theme by Adieu Adieu. License D0LZBINY30GGTBBW

Kyle Patrick joins BTL for a discussion of how the FFS debate is playing out at the professional level.