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Watch the YouTube version of this episode HEREAre you a lawyer who is struggling with marketing their business or themselves? In this episode, Jim and Tyson welcome guest Dave Dee, a professional magician turned marketing and sales expert. He provides some advice on how lawyers can become better salespeople and improve their marketing strategies.Dave talks about the importance of knowing how to be a master salesperson just as much as knowing your craft. Being good at what you do is not a competitive advantage until the client is working with you. This means you need to reel the client in with marketing in order to get them on board and actually begin using your skills in law. Dave suggests lawyers really take the time to learn about effective marketing strategies to get clients and make money.Jim, Tyson and Dave discuss the common mistakes lawyers make when it comes to marketing themselves. One mistake is simply doing generic marketing that everyone else in the industry is doing. A lot of lawyers will have the same Facebook ads with the same slogan, fonts and messaging. Dave says that this similar marketing among lawyers makes them look like a commodity. What this does is make the public see all lawyers as operating the same which means they will go with the lawyer charging less money for services. Another issue Dave talks about is not attracting the right prospects. It is important as a lawyer to not focus on getting the most leads but getting the most qualified leads. Dave also notes that lawyers are not only selling their services but themselves, which is why public speaking is crucial to becoming successful in the legal field.Dave talks through how to deliver a great presentation. It is important to not over deliver information, which is what a lot of people (not just lawyers) do when speaking to an audience and potential clients. This does a few things. Over delivering can cause an audience to feel overwhelmed with information because there is a lot to process and so much jargon. It can also cause audiences to believe they can take on the task themselves since they have all the information. As a lawyer, you want to give enough information to where someone understands what you do and will come to you to figure out the rest. Having a Call to Action at the end of a presentation is really what gets people to decide if they want to reach out to you. It is an important piece of a presentation and can really make or break the outcome. A Call to Action can be a few things. It can be telling the audience to call and set up an appointment, directing people to fill out a form, downloading your report on what you do as a lawyer and collecting the audience's contact information to send out a mass email.Storytelling is another important aspect of presenting to potential clients. A great way to do this is weave in real stories. As lawyers, there are a million and one stories for almost every scenario due to the different types of cases and people that walk in the door. Wherever there is a connection between a case and a concept or theme in a presentation, tell that story. This will keep people engaged and bring a sense of reality into an otherwise “boring” legal presentation. Take a listen to learn more about effective marketing!4:09 The importance of being a master marketer and salesperson9:35 Common mistakes lawyers make in their marketing15:34 Three pieces of information in a presentation24:45 The importance of having a Call to Action discussion30:31 The significance of storytelling in sales and marketingJim's Hack: Read Dan Kennedy's book, “The No BS Ruthless Management of People and Profits”, which provides those who are business owners and leaders with tips on not being so nice and soft.Dave's Tip: Take the Take Charge of Your Life program by Jim Rohn, which really changed Dave's perspective on life.Tyson's Tip: Use Cloud Prompter, which is a teleprompter and Mac app for making videos.Connect with Dave: Website Facebook LInkedIn Resources: Join the Guild Membership Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel Follow us on Instagram Join the Facebook Group Follow the Facebook Page Follow us on LinkedIn

Updated April 15, 2021: This topic of the "firmament" is also of great interest to atheists. A popular anti-creationist made a 40-minute YouTube video critical of this article. We may have hit a nerve. A favorite claim of many atheists is that the Bible teaches that the earth is surrounded by a solid domed sky. Instead, the Bible actually teaches that the firmament of Day Two is the crust of the earth, which divided water below the crust from the waters on the surface. Documenting this thereby rebuts that widespread false allegation. When we first published this article, that extra bonus was unexpected. So we've embedded and responded to Brett Palmer's video including by pointing out that the Babylonian creation epic, Enuma Elish, below, corroborates this understanding of the "firmament" as first referring to the earth's crust (i.e., biblically, to paradise, to heaven on earth). And we show that the Bible's Hebrew word for firmament, raqia, from the verb raqa, refers not only to the heavens above, but explicitly, to the crust of the earth. And we present the meaning of the Syrian geographical place name, Raqqa, and extend to antiquity the etymology of the English word, rock. At Real Science Radio (which airs on America's most-powerful radio station), we teach Dr. Walt Brown's Hydroplate Theory as the best understanding of the global flood, geology and the relevant scriptures. If the following is correct, all flood models based on the "canopy theory" and "plate tectonics" are false.On Day Two God Made the Crust of the Earth: Dr. Walt Brown's Hydroplate Theory helps to understand the global flood, geology and the relevant scriptures. On Day Two of creation, God formed the crust of the earth, called the firmament (Hebrew: raqia), which extended for miles above a worldwide subterranean ocean, and the crust of course also held waters upon its surface. If this is true, we would expect to read in the Bible that initially, the surface of the earth was covered only with water, and that then God made the earth's crust above the water. And consistent with the Hydroplate Theory (which describes a layer of water at least one-mile thick that was perhaps dozens of miles below the earth's surface), in fact the Bible teaches that God: - "In the beginning God created... the earth. ...and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2). Then God, - "laid out (raqa) the earth above the waters" (Psalm 136:6). And, - "by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth [was] standing out of water and in the water" (2 Peter 3:5). - "Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament" (Gen. 1:7). So, "The earth is the Lord's... For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters" (Ps.24:1-2). Where the Water Came From: The global flood then began when those "fountains of the great deep were broken up" (Gen. 7:11) for the pre-flood earth had been "standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water" (2 Peter 3:5-6). Those waters had been stored up for global judgment if needed. For when "the heavens were made," the Bible says of much of the Earth's water back then that God "lays up the deep in storehouses" (Ps. 33:6-7; see also Prov. 8:27-28). For God created not only the surface waters, for He "made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (Rev. 14:7 KJV [as with many versions; some like the NKJV say "springs of water"). Dr. Brown's book, In the Beginning, demonstrates powerfully that the world's major geologic features flow logically from these initial conditions. But some creationists who disagree point out that, "God called the firmament Heaven" (Gen. 1:8), claiming that this firmament must be either the atmosphere (e.g., Henry Morris) or outer space (e.g., Russell Humphreys). Heaven on Earth, Hell Beneath: However at RSR we show that, whether figurative or literal, the crust of the earth is the boundary between heaven and hell. It is consistent with Biblical history that God would originally call the crust of the earth "heaven." For at creation, "He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, at the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble (Job 26:10-11). And then, "He divideth (not raqa but raga) the sea with his power" (Job 26:12 KJV, Jubilee, Websters, etc.). God designated the region below the crust as the initial abode of those who may pass away. Hell is the holding prison for the unrepentant dead. "Hell from beneath is excited about you, to meet you at your coming" (Isa. 14:9; etc.). For the newly-made earth, the Lord logically referred to everything from the crust and above as heaven. Hence dozens of verses indicate that heaven also refers to the earth's atmosphere as in "rain from heaven," the "dew of heaven," "birds of heaven," "dust from the heaven," city walls "fortified up to heaven," smoke rises "to the midst of heaven," "the heavens are shut" in drought, "frost of heaven," "clouds of heaven," "snow from heaven," "hail from heaven," and the east winds "blow in the heavens." Thus even after the Fall, from Genesis and Job, through the Gospels, Acts and Revelation, the Bible continued to refer to the atmosphere, one molecule above the ground, as heaven. Apart from this understanding, a Bible student might think that while the surface of the Moon is in "heaven", that the paradise God made on the surface of the Earth is not. Also, the Bible's thirty-two occurrences of the phrase "kingdom of heaven" appear only in the royal Gospel of Matthew, and some of these (Mat. 11:12; 13:24 with Mat. 13:38; 16:19; Mat. 18:1 with Luke 9:46; etc.) locate this kingdom of "heaven" at least partially on earth. Lucifer Fell from Heaven on Earth: "God called the firmament Heaven," because the earth's crust formed the boundary between heaven and the future hell. The firmament also divided the waters of the earth (Gen. 1:2, 6) which even reserved the floodwaters of judgment below ground. For God "lays up the deep in storehouses" so "let all the earth fear the Lord," (Ps. 33:7-8), because He "shut in the sea with doors" until in the flood "it burst forth and issued from the womb," (Job. 38:8). But after the Fall, which likely occurred within a week of Creation, earth lost its heavenly designation, for apparently God will never fully replicate the first earth. Only two detailed Bible stories involve happenings that occured prior to the Fall, the creation account and the record of Lucifer's fall. And both of these events refer to earth as heaven. Isaiah 14:12 describes "Lucifer" as "fallen from heaven," yet Scripture places him on earth at the moment of his fall. "You were in Eden, the garden of God," (Ezek. 28:13). And "you have said in your heart: "I will ascend into heaven... I will ascend above the heights of the clouds," (Isa. 14:13-14). "Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit," (Isa. 14:15). Even though he was on earth, Lucifer fell "from heaven," because prior to the Fall, the surface of the earth was part of heaven's realm. * Bible Students Understand the Firmament, But Get Confused at 1:8: See this explained in this five-minute segment, in our 2-hour flood video, that begins at 48:30. Just click and the video will start at the correct point... Consider the flesh. Notice that just as gravity pulls our physical flesh down toward the center of the earth, the Fall created the world system which relentlessly pulls our spiritual flesh, drawing us down toward the lowest depths until death, and then the believer's released spirit soars upward to heaven, whereas the unbeliever's unfettered spirit falls downward, the firmament no longer keeping him out of Hades, thus his soul plummets into hell. C.S. Lewis wrote the preface to D.E. Harding's esoteric The Hierarchy of Heaven & Earth in which Harding wrote that "Hierarchy is... something like the ancient circles of heaven and earth and hell" (1952, p. 27), and that the "narrowest Hell would be widest Heaven if the Devil could only bring himself to turn round and look out from the Centre instead of in at himself" (p. 187). In the modern classic, Soul of Science, (1994, p. 38), Pearcey and Thaxton describe the view of Christian "medieval cosmology" that "at the very center of the universe was Hell, then the earth, then (moving outward from the center) the progressively nobler spheres of the heavens." Christians continue to affirm this hierarchy quoting Paul who was "caught up to the third heaven" (2 Cor 12:2), the first being the sky, the second is space, and the third God's habitation. King David even refers to the deep, as the "channels of the sea", where in the flood "the foundations of the world were uncovered", which were "the foundations of heaven" (2 Sam. 22:8, 16). Incidentally, the never-before-seen consequences of the flood caused the troubles David lists here. The lightnings, thunder, dark waters, thick clouds, darkness, volcanic eruptions, smoke, coal and fire, the earth shaking, and when the "channels of the sea appeared" only then the "foundations of the world were uncovered..." Moses Qualified His Last Four Uses of Firmament: Moses used the word firmament nine times in the creation account. He intentionally distinguished the last four occurrences from the first four, which all pivot around the central instance where God called the earth's firmament Heaven. Each of the four in the second grouping (Genesis 1:14, 15, 17, 20) is qualified separately by an exceptional repetition. The prepositional phrase "of the heavens" makes a distinction between the first firmament of the earth, and the second "firmament of the heavens." And if firmament means the "heavens," the very term "firmament of the heavens" would seem unnecessarily redundant, especially when repeated four times. However, the qualifier "of the heavens" is added so that the reader will not confuse this firmament of sky and space with the previous firmament of earth. Thus, readers alien to the notion of "heaven" on earth should nonetheless be able to separate the two firmaments, and understand God's meaning. Now, millennia after the Fall, God's own record of creation notwithstanding, sin has almost completely obscured the original perspective of the earth's surface as "heaven." The Things God Called Day and Earth: "God called the light Day." Yet like with the word firmament, Genesis has two very different meanings for light. Day 4 would be unintelligible without recognizing its initial meaning. "Then God made two great Days to rule the heavens"? No. The same is true for the dry land that "God called... Earth". If it had only one meaning, then the Earth would have been created on Day Two when the "Earth" appeared. Our Full Firmament Video: Above we pointed to a five-minute excerpt. Here's the full 30-minute segment out of our Global Flood video on raqia titled, Is the Day 2 firmament of Genesis the Earth's crust?: Kingdom of Heaven Lost on Earth: When man rebelled, earth became more like hell than heaven. Thus man's habitation on the surface of the earth lost its heavenly designation. The Bible describes Hell as below, bounded by the firmament. However in the beginning "God called the firmament Heaven" because that's where He placed Adam and Eve, above ground on the surface, in the heavens, in fellowship with Him, not in any other realm but in His kingdom, in heaven on earth. 2011 UPDATE - Atheists and the Solid Dome: YouTube anti-creationist Brett Palmer created a 40-minute rebuttal video (embedded here) of this little article on the firmament. Seems like we hit a nerve. Aside from Brett casting aspersions from the recently invented flat-earth myth, consider that as with many other atheists, he claims that the word firmament (Hebrew raqia) discredits the creation account by showing that Genesis cannot be God's Word because it merely echoes the ancient world's false belief in a solid domed sky above the earth. So, if raqia (firmament) refers not only to the heavens, but also to the crust of the earth, standing above a subterranean chamber of water, then atheists would lose a favorite argument. Raqia is the noun from the verb raqa meaning being hammered or spread out, as in working metal into a thin sheet or plate. "They beat (raqa) the gold into thin sheets" (Exodus 39:3). "The goldsmith overspreads (raqa) it with gold" (Isaiah 40:19; i.e., gold-plated). Similarly, God overspread the waters of the earth with the plates of the earth's crust, i.e., the firmament, what Walt Brown calls hydroplates. For "God made the firmament (raqia), and divided the waters which were under the firmament (raqia, the crustal plates) from the waters which were above the firmament" (Genesis 1:7). Please review again the verses listed below. For not only did God create "the sea and the fountains" (Rev. 14:7), if this understanding of raqia is is the Bible's actual meaning, then we would expect also to read that initially the surface of the earth was covered only with water, and that then God made the earth's crust above the water: - "In the beginning God created... the earth. ...darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Gen. 1:1-2 - God "laid out the earth above the waters" Ps. 136:6- "by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water" 2 Pet. 3:5 - "Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament." Gen. 1:7 "The earth is the Lord's... For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters." Ps. 24:1-2 When the Bible specifically links raqa to the earth (as in the passages below), and because words typically have multiple meanings, it is extreme to insist that raqia cannot refer to anything but the heavens. Genesis was written back when pagans wondered what held up the earth. Perhaps it rested on the back of a tortoise, or on a pillar, or was held up by Atlas. Yet the most ancient Scripture teaches that God, "hangs the earth on nothing" (Job 26:7), which is visually consistent with modern astronomical observation. For just as the firmament of the earth holds up the mountains, so too, the firmament "of the heavens" is strong enough to hold the earth.God Raqa the EARTH! Firmament (raqia) is used "of the heavens" commonly and eleven times the Bible speaks of God stretching out the heavens. Then there is something not included in the above video. Another three times the Bible says that God raqa the earth itself. This shows, unlike as stressed on YouTube, that raqia very naturally also refers to the earth. Dr. Walt Brown's book lists these verses but I'll repeat them here for Mr. Palmer's consideration: To Him who laid out (raqa) the earth above the waters… Ps. 136:6 Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth (raqa) the earth and that which comes from it… Isa. 42:5 “I am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad (raqa) the earth by Myself;" Isa. 44:24 The firmament (raqia) of the creation account was iconic in ancient Israel, as the Tyndale Bible Dictionary says, "the firmament is always related to Creation." So the repetition and by two authors shows that the wording is deliberate. Thus these verses show an ancient awareness in Scripture that God raqa the Earth, that is, that His stretching out of the raqia of Genesis 1:8 readily refers to terra firma, or as the King James translators coined the word from the Latin, the firmament. Raqia and Heaven Both Refer Also to the Earth Raqa the Earth Heaven on Earth To Him who laid out (raqa) the earth above the waters...  Ps. 136:6 "He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, at the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble... He stirs up the sea with His power..." Job 26:10-12 Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth (raqa) the earth...  Isa. 42:5 "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Mat. 11:12; "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;" and "the field is the world..." Mat. 13:24, 38 I am the Lord... who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad (raqa) the earth by Myself  Isa. 44:24 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" Mat. 16:19 [and 18:18] Etymology of Raqia: The word raqia relates to raqa as sharia (law) relates to shara'a (to ordain or decree). Further, the ancient Middle East commonly ended names in "ia," and in this particular example of early Hebrew usage, raqia, though not a proper name, is the name for something created by raqa. (Atheist Brett Palmer, though not especially reliable, does specifically agree with this explanation in his follow-up video.) Pillars of Heaven: Regarding the crust of the Earth being referred to as heaven, consider the "pillars" which formed beneath the crust, as Dr. Brown describes it, at many "locations, the [subterranean] chamber's sagging ceiling pressed against the chamber's floor. These solid contacts will be called pillars." Thus since they supported the Earth's surface, they could be referred to as "pillars of heaven", just beneath the surface, which would "tremble" when they were crushed in God's judgment of the great flood of Noah's day, When God, "stirs up the sea with His power", as Job put it. "He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, at the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble... He stirs up the sea with His power..." (Job 26:10-12). Earth's Foundation with Pillars Sunk into their Bases: This doesn't have to confuse Bible students. This five-minute segment at 1:04:22 depicts the pillars. Just click and the video will start at the correct point... * No One Before Or Since? Palmer says, virtually alleging omniscience for himself, that "no one before or since Enyart has ever asserted that two firmaments were created in the creation story." However, the nearly contemporaneous Babylonian creation epic states directly that heaven above and the "firm ground below" were called by the same name, that is, "heaven." First though consider Google. The claim then is that the term firmament refers to sky and space, and also to the sphere of the world. So, as the originator of this concept :) that firmament has two meanings, I am gratified that it's catching on. The Google results for "define:firmament" gives two meanings: The heavens or the sky, esp. when regarded as a tangible thing A sphere or world viewed as a collection of people * Not Half Bad and Not Half Right: Hey, for Google, that's not half bad, for the firmament (the Earth's surface) was called heaven so that Adam and Eve could be fruitful and multiply and fill the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Then regarding Palmer's claim that, "no one before or since Enyart has ever asserted that two firmaments were created," Dr. Brown's book credits "two pastors" with showing him this simple heaven-on-earth understanding of Genesis 1:8. The pastor before me later publishing a book on the topic: Paradise: Past, Present, and Future, and of course since then, Walt Brown too has adopted this understanding. >* Babylonian Creation Epic: The ancient pagan world had a corrupted memory of biblical accounts. Compare for example Egypt's sun god arising out of the waters of creation with, "God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light.'" Likewise the flood of Noah's day is remembered in Babylon's Epic of Gilgamesh. Also, the seven tablets of Enuma Elish similarities to the seven days of the creation week include man's creation on the sixth day which is presented on the sixth tablet. The first creation tablet describes the "waters commingling as a single body" when "no marsh land had [yet] appeared", reminiscent of the firmament dividing the waters (Gen. 1:6-7) and the dry land appearing (Gen. 1:9). The truth reported by Moses in Genesis 1:8a, that God called the firmament heaven (referring to the crust of the Earth, i.e., God's kingdom of heaven, on Earth) is emphasized in the first lines of the first Babylonian creation tablet which state, "When on high the heaven had not been named, Firm ground below had not been called by that name." That is, before the term "heaven" even applied to sky and space, before that not even the firmament below had yet been called that same name, i.e., heaven. (This translation, "firm ground below had not [yet] been called by that name", appears in old-earth Oxford Prof. John Lennox' book Seven Days that Divide the World. Importantly, after discussing this matter personally with Dr. Lennox, RSR can report that he does not agree with our Genesis 1:8 interpretation, so in no way would he publish a biased translation to make our point.) For as Moses wrote, "God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament... And God called the firmament Heaven... Then God said, '...let the dry land appear.'" So whereas atheist video maker Palmer (see above) says that "no one before or since Enyart has ever asserted that two firmaments were created in the creation story", Brett can now consider that this Babylonian Enuma Elish creation epic parallels the Hydroplate Theory's understanding of the firmament as referring also, and originally, to the "firm ground below" the heavens. And thus, because God raqa the Earth, by creating the raqia, that is, the solid rock crust of the Earth, therefore, the etymology of the English word rock can now be traced back much further than the medieval Latin rocca. Not surprisingly then, studying geography we find that root word in the names of various ancient places in the region. For example, in 2015 Raqqa hit the headlines as the capital city of the Islamic terrorist group ISIS. An accurate understanding of Genesis is essential for understanding early history. Thus we can now trace the etymology of our English word rock to that very Epic of Gilgamesh flood account, with Gilgamesh being the king of Uruk, located in the south of the modern nation with a name that means "deeply rooted, well-watered", for God placed the water deep under the raqia which explains the name of the ancient place, Iraq. (See also Bob's draft comments on the Enuma text.) * Countries, Regions, and Peoples Ending in A and IA: Why do so many place names end in ia? God raqa the raqia to give mankind a place to live on the face of the Earth. In the web's most complete list of place names that end in ia, see about 120 significant geographical regions that end with -a or -ia, and others that sound like they end in ia, like Kenya and Libya. (RSR maintains this list.) Consider also, not unlike the city of Raqqa and the country of Iraq, the continent of Africa may have a related etymology, and consider also that in Arabic afar means dust, earth. And the names of many lands that do not end in -ia, as Egypt, still give a nod to the suffix when referencing their people, as with Egyptian, Akkadian, Persian, and the more modern Caucasian, with -ian equating also to the -yan as discussed at rsr.org/yan such as Aryan (meaning from the Sun land).* Seven-Day Week: The worldwide use of a seven-day week results from the creation account. And those seven days are named for the heavenly bodies (Saturn, Sun, Moon, etc.) as God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years." (On a related topic we interviewed Scientific American editor and atheist Michael Shermer for Real Science Radio. That full show is so much fun to listen to.) "Dr. Shermer, while much of the ancient world was worshiping heavenly bodies, could you at least agree that the Bible is correct on page one, where it states that the Sun is a light?" [Moses was correct also when he taught in Deuteronomy that the planets and stars are not gods and should not be worshiped.] "So can you agree that the Bible is correct in Genesis chapter one, that the Sun is not a god, but a light?" To which Shermer infamously replied, which you can hear in this 73-second excerpt (and transcript) that the sun is not a light. Wow. It's often difficult to have a reasonable discussion with atheists. Also, the worldwide use of blood sacrifices resulted from God commanding Adam and Noah to sacrifice animals prefiguring the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. * A Solid Dome Sky Belief Widespread Yet Not Intuitive: As Wikipedia reports, "The notion of the sky as a solid object (rather than just an atmospheric expanse) was widespread among both ancient civilizations and primitive cultures, including ancient Greece, Egypt, China, India, native Americans, Australian Aborigines, and also early Christians. It is probably a universal human trait to perceive the sky as a solid dome." Retrieved 8-27-11. However, with the many varied movements in the heavens of the Sun, Moon, planets, stars, comets, and meteorites, it's not intuitive that so much of the whole world would end up believing that the Earth had a solid-domed sky. Except, of course, if the ancients who populated the world after the global flood were misunderstanding the raqia of Day Two as referring to the heavens instead of to the crust of the earth. Conclusion: So, the Bible speaks of Earth using the same term, raqia, as for the firmament "of the heavens" (clarified that way in Genesis 1). Yet when the paradise of Eden and God's Kingdom of Heaven on Earth became "filled with violence," mankind began to forget that God made earth as part of His Kingdom of heaven. Thus, what changed was the common use of the term heaven for the Earth. © 2007 - 2017 Bob Enyart, RSR.org.com * RSR's Global Flood and Hydroplate Theory: Here's our best-selling flood video which is available also on DVD, Blu-ray, and download. We hope you enjoy this: Email: From Walt Brown to Bob Enyart on March 22, 2005: "Dear Bob, I like your proposal concerning Genesis 1:8a, and after much thought, have decided to include it [in the 8th edition of In the Beginning]. I have credited Pastor Diego Rodriguez and you as the originators of this very attractive explanation. ... Thank you for sending me your explanation. -Walt" Biologos: Note that Francis Collins' theistic-evolution group BioLogos uses their misunderstanding of the firmament in their effort to diminish the authority of Genesis. For example, "Genesis... says things that are at odds with what modern people know to be true of the world... The other cosmologies from the ancient world depict some solid structure in the sky. The most natural explanation of the raqia is that it also reflects this understanding. There is no indication that Genesis is a novel description of the sky." In other words, Collins claims that Genesis' presentation of the firmament [in contrast to the biblical and historical insights above] equates to that of pagan myths. As old-earth Christians, they therefore reject the global flood and many other biblical teachings. See this explained in our Trading Genesis video: Bio: Bob Enyart co-hosts Real Science Radio and pastors Denver Bible Church. Bob first had a technical career working: - at McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company on the Army's Apache helicopter - as a systems analyst for "Baby Bell" U S West - as a program manager for Microsoft, and - as a senior analyst for PC Week Bob became a believer in 1973, entered full-time Christian work in 1989, and in 1991 began hosting a daily show on America's most powerful Christian radio station, the 50,000-watt AM 670 KLTT. In 1999, the elders and pastor of Denver's Derby Bible Church ordained Bob into the ministry. In 2000, Derby planted Denver Bible Church with Bob as pastor and in 2015 as a host of Real Science Radio Bob was inducted into the Creation Science Hall of Fame. You can see Bob Enyart's materials online or call 1-800-8Enyart. If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to read Why Canaan was Cursed?, Polygamy in the Bible, and Slavery in the Bible. And you can hear Bob at RealScienceRadio.com!

Value: After Hours is a podcast about value investing, Fintwit, and all things finance and investment by investors Tobias Carlisle, and Jake Taylor. See our latest episodes at https://acquirersmultiple.com/podcast We are live every Tuesday at 1.30pm E / 10.30am P. About Jake: Jake is a partner at Farnam Street. Jake's website: http://farnam-street.com/vah Jake's podcast: https://twitter.com/5_GQs Jake's Twitter: https://twitter.com/farnamjake1 Jake's book: The Rebel Allocator https://amzn.to/2sgip3l ABOUT THE PODCAST Hi, I'm Tobias Carlisle. I launched The Acquirers Podcast to discuss the process of finding undervalued stocks, deep value investing, hedge funds, activism, buyouts, and special situations. We uncover the tactics and strategies for finding good investments, managing risk, dealing with bad luck, and maximizing success. SEE LATEST EPISODES https://acquirersmultiple.com/podcast/ SEE OUR FREE DEEP VALUE STOCK SCREENER https://acquirersmultiple.com/screener/ FOLLOW TOBIAS Website: https://acquirersmultiple.com/ Firm: https://acquirersfunds.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Greenbackd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobycarlisle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tobiascarlisle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tobias_carlisle ABOUT TOBIAS CARLISLE Tobias Carlisle is the founder of The Acquirer's Multiple®, and Acquirers Funds®. He is best known as the author of the #1 new release in Amazon's Business and Finance The Acquirer's Multiple: How the Billionaire Contrarians of Deep Value Beat the Market, the Amazon best-sellers Deep Value: Why Activists Investors and Other Contrarians Battle for Control of Losing Corporations (2014) (https://amzn.to/2VwvAGF), Quantitative Value: A Practitioner's Guide to Automating Intelligent Investment and Eliminating Behavioral Errors (2012) (https://amzn.to/2SDDxrN), and Concentrated Investing: Strategies of the World's Greatest Concentrated Value Investors (2016) (https://amzn.to/2SEEjVn). He has extensive experience in investment management, business valuation, public company corporate governance, and corporate law. Prior to founding the forerunner to Acquirers Funds in 2010, Tobias was an analyst at an activist hedge fund, general counsel of a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, and a corporate advisory lawyer. As a lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions he has advised on transactions across a variety of industries in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Singapore, Bermuda, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Guam. He is a graduate of the University of Queensland in Australia with degrees in Law (2001) and Business (Management) (1999).

Hear how a family firm can remember its roots while focusing on the future  As they say, family is family and business is business. But in many cases, the two can coexist, often quite profitably. Did you know that almost 80% of the businesses in the U.S. are owned and run by families? As a corporate anthropologist, a culture change expert and a daughter raised in a family business, I have a particularly strong interest in family firms, which is why I'm so excited to bring to you Dylan Rexling, the fifth generation to work in his family's farm operations in southwestern Indiana. He read my book On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights and was inspired to incorporate many of its teachings into the way he runs his company. Whether or not you have a family firm, listen in to learn about running a successful business. Dylan is that rare business owner who values every employee and actually listens to his customers. Key takeaways from our conversation: Get to know your employees. He has a monthly Friday breakfast where everyone talks about who they are, why they're at the company, and what their goals are. Admit you're not perfect. Dylan's message to his workers: “My door's open. Come see me. If we do something that we shouldn't have done, or we said it in a way that we shouldn't have, come talk to us because we don't know if you don't tell us.” Culture is very important in a business. He specifically hired culture experts who brought in the concept of culture to the organization. Always be willing to learn and get better. There's always room to go a step higher. Do everything you can to service your customer. If they need something, do everything in your power to say yes, even if it's not easy. The old saying is still true: the customer is first. Treat your employees well. And your customers. Dylan writes an anniversary card to every one of his employees every time they hit an anniversary date. “I just write a little thank you that says, ‘I really appreciate your contributions to our team and look forward to working with you in the future.'” He also sends handwritten notes to customers thanking them for their business. “I think those little things are what matter.” Take a step back and look at your business from a high level. “And I think you'll be very happy that you did so well,” he notes. To connect with Dylan, you can find him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or his website PFL Logistics. Want to learn more about the importance of culture, especially in family firms? Podcast: Jake Manthei—A Family Firm That Lives Blue Ocean Strategy® Podcast: Amy Bruske—A Guide for Sustaining Great Family Businesses Podcast: Marcella Bremer—Build a Better Business With an Amazing, Positive Culture Additional resources for you My two award-winning books: Rethink: Smashing The Myths of Women in Business and On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights My third book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success, co-authored with Edie Fraser and Robyn Freedman Spizman  Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants Read the transcript of our podcast here Andi Simon: Welcome to On the Brink With Andi Simon. I'm Andi Simon, I'm your host and your guide. And as you know, what I love to do is find people that are going to help you see, feel and think in new ways because that's how you open your mind and begin to see opportunities. We often say, the future is all around us, it's just not widely distributed yet. But what if what's happening is something you could see so that you can understand it? Maybe I can as well, because in some ways, the story that you're going to hear today is going to help you rethink what you're doing and begin to open that door so that you can get off the brink. I have with me today, Dylan Rexing. I'm honored to share him with you. I met him out in Indianapolis at a Vistage group, and I think what they're doing is transformational to an industry that's sluggish. I'm going to let him tell you more about it, but let me tell you about his bio. Dylan Rexing is president and CEO of Rexing Companies, an Evansville-based network of family-owned and operated companies. So if you have a family firm or are thinking of building one, this is really good insights to share. Dylan is fifth generation in his family's farm operations, where he grew up learning the value of hard work and financial responsibility. But under his leadership, the Logistics Division of PFL Logistics has earned recognition as one of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies for the past four years. I'm going to let him tell you his story, but I think you're going to enjoy his journey because it'll change your own story about what's possible. If only you can open your mind to see and then do some observation into innovation. Dylan, thank you for joining me today. I'm so excited to have you. Dylan Rexing: Yeah, thanks for having me. Good seeing you again. Andi Simon: It's good to see you again. Dylan said he was away and read my book and I went, Oh, isn't that good reading on the beach? And I appreciate it. Dylan, please, let's hear your story. Your journey as you were sharing it with me is really a perfect setup for today's talk. Dylan Rexing: So, as you had mentioned, I'm generation five in our family business. When I took over the family operation, we were really just an agricultural-based company. We farm about 3000 acres. We had 120,000 chickens. And I took over out of college. I have a bachelors in accounting. And I determined that I didn't want everything that we did to be out of our control. So as a farming operation, we're not in control of the weather. So when we plant our crops is not determined by us, the yields that we get are also determined by Mother Nature. Then when we take it to market, it's really what the market bears. And so I sort of took over our organization. We still farm. It's still part of our legacy. Farmers are a backbone of the American economy. I don't want to necessarily downplay that by any means. It's still an important part of our business. But I sort of took our business and made a full 360. We have about 90 employees today in the supply chain space. And so we have three companies: cold storage, warehouse trucks and a trucking company where we have trucks and drivers, and then a freight company where we sort of work with our customers and partner with our customers to move freight all over the country. And so, for me, as you mentioned, I was on vacation last week and you were nice enough to give me a copy of your book On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights, and I read it and talked about how you sort of put on a different lens and look at the world in a different way. It resonated with me. If you get an email from me, at the very bottom underneath my signature it says: “The most dangerous phrase in the English language is ‘as we've always done it.'” Andi Simon: Dylan, you have no idea how many clients hire me to help them change that. The first thing they say is, No, we don't do it that way. And I say, Then you don't need me. If that's the way you're going to do it, the habits will drive you. But the times are changing, and maybe those habits are no longer viable or valuable or reliable for you. But, you know, you have a curious mind. And as you and I were talking, that curiosity factor is not to be underestimated. How did you begin to figure out the logistics part? Or, you could have abandoned where you were, but you didn't. You could have sold it, which you haven't. But now you've taken a bigger picture and have begun to develop a new set of solutions for the whole supply chain of. And I have a hunch there's some interesting new things coming as well. How did you begin? Where did it start? Dylan Rexing: Well, believe it or not, you might wonder, how does agriculture and supply chain tie together? And the fact of the matter is, it's very common for farmers to own supply chain-driven businesses. For example, farmers have to have semis and trailers to take product out of the fields and take them to market. But they only do that for several weeks or a month or so, two months a year. So you buy this equipment and it just sort of collects dust per se. So the way it started was, we had all this equipment lying around that we were trying to figure out, What do we do with it? And then the cold storage business is kind of the diamond in the middle that sort of connects it all. Our cold storage business: we have customers, big and small, from large poultry companies to bakeries to anything in the middle. And so those all tie in because of the stuff that we store in our warehouse. Our cold storage food product that we store, it has to get to market. It has to get to the grocery store, or it has to get to a plant to be further processed. And so it was all sort of tied together through a supply chain lens. Andi Simon: Now your clients come to you for any particular reason? Have you differentiated your cold storage in some fashion? Is it fully integrated? You make it simple and easy for them. What are the kind of core attributes of it? Dylan Rexing: So we like to tell folks, we're a one-stop shop. So you can call us and we can store your products, you can call us and we can haul your products. We don't necessarily have to, but we just try to make it easy and convenient for our customers. The cold storage business is pretty niche. There aren't a ton of companies in the US that are in the cold storage warehouse space and buy cold storage warehouses. For your listeners that maybe don't understand that, it's basically a building where we store products that are frozen, refrigerated, fresh, so that they're nice and healthy for folks in the supply chain, but just a high level of how that works. Andi Simon: Okay. But you bring them into the cold storage. You said that there aren't many cold storage businesses, and I am always curious whether you're doing it like everyone else. And, you and I were together when we talked about being another “red ocean,” or someone who is creating a market. And I hear you because you make it simpler and easier for your clients to get what they need done without having to work as hard, making it simple instead of complex, and beginning to see ways to add value innovatively so that maybe it's not a Blue Ocean®, but it has all the attributes of a good market creator, not simply “we are another.” Am I saying that correctly? Dylan Rexing: So I would say, there's only two large players in the cold storage business that own over 60% of the market. And so one of the ways we differentiate ourselves is by answering the phone when the customer calls. No offense to large companies, but when they get big, there's several layers of folks in the middle. And so one of the ways we differentiate ourselves is, we personalize our approach to the customer. If they need something, we do everything in our power to say yes, even if it's not easy. And so I think ultimately the farming background that I have is sort of driven by the fact that, it sounds a little cheesy, but the customer is first. And we do everything that we can to service that customer. And interestingly enough, most of our customer base does business with all three of our companies. So we try to anchor them in from one or the other and then convert them from being just a single customer to three of our operating entities. But our secret sauce really is just doing what we say we're going to do, answering phones, answering emails, and just providing a good service. Andi Simon: How interesting, simple and yet very profound and very much appreciated and needed by your community, by your markets. Are you located just in Indiana or are you across the country or where are you located? Dylan Rexing: So our warehouses, we have four locations in Indiana, all in southwest or southeastern Indiana. Our trucking division, we have a location in Owensboro, Kentucky, about 45 minutes from us here. And we also have an operation in the Carolinas. We have several employees out there in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, a little city called Troy. So we aren't all over the country, but we have trucks that travel in all contiguous 48 states. But our headquarters is mainly here in southwestern Indiana. Andi Simon: It sounded when you and I were talking, though, that so many companies today have people problems. But I have a hunch you don't. And I have a hunch there's some core values that are working well for you. Can you share with our listeners about how you attract and retain? Is it the metaphor of family? What do you find works particularly well? Because I do think that's a much needed wisdom to share with folks who aren't quite sure how to do that anymore. Dylan Rexing: You know, I would say that we're not perfect, and I don't think really anyone is. We've grown over the years. I mean, if you look back in the history books of our business in 2010, we had zero employees and 13 years later we have 90. And so we've obviously had some struggles along the way. We're still learning. I tell folks, when we onboard, we've hired so many people as of late that I don't know their faces. I don't know their names, I don't know what their hobbies are or what makes them tick. And so we started having a Friday, a monthly breakfast where we bring in bagels and sit down and just talk about who they are and why they're here and what their goals are and those kinds of things. And I just found it important to sort of personalize each person; it's kind of embarrassing when someone works for us and I don't know who they are. And so I made it a purpose to sit down with them and just take an hour out of the month and just get to know them. But when I end those meetings, I tell folks all the time that, you know, we're not perfect. My door's open. Come see me. If we do something that we shouldn't have done, or we said it in a way that we shouldn't have, come talk to us because we don't know if you don't tell us. And so I would say that culture is very important in a business. I didn't even know what the word culture meant probably 4 or 5 years ago. I didn't really understand it. I thought you just went to work and you busted your butt until you got the job done. And again, I didn't really understand it. And we hired a couple of people that really brought culture to our organization. And so I would say, you know, as far as attracting and retaining talent, we're better than the average company. We still have room to go. One of the things Vistage will teach you, and I've only been in Vistage a little over almost two years, is if you're not willing to always learn and get better, you're just going to get passed by. And so when people say, Well, how do you know how you are doing? And in the employee area, I always tell folks, I think we do a fabulous job. But, you know, there's always that room to go a step higher. Andi Simon: Particularly since the folks you're hiring are all coming from an age at a different time. They've had different experiences, you know, and the Google search for culture and culture change is has been going up like this for a couple of years now, something we specialize in because people don't know, as you're saying, what is it? And if you have a toxic one, you don't even know why. And if you have a good one, you can't figure out how to keep it going. And it's the thing that makes humans so special. We must have meaning, and as you're talking, it's important to get your folks to understand that they matter in the larger scheme of your business, that they aren't just a cog in the wheel, that their feelings matter and and they're changing and you want them to help build a better business. And it's interesting because I have a hunch your clients look upon them as assets, as real value providers, not just tactical and practical people. I mean, is there kind of a blend of your culture into your clients? Dylan Rexing: Yeah. I mean, I would say we have customers, we have employees on site at customers' facilities. We have some that work on their site. Not only are they there occasionally to do a pick up or a drop, but we have sites where our employees sit at a desk next to our customer, which is a little odd at times. And so we have to sort of manage that. Our culture and their culture have to kind of mix and we have to make sure that our employees are in a good space. But, I would say it's important to have employees that want to work for you. And that you treat your employees well. One of the small little tricks that I've taken from my time and in some books I've read, is that I write an anniversary card for every one of our employees every time they hit an anniversary date. I just write a little thank you that says, I really appreciate your contributions to our team and look forward to working with you in the future. It's really short and sweet, but I think we've sort of lost touch as a country or a globe, that everything is social media driven and everything's on our phone. And so our folks appreciate me taking the time to just literally get out a pen and write down a nice little note. And we also do that for customers. So we'll send handwritten notes to customers thanking them for their time listening to us about X, Y or Z. Maybe it's the curious mind in me, but I just sometimes think those little things are what matter. Andi Simon: Oh, I want to say, sometimes I think it is. I was on a plane coming back from Houston, Houston or Lexington. Unfortunately, I'm on a plane every week, and this flight attendant wrote me a personal note thanking me for being Executive Platinum on American Airlines, and how much she appreciated my loyalty and service. You know, often I get things from American to thank me but this is the second time I've gotten a handwritten note and I took a picture of it. And I just think it's a nice touch that makes it seem like you're not just a cog in this thing, that maybe it matters. And it mattered to this particular flight attendant. And she was very gracious about it. She said, I just want you to know how important this is. And I went, Well, I don't know who trained you, but you got a heart that's bigger and sometimes the flights are good and they work, and sometimes they don't. And after a while you just take whatever you get, right? But it was very touching. So yours has a ripple effect because I have a hunch your folks then say thank you to their folks and their clients say, Isn't this a nice thing? And all of a sudden the community has an appreciation for each other, bigger than the task at hand, am I right? Dylan Rexing: Yeah. I mean, ultimately, I think what we try to do is, and it's changed over time, but we want to make our community and our world a better place than when we took it over. Right? And so the little things about saying thank you and writing little notes to your employees and customers, I hope that puts a smile on our people's faces. And I hope when we send it to vendors and customers that it makes them feel better. And it's just trying to make the place we live in a little better. Ultimately, I don't know the exact statistics, but we spend more time with our colleagues at work than we spend at home with our family. If you don't love or enjoy where you work, you need to make a change, right? Andi Simon: Well, you can tell the folks how to reach you if they're curious and how to join you. I am curious, though, when we were talking about the future and the things that you're already seeing as ways to improve, even a very good model that you've got. And I do think that the times are changing fast, and sometimes there's a little idea that comes and adds great value. Can you share something about the work that you're doing now? Dylan Rexing: So we've got a new program with one of our companies, PFLAG, that we've been working on bringing to light. It started in July. Let me take a step back. The biggest fear I have as a business owner is that I'm the taxi cab that gets replaced by Uber, a great metaphor, or I'm a Blockbuster that gets replaced by Netflix. That's my biggest fear is that we started and we put all this tremendous effort and thought into our industry or in our several businesses, and that's just my biggest fear that someone comes in and just replaces us like that. And so I'm always trying to think of different ways to differentiate ourselves. And so we've got a new program for our logistics business that's really unique. It's probably the only one in the country. And we ultimately give our customers more control and transparency over their supply chain and where their product is and how much it costs and those kinds of things. So it's kind of cheesy to say, but we've become a partner of our customer, not really just a vendor. We've become partners. So we're integrated into their system. And like I said, we have employees that sit next to their employees in their building. And so we've just become an important piece of their business. And just the reason it came up is, again, I just was extremely concerned that we were going to be the taxicab. And I just don't want to do that. Andi Simon: But your metaphor, your aha, is that it's happened, to Airbnb and Blockbuster could have bought Netflix, but didn't think that was anything. Let's not forget, there was a Sears catalog before an Amazon ever existed. And now no more Sears and lots of Amazon. And you wonder who's going to tackle that one. But to your point, unless you try and you don't really know what's of value to your partners, I love the idea they're collaborators with you. Together you both rise, and without those customers partnering, you can't grow either. I mean, you can't have empty  cold storage. It doesn't do much good. And we can't because you're delivering the food to us in a way that's fast and easy and really affordable. More often than not, we believe it's getting to be challenging. You know, I'm enjoying our conversation. The thing that I really do think is that there are some lessons that you've learned that you want our listeners to hear: one, two or three of them that really impacted you because you are different than when you started to do this transformation and things are working, I have a hunch, better than you might have anticipated, but we can't necessarily know the future. We just can plan for it. Some lessons you've learned that you want to share. Dylan Rexing: You know, I'm going to hit the same topic again. But I think it's extremely important. I think for someone that's trying to start a business, or maybe they've already started one and they're kind of in a growth phase or anything in between, I think you need to walk in every day and think about how you're going to replace yourself. Because if you don't walk in your office every day or your building or wherever you work every day and think about how am I going to get replaced, someone's going to replace you. Maybe it's not tomorrow. Maybe it's five years from now. But ultimately that's the world that we live in. It's moving much faster today than it ever has. So I think that's one important piece that I'd like to share. The other piece I like to share is to listen to all the stakeholders in your area. So listen to your employees, listen to your vendors, listen to your customers. You learn more from that than you're going to learn anywhere else. There's my neighbor who ran a $1 billion manufacturing plant down the street from us. And he said, What I would do is, I'd have this scheduled time every Wednesday, I think it was where I'd walk the plant floor. It was a manufacturing business, a big one in our area. And every week he made a point, for a couple hours, to walk around and just walk the plant floor and talk to his people. A lot of folks in today's world, especially in my age group, I like to pick on my age group, I'm a little younger and we do some things better, but we also struggle in some areas, and people in my age group want to manage behind a desk or behind a spreadsheet or something of that nature. And I think it's just important to kind of get out there and get in front of the stakeholders of your business. Andi Simon: Well, you know, as an anthropologist, I can tell you that you really don't know what you don't know. And you can ask people and they'll tell you a story about what they think it is you want to hear. But that gentleman who went out to look and see is how we actually learn. And unless you're in the trucks or in the cold storage route with your own customers, you're imagining what it is they're struggling with and where you could add value innovatively. My husband was a serial entrepreneur in his last business. He spent a whole lot of time just listening, trying to hear what people were challenged by and not assuming we knew because we really don't know. We think we know, but we are imagining what it is like there. And so that point is a really powerful one. You know, this has been fun. Do you have your folks also coming back with things they've heard from customers that feed into an innovation, you know, culture in some fashion? My last question and then we'll do a wrap up because I do think they hear more than we will ever hear. Dylan Rexing: So when we were at Vistage in Indy together, you had spoken about going to your customer service team to listen. Our business isn't necessarily set up that way. And so it's still in the back of my brain as to how to get ideas from not just myself talking to folks, but to get ideas from other folks in our organization. So stay tuned on that. It's one piece that I sort of wrote down as a takeaway, and an important one for sure. I think what Vistage says is, It's a day to work on your business, not in your business. That's kind of their metaphor. I think my last piece of advice would be: sometimes we get really busy in the day to day of whatever fire is out there. Take a step back and sort of look at your business from a high level. And I think you'll be very happy that you did so well. Andi Simon: And I love the idea of taking a Wednesday and being an observer, and give it enough frequency so that you can really begin to see. And offline, you and I can talk about some ideas about how to get your talent out there to begin to feed things back in because there's always gaps for pain points that they hear. My favorite story is someone who said to a Vistage member,  what “What if's” could you have benefited from? And he said, We ignored all those. That wasn't what we sold him, and then we asked where all the opportunities were. So he created the “what if” sales process. Don't sell what we sell, listen to what they need. And I went, Oh, that's not hard. And he said, But I didn't hear a word that customer was saying, and that's where all my opportunities were. So it's pretty cool stuff. Where can they reach you if they'd like to get ahold of you? Dylan Rexing: The best way is the Contact Us page on our website. My office number's on there. My email address is on there. I'm happy to talk to anybody at any time and see if there's a way I can improve your business. Andi Simon: Good. I am reluctant to share on the recordings because they're there for a long time and sometimes we don't want them there for a long time. But I thank you so much. It's been such a pleasure today. So this is fun. I have to tell Steve McFarland this was just a treat and he should send me some more of his folks. They're really remarkable people. It was wonderful. For those of you who don't know about Vistage, I'll put a plug in. I think I've done 503 or 504 Vistage talks, mostly on: change matters, how to find new markets Blue Ocean Strategy-style or culture change or innovation. But Vistage is an organization of CEOs and key leaders from companies across the world now, and it brings them together for them to listen and grow and learn. In my book, On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights, six of the eight stories in there are Vistage members. And it's a great way to understand how Vistage folks begin to open their minds to possibilities, and it gives us great opportunities to help them see things through a fresh lens, which is my job. For those of you who came today, as always, thank you for joining us. It's so much fun to do podcasting. It's a way of sharing people and ideas and you don't need to listen to me alone. This was a marvelous time to share and I'm just glad we're growing together. I feel like a partner. Our new book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success, co-authored with Edie Fraser and Robyn Freedman Spizman, is behind me here, and for those of you who may have bought it, I'm getting great reviews on Amazon. If you haven't bought it yet, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and local booksellers have it, and we are on the book tour. If you want to hear us speak about how Women Mean Business, I'd be delighted to share with you. There are 102 women in it. They're all leaders in their field who share their five wisdoms, and help others do better together. And that's what we're all about. So it's been fun. Thank you for coming to On the Brink. My job is to help you get off the brink. And, so thank you Dylan, it's been a pleasure. Have a great day. Bye bye now.

As we head into the Advent Season, Pastor Heather shares what the true meaning of hope is and how we should reflect on that meaning not just during this season, but in our daily lives.

We all need a solid foundation to base our lives on. When life is hopeless, how do we benefit from God's blessing? In this message from Psalm 40, Pastor Lutzer locates two conditions for receiving God's blessings in a difficult situation. Let's learn how to wait on God when we're deep in a pit. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29

We all need a solid foundation to base our lives on. When life is hopeless, how do we benefit from God's blessing? In this message from Psalm 40, Pastor Lutzer locates two conditions for receiving God's blessings in a difficult situation. Let's learn how to wait on God when we're deep in a pit. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. 

This is a lovely low gen recording from November 25, 1988 at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, in support of Jimmy Page's Outrider album. This tour is incredible and should not be overlooked by Zep fans. Jimmy Page, John Miles, Durban LaVerde, and Jason Bonham make a tight little unit cranking out Zeppelin tunes (for the first time since 1980), Firm tunes, Death Wish 2 tunes, and even a Yardbirds tune. Best of all Jimmy was playing like it was 1973 again, with fluidity and dexterity unseen for at least a decade.

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HEREIn this podcast episode, Tyson Mutrux discusses the book "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen. He shares the book's key concepts of capturing, clarifying, organizing, reflecting, and engaging with tasks. Tyson shares the importance of moving tasks into an external system and breaking them down into actionable items.  Resources: Join the Guild Membership Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel Follow us on Instagram Join the Facebook Group Follow the Facebook Page Follow us on LinkedIn

Many of us have felt hopeless, like we were “in the pits.” When King David was at rock bottom in despair, he cried out to God. In this message from Psalm 40, Pastor Lutzer delineates five blessings David experienced in the pit. Because God has not abandoned us, we too can find a firm place to stand. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. 

Many of us have felt hopeless, like we were “in the pits.” When King David was at rock bottom in despair, he cried out to God. In this message from Psalm 40, Pastor Lutzer delineates five blessings David experienced in the pit. Because God has not abandoned us, we too can find a firm place to stand. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29

In this episode, we dive into an inspiring conversation with our two guests, Devan Janai Cothran and Cherita Marks, about the upcoming Gala of Giving—an annual global experience that travels from city to city. This event is dedicated to partnering with prominent community organizations to amplify their impact and raise funds directly toward their cause. Get ready for an engaging discussion filled with laughter, insights, and a deep dive into the power of community engagement. KEY HIGHLIGHTS: Devan and Cherita share insights into the Gala of Giving event, an initiative supporting the local nonprofit in Gahanna, OH. They emphasize the importance of supporting organizations that have a tangible impact on the community. The fundraising goal for the Gala of Giving to support the organization's programs is revealed. Devan and Cherita discuss the vision behind their work, aiming to create meaningful connections and opportunities for the youth. They shed light on the origins of the Gala of Giving, emphasizing the unique approach of combining charity and luxury in their events. Devan and Cherita talk about their future plans. Devan and Cherita wrap up the episode with a motivational message. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Devan is the woman behind Cocoa Therapy, a unique women's talk show designed to help build and maintain confidence in everyday situations, with a comedic and down-to-earth relatable approach. Cherita Marks has six years of experience in brand activation and event planning within fitness, entertainment, and health/beauty industries. She excels in leading effective sponsorship and outreach events, creating engaging marketing campaigns, and surpassing goals while optimizing resources. Currently, she is seeking roles in Strategic Partnerships, Brand Activations, and Experiential Marketing. KEY TAKEAWAY: Whatever it is that you want to do, you have to try. You have to try it and be bad at it before you can be good at it. You can do it; you can. - Cherita To connect with Devan visit her at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devan.j.brown Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devans_aboyname/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@devanjanai1017 To connect with Cherita visit her at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011389392116 Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherita-marks/ To know more about the Gala of Giving visit here: https://thegalaofgiving.splashthat.com/ Connect with me on Facebook at: Facebook: Pamela Stone Vision Made Media www.visionmadtwork.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatsnextforwomen/support

On this episode of Inside the Firm, billings across the country continue to soften but is a lower interest rate coming this spring?, then here's your recession proof cheatsheet, and last but not least Elon Musk joins the guys for a couple reads! Join us as we go back Inside the Firm!

In this episode Whitney interviews Bob Knakal, a real estate expert who has achieved remarkable success in New York City. With over 6,000 transactions worth over $23 billion under his belt, Bob shares his strategies for growth and how he and his partner scaled their business from a small team to over 250 people and three offices.Bob emphasizes the importance of being strategic in the real estate industry. He highlights the need to have a clear plan and outlines the specific steps they took to achieve their impressive growth. One key strategy they implemented was a residential farming approach to commercial real estate. By deeply understanding specific neighborhoods and markets, they were able to differentiate themselves from other brokers and gain a competitive advantage.Another crucial aspect of their growth strategy was their commitment to servant leadership. Bob and his partner focused on empowering their team members, building their self-esteem, and supporting their personal and professional growth. They created a collaborative and supportive culture that encouraged everyone to exceed their own expectations.Bob also emphasizes the importance of tracking key metrics in both personal and professional life. In business, they closely monitored volume and value metrics such as the number of buildings sold, dollar volume of sales, price per square foot, and cap rates. This allowed them to stay informed about market trends and make informed decisions.Bob's advice for success includes disciplined prospecting and networking. He personally makes a goal of contacting a certain number of property owners each week and attending networking events regularly. By staying top of mind and building relationships, he has been able to consistently generate business opportunities.Lastly, Bob emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community. He sits on the board of several charities and focuses on helping disadvantaged children through educational and athletic opportunities.To connect with Bob and learn more about his insights and expertise, email him directly at bob.knakal@jll.com. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn to stay updated on his latest industry insights and engage in meaningful discussions. Don't miss out on the opportunity to connect with a seasoned professional in the real estate industry!VISIT OUR WEBSITEhttps://lifebridgecapital.com/Here are ways you can work with us here at Life Bridge Capital:⚡️START INVESTING TODAY: If you think that real estate syndication may be right for you, contact us today to learn more about our current investment opportunities: https://lifebridgecapital.com/investwithlbc⚡️Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealEstateSyndicationShow

In this episode, we're coming to you very nearly live from the floor of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Discover event in Barcelona to bring you the highlights of the keynote speech by HPE CEO, Antonio Neri.We'll be talking about what Antonio's AI-focused HPE Discover keynote says about the company's direction in the coming months, as well as digging deeper with expert analysis from friend of the podcast, Matt Armstrong-Barnes.This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it.Do you have a question for the expert? Ask it here using this Google form: https://forms.gle/8vzFNnPa94awARHMAAbout the expert: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mattarmstrongbarnesSources and statistics cited in this episode:Watch Antonio Neri's keynote here: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/discover-more-network/events/discover-barcelona-2023.htmlAccenture's report on AI investment among organizations: https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/2023/among-c-suite-leaders-ai-is-top-digital-priority-in-the-path-to-operational-resilience-finds-accenture-studyMatt Armstrong-Barnes' blog series on sustainable AI: https://community.hpe.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/1952808

On this episode we talk with Raul Gallegos the president of the the National Association of Guide Dog Users about what the association does for guide dog users. 

Rising CPA star Logan Graf joins Blake to discuss his success in growing a profitable firm in just three years. Logan shares his unique transparent approach, how he rapidly increases his pricing year over year, and how he structures productized service packages to maximize profits. Blake and Logan talk about automating the client onboarding process, and key strategies around requiring upfront payments. This eye-opening episode is full of actionable advice to help CPAs accelerate firm growth and build their dream practice.SponsorShareFile - https://earmarkcpe.promo/sharefileChapters (07:40) - How Logan spends his time making content (10:44) - What type of services do you offer at your firm? (17:15) - How do you reevaluate pricing and implement higher pricing? (26:43) - Do you have any tips to raise prices without making clients angry? (30:06) - Getting clients to pay you upfront (36:13) - Have you started sending out proposals for next year yet? (49:21) - Tell me about your package offerings on your website (55:47) - How do you track projects and thoughts on practice management software? (01:03:32) - Blake demonstrates the ChatGPT CapCut integration (01:08:48) - Thanks for listening and remember to subscribe Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comDownload the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest, Logan GrafLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logangraf/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoganGrafTaxYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2X_OgakltGGp-r5AJNsPQLearn more about The Graf Tax Co. PLLChttps://www.graftaxco.com/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

Are you looking for a way to enhance your hiring process? In this episode, Becca Eberhart, CEO at Maximum Lawyer discusses the transformative potential of video introductions in the hiring process. AI tools like ChatGPT are being used to craft resumes and cover letters. This means hiring managers are not able to really know if a candidate's credentials and experience is true or accurate. Becca talks about how integrating video introductions into the recruitment process is a game changer to really get to know the candidate. You are able to hear and see them right off the bat and get to know their personality and style. Normal resumes and cover letters can be generic and it can be difficult to find the perfect candidate for a role. Video introductions act as a preliminary face to face conversation with the candidate. This can quickly cut say 30 resumes down to a select few.Becca walks through a few things to consider when deciding to use video introductions in the recruitment process. One thing is to establish clear guidelines and instructions for candidates to follow so they create a video that will get them noticed. It is a good idea to not tell them how to record the video or what tool to use. This can be a great way to see how resourceful the candidate is. Another thing is to set a time limit of how long the video needs to be. This will show if candidates understand how to be concise and focused. Since it is an introduction, keep videos short and to no longer than 1 minute. Listen in to understand how to streamline your selection process!00:23 Video introductions provide a more personal way to evaluate candidates1:18 Text-based resumes may not effectively differentiate candidates2:30 To incorporate video introductions, set clear guidelines for candidatesTune in to today's episode and checkout the full show notes here. Resources: Join the Guild Membership Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel Follow us on Instagram Join the Facebook Group Follow the Facebook Page Follow us on LinkedIn

Running a firm without the burden of timesheets can be challenging. In this episode, I shared actionable strategies to streamline your accounting firm for greater efficiency without relying on timesheets.

The Road to Independence: Launching Her Own Recruitment Firm with Madison Loomis In this inspiring episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena dives deep into the journey of Madison Loomis, a successful recruiter who ventured out to start her own recruitment firm. Through candid conversations and valuable insights, listeners will gain a firsthand understanding of the challenges and triumphs that come with launching an independent recruitment agency. Key Highlights: - Madison Loomis's courageous decision to establish her own recruitment firm following challenging layoffs - The pivotal support and encouragement from family and mentors that propelled Madison to take the leap - The unique flat fee model Madison implemented for placements to ensure fairness for clients and candidates - A focus on the value of relationship-driven business and the importance of authenticity in personal branding and business development - Madison Loomis's emphasis on defining success beyond financial metrics and the significance of work-life balance Join Benjamin Mena and Madison Loomis as they explore the impact of redefining one's identity and the invaluable role of faith, mentorship, and human connection in the recruitment industry. From the power of personalized video in business development to the significance of pursuing passions and creating a successful lifestyle recruitment firm, this episode offers actionable strategies and thought-provoking insights for recruiters at all stages of their careers. Tune in for a candid and empowering conversation that will inspire you to carve your own path in the world of recruitment. Don't miss out on the exclusive insights shared in this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast. Subscribe now and embark on a journey toward recruitment independence with Madison Loomis. Join The Elite Recruiter Community Pre Launch Signup for future emails from The Elite Recruiter Podcast: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Madison Loomis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madisonmloomis/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/t_LvoqiVcSQ With your Host Benjamin Mena with Select Source Solutions: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/ Benjamin Mena LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/ Benjamin Mena Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlmena/ Benjamin Mena TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminlmena

As the royals hit the headlines again with the release of another “tell-all” book, what's it like reporting on ‘The Firm'? Valentine Low, The Times writer on all things royal for the past 15 years has retired, but before he left, he shared some of the highlights of his career as part of the royal press pack. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Valentine Low, former writer for The Times.Host: Manveen Rana. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.ukClips: BBC News, CBS News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick Griebenow, CFA and one of the Portfolio Managers at at Shelton Capital Management - Ticker: $EQTIX with over $4 Billion in assets under management. Website: https://sheltoncap.com/ Bio: Nick Griebenow, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager for Shelton Capital Management's Option Overlay Strategies. Mr. Griebenow has extensive knowledge in option strategies and was previously a Senior Derivatives Trader at a large national brokerage firm. He received a B.A. from Colorado State University. Shelton Capital Firm AUM as of 9/30/23 is $4.3B (of that over $1.1B in managed option strategies) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/smartmoneycircle/support

Pencil-maker Faber-Castell has been in business since 1761, but it is still innovating and adopting new technology. In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ryan Raffaelli discusses his case, “Faber-Castell.” He explains how the company balances stewardship of its brand with innovation and evolution, and how leaders decide when—and when not to—adopt new technologies. Plus, he breaks down Faber-Castell's “generational” approach to formulating strategy to sustain their business for the longer term. Key episode topics include: strategy, product development, innovation, family businesses. HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world's top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR Cold Call episode: Faber-Castell Doubles Down on the Pencil (2017)· Find more episodes of Cold Call· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org]]>

Ever found yourself dreaming about trading in your corporate badge for the freedom of running your own consulting firm? If the answer is yes, then you're in the right place. Today's episode features a candid conversation with Michelle Kvello, founder of Lantern Partners, who bravely embarked on such a journey. You're getting a front-row seat to her inspiring transition from a corporate job to launching a successful virtual CFO firm.Imagine the excitement of building your own team and the thrill of growing your business. I'll take you through Michelle's compelling narrative as she shares how she chose the perfect players for her team and navigated the challenges of marketing. We also delve into her unique program: Corporate to Consultant, designed to provide individuals with the tools they need to effortlessly shift from corporate roles to successful consulting. Hear about the transformative power of coaching as our very own Angela Marie Christian reveals how Michelle's guidance catalyzed her own leap into the world of virtual CFOs.Let's be honest, starting a business isn't a walk in the park - it's fraught with fears and doubts. We dive headfirst into these concerns, discussing familiar roadblocks such as lacking a clear vision or grappling with sales. But fear not, we offer reassurances and guidance on how to tackle these obstacles head-on. This engaging conversation provides you with practical advice on valuing your worth, mastering the art of negotiation, and honing an authentic sales approach. Dive into the world of self-consulting, empowered and ready to make your mark.Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn here. Check out her Corporate to Consultant course here. Read more about Michelle here. Michelle's bio: Michelle Kvello is the founder of Lantern Partners, a virtual CFO firm, working with founder CEOs of startups and scale ups. She has a personal love of driving entrepreneur success because early in her career she realised there was a need for founders to have access to good commercial and strategic financial support. Often the health and hygiene compliance work was sorted, but the missing piece of the puzzlewas the partnering support to help the business really grow. She founded Lantern Partners with the vision of being that partner. Last year she launched her Corporate to Consultant programme, a practical guide through the key building blocks in making aSupport the showPurchase my best selling book (Manifestation Mastery) here. Apply for my 5D CFO Services here.Book a 1:1 Session with me here. Follow me on Instagram here: Angela Marie ChristianThe5DCFOFacebook: Angela Marie Christian Join my FB Group: Mindfulness & ManifestationJoin my newsletter here.

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HEREAre you someone who has had to step back into a previous role? In this episode, Jim and Tyson discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise when law firm owners have to step back into roles they had previously delegated. If you are a law firm owner or work in a management role within the legal field, there may come a time where you will have to step into a role that was once filled by someone you delegated. This means there are a lot of learning curves and adjustments needed in order to do things right. Sometimes, being pulled back into a role is unexpected and will shift priorities because a whole team of people need you to step in and take control.Tyson shares an example of stepping into a role when another attorney resigned. He learned about issues that existed in some cases that he never would have known if he didnt step into the role. This led to some new processes and protocols being put in place to deal with the issues. Jim says as law firm owners, they need to have a more active role in their team's day to day operations.Jim shares the frustration of getting pulled back into a leadership role and not feeling okay with giving the reins to the new person. It can be hard to turn things over to a new leader after doing the work for a few months and ironing out all the kinks. Jim shares his experience with finally cleaning up the intake system for his firm and feeling himself holding back in giving the responsibility to the new manager. Sometimes there is this feeling of wanting to perfect something before you give it away. This can cause you to not get back into your former routine and focus on your main tasks. It is important to trust yourself and the person who has come into the role to take over and lead.Jim and Tyson talk about decision making and the need to make them quickly, especially if you want things to get done and cases to close at times that are appropriate. Whether the decision is right or wrong, it is important to make the decision so you are not lagging and wasting time. For example, if you need to replace a team member or hire because there is a need, do it now so that worry is dealt with.Take a listen to learn more!Jim's Hack: If you don't have an assistant, you are the assistant. If you are doing all the  lower level work and you are busy, you need to pass it down to other people. It is important to hire virtual assistants or other administrative staff to optimize yourself.Tyson's Tip: Treat every hour working out or sleeping as being worth $10,000. That way, you are more likely to focus and prioritize doing it.3:11 Tyson and Jim share their personal experience of being pulled back into a leadership role11:00 The frustration and guilt experienced when being dragged back into tasks17:26 Highlighting the need to make decisions quickly Thank you to our sponsors for supporting the Maximum Lawyer podcast:Reach out to RizeUp Media for your SEO and website needs here!Contact Get Staffed Up for your virtual staffing needs here!Resources: Join the Guild Membership Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel Follow us on Instagram Join the Facebook Group Follow the Facebook Page Follow us on LinkedIn

Dan Hood, Editor-in-Chief at Accounting Today, returns to episode 133 of The Unique CPA to talk to Randy Crabtree about the keys to creating an unbeatable company culture. They discuss the intricacies and the delicate balance between rules and relationships that attracts top talent and builds a sustainable firm environment. Discover what can truly set firms apart and ordered, pre-planned strategies for navigating growth while maintaining a distinct identity. Hear firsthand how defining small cultural nuances can build a team people don't want to leave. Dan is full of invaluable insights as the quintessential industry insider. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

“A lot of people wonder if they can afford an executive assistant. So, let's say that you have an executive assistant whom you delegate ten hours of work to every week. How would you spend those ten hours? What high-level work could you get done? I think we're all willing to work a hard day. But then, we want to go home satisfied and fulfilled. It's about quality of life.” - Gina CotnerThe finer details of this episode:Discussion of “delegate and elevate” and the types of tasks that can be delegatedDifferences between executive assistants and virtual assistantsImportance of communication expectations and finding the right communication channelsPricing models and considerations when choosing an executive assistant serviceEpisode resources:Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website: https://www.summitcpa.net/If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at mcpasuccessshow@anderscpa.comCheck out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course: https://vcfoplaybook.summitcpa.net/https://athenaexecutiveservices.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/athenaea/

A revocable trust is an essential part of an estate plan in California. And when clients ask why they need a revocable trust, our answer is always: to avoid probate! We know that probate is time consuming and costly, but have you ever wondered how our system came to be? In this episode of Trust Me!, Anne Rudolph and Ralph Hughes discuss their recent article published in the Trusts & Estates Quarterly -- The Rise of Revocable Trusts in California.About Our Guests:Ralph E. Hughes is a founding Shareholder of Hughes and Pizzuto, APC focusing on Probate and Trust Administration, Probate and Trust Litigation, and related mediation. Ralph received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1976. Shortly thereafter, he moved to San Diego. Since that time, he has been involved in all aspects of probate, estate planning, trust and probate administration, and related litigation. He is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. Ralph is affiliated with West Coast Resolution Center and conducts mediations through that organization. He has participated in well over 100 mediations.Anne M. Rudolph is a Shareholder of Hughes and Pizzuto, APC focusing in Probate and Trust Administration, Probate and Trust Litigation, and Appeals. Anne is the Chair of the Firm's Appellate Section. Anne received her law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law where she graduated in the top 5% of her class. She has been a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law since 2013. Anne has earned an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell for legal experience and knowledge as well as ethical standards. She has also been named a Top Rated Estate and Trust Litigation Attorney by San Diego Super Lawyers® since 2018, an honor that is reserved for the top 5% of attorneys in California. She is a frequent speaker on legal ethics issues that arise in the fields of trusts, estate planning, and probate.About Our Host: Host Anna Soliman is Trust Counsel and Managing Director for Fiduciary Trust International of California out of the Los Angeles Office. Prior to joining Fiduciary Trust International, Anna was an estate tax attorney for the Internal Revenue Service and also worked in private practice, specializing in estate planning and trust administration for ultrahigh net worth individuals. She is also a TEXCOM member and is involved with the Fiduciary Income Tax Section of the American Bar Association.Thank you for listening to Trust Me!Trust Me is Produced by Foley Marra StudiosEdited by Todd Gajdusek

Palantir, the US spy-tech firm co-founded by the billionaire Peter Thiel, has won a contract to handle NHS data. It's a deal that has left privacy advocates such as Cori Crider with serious questions. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

A licensed Broker since 1980, Carlton is the backbone of the team. Carlton leads negotiation, strategic planning, and the team's promotion community service projects.  These special projects have created community goodwill in the areas the team services and are a part of The Lund Team's phenomenal success. He is a nationally recognized expert on Value Range Marketing and has consistently been one of North San Diego County's top-producing real estate brokers. MOST RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS: City of Carlsbad Citizen Of The Year - 2007 Consistently ranks Top 10 for properties sold in San Diego County Participated in over $2 Billion in residential real estate transactions Prudential's Chairmen's Circle Award Recipient (top 100 of 50,000 agents nationally) 1992-2007 Chair-Elect for the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce   Let's Get Social Website: www.lundteam.com Office Phone Number: (760) 438-0800

IMEG President and CEO Paul VanDuyne talks about the trajectory of his career and the firm's growth during his 20-year tenure as CEO in this special episode of The Future Built Smarter. The recipient of ENR Midwest's 2023 Legacy Award, Paul entered the industry as a design electrical engineer 47 years ago when he joined IMEG—then KJWW Engineering. In 2003 he became president and CEO, and in 2015 led a merger between KJWW and TTG Engineers of California, which ushered in the creation of IMEG. Since then, IMEG has completed 35 acquisitions and has gone from 800 staff members in the Midwest and California to over 2,400 staff at 80 locations coast to coast. All of that might not have happened, however, had Paul followed his original plans when he moved from the East Coast—where he'd already earned an engineering degree—to Davenport, Iowa. “I actually came out to the Midwest to become a chiropractor,” he says. “I was going into a new career direction. About six months into it I needed to make some money and joined this small engineering company over in Rock Island, Illinois. I was their 16th person at the beginning of 1976. That's my story with what eventually became IMEG.” Paul shares how his interest in healthcare—he did go on to earn his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College—led to jumpstarting and building IMEG's healthcare portfolio, which today is ranked 4th in the nation among engineering firms by Building Design+Construction. He also discusses IMEG's ongoing strategic mergers and acquisitions, its goal to become a billion-dollar company, and how its wide diversity of markets and services, geographic distribution, employee ownership, and single profit center combine to provide the firm with resilience and growth even during times of adversity. “All that really helped us get through the pandemic, but also any difficult times that come up,” he says. “That's a huge stability factor for us.” After nearly 50 years in the business, Paul says he is very committed to a daily health regimen that helps him to stay energized and meet the demands of the job, physically and mentally. “I think a lot of it has to do with mindset,” he says. “If your mindset is a progressive mindset, and it's an abundance mindset, I think that gives you a huge advantage.”  Learn more about IMEG's approach and stories of success on the new mini-documentary, "IMEG Built Smarter: A Strategic Growth Story.” 

Value: After Hours is a podcast about value investing, Fintwit, and all things finance and investment by investors Tobias Carlisle, and Jake Taylor. See our latest episodes at https://acquirersmultiple.com/podcast We are live every Tuesday at 1.30pm E / 10.30am P. About Jake: Jake is a partner at Farnam Street. Jake's website: http://farnam-street.com/vah Jake's podcast: https://twitter.com/5_GQs Jake's Twitter: https://twitter.com/farnamjake1 Jake's book: The Rebel Allocator https://amzn.to/2sgip3l ABOUT THE PODCAST Hi, I'm Tobias Carlisle. I launched The Acquirers Podcast to discuss the process of finding undervalued stocks, deep value investing, hedge funds, activism, buyouts, and special situations. We uncover the tactics and strategies for finding good investments, managing risk, dealing with bad luck, and maximizing success. SEE LATEST EPISODES https://acquirersmultiple.com/podcast/ SEE OUR FREE DEEP VALUE STOCK SCREENER https://acquirersmultiple.com/screener/ FOLLOW TOBIAS Website: https://acquirersmultiple.com/ Firm: https://acquirersfunds.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Greenbackd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobycarlisle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tobiascarlisle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tobias_carlisle ABOUT TOBIAS CARLISLE Tobias Carlisle is the founder of The Acquirer's Multiple®, and Acquirers Funds®. He is best known as the author of the #1 new release in Amazon's Business and Finance The Acquirer's Multiple: How the Billionaire Contrarians of Deep Value Beat the Market, the Amazon best-sellers Deep Value: Why Activists Investors and Other Contrarians Battle for Control of Losing Corporations (2014) (https://amzn.to/2VwvAGF), Quantitative Value: A Practitioner's Guide to Automating Intelligent Investment and Eliminating Behavioral Errors (2012) (https://amzn.to/2SDDxrN), and Concentrated Investing: Strategies of the World's Greatest Concentrated Value Investors (2016) (https://amzn.to/2SEEjVn). He has extensive experience in investment management, business valuation, public company corporate governance, and corporate law. Prior to founding the forerunner to Acquirers Funds in 2010, Tobias was an analyst at an activist hedge fund, general counsel of a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, and a corporate advisory lawyer. As a lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions he has advised on transactions across a variety of industries in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Singapore, Bermuda, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Guam. He is a graduate of the University of Queensland in Australia with degrees in Law (2001) and Business (Management) (1999).

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Watch the YouTube version of this episode HEREAre you an attorney who is looking to improve efficiency with your firm? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Tyson discusses the "90/10 Principle" for improving law firm efficiency and profitability.Tyson discusses the importance of the 90/10 principle. The principle involves clearing the 10% of cases that are either not profitable for the firm or attorneys don't want to focus on them to create a more lean practice. In order to identify these cases, you need to go through the caseload and pinpoint the bottom 10% by determining the case value. Looking at the financial side of things is a great way to determine this because you can determine how much money it costs to keep the case on the books. Figure out how much resources are going towards a case. If it is high, it might be time to cut ties with it. Also consider how much energy is being put towards a case. If the case is sucking a lot of energy and time from the firm, it can be put in that 10%. Once you determine the bottom 10%, look to identify the top 10% of cases for the firm. This is because once you shed the cases you don't want, all that energy will be put towards the top 10%. This could mean delegating your best attorneys to those 10% since they are high priority.Ensure this is a recurring process. For example, put time in your calendar once a quarter or once a year to re-evaluate the cases that the firm is handling. This could be changing the bottom 10% and top 10% every 4 or 12 months.Take a listen to find out how to ensure greater efficiency for your firm!00:24 Introducing the 90/10 principle, a variation of the Pareto principle2:25 The process of identifying the bottom 10% of cases3:20 Redirecting the effort from the bottom 10% of cases to the top 10%Tune in to today's episode and checkout the full show notes here.  Resources: Join the Guild Membership Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel Follow us on Instagram Join the Facebook Group Follow the Facebook Page Follow us on LinkedIn

The news of a private equity firm running away in Hangzhou has shocked the entire financial circle. Although the financial circle of all kinds of problems endless, but the fund-raising party directly run out of the road is very rare. And it ran away and rolled away as much as 3 billion RMB!Join other motivated learners on your Chinese learning journey with maayot. Receive a daily Chinese reading in Mandarin Chinese in your inbox. Full text in Chinese, daily quiz to test your understanding, one-click dictionary, new words, etc.Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at contact[at]maayot.com

Freakshow have just released a killer album called So Shall It Be. The band consists of Ronnie Borchert on Lead Vocals and Guitar, Carlos Cavazo on Guitar and Backing Vocals, Greg Chaisson on Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals and Stet Howland on Drums and Backing Vocals. Rik Fox has joined the band since the recording of this album. We had the opportunity to have vocalist Ronnie Borchert join us by phone to talk about the band and their new album. Join our conversation and stick around to hear four songs from the record, two picked by Ronnie, two by us. Rock and Roll music that DESERVES to be heard! Pick up a copy of So Shall It Be at www.eonianrecords.comAbout FREAKSHOWFREAKSHOW's debut album was a supergroup featuring Miss Crazy's Ronnie Borchert, Cinderella's Jeff LaBar, Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali, and Tony Franklin, who had played in The Firm, Blue Murder, and Whitesnake. FAST FORWARD to 2023 ...different players, yet another output of AMAZING, hook-filled, blazing rock-n-roll! Ronnie Borchert brings together friends Carlos Cavazo on guitars (Quiet Riot & Ratt), Greg Chaisson on bass (Badlands & Atomic Kings), and Stet Howland on drums (W.A.S.P. & Metal Church) to record the brand-new album “So Shall It Be.” FREAKSHOW's founder, Ronnie Borchert stormed onto the rock scene in 2005 as the frontmanfor San Francisco-based Miss Crazy. His vocal style quickly solidified Miss Crazy as one of the best new melodic rock bands and drew quick comparisons to singers such as Brian Johnson, Tom Keifer, Steve Whitman, and Joe Elliot. Prior to Miss Crazy and FREAKSHOW, Ronnie was the lead vocalist for melodic hard rock and glam bands Amsterdam and Trixie.Songs included in this chat:So Shall It BeM.S.MYou ShineIce Cold Hands 

Do you need some tips in completing projects effectively? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Becca, the CEO of Maximum Lawyer shares essential strategies for executing projects effectively.No matter the project, it is important to have a clear vision, roadmap and approach to reach the outcome you want. Becca emphasizes the need to start a project with the end in mind. It really helps envision the success of the project. It is important to create an outline to ensure you stay on track. Outline the goal and write out a list of broad steps from the start of the project to the end. After this, it is important to define the due date. It needs to be one that is realistic and attainable. If you do not set a due date, the project will simply not get done because other things will take priority or take you away from working on it. When working on a project, it is crucial to ensure you put time in your calendar to get it done. Whether it's 30 minutes a day or a few hours a week, put that block in the calendar so you are accountable to work on it.Many projects are complex, with multiple people working on them and dozens of tasks to complete. Some tasks themselves are too big to just do and they need to be broken down into subtasks. This will take the overwhelming feeling away from yourself or your team when it comes to getting things done. Make sure to have a good project management system or tool to track all progress. Listen in to learn about the best way to get a project done!00:23 Importance of having a clear vision of the desired outcome before starting any project1:16 The significance of defining goals and due dates2:20 The strategy of breaking down broader project steps into smaller subtasksTune in to today's episode and checkout the full show notes here.  Resources: Join the Guild Membership Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel Follow us on Instagram Join the Facebook Group Follow the Facebook Page Follow us on LinkedIn

The text of the European Union AI act was passed with a hefty majority in June 2023. It's one of the most stringent and wide-reaching pieces of legislation governing artificial intelligence to date, but what does that mean for global organizations inside (and outside) the European Union? In this episode, we'll be asking what the act means, why it matters, and where the uncertainties, controversies and challenges lie, with HPE Chief Technologist Matt Armstrong-Barnes.This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it.Do you have a question for the expert? Ask it here using this Google form: https://forms.gle/8vzFNnPa94awARHMAAbout the expert: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mattarmstrongbarnesSources and statistics cited in this episode:The G7 11-point code: https://www.reuters.com/technology/g7-agree-ai-code-conduct-companies-g7-document-2023-10-29/The EU AI act opening statement: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligenceText of the EU AI act: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0236_EN.htmlCenter for Data Innovation report into the costs of the act: https://datainnovation.org/2021/07/how-much-will-the-artificial-intelligence-act-cost-europe/

Check out these innovative ideas regarding customer experience improvements. I also shared a bit of backstory about my personal experience.

Kate Fox is an Investment Manager at Baillie Gifford based in Edinburgh, where she leads the impact strategy Positive Change and is a Partner at the Firm. Our conversation traces her career journey, explores the meaning of "positive change" within an investment context and examines the way to develop a successful career in portfolio management. We start with Kate's upbringing in a small village near Aberdeen and the love of maths and physics that led to finance as a possible career path - discovered through the milk round. She describes her desire to have a positive impact on society, and how, initially, she didn't conceive how a job in finance could deliver that. This sowed the seeds for a focus on how investing could focus on companies with positive change. We move then to what an impact strategy really is, and how positive change is defined and measured. We look at investor demand for and scrutiny of such strategies and discuss the likely evolution of this area in the future. Finally, turning the lens on the finance industry itself, we see what change has happened in a positive direction during Kate's career so far. The future is bright it seems. This bonus series is kindly supported by Sound Mark Partners, Sound Mark Partners LLC is a women-owned and led private credit firm focused on commercial real estate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices