Podcasts about fitzsimmons

Today we are joined by National Geographic's Annie Fitzsimmons. She dropped by to share all the details about her first solo written book, 100 Hotels of a Lifetime, The World's Ultimate Retreat! About the Guest:Annie Fitzsimmons has covered hotels, travel, lifestyle, restaurants, and destinations around the world for the last two decades across many platforms and in a constantly evolving media landscape. She has worked with top media and travel brands, including at Indagare as editorial director, AFAR Media, and Virtuoso. She held various roles over the course of almost a decade at National Geographic Travel, including luxury editor, editor at large, and the first and only Urban Insider, reporting on cities, culture, and people around the world. So far, she has hosted more than 40 trips across Europe for small and large groups, planned itineraries for private clients, and created hundreds of travel guides. Fitzsimmons has been a keynote speaker and panelist about trends and luxury travel at conferences and events worldwide and a host for podcasts, online series, and shows. From Scottsdale, Arizona, she lived in New York City for ten years and has been a licensed New York City tour guide since 2008. Currently based in London with her family, Fitzsimmons has traveled to six continents for work and will make it to Antarctica one day. https://www.anniefitzsimmons.com/ https://www.instagram.com/anniefitzsimmons https://annie-fitzsimmons.squarespace.com/america https://embarkbeyond.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3a0a894ac26af840a4c9a6a81&id=3e5d39311ahttps://a.co/d/dSkLAXYhttps://www.disneystore.com/100-hotels-of-a-lifetime-the-worlds-ultimate-retreats-book-national-geographic-470023373557.html About the Host: Following the crumbs in the chaos is a full-time job as a Productivity Coach. As a busy mom of three and the founder of Chaos N' Cookies, keeping moms from crumbling is my main objective. After gaining 10+ years of experience as a Director of Marketing helping build multiple 6 & 7-figure businesses for other women I've created the Chaos Control System to equip moms to overcome their own objections so they can live the life they want to live and start that business they have always wanted. The Family Playbook, or standard operating procedure, is the tool every mama needs to save time and stress-less when chaos ensues at home. For new biz owners, I also help simplify systems on social media and other business platforms to automate processes to get their business up and running quickly and efficiently with how-tos and hands-on coaching. I have helped hundreds of women to be more productive and self-sufficient in their homes and businesses allowing them to reclaim control of the chaos. www.chaosncookies.comhttps://www.instagram.com/chaosncookies/https://www.instagram.com/theheathergreco/https://www.facebook.com/Chaos-n-Cookies-111324364538688https://chaosncookies.com/shophttps://linktr.ee/hsteinker Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from...

Rebecca Fitzsimmons, a former NCIS Special Agent turned holistic leadership coach, shares her powerful journey of embracing change, personal development, and the importance of following your heart.Thank you to our sponsor TacticalHarmony.comWant more The On Purpose Podcast?Find full episodes and more!Check in on Instagram, FacebookConnect with Jerrod!Linkedin, InstagramGet My Book!

This live podcast recording from the Water Garden Expo 2025 features a conversation between the Eric and Brian Fitzsimmons of Pondscapes by Fitz, focusing on the topic of scaling a business. Fitzsimmons, who recently opened his ninth location, shares his experiences and insights on when and how to grow a contracting or retail business within the pond industry. The discussion touches upon his early ambitions, a pivotal career shift, and the mindset required for rapid expansion, including his perspective on risk, opportunity, and building a strong team culture. The conversation also explores Fitzsimmons' ventures into koi importation and distribution, his involvement in high-end koi sales, and his future plans for supporting other contractors in the industry.   Key Takeaways:   Determine what you truly want from your business or career and be clear about your goals. Don't be afraid to take calculated risks and seize opportunities when they arise, even if they seem daunting. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and build a team around you that complements your skills. Focus on what works well and is most profitable in your endeavors and do more of it. Cultivate a positive mindset and don't let the fear of failure prevent you from pursuing growth.   Links to resources:    Contractor Sales Secrets: ContractorSalesSecrets.com   Water Garden Expo 2025: WGExpo.com   The All American Koi Show: AllAmericanKoiShow.com   Fitz Fish Ponds: Koi Trips   Book A Call With Triplett: Call with Triplett   The Pond Digger: https://theponddigger.com/   LA Pet Fair: https://www.lapetfair.com/    Atlantic-Oase: https://www.atlantic-oase.com/   You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at:   http://helixpondfiltration.com/    TWT Contractor Circle   TWT Contractor Power Circle   And follow his adventures in the pond world at: Instagram  Facebook  TikTok 

Rebecca Fitzsimmons is the founder of Tactical Harmony, an online business dedicated to mentoring ambitious professionals and businesses on holistic leadership and mindset strategies. She is also the host of the Tactical Harmony podcast, in which she shares game-changing tactics supporting her community to gracefully navigate their career and homelife, while enjoying freedom, abundance and bliss. Over the last two decades, Rebecca served as an NCIS Special Agent and as a senior leader at a technology company. Throughout her global experience living and working around the world, Rebecca saw first-hand why holistic leadership answers every challenge. Rebecca is also author of the new book, Unleashed: Holistic Leadership Insights from Our Canine Companions.

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It can be easy to lose sight of the need for deep emotional connections in a world where everyone seems obsessed with AI, automation, and bottom-funnel conversions. But being able to connect authentically with your customers is the lifeline of every business. In this episode, we sat down with Michael Fitzsimmons, VP of Growth at Mews, who shared how forward-thinking brands reject generic tactics and double down on storytelling, bold positioning, and strategic risk-taking – all with a mind to never rest on one's laurels, but rather to keep setting the bar higher and higher when it comes to quality, connection, and well, growth. He shares how AI fits into the creative process without killing originality, why content needs more taste, and how modern brands must prioritize community-building to stay relevant.We also discuss:Why most B2B brands fail at differentiation—and how to fix it.The importance of owning a category instead of competing in one.Why taste and human creativity are still some of marketing's biggest competitive advantages.Where AI shouldn't be used in content marketingAnd much more. 

Align your purpose with your actions to inspire growth and nurture well-being! This week on What the Fundraising, Mallroy is joined by Rebecca Fitzsimmons, the founder of Tactical Harmony, a platform dedicated to holistic leadership and mindset development. With nearly 20 years of global experience, from serving as an NCIS Special Agent to leading in tech, Rebecca empowers professionals to align purpose with ambition, achieve breakthroughs, and lead authentically with impact and fulfillment. Rebecca explains the concept of holistic leadership, which connects the mind, body, and spirit, and highlights its importance in effective leadership. She talks about the challenges of burnout, especially in the nonprofit sector, and the need for self-care and a positive mindset to prevent it. She offers advice for female leaders on prioritizing self-care without guilt, using practices like breath work and meditation.Rebecca then shares strategies for prioritization, focusing on the 20% of activities that lead to 80% of results, and emphasizes the role of emotional intelligence in leadership, highlighting the importance of self-regulation, stress management, and grounding techniques while encouraging listeners to align their actions with their personal values.  Key takeaways from the episode:  Burnout in the nonprofit sector is preventable with proactive mindset shifts and holistic leadership strategies. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a critical skill for nonprofit leaders to navigate power dynamics and communicate effectively. Prioritizing self-care isn't selfish—it enhances leadership effectiveness and overall impact. Fundraisers should focus on the 80/20 rule to maximize results while reducing overwhelm and inefficiency. Flexibility and adaptability are key leadership traits, allowing for iteration and growth even in high-pressure environments. Regulating the nervous system through movement, breathwork, and intentional rituals can help fundraisers show up with confidence and clarity. Get all the resources from today's episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by GiveButter. GiveButter is the easiest-to-use fundraising platform.  Your favorite fundraising tools, supercharged! Never miss a fundraising opportunity again. Givebutter Plus takes this award-winning platform to the next level with advanced automation, deeper donor insights, and eye-popping supporter engagement tools to help your nonprofit get ahead—and stay there. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven't already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you're looking to raise more from the right funders, then you'll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

From The Peninsula Hong Kong to Lake Como's Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Marrakech's La Mamounia to London's Claridge's, this beautifully illustrated collection unveils the grand histories, one-of-a-kind experiences, and lush hideaways of 100 of the world's most remarkable hotels.  Visit the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, where a wood-paneled water boat brings you to the hotel's front doors from St. Mark's Square. Or spend a night in Ireland's historic Ashford Castle, where you'll live like a king or queen and try your hand at falconry on the hotel's medieval grounds. Take in sweeping city views while you sip cocktails at the famous Long Bar at the Waldorf Astoria in Shanghai. Or listen to the rushing cascade of Victoria Falls from your room at the Royal Livingston in Zambia.  Your choice of hotel can often make or break a vacation. And often, it's the hotel itself that is the destination. In this beautifully illustrated collection of 100 top hotels around the world, discover the extraordinary properties around the world—from Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville to Big Sur's Post Ranch Inn in California—that have become as iconic as the cities they're based in.  Written by National Geographic travel expert Annie Fitzsimmons, each entry of this luxurious volume highlights the unique and storied history of the hotels, the intricacies of their stunning architecture and cozy interiors, the people who have put the properties on the map, and one-of-a-kind experiences to be had within each hotel, whether or not you're staying as a guest. You'll find yourself creating a bucket list of the next places where you'll want to stay in some of the most beloved destinations around the world.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Great show today highlighting this world renowned talent as a holistic coach and former NCIS Special Agent, who brings one of THE MOST intellectually stimulating conversations on harnessing inner strength despite all odds to create a new peaceful reality in life. I have yet to experience a person of such grand character express so eloquently how to bring the best you to the table and win in life. You will be inspired after today's show! www.tacticalharmony.com

Today's guest is Nathan Fitzsimmons, the operations director at Bitcoin Mentor and decade-long advocate for sound money, specializing in Austrian Economics and Libertarian Philosophy. Since 2007, he has been working in medical research, but after falling deep down the Bitcoin rabbit hole in 2020, he's pivoted to educating others on Bitcoin, the importance of self-custody, and best practices for security. From the madness of 2020, to thinking for yourself to Bitcoin moon maths, this episode covered it all. Nathan runs the Bitcoin Mentor X account and can be followed here - @theBTCMentor. If you want to learn more about his antics in the Bitcoin world or want to get to know him better, check out this fun podcast. You can follow me on⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠www.x.com/⁠Dale21M ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.whybitcoinshow.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any feedback. I'm on a mission to help people understand "why Bitcoin". If you could like, comment and share this episode with friends, it's the single most valuable thing you could do to help spread the message. Need a hand with self-custody? Book a⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠session ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with me to get your Bitcoin security house in order.

Rebecca Fitzsimmons is the founder of Tactical Harmony, an online business dedicated to mentoring ambitious professionals and businesses on mastering holistic leadership and mindset strategies. She is also the host of the Tactical Harmony podcast, where she shares transformative, game-changing tactics to help her community gracefully navigate their careers and home lives while embracing freedom, abundance, and bliss.With over two decades of experience, Rebecca's career has been nothing short of extraordinary. She served as an NCIS Special Agent, traveling the world and living in 26 countries, and later became a senior leader in the tech industry. Through her 9+ years in leadership roles, Rebecca witnessed firsthand how holistic leadership holds the key to overcoming any challenge.Now, Rebecca is on a mission to share her wisdom, guiding others to unlock their potential and thrive both personally and professionally. Tune in to this inspiring conversation on I Am Refocused Radio as Rebecca discusses her journey, the power of holistic leadership, and the lessons that can transform your life.https://tacticalharmony.com/https://www.instagram.com/tacticalharmony/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.

From The Peninsula Hong Kong to Lake Como's Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Marrakech's La Mamounia to London's Claridge's, this beautifully illustrated collection unveils the grand histories, one-of-a-kind experiences, and lush hideaways of 100 of the world's most remarkable hotels.  Visit the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, where a wood-paneled water boat brings you to the hotel's front doors from St. Mark's Square. Or spend a night in Ireland's historic Ashford Castle, where you'll live like a king or queen and try your hand at falconry on the hotel's medieval grounds. Take in sweeping city views while you sip cocktails at the famous Long Bar at the Waldorf Astoria in Shanghai. Or listen to the rushing cascade of Victoria Falls from your room at the Royal Livingston in Zambia.  Your choice of hotel can often make or break a vacation. And often, it's the hotel itself that is the destination. In this beautifully illustrated collection of 100 top hotels around the world, discover the extraordinary properties around the world—from Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville to Big Sur's Post Ranch Inn in California—that have become as iconic as the cities they're based in.  Written by National Geographic travel expert Annie Fitzsimmons, each entry of this luxurious volume highlights the unique and storied history of the hotels, the intricacies of their stunning architecture and cozy interiors, the people who have put the properties on the map, and one-of-a-kind experiences to be had within each hotel, whether or not you're staying as a guest. You'll find yourself creating a bucket list of the next places where you'll want to stay in some of the most beloved destinations around the world.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

Rebecca Fitzsimmons is the founder of Tactical Harmony, an online business dedicated to mentoring ambitious professionals and businesses on holistic leadership and mindset strategies. She is also the host of the Tactical Harmony podcast, in which she shares game-changing tactics supporting her community to gracefully navigate their career and homelife, while enjoying freedom, abundance and bliss. Over the last two decades, Rebecca served as an NCIS Special Agent and as a senior leader at a technology company. Throughout her global experience living and working around the world, Rebecca saw first-hand why holistic leadership answers every challenge. Rebecca is also author of the new book, Unleashed: Holistic Leadership Insights from Our Canine Companions.

Originally aired on January 7th, 2025.

Welcome back to another episode of the Smart Nutrition Made Simple Show, …Today I'm excited to share a New Years Special Episode that I recorded with my friend Bryan Fitzsimmons, host of the Fit40Podcast. This is part 2 of our 2-part series talking about setting New Years goals and the mindset shifts necessary that are far more importnat than diet and exercise.In part 1, which is hosted over on the Fit40 podacst - links in the shownotes - Bryan interviews me all about the exercise component of setting New years goals, the value of strength training and having lean muscle mass, and the role that exercise plays in long-term health.In today's Part 2 conversation, I interview Bryan as we discuss the nutrition and behavior change aspect of weight loss and how and why things can feel more challenging as we get older.I loved the ease of this conversation and the 1-2 punch style of these episodes and am confident that that you wil too…especially if you want the no-nonsence guidance on how to set yourself up for weight loss success in 2025.Catch the first half of this conversation on the Fit 40 Podcast, where Bryan and I discuss strength training and the value of lean muscle mass for long-term health. Listen HereKey Topics CoveredWhy Mindset Matters: Understanding the role of mindset in achieving fitness and nutrition goals. Breaking free from the all-or-nothing mentality and embracing progress over perfection.Nutrition Foundations for Weight Loss:Starting with the basics: protein, vegetables, and fiber at every meal. Simplifying meal planning with the "one plate rule" for portion control.Creating Sustainable Habits:The importance of habit stacking and focusing on one small change at a time. Building routines around meals, movement, and recovery to support long-term success.Sleep and Stress Management:The relationship between sleep quality, hormonal health, and better food choices. Tips to establish consistent wake and bedtime routines for optimal recovery.Adapting to Life Over 40:How hormonal changes, joint pain, and stubborn fat impact weight loss. Strategies to mitigate these challenges with targeted nutrition and exercise.Practical Advice for Overcoming Obstacles:Time and energy management for busy parents and professionals. Balancing priorities and making intentional decisions for better health.Setting Realistic Expectations:Shifting the focus from scale weight to non-scale victories like energy, sleep, and measurements. Understanding the value of body recomposition and incremental progress.Connect with Bryan:Check out the Fit 40 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit40-podcast/id1539555966The FIT40 Family FB Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/fit40familyFIT40 Online Coaching: https://www.fit40coaching.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryan_fit40/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bryan_fit40TikTok:

QFF: Quick Fire Friday – Your 20-Minute Growth Powerhouse! Welcome to Quick Fire Friday, the Grow A Small Business podcast series that is designed to deliver simple, focused and actionable insights and key takeaways in less than 20 minutes a week. Every Friday, we bring you business owners and experts who share their top strategies for growing yourself, your team and your small business. Get ready for a dose of inspiration, one action you can implement and quotable quotes that will stick with you long after the episode ends! In this episode of Quick Fire Friday, host Rob Cameron interviews Rebecca Fitzsimmons, founder of Tactical Harmony, discusses her unique journey from NCIS special agent to successful mindset and leadership coach. With years of global experience, Rebecca shares her proven framework for holistic leadership, emphasizing the power of mindset, self-awareness, and intentional action. Tune in to learn how she helps small business owners and leaders overcome barriers, redefine success, and achieve extraordinary results in their personal and professional lives. Key Takeaways for Small Business Owners: The Power of Mindset: Success begins with self-awareness and addressing limiting beliefs. Mastering your mindset is the foundation for effective leadership and achieving meaningful goals. Holistic Leadership Framework: Rebecca's "Plan, Align, Execute, and Receive" approach provides a structured way to tackle challenges, develop strategies, and celebrate incremental victories. Focus on the 20%: Prioritize tasks that yield 80% of results. By identifying and amplifying high-impact actions, business owners can drive efficiency and growth. Our hero crafts outstanding reviews following the experience of listening to our special guests. Are you the one we've been waiting for?   Celebrating Wins: Small victories matter. Recognizing achievements not only boosts morale but also reinforces habits that lead to long-term success. Fear as a Catalyst: Successful leaders don't avoid fear—they embrace it. Redefining your relationship with fear allows you to push past self-doubt and seize new opportunities. Intentional Leadership: Setting clear intentions and aligning actions with core values ensures consistent progress and helps navigate ever-changing business landscapes. One action small business owners can take: One action small business owners can take, according to Rebecca Fitzsimons: Every Monday, set clear intentions by identifying your top priorities and focusing on the 20% of tasks that will drive 80% of your desired results, ensuring a productive week.   Do you have 2 minutes every Friday? Sign up to the Weekly Leadership Email. It's free and we can help you to maximize your time. Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.

Coach Krysta is joined by fellow nutrition coach Bryan Fitzsimmons to explore how to build lasting and effective coaching relationships through understanding client psychology and individual needs. Bryan is the owner of FIT40 Nutrition Coaching. As a seasoned personal trainer and nutrition coach, Bryan has worked with clients to help them improve their health through in-person and remote coaching since 2015. With a mission of helping people 40+, Bryan has achieved many certifications including Precision Nutrition Certified Coach (PN1), Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and Certified Menopause Coach (GGS). In his time running FIT40 Coaching, he has helped hundreds of people get leaner, stronger, and more energized so they can enjoy their best quality of life. Bryan shares his journey from aspiring police officer to becoming a trusted coach for women 40+ and offers valuable insights about creating sustainable fitness transformations. In this episode we discuss: • How to build trust and connection with clients regardless of gender or age differences • Why understanding client psychology is crucial for creating lasting behavior change • The importance of flexible coaching approaches versus rigid meal plans and programs Breaking Into Female Fitness Coaching - Bryan's unexpected path from criminology to women's fitness coaching - Why working with women 40+ became his passion and specialty - The advantages of being an objective outside perspective as a male coach - How to build authentic connections with clients across demographic differences Creating Sustainable Change - The importance of making healthy choices simple, easy, and enjoyable - Why tracking food and behaviors helps create lasting habits - How to balance structure and flexibility in nutrition coaching - The value of understanding client preferences versus following rigid protocols Modern Coaching Approaches - The role of AI and technology in fitness coaching - Why accountability and human connection remain essential - The importance of adapting coaching styles to individual clients - How to maintain professionalism while building personal relationships Remember: The most effective coaching relationships focus on understanding what makes each client tick rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. Apply for 1:1 Coaching with The Fitness FYX⁠: Our Black Friday special is LIVE (the only time of year we discount coaching with 1-2 months free!) FOLLOW KRYSTA: ⁠@thekrystahuber⁠ ⁠@thefyx.officialpod⁠ ⁠@thefitnessfyx⁠ ⁠Check us out on Youtube FOLLOW BRYAN: - @bryan_fit40 - The Fit40 Podcast - The Fit40 Family Facebook Group

Matthew FitzSimmons is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling Gibson Vaughn series, whiFitz includes Origami Man, Debris Line, Cold Harbor, Poisonfeather, and The Short Drop, and the Constance series. Born in Illinois and raised in London, he makes hishome in Washington, DC. Today we're going to talk about his latest thriller: The Slate. Learn more at matthewfitzsimmons.com.Intro reel, Writing Table Podcast 2024 Outro RecordingFollow the Writing Table:On Twitter/X: @writingtablepcEverywhere else: @writingtablepodcastEmail questions or tell us who you'd like us to invite to the Writing Table: writingtablepodcast@gmail.com.

Rebecca is the founder of Tactical Harmony, an online business dedicated to mentoring ambitious professionals and businesses on holistic leadership and mindset strategies. She is also the host of the “Tactical Harmony” podcast, in which she shares game-changing, transformative tactics supporting her community to gracefully navigate their career and homelife, while enjoying freedom, abundance and bliss. Over the last two decades, Rebecca served as an NCIS Special Agent and as a senior leader at a technology company. Throughout her global experience living and working around the world, 9+ years of which were in the leadership ranks, Rebecca saw first-hand how holistic leadership was the answer to every challenge. And now, it is Rebecca's mission and pledge to share these lessons and blessings with the world. To learn more about Rebecca, go to her website: www.tacticalharmony.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lyndsay-dowd/support

Whether you want to feed livestock with a tried-and-true feed line or learn how to create a cow base to become one of the most prestigious enterprises in the industry, this is the episode for you. Nick Fitzsimmons not only discusses his trials and tribulations on his journey to success, but he also helps young people by describing how he became successful throughout his college years. Nick is deeply committed to his beliefs, and this episode demonstrates why. If you want to become closer to the good lord above and learn from industry leaders, this is the episode for you. Empowerment is here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hendrixsexton/support

Annie Fitzsimmons, Embark Beyond's editor in chief in charge of content, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about her new role developing content for the clients and prospective clients of the host agency's travel advisors. Using video and engaging social media and more, Fitzsimmons is creating a whole new way to market luxury travel and boost sales for Embark advisors and preferred partners. For more information, visit www.embarkbeyond.com. All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are available on our Youtube channel  (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean, iHeartRadio, Google,Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox.  

In the first episode of Beyond the Flock, producer Russell Taber interviews Emily Fitz- Simmons, a pole vaulter for the University of Oregon Track team.

Comedian Greg Fitzsimmons returns and they open by talking about the accident that took out his brand-new Mustang, the irony of the NFL using their “End Racism” end zones during a game in Germany, how Greg settled a recent airplane altercation, and the audience reaction to some of his new religious material. They also discuss Greg's “airjack” protocol and why he and all his friends took home the centerpieces from the AVN Awards. Next, Jason “Mayhem” Miller reads the news including stories about a FEMA official who was fired for allegedly telling workers to avoid Florida homes with Trump signs, Mattel mistakenly printing a porn site on Wicked movie doll boxes, a journalist responding to Martha Stewart saying she was dead now, and New York City ending a voucher program that allowed migrant families to buy their own food. Then, jiu-jitsu legend Rickson Gracie joins to talk about his long career in mixed martial arts, how the Gracie family were always open to an invitation to fight, how important controlled breath is while fighting, and his new book “Comfort in Darkness: The Invisible Power of Jiu-Jitsu.” For more with Greg Fitzsimmons: ● COMEDY SPECIAL: “You Know Me” available now on YouTube. ● INSTAGRAM: @gregfitzsimmons ● WEBSITE: gregfitzsimmons.com For more with Rickson Gracie: ● NEW BOOK: “Comfort in Darkness: The Invisible Power of Jiu-Jitsu” available ● INSTAGRAM: @ricksongraciejj ● WEBSITE: ricksongracie.com Thank you for supporting our sponsors: ● http://SimpliSafe.com/Adam ● BotanicTonics.com, use code ADAM ● Chime.com/Adam ● http://OReillyAuto.com/Adam

FOLLOW TODAY'S PANELISTS: https://x.com/DavidBranscum https://x.com/btc_cards https://x.com/theBTCmentor FOLLOW BTC SESSIONS on X/Nostr: x.com/BTCsessions btcsessions@getalby.com BOOK private one-on-one sessions with BITCOIN MENTOR! Learn self custody, hardware, multisig, lightning, privacy, running a node, and plenty more - all from a team of top notch educators that I've personally vetted. https://bitcoinmentor.io/ JOIN OUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM, EARN BITCOIN FOR REFERRALS! https://bitcoinmentor.io/affiliate-registration/

Mark Fitzsimmons is from Sydney, Australia, and has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for the past 34 years. Mark has faced his share of ups and downs, including a battle with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy in 2021 that almost cost him his sight. This experience profoundly changed his perspective on life and the way he manages his Diabetes. Mark advocates that focusing on his mental health is what allowed him to then improve his physical health and the way he manages his Diabetes. His journey inspired him to craft stories filled with resilience and hope that he wished he had during his childhood, and he has now published a children's book for children living with Type 1 Diabetes. Mark's Resources:Della The Duckling's Diabetes Diaries: A Tale From The PondDella The Duckling's Diabetes Coloring BookInstagramCoach Ken's Resources:Website: www.simplifyingdiabetes.comNewsletter Sign Up"More Than A1C" - My Signature Coaching ProgramStronger Together With Diabetes Meet-UpsThe Diabetes Nutrition Master CourseThe 5-Pillars Of Diabetes Success WorksheetSupport & Donate To The PodcastThe T1D Exchange Registry is a research study, conducted over time, for individuals with type 1 diabetes and their supporters. Participants volunteer to provide their data for Diabetes research. Once enrolled, Registry participants have the opportunity to sign up for other studies on various topics related to type 1 diabetes.You can make an impact on the future of Diabetes now! Fill out an online  survey and gain access to tons of new research and the online portal. It only takes 10-15 minutes.Don't forget to check out Ancient Bliss an herbal supplement company.Use Discount Code KEN20 for 20% off at check out.Have a question, send me a DM or email. I'd love to connect and answer any questions you have.Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Join us for a deep dive into Bitcoin's technicalities to understand how Bitcoin works at a much deeper level. Learn the best practices for self-custody and protecting your Bitcoin, from beginner to advanced techniques. Nathan is a Bitcoin Mentor, helping Canadians master this new technology and take sovereign control over their wealth. Become your own master of Bitcoin by visiting https://bitcoinmentor.io/. 

Troy Fitzsimmons is the Director of Cornelius Parks & Recreation. He joins the podcast to share some exciting updates for the community and also to talk about the Cornelius Park Bonds Referendum.The Cornelius Park Bonds referendum aims to fund recreational improvements across the town, including parks, trails, and green spaces. The proposal focuses on enhancing public amenities, promoting outdoor activities, and expanding accessibility for residents. If approved, it would allocate significant investments toward both new developments and the maintenance of existing infrastructure.Learn more: Cornelius Park BondsCornelius.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Best of LKNhttps://thebestoflkn.com/Hosted by:Jeff HammAllen Tate Realtors®Charlotte & Lake Norman (NC)www.LKNreal.comProduced by Epic Journey Media https://epicjourneymedia.com/Support the show

Rebecca is the founder of Tactical Harmony, an online business dedicated to mentoring individuals and businesses on holistic leadership and mindset strategies. She is also the host of the Tactical Harmony podcast, in which she shared game-changing transformative tactics supporting her community to gracefully navigate their career and homelife, while enjoying freedom, abundance and bliss. Over the last two decades, Rebecca served as an NCIS special agent and as a senior leader at a technology company.  Throughout her global experience living and working around the world, 9+ years of which were in the leadership ranks, Rebecca saw first-hand how holistic leadership was the answer to every challenge. And now it is Rebecca's mission and pledge to share these lessons and blessings with the world. Here are some of the things we talked about in today's podcast: ·      80% of success is mindset, 20% is strategy. ·      Fear is a constant; it's about managing it. ·      Taking the first step is often the hardest part. ·      Aligning with personal values leads to fulfillment. ·      Emotions serve as a compass for decision-making. ·      Failure is a stepping stone to success. ·      Time is a finite resource; use it wisely. ·      Problems are opportunities for growth and learning. ·      Embrace your uniqueness and be true to yourself. ·      Your energy is your personal power. ·      Failure is not final; it's part of the journey. ·      Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. ·      Radical awareness leads to self-discovery and growth. ·      Life will keep giving you lessons until you learn them. ·      You can turn pain into power and use it for growth. Today's podcast is sponsored by my Rewire Your Mindset Course:  https://briankeanefitness.com/rewire-your-mindset-course (Website) https://tacticalharmony.com/ (Instagram) Rebecca | Holistic Leadership Coach + Podcaster (@tacticalharmony) • Instagram photos and videos (Twitter) Rebecca | Tactical Harmony (@SoulAligned) / X (Podcast) Tactical Harmony Podcast_Rebecca Fitzsimmons (Book) Unleashed_Holistic Leadership Insights _Rebecca Fitzsimmons (tacticalharmony.com)  

Welcome to triple digits! Extraplasm rings in its 100th episode with an off-schedule format-breaking episode with Jason Fitzsimmons of Ghostbusters News and Tony Taylor of Fantazm Shop! We chat about the big Ghostbusters reveals from New York Comic-Con including Hasbro's HasLab Ecto-1 reveal and Mondo's latest teases for their 1:12 Real Ghostbusters line.  Plus we dig into HalloweenCostumes.com's Scoleri Bros and Garraka offerings, Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed's latest DLC, and a bunch of other conversational randomness along the way!  Thanks to Tony and Jason for being such a fun part of Extraplasm over the last 100 episodes and for joining the show to ring in the show's centennial!  Special Thanks Logo / Cover Art - Brendan Pearce, Badoochi Studios, @badoochistudios Theme Song - "Ghostbusters" by MAGNAVOX

It's only taken almost a decade to get Jason Fitzsimmons on the podcast, and now he's here to chat Ghostbusters, Hasbro, Mondo, and the ups and downs of being a Ghostbusters content creator. Follow Jason -  @GhostbustersNews 

Mike "C-Roc" welcomes Rebecca Fitzsimmons, the founder of Tactical Harmony and a holistic leadership and mindset strategist. Rebecca shares her journey from serving as an NCIS special agent to becoming a senior leader in a technology company and now guiding individuals and businesses to balance their personal and professional lives. She discusses her four pillars of a "victory mindset"—discipline, integrity, inspired action, and grace—and how these principles shape leaders who not only thrive personally but also elevate those around them. Rebecca also dives into the importance of owning your leadership, highlighting how radical accountability and personal responsibility can inspire growth and build resilience. This conversation offers profound insights into holistic leadership, leading by example, and the power of mindset. Whether you're seeking leadership advice or a boost of inspiration, this episode promises to provide actionable tactics for success. Tune in to discover how Rebecca integrates her global experience and leadership wisdom to help others live on purpose and with purpose. Website- https://tacticalharmony.com/ Social Media Links/Handles- https://www.instagram.com/tacticalharmony/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-fitzsimmons/ https://twitter.com/soulaligned https://www.pinterest.com/soulmeetsambition/

Join Host Lynn Hoffman as she speaks to Americana/Indie singer-songwriter William Fitzsimmons about his life challenges, how he has coped with them, and how music plays a role in healing. William shares his creative process in creating music in this musical journey conversation that truly showcases what the Music Saved Me podcast is all about. Fitzsimmons shares in the music interview the deeply personal nature of his music which often addresses themes from his own life.  Follow and share with your friends Music Saved Me on Apple Podcasts here and please leave us a review.  Apple Follow and share on Spotify here. Spotify For more information on Music Saved Me go here. Music Saved Me For suggestions or comments on Music Saved Me write Buzz@BuzzKnightMedia.com Music Saved Me supports Musicians on Call. For more information here. Musicians on Call 

Rebecca Fitzsimmons, a former NCIS special agent, joins us to unravel her fascinating transition from criminal investigations to holistic leadership coaching. Go deeper down the rabbit hole: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanleyConnect with Rebecca FitzsimmonsWebsite: https://tacticalharmony.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacticalharmony/Be prepared for an eye-opening discussion as Rebecca takes us through her journey, sharing personal stories of her time with NCIS, clarifying the myths vs. realities of crime scene investigations, and reflecting on pivotal life choices that have shaped her career. Her unique perspective on military discipline and duty assignments, ranging from counterterrorism to supporting warfighters worldwide, offers invaluable insights into professional and personal growth.Our conversation takes an empathetic turn as Rebecca delves into her holistic leadership approach. She emphasizes the integration of mind and body and shares unconventional yet impactful methods, such as incorporating dogs into her coaching practice. We discuss the power of positive affirmations, gratitude practices, and overcoming short-term pleasure for long-term success. Rebecca's insights into self-leadership, emotional intelligence, and creating a victory mindset are sure to inspire listeners to raise their personal standards and execute consistent actions for significant improvements.In this episode, Rebecca also critiques societal norms around mediocrity and advocates for mastery in leadership. Drawing inspiration from books like "Atomic Habits" and "The Power of One More," she highlights the importance of incremental progress and maintaining high standards. Her discussion about the attributes observed in canine behavior, such as gratitude, mindfulness, and discipline, provides a fresh perspective on human leadership. Tune in for an episode filled with transformative takeaways to elevate your leadership approach and mindset.

Rebecca Fitzsimmons, a former NCIS special agent, joins us to unravel her fascinating transition from criminal investigations to holistic leadership coaching. Go deeper down the rabbit hole: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanleyConnect with Rebecca FitzsimmonsWebsite: https://tacticalharmony.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacticalharmony/Be prepared for an eye-opening discussion as Rebecca takes us through her journey, sharing personal stories of her time with NCIS, clarifying the myths vs. realities of crime scene investigations, and reflecting on pivotal life choices that have shaped her career. Her unique perspective on military discipline and duty assignments, ranging from counterterrorism to supporting warfighters worldwide, offers invaluable insights into professional and personal growth.Our conversation takes an empathetic turn as Rebecca delves into her holistic leadership approach. She emphasizes the integration of mind and body and shares unconventional yet impactful methods, such as incorporating dogs into her coaching practice. We discuss the power of positive affirmations, gratitude practices, and overcoming short-term pleasure for long-term success. Rebecca's insights into self-leadership, emotional intelligence, and creating a victory mindset are sure to inspire listeners to raise their personal standards and execute consistent actions for significant improvements.In this episode, Rebecca also critiques societal norms around mediocrity and advocates for mastery in leadership. Drawing inspiration from books like "Atomic Habits" and "The Power of One More," she highlights the importance of incremental progress and maintaining high standards. Her discussion about the attributes observed in canine behavior, such as gratitude, mindfulness, and discipline, provides a fresh perspective on human leadership. Tune in for an episode filled with transformative takeaways to elevate your leadership approach and mindset.

After a month without guests in the Extraplasm Studio, Jason Fitzsimmons and Tony Taylor make their triumphant return to the show to chat with Jim about everything that's happened since SDCC. It's a fun show about everything that has us excited - from Halloween Horror Nights, to upcoming cartoon possibilities, to HasLabs and upcoming action figures - and even an off the rails discussion about Jason's new Ninja Creami, monster themed cereals, and imagined Ghostbusters ice cream flavors and brands (coming to GhostbustersNews.com and your grocer's freezer soon?!). It's all here in a fun and frenetic episode 96, along with the latest Ghostbusters Headlines! Special Thanks Logo / Cover Art - Brendan Pearce, Badoochi Studios, @badoochistudios Theme Song - "Ghostbusters" by MAGNAVOX    

On Monday, September 2, 2024, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Correspondent Willie Terry attended the Capital District Michael L. Burns Labor Day Celebration at 275 Grooms Road in Clifton Park, New York. The Labor Day Celebration was an event where they honored and appreciated the dedication and contribution of workers everywhere. In this part two labor segment, Willie spoke with Michael Fitzsimmons, Nurse and Contract Team Representative for the Albany NYS Nurses Association, and Tam Kistler of the Solidarity of the Capital District, who was one of the groups that organized this event. Willie spoke to them about their views on this Labor Day 2024.

On this month's episode of Immigrant Stories, Kathleen Fitzsimmons, a frontier mining historian and Leadville, Colorado native describes the life of Irish immigrant miners during Leadville's silver rush of the 1880s.

"Maximizing efficiency can make the difference between a profitable practice and a struggling one." In this episode, we chat with Dr. Josiah Fitzsimmons, a successful chiropractor who built a $5.5 million revenue practice within just four years. Harness powerful strategies like pre-launch planning, team building, mindful marketing, and financial acumen. Avoid common chiropractic practice pitfalls with hands-on experience and data-driven strategies that Dr. Josiah presents. This episode is a must-listen for all chiropractors keen on optimizing operations and profitability. Interested in connecting more with Dr. Josiah? Visit his new venture, Lucro Accounting, a strategic financial analysis and bookkeeping service provider for healthcare practices. Check it out at: https://morelucro.com/ Welcome to the Clinic Growth Secrets Podcast where we give an insider's look into what the top 1% of clinic owners are doing differently to get more patients, make more profit per patient, and keep them longer. Inside you will find actionable tips, tricks and strategies that you can implement into your personal clinic to create massive growth that allows you to help as many people as possible. Made with a lot of hustle and a boat load of heart. Hosted by Jeff Van Kampen. If you found this content valuable, we hope you leave us a 5-star review, and if you want more content like this head over to our free Facebook community or check us out a https://www.accelerateyourclinicgrowth.com/bookacallpodcast Follow Jeff Van Kampen's Socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | CGA

Questions? Comments? You can now text us directly! We have a treat for you this week with special guests Mike and Steve from the Critical Encounters podcast joining the show! Mike takes us on a hilarious journey through his recent adventures in Norway and Iceland, complete with a run-in with aggressive Arctic terns. Then, we dive deep into Marvel lore, discussing the menacing X-Men villain, Apocalypse, and his ripple effects across the Marvel universe. With the latest Marvel Champions expansion just announced at Gen Con, we're all buzzing with excitement and speculating about potential new characters and future expansions.Ever wondered who might join the Marvel Champions roster next? We get into a heated debate over possible newcomers like Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and even fan-favorite TV characters like FitzSimmons and their iconic shotgun axe. From MODOK to Doctor Doom, we dissect the villains that could up the ante in future releases. Plus, we explore the untapped potential of integrating teams like the Defenders and the Fantastic Four into the game, imagining how characters like Wilson Fisk and Galactus could transform the gameplay experience.To round things off, we tackle the complex strategies needed to defeat tough scenarios, focusing on the challenging Apocalypse scenario. We break down the mechanics of side missions, ally management, and the nuances of facing formidable foes like Eunice. And for a bit of fun, we share our shared passion for the Olympics, Steve's love for the TV series "Shogun." Don't miss this episode packed with Marvel Champions insights, personal anecdotes, and engaging discussions that will keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat!Check us out on IG or ThreadsEmail us at hello@marriedandboard.comFeel like supporting the show? Buy us a Coffee!As always this show is sponsored by Showit. --Showit makes it easy to build a stunning website that attracts the right clients and helps you stand out

Welcome to Episode #10 of the "Bridges to Excellence" podcast.This week's episode features a compelling conversation with Kimberly Fitzsimmons, CEO of Talus.Kim shares her journey of constant learning, fair and transparent leadership, and the unyielding drive for excellence. Highlights include...Kim's Leadership Principles: The importance of being fair, maintaining transparency, embracing culture, and understanding details.Talus's Achievements: Recognition by the Electronic Transactions Association and American Bankers as a top performer in the industry.Growth Strategies: Discussion about Talus's recent acquisitions, Jobox.AI and Clarus, that have enhanced the company's capabilities and customer offerings.Personal Insights: Kim's upbringing in St. Louis, her early career in payments, and how pivotal moments shaped her path to success.Work-Life Balance: Her philosophy of unplugging and the significance of family support.Mentorship and Networking: The vital role of mentors like Diane Vote Faro in her career and the importance of building a professional network.Join us for an engaging and insightful conversation where Kim offers actionable advice and deep dives into her personal and professional life, sharing her strategies for success and the challenges she faced along the way. Hosted by Desmond Nicholson, the episode is part of our curated series featuring women of impact in payments and FinTech.Company website: https://taluspay.com

Now You Live in Me and I Live in You. I Shall Raise You Up on the Last Day! The Gospel we hear today is the Bread of Life on the Feast of Corpus Christi – The Body and Blood of Christ. In the Homily, a question is asked: Why did God send Jesus into the world? While there may be several answers, the primary reason was Jesus came to bring us salvation. What actually do we mean when we say that? Sometimes we may think salvation is something … or some place. Salvation is not a thing or a place! Salvation is someone! Jesus is salvation. Jesus in His dying and rising is salvation! Jesus accepted all of the realities of humanity … even death … so that the realities of our humanity may be transformed in the resurrection. Hear more what salvation really means! The Gospel is not a piece of information! It is not even a book! The Gospel is a person, Jesus. Jesus is the gift of the Father! The Father sent His Son. The Son made a gift of Himself completely to the world. Where does the Father send His Son to you and me? Where does the Son speak His word to you? Where does the Son make His gift to you so completely that you live in Him . . . and He lives in you? Where does that happen? Hear more within the Homily. Listen more to this special Meditation Media. Listen to: Now You Live in Me and I Live in You. I Shall Raise You Up on the Last Day! On a day not too long after Fr. Fitzsimmons enters his glory, listen to this very appropriate Meditation Media.

Jason Fitzsimmons of Ghostbusters News sits in with Jim in guest co-host capacity as they delve into their thoughts on possible Ghostbusters announcements and reveals at San Diego Comic-Con next week, as well as the recently revealed PropStore catalog for the upcoming auction in Los Angeles! Find out our hopes and predictions for these two exciting upcoming events and get caught up on the past week's Ghostbusters headlines - all in this week's episode of Extraplasm!   Special Thanks Logo / Cover Art - Brendan Pearce, Badoochi Studios, @badoochistudios Theme Song - "Ghostbusters" by MAGNAVOX

Hellllo and welcome to another episode of These Little Moments Podcast. In this episode, I have the pleasure of interview nutrition coach, Bryan Fitzsimmons. Bryan specializes in helping mom's become fit after 40. In this episode we talk about: Modeling Identity Selfish vs Selfless Self Care And more ◡̈ Hope you enjoy. Love you super much, Your Coach, Ry Ry Bryan's Social: coach_fitzz Podcast Links: Please leave a 5 star review wherever you listen to this podcast :) If you are interested in 1:1 online coaching, you can apply here: https://bodybyryan.com/coaching/ Use my FREE Calorie Calculator: bodybyryan.com/calculator Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bodybyryanfitness/ Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryankassim?lang=eng BodyByYOU- Fat Loss Made Easy FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1701659280174513/ Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ryan_Kassim Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ryankassimlifeisgood 20% off Legion Supplements - Use code: BodyByRyan https://legionathletics.rfrl.co/542mp Discount off Just Meats Meal Prepping - Use Code: JSTRKASSIM https://get.aspr.app/SHHYE

Eric sits down with Brian Fitzsimmons & AJ Mandell to discuss plans for the annual Koi Fest event happening on August 23rd and 24th. They share some exciting details about the event, like the variety of koi sizes and breeds available for viewing and purchase, live koi auctions, new vendor showcases, interactive workshops, etc. They also discuss the challenges and successes from the previous years and the importance of this event for koi hobbyists and entrepreneurs alike.   In this episode, they talk about: Details of Koi Fest 2024, which is going to be held on August 23-24, 2024 The first Koi Fest in terms of turnout and growth of Koi Fest from 1000 to 2000 attendees   New check-in process and other improvements based on feedback from past events Marketing strategies like early bird deals and auction plans The biggest problems or challenges from past Koi Fests Challenges around network issues due to high attendee WiFi usage and partnering with Starlink How many fish will be available to choose from at Koi Fest The partnership with the Tri-State Koi and Water Garden Society to enhance Koi Fest Challenges in maintaining koi for show conditions Details about the limited edition event merchandise and entertainment at the Koi Fest Fun activities planned, like a Friday night barbecue and a Saturday night banquet Registering for Koi Fest: Koi Fest is free, but pre-register for the easy check-in process   Visit Fitz's Fish Ponds https://www.fitzfishponds.com/ to register for the Koi Fest.   Follow AJ on Instgram https://www.instagram.com/ajmandell/   Links to resources:  Book A Call With Triplett: Call with Triplett   The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/   You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at: http://helixpondfiltration.com/    TWT Contractor Circle   TWT Contractor Power Circle   And follow his adventures in the pond world at: Instagram  Facebook  TikTok 

Greg Fitzsimmons joins the podcast fresh off running the 2 Bears 5k with Tom. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Greg: Mixing an incisive wit with scathing sarcasm, Greg Fitzsimmons has achieved success as a stand-up, an Emmy Award winning writer, and host on TV, radio and his own podcast. Greg is host of the hugely popular FitzDog Radio podcast and The Greg Fitzsimmons Show, on SiriusXM's "Howard 101”. A regular with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, Greg has made more than 50 visits to The Howard Stern Show. Greg's one-hour standup special, Life On Stage, was named a Top 10 Comedy Release of 2013 by LA Weekly. The special premiered on Comedy Central and is now available as a CD, DVD and download. Greg's 2011 book, Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons, climbed the best-seller charts and garnered outstanding reviews from NPR and Vanity Fair. About Tom: Tom Papa, a celebrated stand-up comedian with over 20 years in the industry, has made significant strides in film, television, radio, podcasts, and live performances. Notably, he's a regular on "The Joe Rogan Experience" and various late-night TV shows. Papa's literary skills are evident in his books “We're All In This Together” and "You're Doing Great!: And Other Reasons To Stay Alive," a collection of essays, and "Your Dad Stole My Rake: And Other Family Dilemmas," a comedic look at family life. His latest stand-up specials are “Tom Papa: What A Day!” and "Tom Papa: You're Doing Great!" on Netflix. Beyond comedy, Papa's engagements extend to hosting "What A Joke With Papa And Fortune" on SiriusXM and appearing on NPR's "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me." His love for baking led to hosting the Food Network series "Baked." As an actor, he's worked with notable figures like Rob Zombie and Steven Soderbergh and has appeared in several films and TV shows, including the HBO film "Behind the Candelabra." Additionally, Papa has contributed as a writer to projects like "Bee Movie" and various TV series. Residing in Los Angeles with his family, Papa continues to balance his professional life with personal interests like baking. Get in touch with or go see Tom live on stage! Radio, Podcasts and more: https://linktr.ee/tompapa/ Website - http://tompapa.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tompapa Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/tompapa Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/comediantompapa #TomPapa #breakingbreadwithTomPapa

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on June 10. It dropped for free subscribers on June 17. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoBelinda Trembath, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Whistler Blackcomb, British ColumbiaRecorded onJune 3, 2024About Whistler BlackcombClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Vail Resorts (majority owners; Nippon Cable owns a 25 percent stake in Whistler Blackcomb)Located in: Whistler, British ColumbiaYear founded: 1966Pass affiliations:* Epic Pass: unlimited* Epic Local Pass: 10 holiday-restricted days, shared with Vail Mountain and Beaver CreekClosest neighboring ski areas: Grouse Mountain (1:26), Cypress (1:30), Mt. Seymour (1:50) – travel times vary based upon weather conditions, time of day, and time of yearBase elevation: 2,214 feet (675 meters)Summit elevation: 7,497 feet (2,284 meters)Vertical drop: 5,283 feet (1,609 meters)Skiable Acres: 8,171Average annual snowfall: 408 inches (1,036 centimeters)Trail count: 276 (20% easiest, 50% more difficult, 30% most difficult)Lift count: A lot (1 28-passenger gondola, 3 10-passenger gondolas, 1 8-passenger gondola, 1 8-passenger pulse gondola, 8 high-speed quads, 4 six-packs, 1 eight-pack, 3 triples, 2 T-bars, 7 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Whistler Blackcomb's lift fleet) – inventory includes upgrade of Jersey Cream Express from a quad to a six-pack for the 2024-25 ski season.Why I interviewed herHistorical records claim that when Lewis and Clark voyaged west in 1804, they were seeking “the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce.” But they were actually looking for Whistler Blackcomb.Or at least I think they were. What other reason is there to go west but to seek out these fabulous mountains, rising side by side and a mile* into the sky, where Pacific blow-off splinters into summit blizzards and packed humanity animates the village below?There is nothing else like Whistler in North America. It is our most complete, and our greatest, ski resort. Where else does one encounter this collision of terrain, vertical, panorama, variety, and walkable life, interconnected with audacious aerial lifts and charged by a pilgrim-like massing of skiers from every piece and part of the world? Europe and nowhere else. Except for here.Other North American ski resorts offer some of these things, and some of them offer better versions of them than Whistler. But none of them has all of them, and those that have versions of each fail to combine them all so fluidly. There is no better snow than Alta-Snowbird snow, but there is no substantive walkable village. There is no better lift than Jackson's tram, but the inbounds terrain lacks scale and the town is miles away. There is no better energy than Palisades Tahoe energy, but the Pony Express is still carrying news of its existence out of California.Once you've skied Whistler – or, more precisely, absorbed it and been absorbed by it – every other ski area becomes Not Whistler. The place lingers. You carry it around. Place it into every ski conversation. “Have you been to Whistler?” If not, you try to describe it. But it can't be done. “Just go,” you say, and that's as close as most of us can come to grabbing the raw power of the place.*Or 1.6 Canadian Miles (sometimes referred to as “kilometers”).What we talked aboutWhy skier visits dropped at Whistler-Blackcomb this past winter; the new Fitzsimmons eight-passenger express and what it took to modify a lift that had originally been intended for Park City; why skiers can often walk onto that lift with little to no wait; this summer's Jersey Cream lift upgrade; why Jersey Cream didn't require as many modifications as Fitzsimmons even though it was also meant for Park City; the complexity of installing a mid-mountain lift; why WB had to cancel 2024 summer skiing and what that means for future summer seasons; could we see a gondola serving the glacier instead?; Vail's Australian trio of Mt. Hotham, Perisher, and Falls Creek; Whistler's wild weather; the distinct identities of Blackcomb and Whistler; what WB means to Vail Resorts; WB's Olympic legacy; Whistler's surprisingly low base elevation and what that means for the visitor; WB's relationship with local First Nations; priorities for future lift upgrades and potential changes to the Whistler gondola, Seventh Heaven, Whistler T-bar, Franz's, Garbanzo; discussing proposed additional lifts in Symphony Bowl and elsewhere on Whistler; potential expansion into a fourth portal; potential new or upgraded lifts sketched out in Blackcomb Mountain's masterplan; why WB de-commissioned the Hortsman T-Bar; missing the Wizard-to-Solar-Coaster access that the Blackcomb Gondola replaced; WB's amazing self-managing lift mazes; My Epic App direct-to-lift access is coming to Whistler; employee housing; why Whistler's season pass costs more than an Epic Pass; and Edge cards.   Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewFour new major lifts in three years; the cancellation of summer skiing; “materially lower” skier visits at Whistler this past winter, as reported by Vail Resorts – all good topics, all enough to justify a check-in. Oh and the fact that Whistler Blackcomb is the largest ski area in the Western Hemisphere, the crown jewel in Vail's sprawling portfolio, the single most important ski area on the continent.And why is that? What makes this place so special? The answer lies only partly in its bigness. Whistler is vast. Whistler is thrilling. Whistler is everything you hope a ski area will be when you plan your winter vacation. But most important of all is that Whistler is proof.Proof that such a place can exist in North America. U.S. America is stuck in a development cycle that typically goes like this:* Ski area proposes a new expansion/base area development/chairlift/snowmaking upgrade.* A small group of locals picks up the pitchforks because Think of the Raccoons/this will gut the character of our bucolic community of car-dependent sprawl/this will disrupt one very specific thing that is part of my personal routine that heavens me I just can't give up.* Said group files a lawsuit/formal objection/some other bureaucratic obstacle, halting the project.* Resort justifies the project/adapts it to meet locals' concerns/makes additional concessions in the form of land swaps, operational adjustments, infrastructure placement, and the like.* Group insists upon maximalist stance of Do Nothing.* Resort makes additional adjustments.* Group is Still Mad* Cycle repeats for years* Either nothing ever gets done, or the project is built 10 to 15 years after its reveal and at considerable extra expense in the form of studies, legal fees, rising materials and labor costs, and expensive and elaborate modifications to accommodate one very specific thing, like you can't operate the lift from May 1 to April 20 because that would disrupt the seahorse migration between the North and South Poles.In BC, they do things differently. I've covered this extensively, in podcast conversations with the leaders of Sun Peaks, Red Mountain, and Panorama. The civic and bureaucratic structures are designed to promote and encourage targeted, smart development, leading to ever-expanding ski areas, human-scaled and walkable base area infrastructure, and plenty of slopeside or slope-adjacent accommodations.I won't exhaust that narrative again here. I bring it up only to say this: Whistler has done all of these things at a baffling scale. A large, vibrant, car-free pedestrian village where people live and work. A gargantuan lift across an unbridgeable valley. Constant infrastructure upgrades. Reliable mass transit. These things can be done. Whistler is proof.That BC sits directly atop Washington State, where ski areas have to spend 15 years proving that installing a stop sign won't undermine the 17-year cicada hatching cycle, is instructive. Whistler couldn't exist 80 miles south. Maybe the ski area, but never the village. And why not? Such communities, so concentrated, require a small footprint in comparison to the sprawl of a typical development of single-family homes. Whistler's pedestrian base village occupies an area around a half mile long and less than a quarter mile wide. And yet, because it is a walkable, mixed-use space, it cuts down reliance on driving, enlivens the ski area, and energizes the soul. It is proof that human-built spaces, properly conceived, can create something worthwhile in what, 50 years ago, was raw wilderness, even if they replace a small part of the natural world.A note from Whistler on First NationsTrembath and I discuss Whistler's relationship with First Nations extensively, but her team sent me some follow-up information to clarify their role in the mountain's development:Belinda didn't really have time to dive into a very important piece of the First Nations involvement in the operational side of things:* There was significant engagement with First Nations as a part of developing the masterplans.* Their involvement and support were critical to the approval of the masterplans and to ensuring that all parties and their respective communities will benefit from the next 60 years of operation.* This includes the economic prosperity of First Nations – both the Squamish and Líl̓wat Nations will participate in operational success as partners.* To ensure this, the Province of British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and the Squamish and Líl̓wat Nations are engaged in agreements on how to work together in the future.* These agreements, known as the Umbrella Agreement, run concurrently with the Master Development Agreements and masterplans, providing a road map for our relationship with First Nations over the next 60 years of operations and development. * Key requirements include Revenue Sharing, Real Estate Development, Employment, Contracting & Recreational Opportunities, Marketing and Tourism and Employee Housing. There is an Implementation Committee, which oversees the execution of the agreement. * This is a landmark agreement and the only one of its kind within the mountain resort industry.What we got wrongI mentioned that “I'd never seen anything like” the lift mazes at Whistler, but that's not quite accurate. Vail Resorts deploys similar setups throughout its western portfolio. What I hadn't seen before is such choreographed and consistent navigation of these mazes by the skiers themselves. To watch a 500-person liftline squeeze itself into one loading ramp with no personnel direction or signage, and to watch nearly every chair lift off fully loaded, is to believe, at least for seven to nine minutes, in humanity as a worthwhile ongoing experiment.I said that Edge Cards were available for up to six days of skiing. They're actually available in two-, five-, or 10-day versions. If you're not familiar with Edge cards, it's because they're only available to residents of Canada and Washington State.Whistler officials clarified the mountain's spring skiing dates, which Trembath said started on May 14. The actual dates were April 15 to May 20.Why you should ski Whistler BlackcombYou know that thing you do where you step outside and you can breathe as though you didn't just remove your space helmet on the surface of Mars? You can do that at Whistler too. The village base elevation is 2,214 feet. For comparison's sake: Salt Lake City's airport sits at 4,227 feet; Denver's is at 5,434. It only goes up from there. The first chairlifts sit at 6,800 feet in Park City; 8,100 at Snowbird; 8,120 at Vail; 8,530 at Alta; 8,750 at Brighton; 9,000 at Winter Park; 9,280 at Keystone; 9,600 at Breckenridge; 9,712 at Copper Mountain; and an incredible 10,780 feet at Arapahoe Basin. Taos sits at 9,200 feet. Telluride at 8,750. Adaptation can be brutal when parachuting in from sea level, or some nominal inland elevation above it, as most of us do. At 8,500 feet, I get winded searching my hotel room for a power outlet, let alone skiing, until my body adjusts to the thinner air. That Whistler requires no such reconfiguration of your atomic structure to do things like blink and speak is one of the more underrated features of the place.Another underrated feature: Whistler Blackcomb is a fantastic family mountain. While Whistler is a flip-doodle factory of Stoke Brahs every bit the equal of Snowbird or Jackson Hole, it is not Snowbird or Jackson Hole. Which is to say, the place offers beginner runs that are more than across-the-fall line cat tracks and 300-vertical-foot beginner pods. While it's not promoted like the celebrated Peak-to-Creek route, a green trail (or sequence of them), runs nearly 5,000 uninterrupted vertical feet from Whistler's summit to the base village. In fact, with the exception of Blackcomb's Glacier Express, every one of the ski area's 16 chairlifts (even the fearsome Peak Express), and five gondolas offers a beginner route that you can ski all the way back to the base. Yes, some of them shuffle into narrow cat tracks for stretches, but mostly these are wide, approachable trails, endless and effortless, built, it seems, for ski-family safaris of the confidence-building sort.Those are maybe the things you're not thinking of. The skiing:Most skiers start with one of the three out-of-base village gondolas, but the new Fitz eight-seater rarely has a line. Start there:That's mostly a transit lift. At the top, head up the Garbanzo quad, where you can start to understand the scale of the thing:You're still not quite to the goods. But to get a sense of the mountain, ski down to Big Red:This will take you to Whistler's main upper-mountain portal, Roundhouse. From Whistler, you can see Blackcomb strafing the sky:From Roundhouse, it's a short ski down to the Peak Express:Depending upon your route down, you may end up back at Big Red. Ride back up to Roundhouse, then meander from Emerald to Harmony to Symphony lifts. For a moment on the way down Symphony, it feels like Euroski:Just about everyone sticks to the narrow groomers:But there are plenty of bumps and trees and wide-open bowls:Nice as this terrain is, the Peak 2 Peak Gondola summons you from all over the mountain:Whoosh. To Blackcomb in an instant, crossing the valley, 1,427 feet to the bottom, and out at Blackcomb's upper-mountain base, Rendezvous. Down to Glacier Express, and up a rolling fantasyland of infinite freeride terrain:And at the top it's like damn.From here, you can transfer to the Showcase T-bar if it's open. If not, climb Spanky's Ladder, and, Kaboom out on the other side:Ride Crystal Ridge or Excelerator back up, and run a lap through bowls and glades:Then ski back down to the village, ride Jersey Cream back to Rendezvous to connect to the spectacular 7th Heaven lift, or ride the gondy back over to Whistler to repeat the whole cycle. And that's just a sampling. I'm no Whistler expert - just go have fun and get lost in the whole thing.Podcast NotesOn the Lost Lifts of Park CityIt's slightly weird and enormously hilarious that the Fitzsimmons eight-seater that Whistler installed last summer and the Jersey Cream sixer that Blackcomb will drop on the mountain this year were originally intended for Park City. As I wrote in 2022:Last September, Vail Resorts announced what was likely the largest set of single-season lift upgrades in the history of the world: $315-plus million on 19 lifts (later increased to 21 lifts) across 14 ski areas. Two of those lifts would land in Park City: a D-line eight-pack would replace the Silverlode six, and a six-pack would replace the Eagle and Eaglet triples. Two more lifts in a town with 62 of them (Park City sits right next door to Deer Valley). Surely this would be another routine project for the world's largest ski area operator.It wasn't. In June, four local residents – Clive Bush, Angela Moschetta, Deborah Rentfrow, and Mark Stemler – successfully appealed the Park City Planning Commission's previous approval of the lift projects.“The upgrades were appealed on the basis that the proposed eight-place and six-place chairs were not consistent with the 1998 development agreement that governs the resort,” SAM wrote at the time. “The planning commission also cited the need for a more thorough review of the resort's comfortable carrying capacity calculations and parking mitigation plan, finding PCM's proposed paid parking plan at the Mountain Village insufficient.”So instead of rising on the mountain, the lifts spent the summer, in pieces, in the parking lot. Vail admitted defeat, at least temporarily. “We are considering our options and next steps based on today's disappointing decision—but one thing is clear—we will not be able to move forward with these two lift upgrades for the 22-23 winter season,” Park City Mountain Resort Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh said in response to the decision.One of the options Vail apparently considered was trucking the lifts to friendlier locales. Last Wednesday, as part of its year-end earnings release, Vail announced that the two lifts would be moved to Whistler and installed in time for the 2023-24 ski season. The eight-pack will replace the 1,129-vertical-foot Fitzsimmons high-speed quad on Whistler, giving the mountain 18 seats (!) out of the village (the lift runs alongside the 10-passenger Whistler Village Gondola). The six-pack will replace the Jersey Cream high-speed quad on Blackcomb, a midmountain lift with a 1,230-foot vertical rise.The whole episode is still one of the dumber things I'm aware of. There are like 80 lifts in Park City and two more (replacements, not all-new lines), apparently would have knocked the planet off its axis and sent us caterwauling into the sun. It's enough to make you un-see all the human goodness in Whistler's magical lift queues. More here.On Fitzsimmons 8's complex lineAmong the challenges of re-engineering the Fitzsimmons 8 for Whistler was the fact that the lift had to pass under the Whistler Village Gondola:Trembath and I talk a little about Fitz's download capability. Team Whistler sent over some additional information following our chat, indicating that the winter download capacity is four riders per chair (part of the original lift design, when it was meant for Park City). Summer download, for bike park operations, is limited to one passenger (a lower capacity than the original design).On Whistler's bike parkI'm not Bike Park Bro, though I could probably be talked into it fairly easily if I didn't already spend half the year wandering around the country in search of novel snowsportskiing operations. I do, however, ride my bike around NYC just about every day from May through October-ish, which in many ways resembles the giant jungle gyms that are downhill mountain bike parks, just with fewer jumps and a higher probability of decapitation by box truck.Anyway Whistler supposedly has the best bike park this side of Neptune, and we talk about it a bit, and so I'll include the trailmap even though I'd have a better chance of translating ancient Aramaic runes etched into a cave wall than I would of explaining exactly what's happening here:On Jersey Cream “not looking like much” on the trailmapBecause Whistler's online trailmap is shrunken to fit the same rectangular container that every ski map fills in the Webosphere, it fails to convey the scale of the operation (the paper version, which you can acquire if you slip a bag of gold bars and a map to the Lost City of Atlantis to a clerk at the guest services desk, is aptly called a “mountain atlas” and better captures the breadth of the place). The Jersey Cream lift and pod, for example, presents on the trailmap as an inconsequential connector lift between the Glacier Express and Rendezous station, where three other lifts convene. But this is a 1,230-vertical-foot, 4,647-foot-long machine that could, were you to hack it from the earth and transport it into the wilderness, be a fairly substantial ski area on its own. For context, 1,200 vertical feet is roughly the rise of Eldora or Monarch, or, for Easterners, Cranmore or Black Mountain.On the Whistler and Blackcomb masterplansUnlike the U.S. American Forest Service, which often fails to post ski area master development plans on their useless 1990s vintage websites, the British Columbia authorities have neatly organized all of their province's masterplans on one webpage. Whistler and Blackcomb mountains each file separate plans, last updated in 2013. That predates Vail Resorts' acquisition by three years, and Trembath and I discuss how closely (or not), these plans align with the company's current thinking around the resort.Whistler Mountain:Blackcomb Mountain:On Vail's Australian ski areasTrembath, at different points, oversaw all three of Vail Resorts' Australian ski areas. Though much of that tenure predated Vail's acquisitions (of Hotham and Falls Creek in 2019), she ran Perisher (purchased in 2015), for a year before leaping to the captain's chair at Whistler. Trembath provides a terrific breakdown of each of the three ski areas, and they look like a lot of fun:Perisher:Falls Creek:Hotham:On Sugar Bowl ParallelsTrembath's story follows a similar trajectory to that of Bridget Legnavsky, whose decades-long career in New Zealand included running a pair of that country's largest ski resorts. She then moved to North America to run a large ski area – in her case, Sugar Bowl near Lake Tahoe's North Shore. She appeared on the podcast in March.On Merlin EntertainmentI was unfamiliar with Merlin Entertainment, the former owner of Falls Creek and Hotham. The company is enormous, and owns Legoland Parks, Madame Tussauds, and dozens of other familiar brands.On Whistler and Blackcomb as formerly separate ski areasLike Park City (formerly Park City and Canyons) and Palisades Tahoe (formerly Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley), Whistler and Blackcomb were once separate ski areas. Here's the stoke version of the mountains' joint history (“You were either a Whistler skier, or you were a Blackcomb skier”):On First Nations' language on lifts and the Gondola Gallery projectAs Whistler builds new lifts, the resort tags the lift terminals with names in English and First Nations languages. From Pique Magazine at the opening of the Fitzsimmons eight-pack last December:Whistler Mountain has a brand-new chairlift ready to ferry keen skiers and snowboarders up to mid-mountain, with the rebuilt Fitzsimmons Express opening to guests early on Dec. 12. …“Importantly, this project could not have happened without the guidance and counsel of the First Nations partners,” said Trembath.“It's so important to us that their culture continues to be represented across these mountains in everything we do.”In keeping with those sentiments, the new Fitzsimmons Express is emblazoned with First Nations names alongside its English name: In the Squamish language, it is known as Sk_wexwnách, for Valley Creek, and in the Lil'wat language, it is known as Tsíqten, which means Fish Spear.New chairlifts are given First Nations names at Whistler Blackcomb as they are installed and opened.Here's Fitzsimmons:And Big Red, a sixer installed two years ago:Whistler also commissioned First Nations artists to wrap two cabins on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. From Daily Hive:The Peak 2 Peak gondola, which connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, is showing off artwork created by First Nations artists, which can be seen by mountain-goers at BC's premiere ski resort.Vail Resorts commissioned local Indigenous artists to redesign two gondola cabins. Levi Nelson of Lil'wat Nation put his stamp on one with “Red,” while Chief Janice George and Buddy Joseph of Squamish Nation have created “Wings of Thunder.” …“Red is a sacred colour within Indigenous culture, representing the lifeblood of the people and our connection to the Earth,” said Nelson, an artist who excels at contemporary Indigenous art. “These shapes come from and are inspired by my ancestors. To be inside the gondola, looking out through an ovoid or through the Ancestral Eye, maybe you can imagine what it's like to experience my territory and see home through my eyes.”“It's more than just the techniques of weaving. It's about ways of being and seeing the world. Passing on information that's meaningful. We've done weavings on murals, buildings, reviving something that was put away all those decades ago now,” said Chief Janice George and Buddy Joseph.“The significance of the Thunderbird being on the gondola is that it brings the energy back on the mountain and watching over all of us.”A pic:On Native American issues in the U.S.I referenced conflicts between U.S. ski resorts and Native Americans, without providing specifics. The Forest Service cited objections from Native American communities, among other factors, in recommending a “no action” alternative to Lutsen Mountains' planned expansion last year. The Washoe tribe has attempted to “reclaim” land that Diamond Peak operates on. The most prominent dispute, however, has been a decades-long standoff between Arizona Snowbowl and indigenous tribes. Per The Guardian in 2022:The Arizona Snowbowl resort, which occupies 777 acres (314 hectares) on the mountain's slope, has attracted skiers during the winter and spring for nearly a century. But its popularity has boomed in recent years thanks to growing populations in Phoenix, a three hour's drive away, and neighbouring Flagstaff. During peak ski season, the resort draws upwards of 3,000 visitors a day.More than a dozen Indigenous nations who hold the mountain sacred have fought Snowbowl's existence since the 1930s. These include the Pueblo of Acoma, Fort McDowell Yavapai; Havasupai; Hopi; Hualapai; Navajo; San Carlos Apache; San Juan Southern Paiute; Tonto Apache; White Mountain Apache; Yavapai Apache, Yavapai Prescott, and Pueblo of Zuni. They say the resort's presence has disrupted the environment and their spiritual connection to the mountain, and that its use of treated sewage effluent to make snow is akin to baptizing a baby with wastewater.Now, a proposed $60m expansion of Snowbowl's facilities has brought simmering tensions to a boil.The US Forest Service, the agency that manages the national forest land on which Snowbowl is built, is weighing a 15-year expansion proposal that would bulk up operations, increase visitation and add new summer recreational facilities such as mountain biking trails, a zip line and outdoor concerts. A coalition of tribes, meanwhile, is resisting in unprecedented ways.The battle is emblematic of a vast cultural divide in the American west over public lands and how they should be managed. On one side are mostly financially well-off white people who recreate in national forests and parks; on the other are Indigenous Americans dispossessed from those lands who are struggling to protect their sacred sites.“Nuva'tukya'ovi is our Mount Sinai. Why can't the forest service understand that?,” asks Preston.On the tight load at the 7th Heaven liftYikes:Honestly it's pretty organized and the wait isn't that long, but this is very popular terrain and the trails could handle a higher-capacity lift (nearly everyone skis the Green Line trail or one of the blue groomers off this lift, leaving hundreds of acres of off-piste untouched; it's pretty glorious).On Wizard and Solar CoasterEvery local I spoke with in Whistler grumped about the Blackcomb Gondola, which replaced the Wizard and Solar Coaster high-speed quads in 2018. While the 10-passenger gondy substantively follows the same lines, it fails to provide the same mid-mountain fast-lap firepower that Solar Coaster once delivered. Both because removing your skis after each lap is a drag, and because many skiers ride the gondola up to Rendezvous, leaving fewer free mid-mountain seats than the empty quad chairs once provided. Here's a before-and-after:On Whistler's season passWhistler's season pass, which is good at Whistler Blackcomb and only Whistler Blackcomb, strangely costs more ($1,047 U.S.) than a full Epic Pass ($1,004 U.S.), which also provides unlimited access to Whistler and Vail's other 41 ski areas. It's weird. Trembath explains.The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 42/100 in 2024, and number 542 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

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You can also subscribe to the free tier below:Who* Scott Bender, operations and business advisor to Blue Knob ownership* Donna Himes, Blue Knob Marketing Manager* Sam Wiley, part owner of Blue Knob* Gary Dietke, Blue Knob Mountain ManagerRecorded onMay 13, 2024About Blue KnobClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Majority owned by the Wiley familyLocated in: Claysburg, PennsylvaniaYear founded: 1963Pass affiliations: Indy Pass and Indy+ Pass – 2 days, no blackouts (access not yet set for 2024-25 ski season)Closest neighboring ski areas: Laurel (1:02), Tussey (1:13), Hidden Valley (1:14), Seven Springs (1:23)Base elevation: 2,100 feetSummit elevation: 3,172 feetVertical drop: 1,072 feetSkiable Acres: 100Average annual snowfall: 120 inchesTrail count: 33 (5 beginner, 10 intermediate, 4 advanced intermediate, 5 advanced, 9 expert) + 1 terrain parkLift count: 5 (2 triples, 2 doubles, 1 carpet – view Lift Blog's inventory of Blue Knob's lift fleet)Why I interviewed themI've not always written favorably about Blue Knob. In a state where shock-and-awe snowmaking is a baseline operational requirement, the mountain's system is underwhelming and bogged down by antiquated equipment. The lower-mountain terrain – Blue Knob's best – opens sporadically, sometimes remaining mysteriously shuttered after heavy local snows. The website at one time seemed determined to set the world record for the most exclamation points in a single place. They may have succeeded (this has since been cleaned up):I've always tried to couch these critiques in a but-damn-if-only context, because Blue Knob, considered purely as a ski area, is an absolute killer. It needs what any Pennsylvania ski area needs – modern, efficient, variable-weather-capable, overwhelming snowmaking and killer grooming. No one, in this temperamental state of freeze-thaws and frequent winter rains, can hope to survive long term without those things. So what's the holdup?My goal with The Storm is to be incisive but fair. Everyone deserves a chance to respond to critiques, and offering them that opportunity is a tenant of good journalism. But because this is a high-volume, high-frequency operation, and because my beat covers hundreds of ski areas, I'm not always able to gather reactions to every post in the moment. I counterbalance that reality with this: every ski area's story is a long-term, ongoing one. What they mess up today, they may get right tomorrow. And reality, while inarguable, does not always capture intentions. Eventually, I need to gather and share their perspective.And so it was Blue Knob's turn to talk. And I challenge you to find a more good-natured and nicer group of folks anywhere. I went off format with this one, hosting four people instead of the usual one (I've done multiples a few times before, with Plattekill, West Mountain, Bousquet, Boyne Mountain, and Big Sky). The group chat was Blue Knob's idea, and frankly I loved it. It's not easy to run a ski area in 2024 in the State of Pennsylvania, and it's especially not easy to run this ski area, for reasons I outline below. And while Blue Knob has been slower to get to the future than its competitors, I believe they're at least walking in that direction.What we talked about“This was probably one of our worst seasons”; ownership; this doesn't feel like PA; former owner Dick Gauthier's legacy; reminiscing on the “crazy fun” of the bygone community atop the ski hill; Blue Knob's history as an Air Force station and how the mountain became a ski area; Blue Knob's interesting lease arrangement with the state; the remarkable evolution of Seven Springs and how those lessons could fuel Blue Knob's growth; competing against Vail's trio of nearby mountains; should Vail be allowed to own eight ski areas in one state?; Indy Pass sales limits; Indy Pass as customer-acquisition tool; could Blue Knob ever upgrade its top-to-bottom doubles to a high-speed quad?; how one triple chair multiplied into two; why Blue Knob built a mile-long lift and almost immediately shortened it; how Wolf Creek is “like Blue Knob”; beginner lifts; the best ski terrain in Pennsylvania; why Mine Shaft and Boneyard Glades disappeared from Blue Knob's trailmap, and whether they could ever return; unmarked glades; Blue Knob's unique microclimate and how that impacts snowmaking; why the mountain isn't open top-to-bottom more and why it's important to change that; PA snowmaking and how Blue Knob can catch up; that wild access road and what could be done to improve it; and the surprising amount of housing on Blue Knob's slopes.    Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewSo here's something that's absolutely stupid:That's southeastern Pennsylvania. Vail Resorts operates all of the ski areas in blue font. Ski areas in red are independent. Tussey, a local bump serving State College and its armies of sad co-eds who need a distraction because their football team can't beat Michigan, is not really relevant here. Blue Knob is basically surrounded by ski areas that all draw on the same well of out-of-state corporate resources and are stapled to the gumball-machine-priced Epic Pass. If this were a military map, we'd all say, “Yeah they're fucked.” Blue Knob is Berlin in 1945, with U.S. forces closing in from the west and the Russians driving from the east. There's no way they're winning this war.How did this happen? Which bureaucrat in sub-basement 17 of Justice Department HQ in D.C. looked at Vail's 2021 deal to acquire Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and Laurel and said, “Cool”? This was just two years after Vail had picked up Whitetail, Liberty, and Roundtop, along with Jack Frost and Big Boulder in eastern Pennsylvania, in the Peak Resorts acquisition. How does allowing one company to acquire eight of the 22 public ski resorts in one state not violate some antitrust statute? Especially when six of them essentially surround one independent competitor.I don't know. When a similar situation materialized in Colorado in 1997, Justice said, “No, Vail Resorts, you can not buy Keystone and Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin from this dog food company. Sell one.” And so A-Basin went to a real estate conglomerate out of Toronto, which gut-renovated the mountain and then flipped it, earlier this year, to Vail arch-frenemy Alterra. And an independent ski area operator told me that, at some point during this ongoing sales process, the Justice Department reached out to ask them if they were OK with Alterra – which already operates Winter Park, owns Steamboat, and has wrapped Copper, Eldora, and the four Aspen mountains into its Ikon Pass – owning A-Basin (which has been on the Ikon Pass since 2019). Justice made no such phone call, Blue Knob officials tell me on this podcast, when Vail was purchasing the Seven Springs resorts.This is where Colorad-Bro reminds me that Pennsylvania skiing is nothing compared to Colorado. And yes, Colorado is unquestionably the epicenter of American skiing, home to some of our most iconic resorts and responsible for approximately one in four U.S. skier visits each winter. But where do you suppose all those skiers come from? Not solely from Colorado, ranked 21st by U.S. population with just 5.9 million residents. Pennsylvania, with Philly and Pittsburgh and dozens of mid-sized cities in-between, ranks fifth in the nation by population, with nearly 13 million people. And with cold winters, ski areas near every large city, and some of the best snowmaking systems on the planet, PA is a skier printing press, responsible not just for millions of in-state skier visits annually, but for minting skiers that drive the loaded U-Haul west so they can brag about being Summit County locals five minutes after signing their lease. That one company controls more than one-third of the ski areas – which, combined, certainly account for more than half of the state's skier visits – strikes me as unfair in a nation that supposedly maintains robust antitrust laws.But whatever. We're locked in here. Vail Resorts is not Ticketmaster, and no one is coming to dismantle this siege. Blue Knob is surrounded. And it's worse than it looks on this map, which does not illuminate that Blue Knob sits in a vast wilderness, far from most population centers, and that all of Vail's resorts scoop up skiers flowing west-northwest from Philadelphia/Baltimore/D.C. and east from Pittsburgh.  So how is Blue Knob not completely screwed? Answering that question was basically the point of this podcast. The mountain's best argument for continued existence in the maw of this Epic Pass blitzkrieg is that Blue Knob is a better pure ski area than any of the six Vail mountains that surround it (see trailmap above). The terrain is, in fact, the best in the State of Pennsylvania, and arguably in the entire Mid-Atlantic (sorry Elk Mountain partisans, but that ski area, fine as it is, is locked out of the conversation as long as they maintain that stupid tree-skiing ban). But this fact of mountain superiority is no guarantee of long-term resilience, because the truth is that Blue Knob has often, in recent years, been unable to open top to bottom, running only the upper-mountain triple chairs and leaving the best terrain out of reach.They have to fix that. And they know it. But this is a feisty mountain in a devilish microclimate with some antiquated infrastructure and a beast of an access road. Nothing about this renovation has been, or likely will be, fast or easy.But it can be done. Blue Knob can survive. I believe it after hosting the team on this podcast. Maybe you will too once you hear it.What I got wrong* When describing the trail network, I said that the runs were cut “across the fall line” in a really logical way – I meant, of course, to say they were cut down the fall line.* I said that I thought the plants that sprouted between the trees in the mothballed Mine Shaft and Boneyard Glades were positioned “to keep people out.” It's more likely, however, based upon what the crew told us, that those plants are intended to control the erosion that shuttered the glades several years ago.* I mentioned “six-packs going up in the Poconos at the KSL-owned mountains.” To clarify: those would be Camelback and Blue Mountain, which each added six-packs in 2022, one year before joining the Ikon Pass.* I also said that high-speed lifts were “becoming the standard” in Pennsylvania. That isn't quite accurate, as a follow-up inventory clarified. The state is home to just nine high-speed lifts, concentrated at five ski areas. So yeah, not exactly taking over Brah.* I intimated that Blue Knob shortened the Beginners CTEC triple, built in 1983, and stood up the Expressway triple in 1985 with some of the commandeered parts. This does not appear to be the case, as the longer Beginners lift and Expressway co-exist on several vintage trailmaps, including the one below from circa 1989. The longer lift continues to appear on Blue Knob trailmaps through the mid-1990s, but at some point, the resort shortened the lift by thousands of linear feet. We discuss why in the pod.Why you should ski Blue KnobIf we took every mountain, fully open, with bomber conditions, I would rank Blue Knob as one of the best small- to mid-sized ski areas in the Northeast. From a rough-and-tumble terrain perspective, it's right there with Berkshire East, Plattekill, Hickory, Black Mountain of Maine, Ragged, Black Mountain (New Hampshire), Bolton Valley, and Magic Mountain. But with its Pennsylvania address, it never makes that list.It should. This is a serious mountain, with serious terrain that will thrill and challenge any skier. Each trail is distinct and memorable, with quirk and character. Even the groomers are interesting, winding nearly 1,100 vertical feet through the trees, dipping and banking, crisscrossing one another and the lifts above. Lower Shortway, a steep and narrow bumper cut along a powerline, may be my favorite trail in Pennsylvania. Or maybe it's Ditch Glades, a natural halfpipe rolling below Stembogan Bowl. Or maybe it's the unmarked trees of East Wall Traverse down to the marked East Wall Glades. Or maybe it's Lower Extrovert, a wide but ungroomed and mostly unskied trail where I found wind-blown pow at 3 p.m. Every trail is playful and punchy, and they are numerous enough that it's difficult to ski them all in a single day.Which of course takes us to the reality of skiing Blue Knob, which is that the ski area's workhorse top-to-bottom lift is the 61-year-old Route 66 double chair. The lift is gorgeous and charming, trenched through the forest on a narrow and picturesque wilderness line (until the mid-station, when the view suddenly shifts to that of oddly gigantic houses strung along the hillside). While it runs fast for a fixed-grip lift, the ride is quite long (I didn't time it; I'll guess 10 to 12 minutes). It stops a lot because, well, Pennsylvania. There are a lot of novice skiers here. There is a mid-station that will drop expert skiers back at the top of the best terrain, but this portal, where beginners load to avoid the suicidal runs below, contributes to those frequent stops.And that's the reality when that lift is running, which it often is not. And that, again, is because the lower-mountain terrain is frequently closed. This is a point of frustration for locals and, I'll point out, for the mountain operators themselves. A half-open Blue Knob is not the same as, say, a half-open Sugarbush, where you'll still have access to lots of great terrain. A half-open Blue Knob is just the Expressway (Lift 4) triple chair (plus the beginner zone), mostly groomers, mostly greens and blues. It's OK, but it's not what we were promised on the trailmap.That operational inconsistency is why Blue Knob remains mostly unheralded by the sort of skiers who are most drawn to this newsletter – adventurous, curious, ready for a challenge – even though it is the perfect Storm mountain: raw and wild and secretive and full of guard dog energy. But if you're anywhere in the region, watch their Instagram account, which usually flashes the emergency lights when Route 66 spins. And go there when that happens. You're welcome.Podcast NotesOn crisscrossing chairliftsChairlifts are cool. Crisscrossing chairlifts are even cooler. Riding them always gives me the sense of being part of a giant Goldbergian machine. Check out the triple crossing over the doubles at Blue Knob (all videos by Stuart Winchester):Wiley mentions a similar setup at Attitash, where the Yankee Flyer high-speed quad crosses beneath the summit lift. Here's a pic I took of the old Summit Triple at the crossover junction in 2021:Vail Resorts replaced the triple with the Mountaineer high-speed quad this past winter. I intended to go visit the resort in early February, but then I got busy trying not to drop dead, so I cancelled that trip and don't have any pics of the new lift. Lift Blog made it there, because of course he did, and his pics show the crossover modified but intact. I did, however, discuss the new lift extensively with Attitash GM Brandon Swartz last November.I also snagged this rad footage of Whistler's new Fitzsimmons eight-pack flying beneath the Whistler Village Gondola in February:And the Porcupine triple passing beneath the Needles Gondola at Snowbasin in March:Oh, and Lift 2 passing beneath the lower Panorama Gondola at Mammoth:Brah I could do this all day. Here's Far East six-pack passing beneath the Red Dog sixer at Palisades Tahoe:Palisades' Base-to-Base Gondola actually passes over two chairlifts on its way over to Alpine Meadows: the Exhibition quad (foreground), and the KT-22 Express, visible in the distance:And what the hell, let's make it a party:On Blue Knob as Air Force baseIt's wild and wildly interesting that Blue Knob – one of the highest points in Pennsylvania – originally hosted an Air Force radar station. All the old buildings are visible in this undated photo. You can see the lifts carrying skiers on the left. Most of these buildings have since been demolished.On Ski Denton and LaurelThe State of Pennsylvania owns two ski areas: Laurel Mountain and Ski Denton (Blue Knob is located in a state park, and we discuss how that arrangement works in the podcast). Vail Resorts, of course, operates Laurel, which came packaged with Seven Springs. Denton hasn't spun the lifts in a decade. Late last year, a group called Denton Go won a bid to re-open and operate the ski area, with a mix of state and private investment.And it will need a lot of investment. Since this is a state park, it's open to anyone, and I hiked Denton in October 2022. The lifts – a double, a triple, and a Poma – are intact, but the triple is getting swallowed by fast-growing trees in one spot (top two photos):I'm no engineer, but these things are going to need a lot of work. The trail network hasn't grown over too much, and the base lodge looks pristine, the grasses around it mowed. Here's the old trailmap if you're curious:And here's the proposed upgrade blueprint:I connected briefly with the folks running Denton GO last fall, but never wrote a story on it. I'll check in with them soon for an update.On Herman Dupre and the evolution of Seven SpringsBender spent much of his career at Seven Springs, and we reminisce a bit about the Dupre family and the ski area's evolution into one of the finest mountains in the East. You can learn more about Seven Springs' history in my podcast conversation with the resort's current GM, Brett Cook, from last year.On Ski magazine's top 20 in the EastSki magazine – which is no longer a physical magazine but a collection of digital bits entrusted to the robots' care – has been publishing its reader resort rankings for decades. The list in the West is fairly static and predictable, filled largely with the Epkonic monsters you would expect (though Pow Mow won the top place this year). But the East list is always a bit more surprising. This year, for example, Mad River Glen and Smugglers' Notch claimed the top two spots. They're both excellent ski areas and personal favorites, with some of the most unique terrain in the country, but neither is on a megapass, and neither owns a high-speed lift, which is perhaps proof that the Colorado Machine hasn't swallowed our collective souls just yet.But the context in which we discuss the list is this: each year, three small ski areas punch their way into an Eastern lineup that's otherwise filled with monsters like Stowe and Sugarbush. Those are: Seven Springs; Holiday Valley, New York; and Wachusett, Massachusetts. These improbable ski centers all make the list because their owners (or former owners, in Seven Springs' case), worked for decades to transform small, backwater ski areas into major regional destinations.On Vail's Northeast Value Epic PassesThe most frightening factor in the abovementioned difficulties that Blue Knob faces in its cagefight with Vail is the introduction, in 2020, of Northeast-specific Epic Passes. There are two versions. The Northeast Value Pass grants passholders unlimited access to all eight Vail Resorts in Pennsylvania and all four in neighboring Ohio, which is a crucial feeder for the Seven Springs resorts. It also includes unlimited access to Vail's four New Hampshire resorts; unlimited access with holiday blackouts at Hunter, Okemo, and Mount Snow; and 10 non-holiday days at Stowe. And it's only $613 (early-bird price was $600):The second version is a midweek pass that includes all the same resorts, with five Stowe days, for just $459 ($450 early-bird):And you can also, of course, pick up an Epic ($1,004) or Epic Local ($746) pass, which still includes unlimited Pennsylvania access and adds everything in the West and in Europe.Blue Knob's season pass costs $465 ($429 early-bird), and is only good at Blue Knob. That's a very fair price, and skiers who acted early could have added an Indy Pass on at a pretty big discount. But Indy is off sale, and PA skiers weighing their pass options are going to find that Epic Pass awfully tempting.On comparisons to the liftline at MRGErf, I may have activated the Brobots at Mad Brother Glen when I compared the Route 66 liftline with the one beneath their precious single chair. But I mean it's not the worst comparison you could think of:Here's another Blue Knob shot that shows how low the chairs fly over the trail:And here's a video that gives a bit more perspective on Blue Knob's liftline:I don't know if I fully buy the comparison myself, but Blue Knob is the closest thing you'll find to MRG this far south.On Wolf Creek's old summit PomaHimes reminisced on her time working at Wolf Creek, Colorado, and the rattletrap Poma that would carry skiers up a 45-degree face to the summit. I was shocked to discover that the old lift is actually still there, running alongside the Treasure Stoke high-speed quad (the two lifts running parallel up the gut of the mountain). I have no idea how often it actually spins:Lift Blog has pics, and notes that the lift “very rarely operates for historic purposes.”On defunct gladesThe Mine Shaft and Bone Yard glades disappeared from Blue Knob's trailmap more than a decade ago, but this sign at the top of Lower Shortway still points toward them:Then there's this sign, a little ways down, where the Bone Yard Glade entrance used to be:And here are the glades, marked on a circa 2007 trailmap, between Deer Run and Lower Shortway:It would be rad if Blue Knob could resurrect these. We discuss the possibility on the podcast.On Blue Knob's base being higher than Killington'sSomewhat unbelievably, Blue Knob's 2,100-foot base elevation is higher than that of every ski area in New England save Saddleback, which launches from a 2,460-foot base. The five next highest are Bolton Valley (2,035 feet), Stowe (2,035), Cannon (2,034), Pico (2,000), and Waterville Valley (1,984). Blue Knob's Vail-owned neighbors would fit right into this group: Hidden Valley sits at 2,405 feet, Seven Springs at 2,240, and Laurel at 2,000. Head south and the bases get even higher: in West Virginia, Canaan Valley sits at 3,430 feet; Snowshoe at 3,348-foot base (skiers have to drive to 4,848, as this is an upside-down ski area); and Timberline at 3,268. But the real whoppers are in North Carolina: Beech Mountain sits at 4,675, Cataloochee at 4,660, Sugar Mountain at 4,100, and Hatley Pointe at 4,000. I probably should have made a chart, but damn it, I have to get this podcast out before I turn 90.On Blue Knob's antique snowmaking equipmentLook, I'm no snowmaking expert, but some of the stuff dotting Blue Knob's slopes looks like straight-up World War II surplus:The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 41/100 in 2024, and number 541 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Kenosha County; https://bit.ly/39PLAxjThe Cabin is also presented by Jolly Good Soda; https://bit.ly/3TSFYY4Campfire Conversation: In this episode of The Cabin Podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Liz Fitzsimmons from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board! Liz brings extensive experience in strategic marketing and community engagement, playing a pivotal role in promoting Wisconsin's dairy industry and connecting local farmers with consumers. Our conversation dives into the significance of Dairy Month in June and explores Wisconsin's rich dairy history. Liz shares insights into her background in the dairy industry, the evolution of Wisconsin's dairy farming, and the unique aspects that set it apart from other states. She also discusses the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board's efforts to support local farmers and promote sustainable practices. Tune in for fascinating stories, industry milestones, and Liz's vision for the future of dairy in America's Dairyland.Inside Sponsors:Jefferson County; https://bit.ly/3gt0NauGroup Health Trust; https://bit.ly/3JMizCXPraise in the Pines; https://bit.ly/Praise_in_the_Pines

Have you ever wanted to visit Japan and see/buy the beautiful koi they have there? A company called KoiTrips makes it easy to travel to Japan just for the koi! Eric is with Brian, Tim, AJ, and Kosuke of KoiTrips.com. They give some fascinating information about what it takes to travel to Japan to find the right koi that you're looking for.   In this episode, they talk about: How can hobbyists travel to Japan to purchase high-quality koi fish The process of Koi Trips for hosting large groups of people on koi viewing/purchasing trips to Japan The best time of year to visit Japan for koi The weather at different times of the year in Japan and what clothes to pack Memorable experiences people had in Japan and coaching the people to navigate the country Experiences of customers at Shintato Koi Farm during trips How much money people should expect to spend on fish in Japan The cost and expectations for someone traveling to Japan for koi fish   Mentioned: Koi Trips Website: https://koitrips.com/     Tim's YouTube channel - Quality Nishikigoi: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA9z32oMBU9d-8SdZxTc0Kw    QualityNish Linktree: https://linktr.ee/QualityNish    Links to resources:  Book A Call With Triplett: Call with Triplett   The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/   You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at: http://helixpondfiltration.com/    TWT Contractor Circle   TWT Contractor Power Circle   And follow his adventures in the pond world at: Instagram  Facebook  TikTok