Podcasts about five questions

Promoting a high-producing advisor into a leadership role without teaching them how to lead isn't development, it's a risk transfer. Ray Sclafani has seen this pattern play out across hundreds of advisory firms: the best advisor gets promoted, the firm assumes leadership will follow, and within months the culture quietly starts to fracture. In this episode, Ray makes the case that leadership development is not a soft-skills initiative as it is an operational and economic imperative that directly shapes growth, retention, client experience, and enterprise value.What You Will Learn in This EpisodeWhy promoting high performers without leadership training is one of the most common and costly mistakes in wealth managementThe five direct questions every leadership team should ask to diagnose their management infrastructureHow to define what "meeting," "exceeding," and "far exceeding" expectations looks like for every leadership role in your firmHow to build a leadership scorecard that makes accountability observable, coachable, and measurableWhy leadership depth, not any single rainmaker or founder, is what allows a firm to grow without breakingKey Insight from This Episode"Promoting a high-producing advisor into a manager or leadership role without teaching that person how to lead is not development. That is a risk transfer."Leadership is not a reward for strong performance. It is a distinct skill set that requires training, structure, and ongoing accountability. The firms that invest in building that infrastructure now will have the bench depth, the culture, and the continuity to compete at the highest level — and to scale without depending on any one person.The Five Questions to Diagnose Your Leadership InfrastructureAsk your leadership team right now:Performance Reviews: Do you conduct performance reviews more than once a year?One-on-Ones: Do managers hold one-on-one meetings with their direct reports at least monthly?Feedback: Do employees receive regular, real-time feedback — not just at review time?Defined Standards: Have you defined what meeting, exceeding, and far exceeding expectations looks like for every role in your firm?Manager Accountability: Are managers held accountable for engagement, retention, and the development of the people they lead?If the honest answer to most of those is "no" or "not consistently," you have a leadership development gap and that gap has a direct cost.The Four-Step Framework for Building LeadersStep 1 — Define the Leadership Role Vague expectations produce vague performance. When a person is promoted to manager, their scope must be explicit and written down: What do they own? Which decisions are theirs to make? Which require alignment? Which belong elsewhere? Clarity here is not bureaucratic, because it is the foundation of effective leadership.Step 2 — Define What Strong Performance Looks Like For every leadership role, articulate three levels:Meeting expectations — Holds regular one-on-ones, provides timely feedback, follows through on commitments, keeps the team alignedExceeding expectations — Develops talent ahead of need, strengthens team capacity, reduces confusion, helps others make better decisionsFar exceeding expectations — Develops leaders who develop other leaders, builds scalable systems, improves retention, reduces the firm's dependence on any single personOnce the levels are defined, performance conversations, calibration, comp decisions, and development plans all improve. People stop guessing.Step 3 — Build a Feedback Cadence Annual reviews are too slow. By the time the review occurs, everyone already knows what should have been said months earlier. Managers should hold regular one-on-ones, provide feedback in real time, and ask the questions that matter: What is working? What is unclear? What needs to change? What support is required? What are you learning? Where do you want to grow? Feedback should not be dramatic. It should be normal.Step 4 — Hold Leaders Accountable for the People They Lead A manager should be evaluated not only on their personal performance or technical competence, but on the engagement, retention, development, and performance of their team. If a leader is personally successful but leaves behind confusion, burnout, or turnover, that is not strong leadership. Create a leadership scorecard for every manager in your firm. Include five measures: communication rhythm, feedback quality, talent development, accountability, and team health. Review it quarterly. Coach to it. Compensate it.Coaching Questions for ReflectionWhich leaders in your firm, including you, have been promoted based on production or contribution, but never trained to lead?Where have you clearly defined performance expectations, and where are people still guessing?Which leadership behaviors should be measured because they directly shape culture and retention at your firm?What would change if managers were held accountable for the growth of the people they lead?Why This Matters for Enterprise ValueManagers shape the firm's lived experience. Not the values poster in the break room. Not the retreat agenda. Not the title structure. Managers decide how feedback is delivered, whether accountability is real, whether talent is developed or ignored, whether high performers are challenged, whether underperformance is tolerated, whether meetings are useful, and whether people feel stretched, supported, and included.SHRM research shows that only 44% of managers globally have received formal management training. More than 90% of HR executives say people managers are critically important to organizational success — and job satisfaction nearly doubles among workers with highly effective managers.For advisory firms, this isn't abstract. Leadership development affects growth and retention, client experience, and ultimately the enterprise value of what you are building.The firms that develop leaders will win — because they will not rely on any single founder, rainmaker, or heroic operator. They will build bench depth. And that bench depth is what allows a firm to grow without breaking.Resources & References MentionedSHRM — Global Management Training ResearchKorn Ferry — Workforce 2025 Research ReportBuilding the Billion Dollar Business is hosted by Ray Sclafani, founder and CEO of ClientWise, the financial services industry's leading executive coaching and team development firm for elite advisors and wealth management teams.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeBuilding The Billion Dollar Business

visit: https://www.ysguys.comY's Guys made history with its first-ever remote broadcast, live from the Redmond Farm Store in Orem for Redmond Night with Y's Guys. Dave McCann and Blaine Fowler welcomed a packed lineup of BYU athletes, coaches, and special guests, including Kevin Young, Bruce Branch III, Robert Wright III, Richie Saunders, Bear Bachmeier, Tiger Bachmeier, Todd Miller, Ben Barton, Spencer Steiner, and Michael Johanson.The show opened with Kevin Young and Bruce Branch III discussing Bruce's arrival at BYU, his experience playing for USA Basketball, and the role his mother, Constance, has played in shaping his defensive mindset and team-first approach. Kevin talked about recruiting high-character players, building a family-centered culture, and what makes Bruce different from past BYU stars like Egor Demin and AJ Dybantsa. Robert Wright III also joined briefly, with both Bruce and Robert expressing excitement about playing together this season.Richie Saunders stopped by to talk about his recovery, the NBA Draft, and his hope to return to the court this fall. Richie said the draft process has been exciting and emotional, and he expressed deep gratitude for his wife, Rachel, and Cougar Nation's support during his rehab.Bear Bachmeier and Tiger Bachmeier joined the show together to talk about summer workouts, team bonding, the upcoming season, Notre Dame coming to LaVell Edwards Stadium, the Arizona game, and their first Bear and Tiger Football Camp. Bear emphasized BYU's mission of Christlike service and giving back to kids, while Tiger shared his excitement about playing alongside his brother and potentially catching a touchdown from him this fall.Ben Barton was named the Redmond Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week after winning the NCAA decathlon national championship in Eugene, Oregon. Ben became BYU's first decathlon national champion since Tito Steiner in 1981, scoring a personal-best 8,169 points. Later in the show, Ben joined in person to describe the emotional finish, his wife Clara's sacrifices after the birth of their son William, and what it means to represent BYU and the Church as a national champion.New BYU men's golf head coach Todd Miller joined the show to discuss taking over for Bruce Brockbank, the legacy of BYU golf, and the future of the program. Todd talked about Kihei Akina's historic freshman season, the depth of the team, his father Johnny Miller's influence, and his excitement about building on BYU golf's recent success.The show also included campus notes on BYU track and field, football preseason honors, the Brendan Sorsby eligibility situation at Texas Tech, Michael Rucker's call-up with the Seattle Mariners, and BYU women's volleyball's upcoming schedule. Spencer Steiner from Redmond gave a “Hydration 101” lesson about electrolytes, salt, and why athletes need more than water to stay properly hydrated. Michael Johanson from the BYU Alumni Association closed the guest lineup with thoughts on BYU's Cougs Care service efforts and the growing connection between athletics, alumni, and service.Timestamps (approximate):00:00 — Redmond Night with Y's Guys begins in Orem01:32 — Bruce Branch III and Robert Wright III join the show04:38 — Kevin Young talks BYU basketball culture and Bruce Branch15:19 — Five Questions with Kevin Young and Bruce Branch19:59 — Ben Barton named Redmond Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week22:34 — Richie Saunders discusses the NBA Draft and his recovery28:49 — Bear and Tiger Bachmeier join the show32:43 — Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech, and Big 12 football talk38:53 — Bear and Tiger preview their football camp53:20 — BYU football, track and field, baseball, and volleyball notes1:02:18 — Todd Miller talks BYU golf and Kihei Akina1:24:55 — Ben Barton joins after winning the NCAA decathlon title1:41:35 — Spencer Steiner explains Redmond hydration and electrolytes1:48:56 — Michael Johanson on BYU Alumni service efforts1:54:19 — On This Day, Mike Holmgren quote, and show wrap-up Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben and Andrew begin by talking through five questions on WWDC in 2026, including thoughts on Apple's answer to the critics, whether Apple is or is not thinking different, decoding the Google partnership and Craig Federighi's corporate speak, the wide gap between Siri AI and frontier AI, and why memory concerns are misplaced. From there: Explaining the Fable 5 guard rails, Anthropic safety concerns that align with Anthropic business incentives, Ben's first impressions of the Fable 5 performance, and a week of Anthropic angst that adds additional context to the company's standoff with the Department of War. At the end: Passing another checkpoint on the AI 2027 journey, Microsoft on the hot seat in the AI era, and the United States of YouTube.

(0:00) The third hour opens with a conversation on the future of Craig Breslow and the Red Sox front office.(15:27) Barth gives his updates from the last day of Patriots mandatory minicamp.(22:54) The guys take caller reactions for Mazz' Tiers.(36:45) Mike Felger asks five questions that have nothing to do with sports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Writing a book is one of the most overlooked thought leadership moves a female founder can make, and most people go into it completely unprepared.On this episode of Dear FoundHer, Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Ruthie Ackerman, author of The Mother Code and founder of Ignite Writers Collective, about what it actually takes to write and publish a book. Ruthie spent years as a journalist and deputy editor at Forbes Women before losing her job, starting a business, and landing a Random House book deal. Now she helps women in business find their voice on the page, and she's honest about how hard the process is.The publishing world has a glamour problem. Most people picture the finished book, not the 90-page proposal, the years of revision, or the media outreach that a publisher will not do for you. Ruthie lays out what female founders need to know before they commit, including how to choose the right publishing path, what a real publicity strategy looks like, and why treating your book like a business launch is the only approach that works.For anyone building a personal brand and wondering whether a book belongs in that plan, Ruthie also speaks directly to the PR for small business reality. Getting press, landing speaking opportunities, and reaching the right audiences all require the same intentionality you bring to every other part of your business. A book done right is a long-term thought leadership asset, not a project you finish and walk away from.If your story has been sitting in the back of your mind waiting for the right moment, this episode is worth your time.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Thought Leadership Starts With Your Story03:51 Ruthie Ackerman's Path From Forbes to Random House05:59 Getting Laid Off and Launching Ignite Writers Collective08:21 How Ignite Writers Collective Grew During the Pandemic10:35 Starting a Book Three Months After Having a Baby12:08 Five Questions to Ask Before You Write a Book13:57 Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing vs. Hybrid15:50 What a 90-Page Book Proposal Actually Looks Like18:35 Why Authors Have to Be Their Own Marketers20:07 Three Tips for Making Time to Write22:08 What Not to Do When Writing a Book24:10 How to Find a Literary Agent26:41 All the Hats You Have to Wear as an Author28:55 How Ignite Studios Supports Authors End-to-End32:11 Ruthie's Three Actionable Steps for Aspiring AuthorsConnect with Ruthie Ackerman:Follow Ruthie on Instagram Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Joe Gagliese, Co-Founder and CEO at Viral Nation, a full-service digital and social agency. Joe discusses the concept of social as "the people's media," details why he believes "discovery begins with social" and outlines how brands might think about becoming "social centered." Key topics include:Why social has become a prerequisite for certain categoriesQuestions to ask your social agencyWhy measurement is still a bit of an Achilles heelHow to think of social as a living organism which works in concert with the rest of your marketingTune in to hear why social is so important for autos and thoughts on reading Marcus Aurelius.⏱️ Chapters01:12 - Introduction to CMO Confidential01:42 - Introducing Joe Gagliese02:46 - Defining "Social First"05:40 - Social Strategy as a Behavioral System08:03 - The Prerequisite of Radical Transparency12:11 - Transitioning to a Social-First Organization15:03 - Maintaining Authenticity with Creators17:33 - Steps to Develop a Social-First Strategy20:20 - Determining Brand Readiness22:01 - Measuring Social Performance and Conversion25:18 - Five Questions to Ask Social Agencies28:28 - Common Mistakes in Social Marketing30:10 - Practical Advice and Closing RemarksThis episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo.Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.#CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentricSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Earthquakes, Trees, Water, and Five Questions "This Evening"

(0:00) The third hour opens with a discussion on Isiah Kiner-Falefa's comments after Tuesday's Red Sox loss.(13:12) The guys discuss what the Red Sox could do at the trade deadline.(19:52) Caller reactions on the Celtics, Red Sox, and more.(30:47) Jim Murray asks five questions that have nothing to do with sports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who is Ally?Ally Machete has built her career working closely with a dynamic range of authors, but she has found her true passion in helping confident business owners become first-time authors. She specializes in guiding experienced entrepreneurs who know their industries inside out but feel unsure when it comes to writing a book. Understanding that her clients have no time, energy, or money to waste, Ally works deliberately and strategically to ensure their book aligns with their greater business goals. She is the expert these leaders turn to when the stakes are high, and there's no room for mistakes—helping them transform their hard-won expertise into powerful, purposeful books.Key Takeaways* Writing a book isn't just for the famous—it's a powerful tool to build credibility and open doors for any expert. As Ally Machete shares, the real impact comes from writing the right book, with the right strategy behind it.* Don't write a book for “everyone.” As Ally Machete explains, clarity about your target audience and their needs makes your book not only marketable but transformative for your business or career.* A well-crafted book is more than “decoration for your Zoom background,” says Ally Machete. It's a tool—something to leverage intentionally, not just a vanity project.* Not every business needs a book. Ally Machete recommends crafting your strategy first—sometimes timing or focus on other projects delivers more growth than rushing into publishing.* Feeling the “magic” of book writing doesn't mean ditching strategy. Ally Machete urges authors: don't just write what you want, write what solves a real need for your ideal reader. That's how culture shifts—one book at a time.Don't forget: If you want to connect, ask questions, or get notified about upcoming guests like Ally, subscribe to the newsletter here. You only need your first name and email—easy as (coffee) pie!And don't forget: keep an eye out for next guest. To submit your own questions, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation!P.S. Loved this episode? Hit reply and let us know what resonated most_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Do You Need a P.A.T.H. to Scale?We help established business owners with small but growing teams:go from feeling stuck, sceptical, and tired of wasting time and money on false promises,to running a confident, purpose-driven business where their team delivers results, customers are happy, and they can finally enjoy more time with their family -with a results-based refund guarantee: if you follow the process and it doesn't work, we refund what you paid.This is THE P.A.T.H. to scale your business.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSwriting a book, lead generation, business owners, book marketing, strategic writing, target audience, book publishing, book as a tool, writing process, marketable book, author credibility, authority, business growth, writing strategy, book promotion, niche audience, sales conversion, email list building, free resources, blog articles, podcast interviews, digital printing, ebooks, networking, credibility signal, partnership promotion, course creation, return on investment (ROI), book launch, marketing strategySPEAKERAlly Machate, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:00]:Live, please go live. Yeah. Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. I am here today with Ali Machati, the writer's ally. I've got those two right, haven't I, Ali, Please tell me. Okay, thank you. So I was going to get something wrong.Stuart Webb [00:00:47]:I've managed to get through without actually making a huge mistake yet. So welcome, Ali. Thank you so much for making a few minutes today. Ali is, well, she's somebody who helps people write books. So I can tell you somebody who has tried to do that and successfully succeeded, but by golly, it was hard. You need an ally in your corner. So I'm really pleased Ali has made some time today to come talk to us a little bit about this. You know, writing a book is probably the greatest lead generator you can do because it really sets you apart from the competition.Stuart Webb [00:01:18]:Ali is going to tell us all about that. So, Ali, thank you so much for being the writer's ally. And welcome to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee.Ally Machete [00:01:26]:Thank you so much for having me, Stuart. I'm really excited to be here.Stuart Webb [00:01:30]:Well, I hope. I hope we're going to have a really interesting conversation. So let's start by talking a little bit about, well, the sort of people you try to help as the. As the writer's ally.Ally Machete [00:01:43]:Yeah. So we work with lots of kinds of authors, but our real sweet spot, our ideal client, are generally business owners, people who have been in business for a little while and are really confident in their expertise. But now they're thinking about writing a book and they're not confident about that. You know, they don't have time, money, energy to waste. All of that has to go very deliberately into their plans and their strategies in business. But they want to have that book. They know enough to know that there's things they don't know, and they know that they really need to get it right. That book has really important goals attached to it.Ally Machete [00:02:24]:It's a tool that's going to be really valuable to them and is a part of their growth strategy. And so they need it to be done at the highest level. And that's where we come in.Stuart Webb [00:02:33]:That's brilliant. So tell me. I mean, you've obviously, you've obviously helped a lot of people do this.Ally Machete [00:02:38]:What.Stuart Webb [00:02:38]:What are the sort of things they tried to do? I mean, you know, everybody has sat with that sort of completely blank piece of paper or blank screen or whatever nowadays and thought, where do I start? What are the things that you've seen them try which have failed to get them anywhere.Ally Machete [00:02:54]:Well, one of the things that I think a lot of people who are new to writing a book get stuck on is there's this sort of kind of like romantic, kind of magical, I think thinking around what a, what a writing process looks like. You know, you're going to get struck by the muse and you're going to sit down and it's all going to flow out of you in a number of hours and you're going to end up with this masterpiece that, you know, just needs a spell check and then you're done. Right. And they don't understand how much harder it actually is. You know, even if you are fortunate enough to be able to create a rough draft very easily, and some people certainly can, some people do have that experience, but that is rarely the finished product. Right. There is so much that goes into crafting a book strategically. Not just writing a good book, but writing a marketable book.Ally Machete [00:03:44]:Writing a book that's going to get you certain results in your business is a lot more than just writing something that's, you know, basically well written and, or even interesting to read. So I think that's, that's the biggest piece where people tend to get tripped up is they think, well, I wrote it, it's good, right. It's objectively good. And they miss that strategic tie in piece and they end up with a book that on the surface is really nice and looks professional and is well done, but doesn't move the dial in their business.Stuart Webb [00:04:14]:So we may be straying into the sort of the third question here, which is about what, what free advice, what valuable advice you can give, but sort of talk a little bit about that. Sort of, what do you mean by a marketable book? Sort of explain the whole, you know, what that does to a little bit about what that does to somebody's business, somebody's career, but also a little bit about what needs to go into a marketable book for it to be something that people actually want to pick up and look at.Ally Machete [00:04:41]:Yeah. So one element of that is when you write a book that is the wrong book. Right. So first let's just assume you've written a book, it's a good book, it's objectively well written. Right. It's been, you've put energy into it, you've made an effort, it looks nice, you paid for a nice cover, maybe even, and it all looks good. What might make that book not marketable are a few different things. First of all, if you were never clear on exactly who your Target audience for that book is a lot of people write a book thinking that anybody can benefit from this, this book will help everyone.Ally Machete [00:05:15]:And even though that may be true, you can never market to everyone. Right. Like, I like to say that if you're trying to talk to everybody, then you're going to be connecting with nobody. So this idea that it's just, I'm putting this out there, it's going to help all of these people without really getting clear about who exactly the book is for, that can make a book not marketable. If you don't know who to put the book in front of to sell copies, it's almost impossible to create a marketing strategy. Right. A lot of marketing strategy is about who are the right readers for this and how do we get in front of those people. So if your audience isn't clear, if your promise isn't clear, if it isn't crystal clear why your target reader needs your book.Ally Machete [00:05:56]:Right. Again, a lot of people start a book from a kind of internal place. If they have something they want to say or they have something that they feel like they can share, that's a value. But ultimately, people don't buy books because you think they need the book. Right. They buy the book because there's something they want or there's something they're looking for that they feel like your book is the answer to. So that comes back to your unique promise. If your promise isn't crystal clear, it might be a good book, but it's going to be very difficult to position and it's going to be very difficult to have that conversion situation.Ally Machete [00:06:28]:Just like any other product or any other sale, when you're just trying to sell books, there's conversions. People will come and check it out. If there's nothing there to actually hook them in and make them see, yeah, this is the book that's going to solve my problem or teach me the thing I need to learn. They don't convert.Stuart Webb [00:06:43]:Do you know, Ali, you make it sound as if you're trying to sort of put together a marketing strategy for some sort of product, which you would hope a business owner has learned how to do. But anyway, let's, let's move on a little bit. Tell me a little bit more about the. The sort of effects that you think a book can have to somebody's business, somebody's career, if you like. I mean, we can all think of people like Tony Robbins who have written interesting books and then they end up on the world stage. I'm not necessarily suggesting that we're all going to do that tomorrow?Ally Machete [00:07:11]:No. And you don't have to. That's the really beautiful thing about books. And especially these days. You know, not only do we have the Internet, which gives us tons of opportunities to directly connect with our target audience and to market a book with, you know, very little cost compared to, let's say, print media, for example, but also we have digital and print tech, digital printing technology, and ebooks. So the very act of creating a book, making it available for sale, getting it out there, is also more accessible to people now than it pretty much ever has been in history, really. So those are all really wonderful things. But excuse me, when you put that book out there.Ally Machete [00:07:52]:So let's say, for example, that somebody is writing a book to bring in more clients. That's like a pretty classic example. They're writing a book to bring in more clients if they write a memoir. And I've seen this a lot with coaches, in particular coaches and consultants, they think, well, people who want to work with me want to know more about me. So instead of writing a book that shows how they think about that particular problem, how they've worked with people in that particular niche, how their process or their way of, you know, approaching a situation is a good method or a different way of thinking about certain things, and instead they write a memoir, they write a book that's just all about them and their life's journey. Right? Sure, there will be a subset of people who are interested in that book, but most people don't come to the book because they want to learn all about you. Again, people buy a book because what's in it for me? Right? What are they going to get from it? So when you have a book that's dialed in to the right people and is strategically aligned to achieve goals in your business, and it can accomplish large numbers of things. Everything from the very simple giving books away to build your mailing list.Ally Machete [00:09:05]:We've had clients too, in particular that were enormously successful simply finding partners who are willing to promote the free ebook to their lists because they thought that it was something of value. It's a win, win situation, right? I want you to promote my book. You get to give something free to your audience. Everybody looks good. Now all of a sudden you have thousands of people opting in to join your list to get a copy of that free book. That's a real basic, simple way of leveraging a book to grow your business. But also things like we've had clients tell us that sitting down in a meeting with people and Taking a few copies of the book out of their bag and handing it to the high level people that they're meeting with changes the conversation instantly. Right.Ally Machete [00:09:50]:Giving a book to somebody or even just knowing that someone is the author of a book is an instant credibility signal. They don't even have to read the book. The very fact that you've written one, again, assuming it's the right one and it's done well, you hand it to them, they look at it, they can see this person literally wrote the book on this subject. And there's a psychological effect. Again, there's a reason why the word author is the root word of authority. Right. And that's how we think about people with books. So having that book can get you to open more doors, it can get you on more stages, it can get you more clients, it can get you higher level clients, it can help you to close deals.Ally Machete [00:10:32]:It shortens the like, no trust factor and gets those that cycle, that sales cycle to shorten and speed up. It can do a number of really important things for your business. And I agree, I think it is one of the most powerful lead generating tools even still.Stuart Webb [00:10:47]:Yeah. And amazingly, I learned a little bit about this. But the words sort of, you know, the best business card you will ever have are really applicable here, aren't they? Because somebody who has a book, you don't need to leave them a business card. You leave them the book, they'll find you. Even if you've got very little else in that book in terms of contact details, they will find you because a book says something about you. Ali, I'm going to sort of pose the, you know, is there one piece of. And I think you've already given some advice, but I'm sure there are other things and I know we've got some things that we're going to be sort of pointing people towards, which is in our vault, which is in www.systemize.me. free stuff.Stuart Webb [00:11:32]:Tell us a little bit about some of the free, valuable services you provide to people.Ally Machete [00:11:38]:Well, we have a blog, of course. We publish new articles every month. So our blog is available for free at our website. Atthewriters ally.com you can find our newly launched library. And in the library we have links to the blog with all of those articles. We have a playlist of podcasts that I've been on. I've been on more than 50 podcasts. And so they can listen to those recordings or watch those videos and download a number of free resources that we have available.Ally Machete [00:12:08]:Checklists, a few mini Guides. I have a ton of stuff available for people. I've been in this business more than 20 years and I've accumulated some stuff. So I've really put it all together. We just launched this website. I'm very excited about having this, you know, the ability to put all of this stuff in one place to give to people.Stuart Webb [00:12:26]:And, and I, and I've had a look at some of the checklists and I must admit I, I was, I was really, really impressed. So look, if you haven't captured all of the, the details of that, we will have links to, well, where you can find all this stuff and more stuff from alysystemize me forward slash free hyphen stuff. Yeah.Ally Machete [00:12:45]:Before you jump to the last question, I just wanted to add one thing.Stuart Webb [00:12:48]:We're not even close to that yet. Don't get excited.Ally Machete [00:12:52]:I also have a free gift that I prepared especially for your audience. And they can.Stuart Webb [00:12:56]:Oh, thank you.Ally Machete [00:12:57]:Yes, they can get that. If you go to offers.the writers ally.com rocketscience it is an evergreen video of my webinar called Don't Write the Wrong Book. And it is about just that. What does it mean to write the right book? How do you avoid writing the wrong book? And a simplified step process for thinking through your book idea. Whether you have one idea you're trying to choose, or if you've already started writing and you want to temperature check what you're working on, it'll help make sure that everything is strategically aligned in the way that we're talking about today.Stuart Webb [00:13:27]:I will make sure that link is in the, in the vault, our vault, which is another valuable resource. But I will make sure that's pointing straight to you. We, we will, we will get that to people. We are not yet at the end though, Ali, because we have more to go. Awesome. What, what you've just said. You've been in this business for 20 years, so that's, that's a huge amount of experience. But let's, let's talk about how you got here.Stuart Webb [00:13:52]:What is it? Was it, was it a realization that you just had to write? Was it the realization you didn't write very well? What was it that brought you to understanding how to give such valuable advice? Was it a book? Was it a program? Was it a life experience that brought you this level of understanding of how to write a book?Ally Machete [00:14:11]:Well, Stuart, I am a lifelong dedicated book nerd. Really. I've always loved books. I've always loved writing and reading. It's family legend that I learned to read at the age of three because I was frustrated that my parents just wouldn't sit and read to me all day long, you know, God, they had had to go to work and like do things. But I started reading very early and making books out of construction paper and crayons and I would give them to like my neighbors and my friends. And I would tell people I was, I was a book publisher. And even as early as first grade, you know, you get into school and everyone's always asking, what do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to be? And I would tell people I wanted to be a writer, a lawyer and an editor at Simon and Schuster.Stuart Webb [00:14:56]:Oh, wow.Ally Machete [00:14:58]:Yes. And you know, I have no idea where that came from. I'll be totally honest, you know, like, why Simon and Schuster? Where did I pick that up? Goodness only knows. But it was something that I said and I stuck with it. I stuck with that love all the way through my academic career. I did, you know, yearbook and school paper and lit mag and all that kind of stuff. But was really in college where I started getting more serious about it. I started freelancing for pay as a writer as the Internet started becoming a thing and really opening up opportunities.Ally Machete [00:15:26]:And then of course, I did an internship at a small regional publisher while I was still in school in upstate New York. And after that, the big, big turning point was that I got that dream job and I got hired at Simon and Schuster.Stuart Webb [00:15:39]:Oh, wow. Wow, wow, wow. But the greater challenge was then to go on and do it and show other people how to do that.Ally Machete [00:15:46]:That's absolutely true. Yeah. So I spent some time there. I learned a ton, as you can imagine. Big five publishing. You know, that's, that's the Olympics of publishing. Like you really learn everything at the highest level. And I was also fortunate to be in particular in a department that was very nurturing and very supportive of its young people.Ally Machete [00:16:05]:So I got to really learn. Hands on. I acquired my first book for the company before I had been there a year, which is pretty much unheard of. And so I was able to just dive in and learn a lot about how it all worked. And then, you know, fast forward a few years, dot com bust happened, 9, 11 happened. A lot of things were changing in New York. I decided to step away for a little while. I thought I would wrap up.Ally Machete [00:16:29]:I was doing a part time master's degree that had taken me a few years. I was real close. I thought, you know what, I'll knock it out. I'll take a Year, I'll go full time, I'll finish all my classes, I'll do some freelancing, I and I'll come back and maybe, you know, the economy will have calmed down and the market, the job market will have opened up again. And I loved working directly with the authors and running my own business so much that I never looked back.Stuart Webb [00:16:50]:Yeah, well done. Well done. Look, Alec, I'm going to have to say you've been asking some and or answering some brilliant questions. But there must be one question that you cannot get away from thinking. When is he going to ask me that killer question, the really important one? Well, I don't know what that question is, so I'm just gonna have to ask you what is the killer question that I should have asked you by now? And obviously, well, you have the question, so you might as well answer it as well.Ally Machete [00:17:19]:Well, I think the killer question is one that most people maybe don't ask because they assume, which is, should everybody have a book?Stuart Webb [00:17:26]:You know the question.Ally Machete [00:17:29]:Yeah, and the answer might surprise you because there are a lot of people out there who suggest that if you have a business, if you are an expert, you have to have a book, it is just a must have. And I do not agree with that at all. I think there are situations in which a book may not be right for your business. It really depends on what your strategy is and where you're trying to go. Because as we've been talking about, the real power in a book is as a tool to be leveraged, right? It's not just decoration for your zoom background, it's something you're going to use in your business.Stuart Webb [00:18:04]:Business.Ally Machete [00:18:05]:Not every business benefits from a book and not every business benefits from a book at any time. So there's also a timing issue involved writing a book. As you know, Stuart, you've been involved. It's a huge commitment of time, energy and money. And anything that you are saying yes to means you're also saying no to other things, right? So, you know, one of the biggest misconceptions I think people have is this idea that, well, if every business owner has to have a book, I'm new to business, I'm still growing my business. If I write this book, that will help me establish myself. But you have to have a business to grow before a book can help you grow a business, right? It's not the thing that gives you a business, it's the thing that helps you level up what you already have. So if you're not already at least a little, well, established, it might be too early for a book to really give you the kind of benefits that it would if you waited a little bit longer or if you're in a situation where you have a choice to do I launch a new course? Do I do this big marketing push? Do I change this part of my business, or do I write a book? You want to think strategically.Ally Machete [00:19:09]:What is the thing that's going to give you the most ROI where you need it first? And a book is not always the answer.Stuart Webb [00:19:17]:Do you know, it's almost as if you are trying to say to people, you have to have a strategy why you are writing a book, know who your audience is and write the book for that audience. And if you're still in the process of working out who what your business is about and who your audience is, maybe a book is not going to help you achieve that goal.Ally Machete [00:19:35]:Exactly right. Exactly right.Stuart Webb [00:19:38]:Hey, I think that is a fantastic and truly brilliant way to wrap this up. Because if there's one thing that I think you've proven to us, Ali, is that you are an ally. You are somebody who is trying to think of the best for the authority, trying to think of the best way of helping that author achieve their goals, rather than just trying to pitch everybody on doing the same thing just for the sake of it. That's a truly allied way of thinking. So thank you so much for bringing that perspective. And if you don't mind me just taking two minutes from me, if you, you get such value from some of these, from some of these interviews from brilliant people like Ali, who's bringing this wealth of knowledge. I would like to be able to send you an email once a week just to say who's coming up on the podcast. And the only way you can get that email is if you join the blog, the email list, and that is to go to www.systemize.me.Stuart Webb [00:20:38]:subscribe. That's a simple form. It takes you to. It needs two things. Your first name, your email address. I don't want anything else. I just want to be able to send you an email. I just want to be able to address you as you and, and tell you about the brilliant stuff that's coming up.Stuart Webb [00:20:50]:Ali, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us and being so, so, so honest with your advice and so, so helping us to think through just how we need to use books to be so intentional. Thank you for that time.Ally Machete [00:21:06]:It's my pleasure, really. Thank you for having me. And you know, I like to say I'm a reader too. I want there to be better books out there for me too, you know. So I really do care is it.Stuart Webb [00:21:17]:Is a heart led business for somebody who's been doing that since three years old. I guess you do need another one of those books to just have a look at least. At least one more time, don't you? Thank you so much Ali. I really appreciate it.Ally Machete [00:21:32]:Thanks again. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Dave McCann and Blaine Fowler welcomed Cougar Nation to the June 1 edition of Y's Guys, opening with BYU football schedule news, the buzz around Kevin Young being mentioned in connection with the Chicago Bulls, and growing excitement for BYU's first remote show: Redmond Night with Y's Guys on June 15 at the Redmond Heritage Farm Store in Orem.The first guest was BYU cornerbacks coach Lewis Walker, who talked about returning to his home state, joining Kalani Sitake's staff, and coaching one of BYU football's strongest position groups. Walker discussed his relationship with Sitake, his transition from Utah ties to wearing BYU blue, and the talent in the cornerback room, including Evan Johnson, Trey Alexander, Jonathan Kabeya, Jayven Williams, Cannon DeVries, Jordyn Criss, Kevin Doe, and Matthias Leach. He also praised Bear Bachmeier's growth, humility, and ability to read defenses.The Redmond Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week was Jane Hedengren, who qualified for the NCAA Championships in both the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters after a remarkable performance at the NCAA West Preliminaries in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dave and Blaine highlighted her 10,000-meter win over Pamela Kosgei, her facility record, and her chance to compete for national titles in Eugene.Derek Miller, president of the BYU Alumni Association Board and president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, joined the show to talk about BYU's worldwide alumni network. He discussed the power of BYU sports as a “megaphone” for the university, the impact of tailgates and Cougs Care service projects, and the broader mission of connecting alumni through service, education, and shared BYU values.The show also promoted the Ephraim Hope Mission golf tournament and online auction, including items such as an AJ Dybantsa signed basketball, a Richie Saunders signed jersey, and the chance to golf with Dave and Blaine. The proceeds support educational opportunities for children in Uganda.The BYU Super Fan segment featured Russ Paulus from Naperville, Illinois, who shared his conversion story, his early BYU memories, his love for BYU football, and memories from the 1980 Miracle Bowl, the 1984 national championship season, and classic games at LaVell Edwards Stadium. He also talked about why BYU means so much to fans who live far outside Utah.The show closed with BYU campus notes, NCAA track and field updates, BYU golf news, a reminder about CougarTribe, “On This Day” history, and a Brigham Young quote in honor of his birthday.Timestamps (approximate):00:04:30 — Opening, Kevin Young NBA rumors, and BYU football buzz00:15:51 — BYU football schedule, kickoff times, and Notre Dame discussion00:22:45 — BYU named a Big 12 favorite; Kalani Sitake national recognition00:26:10 — Lewis Walker joins Y's Guys00:37:40 — BYU's cornerbacks, defensive depth, and Bear Bachmeier outlook00:51:06 — Five Questions with Lewis Walker00:57:17 — Jane Hedengren named Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week01:01:06 — Derek Miller on BYU alumni, Cougar Nation, and service projects01:26:06 — Five Questions with Derek Miller01:34:27 — BYU basketball, AJ Dybantsa, golf, and track updates01:40:49 — Ephraim Hope Mission auction and golf tournament01:44:02 — BYU Super Fan Russ Paulus shares his Cougar story02:01:56 — Five Questions with Russ Paulus02:09:34 — CougarTribe, This Day in History, Brigham Young quote, and show wrap-up#YsGuys #BYUFootball #GoCougs #BYUSports #BYUBasketball #BYUTrack #CougarNation #LewisWalker #KalaniSitake #JaneHedengren #AJDybantsa #RedmondReLyte #BYUAlumni #CougarTribe #LDS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best Florida Athletes, Ballrooms, and Five Questions "This Evening"

This week, it's Five Questions on redundancy, career shocks and what comes next.Sean, Michael and Adam share their own experiences of losing jobs, the emotional hit that comes with redundancy, and why it can also become a turning point.They discuss identity, uncertainty, stigma, rebuilding confidence — and why Fear & Greed probably wouldn’t exist without those career setbacks.Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, it's Five Questions on redundancy, career shocks and what comes next.Sean, Michael and Adam share their own experiences of losing jobs, the emotional hit that comes with redundancy, and why it can also become a turning point.They discuss identity, uncertainty, stigma, rebuilding confidence — and why Fear & Greed probably wouldn’t exist without those career setbacks.Support the show: http://fearandgreed.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(0:00) The third hour opens with a discussion on what people in the Red Sox organization are saying about Roman Anthony's injury.(10:21) The guys talk about the Hurricanes beating the Canadiens 4-0 in Game 4 to go up 3-1 in the series.(20:33) Discussing the Red Sox young core. Plus, thoughts from the callers.(33:56) Jim Murray asks five questions that have nothing to do with sports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

World Trivia, Generation Names, and Five Questions "This Evening"

Anna Goldfarb, journalist, author, and friendship expert

Five questions, with no notice. This week, Sean asks Michael and Adam about what to wear in the office. Is the business suit dead? Are shorts ever appropriate? And Sean shares the fashion faux pas that still haunts him 30 years later.Support the show: http://fearandgreed.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five questions, with no notice. This week, Sean asks Michael and Adam about what to wear in the office. Is the business suit dead? Are shorts ever appropriate? And Sean shares the fashion faux pas that still haunts him 30 years later.Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(0:00) The third hour starts with a look at the A.L. playoff picture and what the path could look like for the Red Sox.(11:34) The guys react to what Theo Epstein had to say in a recent podcast appearance.(20:05) The guys give their thoughts on Kyle Harrison and the trade with the Brewers.(32:45) Jim Murray asks five questions that have nothing to do with sports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who is Julia?Julia Felton is a business consultant who has built a reputation for identifying the real issues behind her clients' challenges. While companies often approach her with concerns about team dysfunction, lack of trust, and poor collaboration, Julia quickly uncovers that these surface symptoms stem from deeper underlying causes. With her insightful approach, she helps organizations move beyond treating just the symptoms—enabling teams to break free from silos, improve communication, and achieve the results they desire. Julia's clients rely on her expertise to foster genuine trust and collaboration within their teams.Key Takeaways* Is your team chasing results but feeling disconnected? Julia Felton says it's all about energy alignment, not just process. Slow down, reset, and watch collaboration grow.* Most trust issues in teams don't come from lack of tools, but from not investing enough in relationships. Build social capital, even if it feels “frivolous”—it's critical for flow.* True leadership isn't about controlling everything. Julia Felton reminds us: empower your team, step back, and let the natural talents shine for real productivity.* Vision isn't a one-time message. Keep communicating your purpose so everyone knows where you're heading. As Julia Felton notes, clarity builds trust and connection.* Take inspiration from nature: humans, like herds, thrive when leadership is shared. Health, harmony, unity—let these guide your team to higher trust and adaptability.Don't forget: If you want to connect, ask questions, or get notified about upcoming guests like Julia, subscribe to the newsletter here. You only need your first name and email—easy as (coffee) pie!And don't forget: keep an eye out for next guest. To submit your own questions, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation!P.S. Loved this episode? Hit reply and let us know what resonated most_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Do You Need a P.A.T.H. to Scale?We help established business owners with small but growing teams:go from feeling stuck, sceptical, and tired of wasting time and money on false promises,to running a confident, purpose-driven business where their team delivers results, customers are happy, and they can finally enjoy more time with their family -with a results-based refund guarantee: if you follow the process and it doesn't work, we refund what you paid.This is THE P.A.T.H. to scale your business.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDStrust issues, team building, rewilding leadership, misaligned energy, team dynamics, collaboration, silos in business, business productivity, meeting fatigue, leadership styles, performance paradox, shared leadership, empowerment, micromanagement, business culture, teamship, employee engagement, organizational trust, social capital, remote work challenges, communication in teams, business vision, talent management, role alignment, leveraging strengths, sustainable leadership, natural leadership, flow in teams, founder-led business, relationship buildingSPEAKERJulia Felton, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:01]:Hopefully. Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. I'm delighted. Today I've been joined by Julia Felton. Julia is an expert in, well, helping to fix trust issues within teams using rewilding leadership. She's really going to help us to understand exactly how we can rebuild those trust issues which so often dog startups, even rapidly scaling a growing company. So, Julia, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science.Stuart Webb [00:01:01]:Five questions over coffee. I hope you've got your coffee in front of you. I've actually got a fruit tea at the moment, but that's because it's after Christmas. I try to be careful with my body.Julia Felton [00:01:12]:Well, me too, Stuart. I'm, I've got ginger and lemon here.Stuart Webb [00:01:15]:So I've been off your only way to live. Let's start by understanding, you know, the sort of person you're trying to help. You obviously, you're obviously trying to help somebody that's got a problem. But how do, how would you recognize them? What would they, what would they be saying? What would they be doing in order to sort of, you know, for you to be able to say, well, that's exactly the sort of person I'm trying to help.Julia Felton [00:01:42]:Yeah, that's such a great question. Because I think what typically happens is what people come to me with and what actually the problem is, are very different. And I think often what we find in business, isn't it, we, we, we, we of treating the symptom rather than the cause. So sort of people come to me and they go, oh, my team's not functioning properly, Julia. You know, and people don't trust each other. There's a lot of bickering going on, we're not getting the results we want. You know, there's people are working in silos, nobody collaborates together. Those are the sorts of things that my clients are saying.Julia Felton [00:02:19]:And my clients range from, you know, smaller SMEs up to larger corporates, you know, and this, these kinds of problems exist throughout many types of organizations. So anywhere where you've got people involved, really. Because at the end of the day, trust drives everything in business. Right.Stuart Webb [00:02:41]:So what would some of those, I mean, you just talked about sort of smaller SMEs, large corporates. I mean, they've tried everything before, haven't they? They've done the courses, they've sent people off on the training courses, they've, they've done that, they've done the online stuff, they've done everything they can and it's still not fixing it. So what are the sort of things that they are trying that you break through and you find that even having done this stuff, they've still got these issues.Julia Felton [00:03:08]:Sure. So I think if we distill it back down and we go to, well, what's really the cause of what's going on in the business? Rather the biggest challenge, if I was to sum it up like that, is it's, it's not this lack of skill or ambition or desire, but it's actually all to do with misaligned energy. So we've got brilliant purpose driven leaders out there. They built often fast growing businesses, but somewhere along the way this momentum turns into mayhem, right? And the team's busy, but it's not productive. People, you know, having loads and loads of meetings. We know this meeting fatigue, right? The progress stalls, everyone's working harder, but people aren't working collectively together, they're not pulling in the same direction. So I call that the performance paradox. Because what we're seeing is companies chasing these results so hard, but they've become really disconnected from the very people and the energy that creates them.Julia Felton [00:04:08]:So what happens is these businesses start running on logic and process rather when what we really need is this connection and trust and flow, Flow. And so I think what I really see leaders craving is a much more natural, sustainable way of leading where we get everyone pulling in the same direction and we stop forcing the results and we start getting the results flowing naturally because everyone's working in their right energy. And as you know, Stuart, you know, I'm very passionate about nature. I reference everything back to the natural world. And, and you know, when we look at the natural world, the natural world understands the ebb and flow of energy and how it goes inside cycles. And that's what we're not really seeing in business right now is leaders really understanding that. And it's interesting, we're recording this right after Christmas, right, where people have actually had an opportunity to kind of rest and re reset themselves for this year. But we tend to wait till Christmas, right.Julia Felton [00:05:10]:And we take a week or two weeks off, try and rest and reset and then we don't. Then we try and go for another whole year and, and that's not feasible for people.Stuart Webb [00:05:21]:So what are some of the things that you then introduce into the business in order for them to, to understand that it's that, you know, to develop that ebb and flow. What is it you do to help them essentially reset on a more regular basis?Julia Felton [00:05:36]:Yeah, well, obviously as we, as we just talked about there, you know, reset the rhythm and flow and recovery. So for me, that's actually about leaders taking time out to rest and relax and, and it's that psychology of slowing down to speed up that, you know, instinctively we know that, but everything's saying to us, oh, you know, if I, if I take the afternoon off, I'm not going to get everything done. But I don't know about you, Stuart, but I know when I step away from my desk, if I'm really struggling with something, all of a sudden when I'm away from, from my work and what I'm doing, I get all these insights. So it's about understanding that in order to get into flow, we actually have to go through a period of resetting ourselves and resting and stepping away from the problem in order to get back. You know, it's a good old adage, isn't it? You know, we get our best ideas in the shower, wherever it is, out on walks and stuff like that. So I think it's about really purposefully crafting time into our weekly schedules to do that. Because I think most people, they go into the office, you know, foot to the metal, go, go, go all day and we get to the end of the day and then they're like, I'm not even sure what I've accomplished because we've just been being that busy fool that, you know, you and I know, I've talked about, you know, we're spending all this time doing things, but we're not doing the right things that we need to do.Stuart Webb [00:07:05]:Yeah.Julia Felton [00:07:05]:So, you know, if we look at some of the mistakes that people are making around, this is the first thing we often see companies doing, is we put all these tools right. We've got problems. Like you said, you know, teams are working in silos, there's no collaboration. So we throw tools at the problem. You know, we maybe buy, you know, a collaboration platform like Trello or Asana or something like that to try and make everyone work more effectively together. And that rarely solves the problem. Right. Or we send people on team building away days or training courses, and all of these can have some marginal gain for the business, but they don't really get to the shifting the underlying energy or trust dynamics that are actually blocking performance.Julia Felton [00:07:52]:And for me, the way that we change those trust dynamics is actually by really slowing down and investing time in building relationships. It's this importance of social capital within business. Right. And sometimes it seems a bit frivolous. Right. You know, oh, we, we're stopping and we're talking to somebody in the corridor. But I don't know about you, but you know, in the days when we were all in the office and I was in the corporate world, I got all my information from those informal chats. That's where you knew what was going on.Julia Felton [00:08:23]:Of course the trouble that we've got right now is with so many people working remotely, all of that informal communication you might want to say isn't getting shared and you don't know what's going on in another team, which you would have found out because you walk with somebody and you went and grabbed lunch with them when we used to go out to the sandwich bars for lunch or whatever or you were making your coffee. So I think there's a big problem there that we're not spending enough time investing in building that social capital.Stuart Webb [00:08:54]:Yeah.Julia Felton [00:08:55]:And go. I'm sorry.Stuart Webb [00:08:57]:No indeed. I'm just agreeing with you. Absolutely agreeing with you.Julia Felton [00:09:00]:Yeah. And I think one of the other mistakes I'm seeing companies make is that they, when things aren't going well, there's a tendency, particularly if it's a smaller founder led business for the founders want to take everything back, to control everything. Right. You know, if I control everything, it's going to work better, better. More meetings, more KPIs, more oversight. But actually all that's doing is draining the founders energy. But more importantly it's signaling to your team members that you don't trust them. We're not allowing them to get on.Julia Felton [00:09:32]:They don't feel empowered because there's so much micromanagement. And actually really what our team members are looking for is for us to trust them and to empower them to get the job done and then get out their way and leave them to do it. And when we've got that, then people will get on and do the job. And then the other lens that I often see going on here is when again when we've got problems we want to fix the people, we always think it's a people problem. And rather than think about, well, what is the potential our team members have got to unlock, how can we leverage them more effectively in the business? What new responsibilities can we give them? What new opportunities can we give them to help them thrive? You know, can we redefine their roles to give them a role which is more naturally aligned to what they love to do? Because we all know we've got more energy for the things we love to do. Right. And so if your role, you're spending 50% of your time doing things you don't love to do, in it, you're never going to be as productive as if you've got a role maybe where you've got 80 or 90% of things time doing the things you love. Now, the caveat I would just say against this is we're all going to have to do things in our role that we don't love.Julia Felton [00:10:50]:That's just life. But, you know, we want to spend the vast proportion of our time and when we can start redefining roles so that people do that, it makes a massive difference to their performance, their, you know, their productivity and then ultimately the productivity of the business. So, you know, I reflect back often to my corporate role where I didn't understand about energy and the best roles that people could go in. And I had this data manager, her name's Jane. And every single appraisal I was like, jane, you need to get better at spreadsheets, you know, because, you know, you're running the data center and that's what you need to do. Failing to realize that her complete zone of genius and what she bought to my business was actually her ability to rally the troops around. She was a great collaborator, a great people person, and I didn't leverage her skills effectively. So she wasn't as happy as she could be and I wasn't getting the best results out of her.Stuart Webb [00:11:46]:Yeah, I know. I remember very early on, in one of the first businesses that I, that I founded, somebody took me home on time. It was one of the non executives that sort of came in to help the business, said, are you asking the people that you're working with anything about, you know, what they do when they go home? And I, I sort of looked at, I'll be honest, I looked at him. What's that got to do with this? As in somehow, you know, he was talking complete nonsense. He said, you'll find those people go home and they run scout groups, they run, they run charity bazaars, they run charities and they run them brilliantly. All of those skills are open to you. If you only knew about them. And I looked at him and thought, that's a huge insight that I've got to think about.Stuart Webb [00:12:30]:And it was back to what you were saying there. It's about communication, isn't it? I haven't bothered to say to these people, what else are you up to? And, you know, they turn us, oh, I run a scout group. Are you good at admin? And that's a really useful thing to know because oftentimes people come into work and they sort of drop all these skills over their shoulder at the front door and then walk in and sort of just come in and do their job, don't they? Because they don't think they have to bring any of those skills with them because I'm at work now. And then they go home, they pick up all those skills again and they take them home and they use them very, very effectively. So sometimes it does mean that we've just got to speak to each other, ask what's going on and then go, wow, that's a really useful skill that we could use and then learn to let them get on with it.Julia Felton [00:13:17]:Yeah. And then, and then they feel more empowered, they feel trusted, you know, they know that they've been heard and you know, it's a win, win all round at the end of. But yet so important for us to, to really know our team members, like you say, what motivates them, what's inspires them and what the skills are that they've got that they're not bringing to the workplace that we could really leverage more effectively.Stuart Webb [00:13:39]:Yeah, brilliant. Julia, I'm sure that there's a. And I'm. I know you've given us some very valuable information to stick into our vault, which is at www.systemize.me/free stuff. Gosh, there's an awful lot of words in there. Immediately after the longish break, talk to us about what you've got available for people to be able to sort of advice, guidance that you could give people which they can tap into. And all of this will be available in the vault.Julia Felton [00:14:14]:Yeah, sure. So where I always suggest that people start is I've got a turbocharge your team quiz, which you can get at businesshorsepower.com forward/quiz. And it's. What is it? It's about 15 questions that just really helps you identify where your team's energy is getting drained. And what I often talk about is something called Team Ship, which we'll get onto in a minute when we talk about books and stuff. But Team Ship is about how do you. How do you run your business? Rather than leadership, it's all about teamship, people getting together. And then when you take the quiz, you actually get a free copy of my ebook on how to create a business that runs on teamship and the three pillars that actually underpin that.Julia Felton [00:15:01]:And then anyone who's taken the quiz is also welcome to join me for a Turbocharger quiz audit where I help you unpack the results of the quiz in more detail so that you can start to put together a kind of a short plan on how to how you want to change things in your business going forward.Stuart Webb [00:15:18]:And I can, I can assure you because I've been on, had a look, good look at that stuff. If you go to systemize me free stuff, you'll see all of the details of that. And Julia is really good at this stuff. So you will be pleasantly surprised when you see the level of detail that this goes into. Julia, yes, you're right. We're about to get on to other things. What was it that brought you to your understanding? You talked about your corporate career, you've talked a little bit about your passion for nature. How did you get to now books, courses, programs that enabled you to understand that teamship was actually the thing which needed to drive your day to day existence in your life now.Julia Felton [00:16:10]:Yeah, such a great question because I think, you know, once I left the corporate world, you know, like so many of us do, you know, you see things in the rear view mirror, right, that you didn't see when you were in it. And you know, I look back and I just got really frustrated with the way that we were running and leading businesses. And as everything I looked to nature and horses were a big part of my life. And what I looked to was the way that horses actually operate as a unity in unity, you know, that a team is a horse herd is always concerned with the health, harmony and unity of the herd, how to keep it all together. And they employ something called, I call shared leadership at the time. And shared leadership is this concept of as a leader you don't need to know everything. And let's face it, you know, in the good old days before Mr. Google, you know, and we were in the industrial era, it was probably true that the factory manager, they did know everything, right? But that doesn't exist today.Julia Felton [00:17:13]:So I think for any leader today, they want to know that it's okay to share the leadership with each other. And horse herds do this so well. And we see this in a lot of other dynamics of animals in nature, but they share the leadership. They realize that not one animal can keep the whole herd safe. So in the horse herd, they share the leadership between everybody. But there is a lead marine and a lead stallion within the herd that, you know, have pacific roles and then everyone else in the herd looks for the danger. And I was like, well that would be so much better if that was a model that happened in business where everybody in the organization is responsible for the health and safety of the organization. So even though you are, you know, on the production line or, you know, you're in the admin team or whatever it might be, you still have a duty of care to ensure that the business is going to stay successful.Julia Felton [00:18:08]:So if you see a competitor doing something, you should be able to speak up and say, did anyone else notice that going on over there? That could be a threat for us, you know, so it's all these eyes and ears looking out. So it was when I read Keith Freshley's book, Never Lead Alone. He t. He introduces this concept of teamship, which is effectively shared leadership. And I was like, it gave me kind of a framework and some language to use. So I've now created my own framework. It's called the unbridled Teamship roadmap, which helps leaders create this high level of trust, adaptability and shared energy within their teams that we see within, particularly within horse herds, for example. So Keith Farazi, I have to acknowledge him, he kind of gave me the language for this, but it was my life experience of partnering with the horses and seeing things in the natural world, particularly when I lived in Africa, that that kind of bought these two worlds together.Julia Felton [00:19:03]:And I was like, yeah, this is a new framework for how we need to lead in the 21st century that is just going to be much more compelling and engaging for people.Stuart Webb [00:19:13]:And I think you're right. The, the, the, the, the days of the command and control have largely gone, haven't they? Because there are so too many, too many moving parts, too quickly moving for you to be able to make, to be able to control everything. And so unless you're prepared to allow the leadership to spread, it will be impossible.Julia Felton [00:19:38]:And you just become a bottleneck as well as the leader. If you try and keep it all together, right, because everything's moving so fast, you've just not got the capacity to make that many decisions all day, every day. So we've got to share it out. Otherwise your business is likely to, to stumble and falter just because you've just not got the brain power to do it. All right? So, you know, you can actually end up being the biggest risk factor in your business if you don't share the leadership.Stuart Webb [00:20:06]:Yeah, that's the challenge. So, Julie, there must be one question that I haven't yet asked you that you really want me to ask, which will sort of open up, open up the eyes of people who are currently thinking, this is kind of me, but I'm not sure what is the question that you think I should have asked. And, and as you obviously know the question, you probably also know the answer. So what would the answer to that question be?Julia Felton [00:20:35]:Well, I hope I know the answer. I think it. I think it's this reframe about how do we reframe leadership? Because we're still seeing leadership through this lens of performance and results. And I get that. We've got to get that. But actually, how can we reframe leadership to be the role of a leader is more about how do you direct and orchestrate the energy of the people around you? Because performance is the byproduct of where our energy goes. So if we're really clear on where our energy goes, where our attention is going, then we can get better results. And we see this all the time, don't we, where you get leaders that something happens and they go, you know, they go in.Julia Felton [00:21:17]:This is frenetic, scattered energy all over the place. And that ripples through the team. It causes confusion and nobody knows what they're doing, and everyone starts running around like headless chickens. And we've seen this so often in businesses, you know, when this firefighting throws in, but actually it just causes disarray. And how would it be if the leader recognized in. Actually, in that moment is the moment that you need to become more grounded, more coherent and really pause to go back to the rest and set and pause and. And just be discerning about what's going on? Is this something that I really need to get frantic about right now, or is this something that I can just slow down, pay attention to and realize there's different ways I can approach it? And that kind of coherence is very, very contagious within the team, and it slows all the team down. And then we've got.Julia Felton [00:22:14]:We can be just a lot more discerning then about the decisions that we really need to take. So I think for from when we start looking at leadership, my question would be that you didn't ask is, you know, what if leadership isn't about performance anymore, it's about how do we orchestrate the ebb and flow of the energy of the team so that everyone can work from their natural stance. And therefore we're shifting from this control stance to getting connection. We're moving from burnout to flow, and we're moving into really true leadership that is sustainable for everybody.Stuart Webb [00:22:50]:And do you therefore think, and I'm sorry, that I'm going to ask you a question when you've just answered a question, do you think in order to sort of support that the leader has to have been able to transmit their vision for the business to everybody. So that when they get into that state of flow, they're able to operate without constantly referring back and saying, why are we doing this again? I've forgotten.Julia Felton [00:23:14]:Yeah, absolutely. That's 100% at the top of everything. If nobody knows where they're going, nobody knows where we're going to end up. You know, I often when my clients, you know, I say, well, you know, there's so many different ways that we could maybe get to. I'm in the uk, so I could get to London at the end of. End of this call, right? But I got to know I'm going to London, otherwise the team will end up in Edinburgh or somebody will end up in Dublin or somebody will fly to New York. Right? And I think having that really clear purpose and vision absolutely underpins everything because it's. That, for me, is the glue that pulls everyone in the right direction.Julia Felton [00:23:48]:And we need to remember that. We need to continually articulate that to come back to communication. It's very easy for people to go, I've told everyone the vision and we expect people to remember it, right? But we have to be embedded into absolutely everything. Everything we do day in, day out needs to be aligned with the vision because people don't remember, you know, and I know from, you know, having run workshops with clients, I. I remember I run the same workshop, I hosted the same venue, like, four, no, five or six times in a row, and my client attended as a guest each time because it was her venue and it was a particular workshop. Actually, I was running with the horses. And she said to me on the sixth workshop, she goes, that bit you said about xyz, that was a genius, Julia. And I was like, God, that has been in every single workshop.Stuart Webb [00:24:36]:It's such cool content.Julia Felton [00:24:38]:And she hadn't heard it. And of course, this is what we forget about communication. People only hear what they want to hear when they want to hear it. So we've got to keep repeating the vision where we want to go to the strategy. And sometimes I think as leaders, we. You can feel a bit like a broken record. We're like, I've told everyone that. But people only hear it and get it when they want to hear it.Julia Felton [00:25:00]:Yes, absolutely. Underpins everything, Stuart. Yeah, And. And I think, you know, when we put that clear purpose, that really builds trust because people know, right? People have got that clarity about where we're going. We know what the outcomes are, we know where we're heading. So people have got trust that what's going to happen. We. We've got a.Julia Felton [00:25:18]:We've got a vision, we've got a plan. And so that really helps.Stuart Webb [00:25:20]:Wonderful, wonderful. Julia, this has been really, really, really wonderful. It's a really great way to sort of. For me to kick off what we do this year. Just one small thing from me, if you don't mind.Julia Felton [00:25:36]:Yeah.Stuart Webb [00:25:37]:I send out about one email a week on the weeks where we're doing a podcast, and it just. It just tells you who's coming up and why you need to get in front of the. And be live. We've had a number of people, tens of people watching this today. So they got that from, you know, they've sat at the desk. They hopefully some of them have gone away and thought, I've got some problems I need to resolve. So if you would like to be one of those people who gets the email that sort of says, somebody's coming up, go to www.systemize. that's S Y S T E M I S E.com forward slash, subscribe.Stuart Webb [00:26:13]:Simple form. It asks you for just your first name and an email address. I don't want any more than that because I just want to send you an email which basically says it's coming up, so please go do that. Julia, this has been really enlightening to start with. Wonderful reset of what we should be doing as leaders. Thinking about trying to sort of allow the energy and allow the natural talents to sort of dominate rather than somehow trying to force everybody down into a narrow path in order to sort of make things happen. So thank you so much for bringing that to us, and I really appreciate you spending some time with it. No problem at all.Julia Felton [00:26:48]:Thank you so much.Stuart Webb [00:26:49]:Thank you very much.Julia Felton [00:26:50]:Thank you so much indeed, Stuart. Really appreciate it. It's been a pleasure.Stuart Webb [00:27:19]:So I can talk to you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Show SummaryOn today's episode, talking with comedian Brad Bonar, founder of One Degree of Separation, an organization that uses stand-up comedy to spark honest conversations about depression and suicide prevention. We discuss his lived experience, breaking the silence with comedy, and turning their live shows into official training for service members, Veterans and their familiesProvide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestBrad Bonar Jr. is the founder and creative force behind 1° of Separation. A seasoned stand-up comedian and magician by trade, Brad has spent nearly 30 years making people laugh around the world. He built a successful entertainment career headlining clubs and corporate shows, including a popular Dry Bar Comedy special that has garnered over 13 million online views. His comedy draws on everyday life and family, and is known for its clean yet keenly observant humor. But beneath the laughter, Brad quietly fought his own battles with depression since childhood.A turning point came a few years ago when Brad discovered an old keepsake: “I found a suicide note that I wrote in the 6th grade,” he recalls. “At first I kinda laughed about it, but then it became very sobering.“ Realizing that he had been struggling in silence for decades, and seeing so many others still doing the same, Brad felt compelled to act. He channeled his talents and insider knowledge of comedy into a deeply personal mission: “I've spent the past 25 years traveling the world making people laugh. Now I'm using my talents for something more personal. It's time to cast a spotlight that removes the stigma of mental illness.” With that, 1 Degree of Separation was born in 2019 as a project to fight depression with comedy.Brad immersed himself in learning about mental health, interviewing doctors and therapists to shape a show that was both funny and responsible in its messaging. He crafted the Five Questions after hours of writing and self-reflection one night. And he recruited fellow comedians (including his wife, Victoria, and others) willing to share their stories on stage. As a performer, Brad has a disarming, warm presence. Audiences often don't expect a comedian to talk about subjects like suicidal ideation, but Brad does so with authenticity and even hope. He frequently opens up about his own experiences – from that sixth-grade note, to a more recent mental health crisis that landed him in a 5150 psychiatric hold, to how “comedy saved me” when he learned to talk about his pain rather than hide it.Today, Brad Bonar Jr. serves as CEO of 1° of Separation, Inc., leading the nonprofit's growth while still touring as one of its headline speakers. Under his leadership, 1° of Separation has gained national attention for its innovative approach (featured on media from local news to podcasts and even military press.) Brad's ability to wear two hats – entertainer and mental health advocate – makes him a unique voice in suicide prevention. He often says, “Laughter changes your brain” and indeed, he's now leveraging laughter to change lives. Brad and his wife Victoria are based in Northern California, but travel constantly for training. When not on the road, he continues to perform traditional comedy and magic shows and is at work on a book about his journey and the intersection of comedy and mental health. In recognition of his efforts, Brad was invited to present at the Department of Defense/VA Suicide Prevention Conference in 2023, where 1° of Separation received a standing ovation from 2,500 professionals. Brad's personal mantra: “Comedy is universal… and if we can laugh at this, we can talk about it," encapsulates the spirit he brings to the cause. He proves that a comedian can change the world, one punchline and one life at a time.Links Mentioned in this Episode 1° of Separation websitePsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Supporting a Veteran in Crisis. This course is designed for businesses to educate them on the differences between their Veteran and civilian employees and ways to support them. You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/supporting-a-veteran-in-crisis Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

visit: https://www.ysguys.comThis week's Y's Guys opened the first episode of year five with Dave McCann and Blaine Fowler covering BYU football scheduling news, major BYU basketball dates, NFL holiday games, and the continuing build toward the 2026 season. The show also announced upcoming Redmond Night with Y's Guys on June 15 and highlighted another dominant performance from Jane Hedengren, who was named Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week after winning the Big 12 5000m title and breaking a 27-year facility record.The first guest was BYU associate athletic director of performance nutrition Rachel Higginson, who explained how BYU's nutrition program has evolved, how athletes are tested and fueled, why salt and hydration matter, and what everyday people can do to improve their nutrition.BYU grad Bryce Lake from Smith Entertainment Group then joined the show to talk Utah Jazz, Utah Mammoth, fan experience, sponsorships, and the impact of the Jazz landing the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft.The show also featured Melanie Zanche, a BYU-Pathway Worldwide graduate from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who shared how Pathway helped her learn English, earn a degree, and start a marketing agency with her sister.BYU Super Fan Porter Larson closed out the guest lineup with stories about growing up in a BYU family, serving his mission during the 2015 BYU football season, favorite Cougar memories, and why Notre Dame's visit to Provo could be one of the biggest games in LaVell Edwards Stadium history.#BYU #BYUSports #BYUFootball #BYUBasketball #RachelHigginson #BryceLake #MelanieZanchi #PorterLarson #JaneHedengren #ReLyteAthleteOfTheWeek #BYUPathway #UtahJazz #UtahMammoth #CougarNation #YSGUYS #LDS Timestamps (approximate):3:45 — Show Open and Start of Year Five10:56 — Redmond Night with Y's Guys Announcement17:20 — BYU Football Rankings and National Title Discussion21:16 — NFL Schedule and BYU Basketball Updates26:13 — Rachel Higginson Joins the Show36:35 — Nutrition Advice for Everyday People49:13 — Five Questions with Rachel Higginson58:03 — Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week: Jane Hedengren1:01:17 — Bryce Lake Joins the Show1:17:22 — Utah Jazz Future and the No. 2 Draft Pick1:33:04 — Melanie Zanchi's BYU Pathway Story from Argentina1:49:26 — BYU Super Fan Porter Larson Joins the Show2:05:05 — Five Questions with Porter Larson2:11:07 — On This Day and Closing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Katia Adams shares a message drawn from Galatians 5:13–6:18 and Ephesians 4:25–32. Anchoring her teaching in Paul's instructions to the churches of Galatia and Ephesus, Katia addresses what she identifies as one of the most pressing and spiritually dangerous patterns in the contemporary church: the way believers have absorbed a culturally-driven model of accountability and called it justice.Using the vivid image of a rogue tomato plant that grew uninvited in her garden — cute at first, then destructive — Katia frames the sermon around five diagnostic questions every believer must ask before bringing correction: What is your proximity? What is your practice? What is your purpose? What is your posture? What is your perspective? She moves through each with pastoral specificity, pushing back against social media callout culture, third-party documentaries and podcasts about people we've never met, and self-appointed "correction ministries" that elevate exposure over restoration. Real accountability, she argues, requires proximity — the same proximity that led God himself to become flesh and move into the neighborhood.The theological anchor of the message is the conviction that the Holy Spirit is not poured out to give us goosebumps, but to uproot the poisonous seeds of offense, gossip, and self-righteous judgment that have no place in the heart of a believer. Katia draws directly on Galatians 6:1 — restore him in a spirit of gentleness — and contrasts it with the spirit of accusation the body has so readily embraced, reminding her listeners that the accuser has a name, and his name is Satan.Ultimately, this sermon is an invitation to let Scripture read us rather than the other way around — to examine our hearts honestly, uproot what grieves the Holy Spirit, and commit to a costly, inconvenient, Spirit-empowered love for the body of Christ. Katia closes with a charge that is both convicting and hopeful: how we speak to our children, our neighbors, and those who have made a mess of their lives will form our crown to give to Jesus — so make it a good one.

Talkin' Old School Baseball and Five Questions with Dan Tiant "This Evening"

How do you know if you're truly adding value to those around you, or just going through the motions? In this week's episode, John Maxwell reveals the five essential questions every leader should ask to elevate their influence and impact. After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede dive into their strategies for weaving these value-adding principles into your everyday leadership. Key takeaways:  Before you can add value to others, you must recognize and develop the unique value you bring to the table.  Valuing what you do—and the people you serve—is the foundation for authentic influence and sustained growth.  Leaders multiply their impact by continuously growing themselves and intentionally focusing on what is best for others, not just them. Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Five Questions to Help You Add Value to Others Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/ValueOthers and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."  This episode is sponsored by BELAY:  Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.  To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, Culture Clarity: A Guide to Uncovering Your Real Culture Through Feedback. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.   References:  Watch this episode on YouTube! Get the High Road Leadership online course for 33% off Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community Order your copy of John Maxwell's resilience guide, How to Get a Return on Failure (use code ROFPOD at checkout to get The Quick Start Guide to Getting a Return on Failure 100% free!)  Discover your leadership level with John Maxwell's 5 levels of leadership What Serving Others Has Taught Me Podcast Episode It's Not About You: Leadership, Communication, and Putting Others First Podcast Episode Episode 400: How to Use Failure for Success Podcast Episode Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

Q&A Wednesday is back. Markets are pushing record highs while oil prices surge on renewed Iran and Strait of Hormuz tensions, inflation concerns remain elevated, and the AI trade continues to dominate Wall Street headlines. Investors are also watching the Fed, tariffs, interest rates, retirement risks, taxes, and portfolio positioning as volatility quietly builds beneath the surface. Lance Roberts and Danny Ratliff answer your questions, live, with straightforward analysis and no spin. Bring your questions about markets, retirement planning, portfolio management, taxes, risk, the economy, or whatever is on your mind. Questions we answered on today's show include: 0:00 - INTRO 0:56 - CPI Checks In Higher Than Expected 5:02 - Duration and Velocity of Bullish Stampede 9:47 - Birthday Fishing Present 14:44 - Berkshire Hathaway Exposure to AI 17:30 - Investing Like Warren Buffett 19:12 - Why Aren't Swap Lines "Printing Money Out of Thin Air"? 22:03 - CPI Revisions 25:17 - Deflation in Rents 26:03 - GDP, Inflation, & Yields 27:00 - Hold Long-Dated Bonds or Sell? 28:04 - Are REIT's Over Extended? 29:41 - Should You Average into the S&P? 30:52 - Why is Stock-picking/Diversification So Hard Now? 32:30 - Stock Market Regimes & Asset Allocation 34:41 - CPI Data vs Fixed Income Allocations 41:06 - Church vs Casino Investing 42:03 - Long Term Investor: What's Your Personality? 46:37 - RSP vs SPY in Current Market Condition? 50:44 - What's a Good ETF for a Younger Person to Invest In? 52:34 - Space-X IPO Effects on Markets & Indexes Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Investment Advisor, Danny Ratliff, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Articles Mentioned in Today's Show: "Commodity Supercycle: The Enemy Of The Bull Thesis (Part 1)" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/commodity-supercycle-the-enemy-of-the-bull-thesis-part-1/ "Earnings Estimate Revisions Are Very Optimistic" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/earnings-estimate-revisions-are-very-optimistic/ "Parabolic Semiconductor Rally Is Pricing In 2028 Already" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/parabolic-semiconductor-rally-is-pricing-in-2028-already/ ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/vMLyZ9wZbH8 ------- Watch today's "Before the Bell" feature, "Buying Stampede: Good News & Bad News." here: https://youtu.be/hDeUW-rmwC4 ------- Watch our previous show, "Five Questions for Smarter Money Decisions" https://youtu.be/rZ1lej68NvE ------- * REGISTER for our next Candid Coffee, Saturday, May 16: "Financial Organization Made Simple:" https://streamyard.com/watch/SA6aj2aMdMhf -------- Download Lance's Latest e-book, "Laws of Money & Wealth:"https://realinvestmentadvice.com/ria-e-guide-library/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #StockMarket #SP500 #Investing #MarketCorrection #BullMarket #QandAWednesday #StockMarket #RetirementPlanning #Investing #AskUsAnything

Q&A Wednesday is back. Markets are pushing record highs while oil prices surge on renewed Iran and Strait of Hormuz tensions, inflation concerns remain elevated, and the AI trade continues to dominate Wall Street headlines. Investors are also watching the Fed, tariffs, interest rates, retirement risks, taxes, and portfolio positioning as volatility quietly builds beneath the surface. Lance Roberts and Danny Ratliff answer your questions, live, with straightforward analysis and no spin. Bring your questions about markets, retirement planning, portfolio management, taxes, risk, the economy, or whatever is on your mind. Questions we answered on today's show include: 0:00 - INTRO 0:56 - CPI Checks In Higher Than Expected 5:02 - Duration and Velocity of Bullish Stampede 9:47 - Birthday Fishing Present 14:44 - Berkshire Hathaway Exposure to AI 17:30 - Investing Like Warren Buffett 19:12 - Why Aren't Swap Lines "Printing Money Out of Thin Air"? 22:03 - CPI Revisions 25:17 - Deflation in Rents 26:03 - GDP, Inflation, & Yields 27:00 - Hold Long-Dated Bonds or Sell? 28:04 - Are REIT's Over Extended? 29:41 - Should You Average into the S&P? 30:52 - Why is Stock-picking/Diversification So Hard Now? 32:30 - Stock Market Regimes & Asset Allocation 34:41 - CPI Data vs Fixed Income Allocations 41:06 - Church vs Casino Investing 42:03 - Long Term Investor: What's Your Personality? 46:37 - RSP vs SPY in Current Market Condition? 50:44 - What's a Good ETF for a Younger Person to Invest In? 52:34 - Space-X IPO Effects on Markets & Indexes Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Investment Advisor, Danny Ratliff, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Articles Mentioned in Today's Show: "Commodity Supercycle: The Enemy Of The Bull Thesis (Part 1)" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/commodity-supercycle-the-enemy-of-the-bull-thesis-part-1/ "Earnings Estimate Revisions Are Very Optimistic" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/earnings-estimate-revisions-are-very-optimistic/ "Parabolic Semiconductor Rally Is Pricing In 2028 Already" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/parabolic-semiconductor-rally-is-pricing-in-2028-already/ ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/vMLyZ9wZbH8 ------- Watch today's "Before the Bell" feature, "Buying Stampede: Good News & Bad News." here: https://youtu.be/hDeUW-rmwC4 ------- Watch our previous show, "Five Questions for Smarter Money Decisions" https://youtu.be/rZ1lej68NvE ------- * REGISTER for our next Candid Coffee, Saturday, May 16: "Financial Organization Made Simple:" https://streamyard.com/watch/SA6aj2aMdMhf -------- Download Lance's Latest e-book, "Laws of Money & Wealth:"https://realinvestmentadvice.com/ria-e-guide-library/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #StockMarket #SP500 #Investing #MarketCorrection #BullMarket #QandAWednesday #StockMarket #RetirementPlanning #Investing #AskUsAnything

In the latest episode of Five Questions, Five Answers, host Birgit Matthiesen is joined by ArentFox Schiff colleagues Jackson David Toof and Mario A. Torrico for a conversation on the False Claims Act (FCA), its origins, and its continued importance as a tool to combat fraud against the federal government. The discussion examines how US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) are increasingly using the FCA to pursue customs fraud and trade violations, the significant business and reputational risks companies face, and the compliance missteps that commonly lead to enforcement actions. It also highlights the importance of proactive compliance strategies for managing FCA exposure. Takeaways - The FCA is a long-standing and powerful enforcement tool. - FCA enforcement by CBP and the DOJ is increasing sharply. - FCA violations pose serious financial and reputational risks for importers. - Compliance exposure most often arises from classification, valuation, and country‑of‑origin errors. - Proactive compliance programs offer both risk reduction and competitive advantage.

Should you pay off debt, invest more in your 401(k), or do both? Lance Roberts & Jon Penn walk through five real-world financial decisions that millions of Americans face every year. Using new Vanguard research and simple math, we break down how to prioritize credit cards, mortgages, student loans, retirement savings, and employer matches to maximize long-term wealth. We also discuss why the mathematically correct answer is not always the emotionally correct one, and how personal priorities, risk tolerance, and peace of mind factor into financial planning. Key topics include: 0:00 - INTRO 1:12 - Six Weeks of Market Advances - What Happens in Week-7?4:36 - Economic Data Review 5:30 - Narrow market Rally Poses Portfolio Risk 10:35 - Birthday Table & Coming Attractions 12:00 - Five Questions to Help You Make Better Financial Decisions 13:45 - Everybody Starts from Scratch 18:20 - Invest or Pay off Debt? 20:54 - Not Everybody Contributes to 401k Plan 25:50 - The Number One Asset is Time 30:21 - Taking a Loan Against Your 401k? (NO!) 32:51 - Margo Has Money Troubles & Other Streaming Treats 35:12 - Inherited Money: Pay Off Mortgage? (NO!) 43:04 - Healthy Debt vs Unhealthy Debt Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Investment Advisor, Jonathan Penn, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Articles Mentioned in Today's Show: "Commodity Supercycle: The Enemy Of The Bull Thesis (Part 1)" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/commodity-supercycle-the-enemy-of-the-bull-thesis-part-1/ "Earnings Estimate Revisions Are Very Optimistic" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/earnings-estimate-revisions-are-very-optimistic/ "Parabolic Semiconductor Rally Is Pricing In 2028 Already" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/parabolic-semiconductor-rally-is-pricing-in-2028-already/ ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/rZ1lej68NvE ------- Watch today's "Before the Bell" feature, "Tech Rally Risk Is Rising" here: https://youtu.be/RU_xjKIGiDs ------- Watch our previous show, "Annuities: Smart Move or Costly Mistake?" https://youtube.com/live/6Rag3wz8r3k ------- * REGISTER for our next Candid Coffee, Saturday, May 16: "Financial Organization Made Simple:" https://streamyard.com/watch/SA6aj2aMdMhf -------- Download Lance's Latest e-book, "Laws of Money & Wealth:"https://realinvestmentadvice.com/ria-e-guide-library/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #TechnologyStocks #XLK #StockMarket #Investing #MarketRisk #FinancialPlanning #401k #DebtManagement #RetirementPlanning #PersonalFinance

Should you pay off debt, invest more in your 401(k), or do both? Lance Roberts & Jon Penn walk through five real-world financial decisions that millions of Americans face every year. Using new Vanguard research and simple math, we break down how to prioritize credit cards, mortgages, student loans, retirement savings, and employer matches to maximize long-term wealth. We also discuss why the mathematically correct answer is not always the emotionally correct one, and how personal priorities, risk tolerance, and peace of mind factor into financial planning. Key topics include: 0:00 - INTRO 1:12 - Six Weeks of Market Advances - What Happens in Week-7?4:36 - Economic Data Review 5:30 - Narrow market Rally Poses Portfolio Risk 10:35 - Birthday Table & Coming Attractions 12:00 - Five Questions to Help You Make Better Financial Decisions 13:45 - Everybody Starts from Scratch 18:20 - Invest or Pay off Debt? 20:54 - Not Everybody Contributes to 401k Plan 25:50 - The Number One Asset is Time 30:21 - Taking a Loan Against Your 401k? (NO!) 32:51 - Margo Has Money Troubles & Other Streaming Treats 35:12 - Inherited Money: Pay Off Mortgage? (NO!) 43:04 - Healthy Debt vs Unhealthy Debt Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Investment Advisor, Jonathan Penn, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Articles Mentioned in Today's Show: "Commodity Supercycle: The Enemy Of The Bull Thesis (Part 1)" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/commodity-supercycle-the-enemy-of-the-bull-thesis-part-1/ "Earnings Estimate Revisions Are Very Optimistic" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/earnings-estimate-revisions-are-very-optimistic/ "Parabolic Semiconductor Rally Is Pricing In 2028 Already" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/parabolic-semiconductor-rally-is-pricing-in-2028-already/ ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/rZ1lej68NvE ------- Watch today's "Before the Bell" feature, "Tech Rally Risk Is Rising" here: https://youtu.be/RU_xjKIGiDs ------- Watch our previous show, "Annuities: Smart Move or Costly Mistake?" https://youtube.com/live/6Rag3wz8r3k ------- * REGISTER for our next Candid Coffee, Saturday, May 16: "Financial Organization Made Simple:" https://streamyard.com/watch/SA6aj2aMdMhf -------- Download Lance's Latest e-book, "Laws of Money & Wealth:"https://realinvestmentadvice.com/ria-e-guide-library/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #TechnologyStocks #XLK #StockMarket #Investing #MarketRisk #FinancialPlanning #401k #DebtManagement #RetirementPlanning #PersonalFinance

This week's Y's Guys featured Dave McCann and Blaine Fowler talking BYU football, basketball, baseball, women's hoops, and a new fan-focused segment. The show opened with the announcement of “Redmond Night with the Y's Guys' on June 15, plus Matt Hansen being named the Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week after hitting two home runs to help BYU baseball clinch a spot in the Big 12 Tournament.BYU offensive line coach and run game coordinator TJ Woods joined the show to discuss BYU's 23–4 run over the last two seasons, the growth of the offensive line, recruiting momentum, the physicality required in the trenches, and what it means to block for LJ Martin and Bear Bachmeier. The guys also welcomed BYU Super Fan Ryan Robinson for the debut of a new fan interview segment, giving viewers a chance to share their BYU story on the show.Later, BYU women's basketball stars Delaney Gibb and Olivia Hamlin joined fresh from class to talk about their friendship, BYU's 26-win season, the team's WBIT run, the program's growing home-court energy, representing BYU and their faith, and what's ahead this summer. The episode also covered AJ Dybantsa's NBA Draft outlook, Bruce Branch III's Team USA opportunity, NCAA Tournament expansion, BYU's attendance ranking, and campus notes across track and field, baseball, golf, volleyball, lacrosse, and more.#BYU #BYUSports #BYUFootball #BYUBasketball #TJWoods #DelaneyGibb #OliviaHamlin #LJMartin #BearBachmeier #AJDybantsa #BYUBaseball #CougarNation #YSGUYS #WiseGuys #LDS Timestamps (approximate):1:05 — Show Open and Viewer Check-In2:38 — Tonight's Guests and Show Preview7:30 — Redmond Night with the Wise Guys Announcement9:51 — Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week: Matt Hansen11:28 — BYU Football Rankings and Bowl Projections17:24 — TJ Woods Joins the Show23:14 — BYU's Offensive Line: Smart, Tough and Together31:05 — Blocking for Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin39:15 — BYU's Offensive Staff and Run Game Collaboration47:30 — AJ Dybantsa, the Utah Jazz and the NBA Draft54:14 — NCAA Tournament Expansion and BYU Basketball Notes59:15 — BYU Super Fan Ryan Robinson Joins the Show1:17:17 — Campus Notes Across BYU Athletics1:25:17 — Delaney Gibb and Olivia Hamlin Join the Show1:31:35 — BYU Women's Basketball Identity and WBIT Momentum1:35:03 — Representing BYU, Faith and the Savior1:43:26 — Five Questions with Delaney and Olivia1:51:19 — CougarTribe Segment1:53:04 — On This Day and Final Notes1:59:06 — Closing Remarks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode dives into the transformative power of doing hard things, the benefits of journaling and cold plunging, and how lifestyle choices can shape our mental and physical health. Hosted by Tom Butterfield, this conversation with Lindsay Ross offers practical insights and personal stories to inspire resilience and well-being.Main topics:The mental and emotional benefits of journaling with pen and paperScience behind cold plunges and their impact on inflammation, fat burning, and sleepThe importance of doing hard things for personal growth and resilienceLifestyle choices: alcohol, reading, and being proactive about healthOvercoming obstacles and starting new habits for a healthier lifeLeave a Review/Comment or Ask a Question. Scroll down past the 'Ratings and Review' section and look for the 'Write a Review' link..... if you get to the 'About' section you've gone too far. Seems to work best on a mobile device rather than a laptop. If you don't have an Apple device leave your comment or review on our Youtube page..... Thank you so much. :)Youtube Channel - You'll find all of our videos here. Leave comments, suggestions or questions in the comments section of a video. (Subscribe if you fancy it.... could be fun.)Leave A Tip - We appreciate your support.... and it means we can buy Buddy a new blanket as he tends to chew holes in them.------------------------We get asked questions every day by our clients both in person at our clinic, and also through our online platforms.All questions tend to fall under one of the Five Main Health Pillars;NutritionSleepMindsetExercise/MovementBreath WorkWe answer these question based upon over 17 years of clinical experience, and what we learn from the vast array of collaborators we work alongside and learn from every day. We don't see people in the same field as competitors, we see them as potential collaborators.It's much more rewarding, interesting, and infinitely much more fun when you approach your life seeing the abundance of opportunities out there, rather than desperately trying to cling to your own small bit of territory and see those around you as a threat. Nobody can replicate what you do, because there is nobody else like you in the world....... and there never will be again.So, you could use an idea from somebody else, but put your own personality into it. Then it becomes your own.We love hearing from our listeners and clients to hear where they need help, and it's so interesting to hear how we have helped start the ball rolling, but they are the ones that have ultimately found the formula that works best for them...... we're there to help bounce ideas, provide experience and encourage you to experiment and enjoy the journey on the way to the goals they've set themselves.I'm rambling I know.... but that's because this isn't a pre-meditated calculated marketing script. This is me sat of my sofa with our dog Buddy (he's helping me obviously!) tapping this out on my laptop in stream of consciousness.Life is fun, people are wonderful, and we are so fortunate to be in a position to help those who choose to visit our clinic and seek our guidance through our online platforms.Useful LinksElevate Health Chiropractic and Wellbeing Website - Our clinic website.Elevate Health Online Membership Registration - If you'd like to work with us online click on this link and we'll look forward to starting the process.

Who is Patrick?Patrick Van der Burght's journey began over 25 years ago, when he first discovered the transformative power of understanding human behaviour and research. Awed by how empowering and effective these insights were—without the need to lie or cheat—he quickly became passionate about sharing them. Today, as a sought-after keynote speaker, Patrick relishes witnessing audiences experience their own “aha” moments, just as he did decades ago. His mission is to help others unlock their potential by waking up to the profound impact of his teaching, sparking realization, growth, and change wherever he speaks.Key TakeawaysThe Secret Science Behind Getting a YES—Without Being Manipulative1/ Ever felt “icky” trying to get someone to say yes? Turns out, ethical persuasion isn't about tricking—it's about understanding human behavior. Patrick Van der Burght dropped some serious knowledge on this in his chat with Stuart Webb on “It's Not Rocket Science.”

James Seltzer and Jody Mac fill in on the WIP Morning Show to recap a disastrous night for Philadelphia sports featuring a Sixers blowout and a Flyers OT loss. They analyze the impact of fatigue on Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey before shifting focus to Aaron Nola's resurgent performance for the Phillies. The crew also welcomes Eliot Shorr-Parks to discuss Eagles rookie camp and potential roster moves. 01:50 - Hosting Changes and Injury Updates 06:45 - Sixers' Blowout Loss to Knicks 12:00 - Maxey's Passive Start Concerns 17:15 - Flyers' 0-2 Hole and OT Recap 22:30 - Konecny and Foerster's Struggles 27:45 - Nola's Shutout and Mattingly's Impact 33:00 - Greatest 90s TV Character Contest 39:00 - Jody Mac's Favorite Career Moments 46:15 - Sixers' Fatigue and Emotional Letdown 53:00 - Flyers' Power Play and Goaltending 01:05:30 - Harper's Reaction to Topper Firing 01:16:45 - Five Questions with the Mac Man 01:24:15 - Philly Sports Fan Double Standards 01:32:45 - NHL Tactical Analysis and Superstars 01:40:45 - Nick Nurse and Embiid Postgame 01:53:15 - Maple Leafs Press Conference Drama 02:02:00 - Shorr-Parks on Eagles Rookie Camp 02:09:30 - AJ Brown Trade Scenario Percentages 02:32:15 - Philly Sports Concern Level Polls 02:51:30 - Julius Erving's Impact on Jody

The 94 WIP Morning Team evaluate Aaron Nola's dominant shutout and the Phillies' solid run of games after the firing of Rob Thomson. They also introduced their side topic: the best TV character of the 1990s, highlighting icons like George Costanza and Chandler Bing. Jody Mac shares his experience at the 1986 World Series, witnessing the famous Bill Buckner error. 01:14 - Sixers and Flyers Concern 02:31 - Aaron Nola's Shutout Gem 05:53 - Best 90s TV Characters 09:29 - Listener 90s Character Picks 14:13 - Five Questions for Jody Mack

Scandals, Hot Dogs, and Five Questions "This Evening"

In this episode of Tangent Station, hosts Kev, the 'Mirthmaker,' and Willis, affectionately called 'Whiz Bang,' take listeners on a humorous journey through the complexities of aging. The duo delves into anecdotes about self-perception, the amusing realization of forgetting names, and the shifts in identity over time. With playful banter and memorable stories from their youth, they embrace the aches and joys that come with getting older. From unfulfilled childhood dreams to adult realities, Kev and Willis reflect on the unpredictability of life, offering listeners a witty yet poignant perspective on age and how to live it with humor.

Welcome to Unpacked, Five Questions, a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of one great travel story. In this episode, executive editor Katherine LaGrave sits down with documentary photographer Nathalie Mohadjer, whose images of the desert oasis of Siwa appear in Afar's winter 2026 issue. For four weeks in Siwa, an ancient town some 450 miles from Cairo, Nathalie traded the typical three-day shoot for a slower kind of immersion — sharing breakfasts in the old town, spending afternoons with a local woman named Fatima, and bathing in a hidden cold spring with her family's kids. She talks with Katherine about photographing a community where Siwan women are rarely seen by outsiders, why patience and respect matter more than the camera itself, and how losing your sense of time in the desert can change the way you see a place. She also shares advice for travelers heading to Siwa — and the one moment she chose not to capture. Meet this week's guest Nathalie Mohadjer is a German-Iranian documentary photographer based in Paris whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Monocle, and Le Monde. Episode highlights How a stranger waving from a window in Siwa's ruins led to weeks of access to a local family's home, kitchen, and hidden swimming spots Why Nathalie spent nearly four weeks in Siwa — and what that kind of time reveals about a place that most visitors see in three or four days The ethics and art of photographing people in other cultures: when to put the camera away, and how to earn the moment rather than take it What makes Siwa's community so distinct from the rest of Egypt — and the Berber and Tuareg roots that shape its culture Nathalie's practical advice for travelers heading to Siwa: slow down, talk to strangers, and don't be afraid to follow an unexpected invitation Links & resources Follow Nathalie Mohadjer on Instagram Explore her visual story about Siwa, Egypt on Afar Explore her photographs of Oman in her first Afar feature Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:00 Arriving in Siwa 00:09:00 Meeting Fatima 00:17:00 Photographing with Patience 00:24:00 Timelessness and Culture 00:30:00 Advice for Travelers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President, Security, & Ballrooms, NFL Draft, and Five Questions "This Evening"

Do you actually know if your Etsy product line is set up to rank or are you just hoping it is?Most sellers are putting in real work and still not seeing consistent traffic, and a lot of the time it comes down to one or two specific gaps in how their product line is built. In this episode I'm walking you through five yes or no questions you can ask about your shop right now to find out exactly where those gaps are.What You'll Learn:Whether you have enough listings for Etsy to start treating your shop as relevant in your nicheWhy the number of listings you need isn't a one-size-fits-all answer and what actually determines itHow to know if your keywords are based on real buyer search data or just educated guessesThe three specific listing elements that need to work together for your SEO to actually landWhy your thumbnail image is doing more work than you think and what it needs to do in search resultsWhat a healthy Etsy conversion rate actually looks like and how to calculate yours in two minutesHow to use your nos as a starting point instead of a reason to panicResources Mentioned:Free Live Masterclass: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/freeclass/DM Sarah on Instagram with which question gave you a no: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjwaggoner/Your Next Steps:Work with Sarah: https://sarahjwaggoner.com/etsy-visibility-acceleratorJoin the Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theheartlandcreativeFollow on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sarahjwaggonerFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjwaggoner/

Who is Anna?Anna is a psychologist who specializes in helping individuals and organizations navigate the often invisible, yet crucial, “unwritten rules” of work. Anna works particularly with neurodivergent individuals and has a deep background in exploring class culture clashes within the workplace—especially the challenges faced when employees transition from blue-collar roles into corporate environments. Her upcoming book tackles these unwritten rules head-on, offering practical advice for leaders, staff, and HR professionals on how to recognise and address the subtle dynamics that impact team engagement, employee retention, and overall organisational success. Get ready for a conversation packed with actionable insights and straight-talking advice from someone who's dedicated her career to demystifying what really makes teams tick behind the scenesKey Takeaways* If your best performers hit a wall after their promotion, look out for unwritten rules holding them back. Culture clashes are real, and naming them is the first step to fixing your team.* Every workplace has unwritten rules—norms no one talks about that trip up even the best people. When these rules go unspoken, they can kill engagement and stall change.* Do you ever promote a top worker, only to see them struggle? The issue might not be skill, but hidden cultural expectations. It's time to get clear on what success really looks like.* What does your “ideal employee” look like in your mind? Dig deep—sometimes our assumptions create noise, not results. Get intentional about measuring what actually matters.* Before jumping into AI or new strategies, solve the unseen people problems first. Automation just speeds up whatever's broken—fix your foundation before you build.Don't forget: If you want to connect, ask questions, or get notified about upcoming guests like Anna, subscribe to the Systemise.Me newsletter here. You only need your first name and email—easy as (coffee) pie!Thanks for sharing a cup with us this week. Here's to strong coffee, smart hiring, and believing in the dreams you're just starting to imagine.And don't forget: keep an eye out for next guest. To submit your own questions, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation!P.S. Loved this episode? Hit reply and let us know what resonated most_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Do You Need a P.A.T.H. to Scale?We help established business owners with small but growing teams:go from feeling stuck, sceptical, and tired of wasting time and money on false promises,to running a confident, purpose-driven business where their team delivers results, customers are happy, and they can finally enjoy more time with their family -with a results-based refund guarantee: if you follow the process and it doesn't work, we refund what you paid.This is THE P.A.T.H. to scale your business.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSunwritten rules of work, employee engagement, employee retention, promotion pipeline issues, blue collar workers, white collar workers, management training, cultural norms, organizational culture, class culture clash, communication skills, indirect communication, assertiveness, workplace professionalism, neurodivergence, unconscious bias, productivity issues, team performance, leadership recommendations, HR practices, workplace audits, work miscommunication, onboarding, context performance, task performance, workplace diversity, automation, AI in the workplace, organizational change, workplace complianceSPEAKERAnna Kallschmidt, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee I have with me. Well, it's not coffee actually at the moment, this is a tea. But I'm here with Dr. Anna Kauchmid. Hello Anna. Hope you're got a coffee or something with you to refresh you during this brilliant stuff. Anna is a psychologist.Stuart Webb [00:00:52]:She works particularly with people who know neurodivergent, etc, talking about the unwritten rules of work. And I know you've got a book coming out soon, Anna, which I hope we can get into. So welcome to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. And I hope that you are going to be able to tell us about the very unwritten rules there are around work.Stuart Webb [00:01:14]:Thank you. Thank you for having me. And I love the title of the podcast because I do think that internally a lot, this isn't rocket science. We don't need to, we don't need to make it more complicated than it is.Stuart Webb [00:01:25]:No, we don't. No we don't. And there is, there is too much already of people trying to make things sound complicated. And I do say often, you know, if, if it's too, if it's too complicated for me to understand, it's already got too complicated and you don't have to get too complicated for me to lose it. So let's talk about you and your work. Let's talk about the sort of the people that you're trying to help. What's the, what how would you characterize and what, what, how do they, what is it that they notice about themselves? Or are they business owners that need the help for their employees?Stuart Webb [00:02:00]:Yeah. So since I look at the unwritten rules of work, which are the cultural norms that are so ingrained in your organization that people don't think they need to be transparent about what they are. So it's really about. There's a cultural problem which impacts so many things. So I'm going to tell you the signs that my clients notice when they come to me, but at the core of them is being not in denial. That's my ideal client, someone who's not in denial. Someone who's recognized that there's an issue and wants to move forward.Stuart Webb [00:02:32]:And for those of us who aren't yet even aware of the problem, what's the problem? What are the things they're noticing so that, so maybe there are people out there that haven't even yet got to.Stuart Webb [00:02:40]:That stage so it can be low. Employee engagement is always one very poor retention. You're having Problems promoting have. You have like great employees. This is a big one. I see you have great employees from like entry level to like almost middle management. But once they get into like the higher corporate levels, it's like they fall apart or they just don't get it. So I see this a lot specifically in industries that have like a blue collar, white collar, two different subsets, so like retail or anything in manufacturing etc.Stuart Webb [00:03:17]:Of where you have like these excellent blue collar workers. You promote them up to the corporate side and they're like, what is going on? Because he introduced me as neurodivergent, which is true, but originally my work is about class and there's a class culture clash there. And so it's when you have a really good performer who as they get higher they run into more problems. And when you see this, so you have promotion pipeline issues, you have retention issues, you might have productivity issues and you might have complaints about your management at the management level after you've promoted them. And you're not sure why because they were always great performers and you know, they work really hard.Stuart Webb [00:03:54]:So tell me, you know the people that you're talking about there, the managers, the business owners, the founders of those companies, what are the things they've done? They, presumably they've gone through the sort of, they've gone through the usual training, they've tried to sort of train their managers in better communication, all that sort of thing. What do they normally find that, that they haven't done, that they haven't understood what their problem is.Stuart Webb [00:04:16]:A lot of us, and this is normal human nature, a lot of us have a hard time conceptualizing that our normal isn't. Everyone's normal. And it's one of those. That sounds simple, that's not rocket science, but that's so deeply ingrained that a lot of companies spend a lot of money trying to add more things to solve the problem, have this training, have that speaker come in, etc. But they don't look at what the core issues are. And it's just assumed that it's very, it's just professionalism. And that people get bristled when you say that because like, well, that's just being respectful. That's not all the professionalism is.Stuart Webb [00:04:59]:Right, it's very easy to dismiss and be like, this is just how things are done. This is just white collar work, this is just professionalism. But it's things like indirect communication. It's things like they don't know how to schmooze enough, they're rubbing People wrong, they seem rough around the edges or that they either don't know how to be assertive enough or they come across as aggressive. And it's those little nuances that are more common in blue collar and pink collar work of being more direct in your communication, of talking more about task and less about interpersonal skills. And then it changes when it gets to the corporate level. And so bringing in somebody to talk about unconscious bias can be great for other reasons, but it's not going to solve those culture clashes.Stuart Webb [00:05:47]:Okay. Okay. So you must have some great advice that you can give to people to take them into that first step. And I know we're going to get into some of the stuff that you offer us in terms of sort of. If you go to the vault that we have here, which is the systemized me free stuff vault, we've got got stuff from, from Anna which you can sort of grab but talk us through sort of. What is the advice that you give to companies when they first come to you? The sort of thing that you're telling them they need to start this process before they get an expert like you involved.Stuart Webb [00:06:20]:So I do it on. I will do an unwritten rules audit for where I look at water. I have eight groups of unwritten rules and I can survey that and tell you which ones you're struggling with. But I have a very quick free version on my website drkaulschmidt.com quiz and it's about four questions. Once you tell me if you're looking for yourself, your organization, and that'll let me know which one you're struggling with the most. Are you struggling with people? Don't tell you about problems until it's too late. Are you struggling with people? There's a lot of miscommunications and it's delaying productivity. Are you struggling with.Stuart Webb [00:06:54]:You have a team of really top performers, but they do not know how to work together. And that helps me narrow down which culture clash might be an issue. And then I can make recommendations for your organization so that that is the quickest free option. But I do have, like I said, a book coming out in the next couple of weeks and that has every chapter covers an unwritten rule and at the end of every chapter I give recommendations for leaders, staff and hr. And those are very practical, hands on. I don't do the vague advice thing, if you haven't noticed. I'm like. The first thing I said was like, well, you have to not be in denial.Stuart Webb [00:07:34]:Right. So it's a very, it's A very. I've been told I'm not a B12 shot speaker. I'm not going to make you feel great and then walk away and you're like, what are we doing? So it's very. The book is over 300 pages for a reason. It's very tangible, hands on.Stuart Webb [00:07:51]:And that's a really good recommendation for anybody who's here at the moment for actual practical advice. And that's the stuff we love to give on this podcast. Because I don't know about you and comment in the below. If you're beginning to see things in what you're being told now, are you seeing things in your work, where you're going, I think I've got one of these. And I know Anna or myself will come back to you and sort of direct you in the right direction to start getting that help. Because we all need to start being direct with people. We need to start getting that sort of action that Anna's talking about now. We need to, to be able to move things forward.Stuart Webb [00:08:28]:So, yeah, do comment below on things that you might have seen in your workplace and let us know whether or not this is resonating. Anna, you were saying you were direct. How did you come to be this expert in these unwritten rules, the things that we don't see? How did you manage to sort of find them? And how did you find them, work them out?Stuart Webb [00:08:51]:Well, I like to do well. The short answer is I screwed up enough that I had to figure it out. You know, I pissed off people. Okay, yeah, I can see that deep dive on this. But I would say, I'd say the moment that it started coming together for me was in my first week of my PhD program. We have this class, Introduction to Industrial Psychology, where we're going over. I'm the type of psychologist, nobody knows who we are, so we're going over like, you know, job performance, how to design metrics, how to design jobs, how to do a job analysis, all of those tangible things. And we learned first week there are two types of job performance.Stuart Webb [00:09:25]:Does that sound right to you, that there are two types? No, that's not so it fascinated me as well. And so the first type is task performance, which is what is in your job description. And the other kind is contextual performance. And it was all of those other things that help organizations, but that aren't written down. And I was like, so what are all those other things? And the room just went silent and everybody was like, well, you know, I was like, no, no, I wouldn't have.Stuart Webb [00:09:57]:Asked the question if I knew and.Stuart Webb [00:09:59]:I was coming in. I didn't go straight from undergrad to grad. I worked since high school and I worked in between grad. So I had work experience. And I was like, what is this? And I was already doing a research my master's thesis was on. Is a low income background stigmatized at work even after you've experienced social class mobility and even for white men in America? And so I was already in that vein of looking at class. And so when nobody could tell me what all those other things were. And IO psychology is so big on measurement.Stuart Webb [00:10:32]:Like, we're so big on what gets measured, you know, matters and drives performance. So it was just weird to me that there was this whole second piece of performance that we weren't being really clear about. And so that's what I ended up doing my dissertation on was what are the unwritten rules of work for people who move up from a low income background to middle class or higher through employment? And So I interviewed 64 people and noticed themes and what they were saying. I talked to black and white women and men in the United States. And then over time, my next study, I made a scale and I administered it to all races and genders in the US And I looked at statistically significant differences. And so it's just kind of evolved from that moment of being like, what's all that other stuff?Stuart Webb [00:11:22]:And so is that effectively the book? Is that what you've now put into the book so that you can really, well, at this stage categorize what those unreal written rules are so that now there is an answer to the question, what are the unwritten rul rules?Stuart Webb [00:11:40]:Yeah, that's the book. So I did the dissertation and I didn't plan on becoming like the unwritten rules coach, but I. I have largely been outside of academia. Like I've done, you know, I've kept a research hold and I sometimes teach, but largely I've worked for the federal government or private consulting firms and worked in organizations. And everywhere I worked, the unwritten rules were a problem. Like, no matter what, if you go in and you're trying to implement a change and nobody knows what you're talking about when they don't know how to talk to each other, it's not going to work. And so it just kept on becoming this pattern of noticing that it's like putting a band aid on a broken bone, right? We're not addressing the broken bone. And so, yeah, I just kept researching it.Stuart Webb [00:12:25]:And then in the book I talk about I spent a chapter on the research on each of them. I spinach. I talk about my personal experiences with organizations, and I also talk about case studies of where we can see these rules play out in other organizations as well.Stuart Webb [00:12:41]:That's fascinating. And, you know, I mean, that, that strikes me that it's not just small business owners who are currently struggling with their teams, which are perhaps not quite as functioning as the way you. They would like them to be, who are listening to this and thinking, that might be me. But it's those organizations that are trying to undergo big change. And I've been involved with. And you are absolutely right that when you try and make a change, even if it is for the better, nobody wants to adopt that change. And it's largely down to a bunch of things that you cannot tangibly put your finger on and go, we need to address this. And it's those unwritten rules which actually prevent and cause those transformations to often go very badly wrong, become very expensive, and be very expensive to fix.Stuart Webb [00:13:29]:So this doesn't change a large number of people. Yeah, that's exactly right. AI is actually making problem almost worse.Stuart Webb [00:13:36]:Yeah. Because it's ample. AI amplifies and automates the good and the bad. And then I'm sure you've heard of the MIT study that came out a few months ago that was like 95% of AI actually isn't increasing profits at all. Did you see that?Stuart Webb [00:13:49]:I did.Stuart Webb [00:13:50]:Okay, so what I found interesting. So one of my unwritten rules is the unwritten rule of compliance, which is that people might ask you for your opinion, but they're not really asking for your opinion. Right. You're supposed to just agree. And one of the examples that the MIT report gave was that there was this huge flop. And of course, they don't name the organization. That one person, one leader made this global rollout, just him and AI, no feedback. Nobody else looked at it.Stuart Webb [00:14:22]:And guess what? It didn't go well. Isn't that shocking? And that to me, that's an example of you automated. The unwritten rule of compliance.Stuart Webb [00:14:32]:Yeah, yeah.Stuart Webb [00:14:32]:Because AI is only going to disagree with you if you tell it to. Otherwise it's like, yeah, you go, girl. You are so smart. Like, hello. Right. And you have to tell it. Don't hallucinate. What are the holes here? And even then, you still have to think for yourself.Stuart Webb [00:14:50]:So to me, that was an example of. I wasn't even looking for it. I was just reading the report. I found it interesting because I'm not anti AI. I'm just anti being stupid with AI. And I saw that example and I was like, well, there you go. There's an unwritten rule on automation.Stuart Webb [00:15:06]:I must admit that that's one I shall now start to quote more often. I do often get involved in companies that are trying to improve productivity with AI. And the one thing that I often say about automation, and I did automation for a number of years, I built a couple of companies around automation. And the one thing that I was always taught and always said to customers as they started their automation product, please let's start by sor out the problems because otherwise your automation will just make your bad stuff flow faster and you cannot then control it. If your bad process is now fast, you don't even understand where the bad stuff's coming from because it would come at you so quickly. Too many companies I don't believe are looking at these sort of unwritten rules, looking at the underlying problems first, resolving those. So they've got a foundation for growth and a foundation for building those, those, those, those glorious temples of, of sc. And I'm not going to try and keep you here all afternoon.Stuart Webb [00:16:06]:I'm sure we could have a very, very long conversation and it would be great fun. But people want to get, want to get to the nub of things. And one of those things that I think is really important is there must be a question at the moment that you're thinking he hasn't asked me the killer question, the one question that will really break this topic open. So I'm going to ask you to tell me what that question is because I obviously don't know it and I haven't asked it. But then you're obviously going to have to answer it for me because that is the key to getting this topic embedded in everybody's workplace.Stuart Webb [00:16:42]:You know, I have not the only question you sent me that I could not answer. But I what it reminded me of is that something, an exercise that I do with some of my clients is I'll ask them to picture their ideal employee and I'll ask them what are they doing?Stuart Webb [00:17:01]:Good question for them.Stuart Webb [00:17:03]:And I'll ask them what are they doing? Okay, what does this look like? And it's a helpful because you know, you should already be doing this because why are you measuring job performance if you can't tell me this? Right? So we're having this conversation. It'll be like this person is a great communicator. This person is a great team player. This person, you know, tries to solve problems first and then they Come to me Da da da da. And then at the end I asked them, and what background did you assign that person? Because inherently, what race did you assign that person? What gender did you assign that person? How old were they? There's all these things that we don't realize. Color, who we foresee. And it's both important to know who your ideal employee is so that you can make sure you're measuring job performance. That is needed.Stuart Webb [00:17:48]:And it's important to also recognize the noise because too often, and we all do this, we all, like, I think white women with a Southern American accent sound brilliant, right? But that's because they sound like me, you know, and so, like, we all do that. And so it's important to recognize that we all have noise. And, and that is a really critical takeaway in my book is one of the main recommendations is we all need to have frame of reference training. And that's going to be the next rollout. In my workshops that I do in my online school community is focusing on how do we narrow down the noise because it may make us feel good short term, but then we run into all those problems that we talked about in the beginning of the. Why are the people I'm promoting not meeting expectations? Why do we have low engagement? Why am I spending so much in turnover? What's going on? Why is my AI not working? Right? All of these things.Stuart Webb [00:18:55]:Yeah. Yeah, Brilliant. Anna, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. You know, what you say is so critical to people who are trying to grow their businesses, who are trying to sort of get work done more profitably, get it done productively. They're ignoring, they're often ignoring, you know, they've got the task, they're ignoring the other stuff. And that's the thing that often slows you down. So I think you're, you. You've got a, you've got a great way of putting it.Stuart Webb [00:19:25]:I love the way you're putting it. I really hope that if anybody here is, is thinking, I, I know that's me. Please drop comments down in the chat below. We will get back to you. We will point you in the right direction because I think this is a great way of doing it. The other thing I'm going to ask you all to do now is this link, which is www.systemize.me forward/subscribe. That's systemize.me forward/subscribe. It's a simple form.Stuart Webb [00:19:53]:It just asks you for your name and an email address. You will then get onto the website, the mailing lists, apologies, the mailing list for this, for the show. You'll get an email once a week from me telling you who's coming up. And you can come and look on LinkedIn and join the join the call so that you can get your questions answered. But in the meantime, Dr. Anna Carlschmidt, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. Really appreciate you coming and explaining some of those unwritten rules. I'm now going to have an unwritten rule, which is I need to have a drink immediately after this.Stuart Webb [00:20:23]:So thank you very much for your time. And I look forward to seeing, seeing more of what you are producing as you do the second version of all of this.Stuart Webb [00:20:31]:All right. Thank you so much. Have a good one. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Second Languages, Apple, and Five Questions "This Evening"

If your marketing team keeps missing what you “meant,” you're not dealing with a talent problem, you're dealing with an extraction problem. Most founders and operators have years of hard-won expertise locked in their heads, and when that knowledge doesn't get captured clearly, AI tools will only produce generic content that sounds like everyone else. We break down a simple way to get your real thinking out of your brain and into a format AI can actually use.We demo a practical workflow using ChatGPT dictation as a mini self-interview. You'll hear five clarity-session questions designed to pull out your strongest opinions and your sharpest positioning: what you wish customers understood, common misconceptions, the problem you solve best, the decision you want clients to make sooner, and the one takeaway you want remembered. Then we show how that raw “download” turns into an opinionated blog post, social posts, and reusable messaging your writers and marketers can refine without losing your voice.We also connect the dots to AI SEO and the shift from search to answers. Google AI, Perplexity, and other answer engines rely on structured expertise they can recognize and cite. When you provide clear, perspective-rich inputs, you give these systems something trustworthy to reference and you stop competing on shallow tactics. Finally, we explain how this evolves into a custom GPT that acts like a strategic partner for your team, helping with proposals, onboarding, hooks, headlines, and consistent brand messaging.Subscribe, share this with a business owner who's tired of sounding generic, and leave a review with the clarity question you want to answer first.Support the show

Who is Royce?Royce Blake is a seasoned professional in the radio industry, known for his deep expertise in audience engagement. Drawing on years of experience, Royce specializes in helping podcast hosts and guests connect meaningfully with listeners. Through his insights and practical advice, he teaches how to make each guest feel valued and every audience member feel special. On this appearance on “It's Not Rocket Science: Five Questions Over Coffee,” he shares his proven strategies for keeping listeners captivated, making him a trusted figure for anyone looking to elevate their podcasting game.Key Takeaways* Ever felt awkward hearing your own recorded voice? Royce Blake explains: it's normal! The key is getting comfortable with your true sound—crucial for building real connection, whether you're on air or in the boardroom.* Struggling to keep your audience engaged? Royce Blake says: Be natural. Ditch the “radio voice” and just be yourself. Recording and reviewing yourself honestly will transform your confidence and presence.* Silence feels uncomfortable, but pausing can be powerful. Let moments land. Pauses give your audience space to process and make your next words even stronger, says Royce Blake.* Great podcasts start with research. Asking guests questions they've never heard lets them shine and keeps things authentic. Dig deep—don't settle for surface-level!* Facing trolls? Royce Blake shares: No one more successful than you will ever put you down. Focus on being your authentic self and let the hate go. Keep showing up, every day.Don't forget: If you want to connect, ask questions, or get notified about upcoming guests like Royce, subscribe to the Systemise.Me newsletter here. You only need your first name and email—easy as (coffee) pie!Thanks for sharing a cup with us this week. Here's to strong coffee, smart hiring, and believing in the dreams you're just starting to imagine.And don't forget: keep an eye out for next guest. To submit your own questions, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation!P.S. Loved this episode? Hit reply and let us know what resonated most_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Do You Need a P.A.T.H. to Scale?We help established business owners with small but growing teams:go from feeling stuck, sceptical, and tired of wasting time and money on false promises,to running a confident, purpose-driven business where their team delivers results, customers are happy, and they can finally enjoy more time with their family -with a results-based refund guarantee: if you follow the process and it doesn't work, we refund what you paid.This is THE P.A.T.H. to scale your business.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSpodcasting, podcast hosts, podcast guests, audience engagement, radio industry, public speaking, event hosts, speaker training, business leaders, microphone confidence, voice recording, self-assessment, filler words, affectation, natural speaking, pause technique, research, interview preparation, guest questions, press junket, celebrity interviews, social profiles, hobby discussion, body language, hand gestures, listener retention, overcoming nerves, handling trolls, negative comments, authentic communication, podcast improvementSPEAKERRoyce Blake, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:00]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. I'm really pleased that I'm here today with Royce Blake. Now, Royce has got a huge amount of experience in the radio industry, and I think he's going to really help us to understand, as podcast host, potential podcast guests, exactly how you can engage your audience, make sure that you keep hold of them, and do the intelligent thing of making them feel like the special person on your show. So I'm hoping that Royce can do that for me. Royce, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. I know we're gonna have a great time, and I really appreciate you spending a few minutes with us, making time in your busy day.Royce Blake [00:01:13]:It's my pleasure. Stuart. Got my coffee. I'm ready to go. So let's do this.Stuart Webb [00:01:19]:Terrific. Okay, let's start with. I mean, you've got an absolutely enormous amount of history. Who is your ideal audience at the moment? Who are you trying to help understand how to better engage their audience and keep them held?Royce Blake [00:01:35]:Right now, it's mainly podcasters, but I also help event hosts, speakers, even business leaders that do a lot of speaking before even their employees. Anybody that needs to keep an audience, that's who I help.Stuart Webb [00:01:53]:And tell me, Royce, I mean, you're obviously doing this from a radio perspective, but it's not just radio, is it? You. You. You help people who understand how to appear in front of an audience and. And in. And interact in that way.Royce Blake [00:02:04]:I like to call it mike shy to camera confident, because that's. That's what it is, really, because we're all. It's. It's normal. Do you remember the first time you heard your. Your voice recorded?Stuart Webb [00:02:22]:Never heard it. Royce, don't. Never, never, never. It's never been possible.Royce Blake [00:02:26]:It's human. We all. We all go through the same thing because we hear our voice through bone, and people and microphones are hearing our voice through air, and that's the big difference. That's why it sounds weird.Stuart Webb [00:02:44]:Yes, yes. And unfortunately, that weird makes us all very nervous. Makes us feel somehow as though things are wrong. And that is the. The root of all the problems you get, isn't it?Royce Blake [00:02:58]:Oh, absolutely. And, you know, even, like when I was first on the air, on the radio, you know, you put headphones on, right? And so you're hearing your voice as it appears to other people live in your ears. And that usually causes, in radio, what we call affectation, because you put those headphones on and you say, hey, there, and all of A sudden it sounds weird, right? It sounds. And you say, hey there. And wow, that sounds even better, you know, so pretty soon you're talking like this, and eventually affectation leads to what we call in the radio world, puking. Because you get down to there, how are you? And it sounds like you're really trying to vomit. So we try to avoid that. And luckily these days, especially in the podcast world, people.Royce Blake [00:03:52]:People are kind of swinging back to real, so they appreciate people that are just real. You don't have to have a radio voice. It's be natural. And that's what I help people do.Stuart Webb [00:04:06]:So tell me, Royce, what people, what have people tried to do before they reach out to an expert such as yourself? You know, we've all recorded ourselves. We've all tried to avoid listening to it. Again, what are the things they've done and how have they made that affectation worse?Royce Blake [00:04:25]:Well, see, this is the biggest challenge for me because asking someone to admit they need help when it comes to talking is a big mountain to climb, ego wise, right? So you're like, oh, man, I think I talk good. And, you know, you can get so much better. And if you like, I can jump right into one of the techniques that anybody can do at home.Stuart Webb [00:04:50]:Okay, yeah, why don't we look into that? Because this is. This is the valuable free advice that you are. That you're going to offer us, isn't it?Royce Blake [00:04:58]:Absolutely. All you need is one of these. Use your cell phone, right, and record yourself a lot, and it's going to be very uncomfortable at first. It doesn't matter what you're recording, but you need to record for five whole minutes, because we can all start off, you know, reiterating our elevator pitch or your sales presentation or whatever. And that goes great for a couple of minutes, but after that, you're starting to stress out on what to say, and that's when the magic happens. The real you starts coming out, and that's what we're looking for. So five minutes. It can be about your grocery list.Royce Blake [00:05:45]:One of my favorite topics to help people is talk about a hobby you love and why you got into it and why it's so awesome, or why someone is your best friend, whatever it is. Talk for five minutes. And remember, you can always delete this stuff, right? You don't have to keep it. No one else has to see it. But the key is how you watch it when you record yourself. First time you watch it, I want you to do it with the phone facing down. Don't watch it. Just Listen to it, crank up the volume, and just listen to yourself.Royce Blake [00:06:24]:That's when you'll start to discover little things. In radio, we call them crutches. Things you say that you're not even realizing. Realizing that you're saying the ums, the likes, you know what I mean? Those are all filler words or phrases, and that's when they start to stick out. Secondly, watch it back again, but this time with the sound off. So you're just watching yourself. Do you sway all the time? Are you playing a statue? Do you never move? You know, things like that that you had no idea you were doing? Do you use too many hand gestures? Are you flailing all over the place? That's going to start submitting in your subconscious mind exactly what you're doing, and then watch it entirely. Watch it full screen and rinse and repeat.Royce Blake [00:07:22]:You keep doing that, after five times, you'll be at least 50% better. Maybe. I've seen some people go 90% better because they had no idea what they were doing. And once again, it's a crutch. It's one of those things that personally we're not aware of. But that's what the audience is seeing, and that's the way you get used to you. That's the bottom line right there, is getting used to yourself. And nothing helps more than watching.Royce Blake [00:07:56]:And, you know, it can. It can go away. No one else has to see it, but you're going to start seeing things a lot differently.Stuart Webb [00:08:07]:So, Royce, this is. This is really interesting stuff. Tell me, when you. I mean, you obviously help people a lot with this sort of thing. You help them with those filler words. And I know how embarrassing it was. For the first time, somebody. Somebody did that with me, and I found it intensely embarrassing.Stuart Webb [00:08:26]:How do you get people to understand that? That's just what natural is?Royce Blake [00:08:31]:Because humans. It's a great question, Stuart. Humans abhors silence.Stuart Webb [00:08:38]:Yes, we think.Royce Blake [00:08:40]:We think that if there's silence, oh, man, people are freaking out. Let me tell you something. First of all, an overall view of audiences. People are so afraid of what people are thinking, and that's the real fear. We're not really worried about our voice or even what we're saying. We're worried about being judged. And that's part of. That's part of human nature.Royce Blake [00:09:04]:And so when you abhor a vacuum, right? Silence, you try to fill it with, no matter what. You know what I mean? Do you get that? You guys understand where I'm coming from, Things that mean nothing. One of the Big secrets that most great speakers use is something I did right there, and that is the pause. When you take a pause even for three seconds, it doesn't even have. You don't have to count to three seconds, but if you can just pause and say the letters and A, B, C in your head, that's a perfect pause. And see, I threw in another one right there. Did that feel weird to you?Stuart Webb [00:09:53]:Yeah. The thing is, Royce, it kind of you, you feel, you feel as though you should be saying something, and yet sometimes the audience needs that pause to process what you've just said. And you're being kind to them by actually pausing long enough for them to have that revelation or whatever it is you're trying to give them.Royce Blake [00:10:12]:Right. It lets them ponder it, especially if it's an important point. The other awesome thing about pauses is it makes what you say next much more powerful.Stuart Webb [00:10:25]:Love that.Royce Blake [00:10:26]:So once again, the pause, it's hard to do in your brain. It sounds totally natural to any, any audience, really.Stuart Webb [00:10:38]:Let me just put a link on the bottom because we have got some fabulous stuff that Royce is going to make available to the listeners and to the audience here. If you go to www.systemize.me, free hyphen stuff, Royce, I've already got some of this stuff. The five day course, things like that, where you are going to be taking people from a world, from amateur to professional.Royce Blake [00:11:06]:Right, right. And in, in the course brilliance.Stuart Webb [00:11:12]:Just, just, I just. Thank you so much for making some of that stuff available.Royce Blake [00:11:17]:Absolutely. In the course, I go into all these.Stuart Webb [00:11:20]:Hide that again for a second so that people can focus on what you're saying.Royce Blake [00:11:26]:There you go. Well, in the course, I also go over all this in much more depth. And each, each day it's just a five day email course. Each email also has a video included. So you can see me explaining this more. Are you still there, Stuart? I'll just keep talking. I used to get a. I used to get a lot of money on that for that.Royce Blake [00:11:59]:You know, the other awesome thing that I really want to help podcasters with is research. And if anybody asked me what's the secret to a great podcast or a great radio show? It's research. Figure out something you want to get to, a question a guest has never been asked. And that's the secret. And when you get to research, I'm not talking about like on the radio, for instance, especially when we had a celebrities. The reason that celebrities even appear on, on radio stations or TV stations is they usually have a book to promote. Right. Or, you know, a movie, a brand new movie coming out.Royce Blake [00:12:49]:Well, they're on a press junket. And a press junket is where they sit in one studio and then they do a TV hit in Cincinnati and then a radio show in Cleveland and then off to another radio show in Dallas. And so when you're doing these things, you have no idea. If you're a radio host and you're about to interview a celebrity guest, you don't have any idea what number you are. You could be station number nine for all. For all. All things considered. So, and odds are, whoever it is, they've been asked the same types or sometimes the same exact question nine times in a row.Royce Blake [00:13:33]:And so you don't want to be that host, whether it's on a podcast, an event, or, you know, on radio or tv, you want to be someone that asked them a question they've never heard before. I. I always recall one with boxer Mike Tyson, who was awesome. Obviously, this was at really the height of his popularity. And for those of you that remember the ear biting incident, well, I'm sure he'd been asked that a thousand times at that point. Instead, I had done deep research, and once again, yes, you can look at their social profiles. You can, you know, check into any, any, anything they posted and see where they're coming from. Check their hobbies and all that stuff, but go much, much deeper.Royce Blake [00:14:26]:Anything you can find, even if it's a business owner you're talking to, go back and look at their ads, See what kind of ads they had running. If they had a weird ad or maybe a weird job. Before they, you know, got into the car business, they used to, you know, build porcelain dolls or something, something weird like that. For me and Mike Tyson, it was pigeon racing. Now, I have no idea how you race pigeons, but I knew that Mike Tyson was into pigeon racing. And so what did I do? While everybody else was asking him about the ear biting incident, I asked him about pigeon racing. Hey, champ, how's the pigeon racing environment this year? Everything. You got a shot, and he lit up like a Christmas tree.Royce Blake [00:15:20]:It was amazing. So that's the type of research I'm talking about. Go deep. If I didn't. If I finished an interview and I didn't have at least two pages of questions I didn't get to, then I hadn't done my job. So once again, it's all about research.Stuart Webb [00:15:42]:Brilliant, brilliant stuff, Royce. Thank you so much for that. Royce. There must be one question that you're currently thinking that I haven't in the process of this interview or discussion, asked you what is the question that you think I should have asked? And obviously now you know what that question is, you need to answer it for us as well.Royce Blake [00:16:07]:Well, you know, once again, I, I think, by the way, just talking about. Here's. Here's one for you. We were talking about. I know we're having tech problems here, Stuart, but, you know, if I had a, you know, a question for you to give you an idea of what kind of research, and it doesn't take long, this took me probably.Stuart Webb [00:16:27]:Oh, no.Royce Blake [00:16:29]:I would say, hey, Stuart, I know that. Well, how did you go from like, killing viruses to helping businesses scale? You know, you were in the, in the bio.Stuart Webb [00:16:46]:Do you know the reason. The reason that I did that, Royce, Tell me the reason. The reason I did that, Royce, was because I wasn't very. I. I was. I was actually not a very good practical scientist. I was a very good thinker. A lot of people kept telling me I had brilliant thoughts, but I was very poor at putting them down into an experiment.Stuart Webb [00:17:12]:And so I had to find something where I was able to use my brain to solve big problems, but not necessarily always. Always sort of make those experiments very successful. So it's about finding that thing which you are passionate about, but at the same time, you can actually turn into something people will pay you to do.Royce Blake [00:17:35]:Absolutely. Have you been asked that before?Stuart Webb [00:17:42]:That is not what I have been asked. And I'm going to remember how good you are at turning the. The. The question and answer into a discussion, because you find that way. And that's how you make an engaging podcast guest or host out of people, isn't it? By getting to open up and explore things with an intelligent research question.Royce Blake [00:18:08]:And listen and listen intently. Don't worry about getting to question seven when your guest has just spun gold on your podcast. You know, let them expand, let them go with the flow there. You know, as. As far as questions that, that you didn't ask me, I get this from a lot of podcasters. Well, a lot of people in general is. How do you handle trolls? How do you handle negative comments? Right. People, you know, all this.Royce Blake [00:18:38]:I was lucky, I guess, because I was trained. I. You're. You're old enough to remember. I'm not sure if they have this on the BBC or any of the, you know, any other. But the request line, this radio station request line where you can call in and request a song, right?Stuart Webb [00:18:57]:Yes.Royce Blake [00:18:58]:Well, this is. You got to think about it. This is the only time for free you can reach another human being and say anything you want, because 95 weren't there to request a song. A lot were there to give their opinion. And. And, you know, a lot of times it always amazed me, someone would sit on the request line on hold for a half an hour just to tell me, hey, you suck. So, you know, after you get that a few thousand times, you start. You start losing the nerve that, you know, so.Royce Blake [00:19:34]:But I want people to remember, no one more successful than you will ever put you down. They don't have the time. They don't have the inclination.Stuart Webb [00:19:45]:Brilliant.Royce Blake [00:19:45]:So ignore them. I know it's easy to say and hard to do, but trust me, something's wrong with them, not you, so just let it go.Stuart Webb [00:19:56]:Brilliant, Royce. I love that. And I want to end it there, because I think that is the best advice that you can give anybody. I mean, if I want to take away two things, and I know there have been a couple of technical difficulties, but there are two things I want to take away, one. One of which is, you know, you have just got to get used to the fact that you need to sound natural and need to get over yourself and start behaving like you are just a normal human being. And we all have that problem. And. And the haters.Stuart Webb [00:20:26]:Well, the haters are going to hate, and you just got to let them do it and get away from them and move forward being your positive self.Royce Blake [00:20:33]:I've got a great phrase. You can. You can write down everybody. And it's something I learned from an old radio pro. He said, royce, I don't care if they hate me as long as they hate me every day.Stuart Webb [00:20:49]:I love that one. I love it. Listen, people, I'm gonna. I'm just gonna thank Royce for spending a few minutes with us. If you would like to get an email from me where you can actually just find out who is going to be on the show and listen to the brilliant advice like people like Royce Lake bring to us. Go to Systemize Me, subscribe. That's systemized me. Forward slash, subscribe.Stuart Webb [00:21:20]:Just go there. Simple form, name, email address. We don't ask you for any more than that. Once a week, you get an email from me saying who's coming up? And you really should listen to some of the people that are coming up on this show. Royce, I want to thank you so much for being here and telling us a little bit about this, and I appreciate you keeping going when I know there have been a one or two technical difficulties, but I just think what you've told us is absolute gold about how to engage people and keep them engaged, and I just love it. And thank you so much for spending a few minutes.Royce Blake [00:21:47]:It's been a pleasure, Stuart. Thank you so much. And, you know, once again, this has been awesome. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Ben and Andrew begin with Q&A on Apple after 50 years, including thoughts on Steve Jobs weaknesses, putting iTunes on Windows, the best Apple ads, Chinese manufacturing counterfactuals, and tech company Mount Rushmore. From there: Thoughts on Apple's AI bet and the downside risk, the signs that Cupertino sees AI as a disruptive technology, and extended thoughts on the Axios hack and why why AI will make security issue worse in the short-term, but may be the solution in the long run. At the end: Delta chooses Amazon Leo over Starlink, two questions on Anthropic and OpenAI IPOs, why headhunters won't be disrupted by AI, streaming sports abroad, and new fronts emerge in the AirPods battle.

Auron: https://auronmacintyre.com/https://x.com/AuronMacintyrehttps://t.co/7aKw6RohuPJ: https://findmyfrens.net/jburden/Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/j.burdenSubstack: https://substack.com/@jburden Patreon: https://patreon.com/JburdenGUMROAD: https://radiofreechicago.gumroad.com/...Axios: https://axios-remote-fitness-coaching...ETH: 0xB06aF86d23B9304818729abfe02c07513e68Cb70BTC: 33xLknSCeXFkpFsXRRMqYjGu43x14X1iEt

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you have deeper conversations on a first date (without it feeling like an interview or interrogation)? Here are 5 questions that will open up lively, informative, and connecting conversations.►Please subscribe/rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts http://bit.ly/lastfirstdateradio ►If you're feeling stuck in dating and relationships and would like to find your last first date, sign up for a complimentary 45-minute breakthrough session with Sandy https://lastfirstdate.com/application ►Join Your Last First Date on Facebook https://facebook.com/groups/yourlastfirstdate ►Get Sandy's books, Becoming a Woman of Value; How to Thrive in Life and Love https://bit.ly/womanofvaluebook , Choice Points in Dating https://amzn.to/3jTFQe9 and Love at Last https://amzn.to/4erpj7C ►Get FREE coaching on the podcast! https://bit.ly/LFDradiocoaching ►FREE download: “Top 10 Reasons Why Men Suddenly Pull Away” http://bit.ly/whymendisappear ►FREE download: “The Green Light Guide to Dating After 50” https://lastfirstdate.com/green-light-guide/ ►Group Coaching: https://lastfirstdate.com/the-woman-of-value-club/ ►Website → https://lastfirstdate.com/ ► Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lastfirstdate1/ ►Get Amazon Music Unlimited FREE for 30 days at https://getamazonmusic.com/lastfirstdate  

What questions are tugging at you right now, and how might exploring the answers help you live and perform with more clarity?We're back with a special edition of the Finding Mastery podcast: another Ask Me Anything episode, built from the deep, thoughtful questions submitted by our community.In this AMA, Michael Gervais is joined by Jeff Byers, former NFL player, Co-Founder and CEO of Momentous, and longtime friend of Finding Mastery. Jeff has built something very special with Momentous, a supplement company grounded in transparency and integrity in an industry that can be full of noise and misinformation. He often says trust is earned, and he takes that responsibility personally.His relentless approach to mastery, both for himself and for the team he's building at Momentous—makes him an ideal co-host to help Mike wrestle with questions across a wide range of topics… how to perform with more clarity, how to work skillfully with strong emotions, and how to build a life that feels aligned with what matters most.Key insights we explored:Shift from perfection to purpose… why “the constant pursuit of perfectionism” is a setup for burnout, and how purpose changes the whole frame.Downregulating the nervous system… practical ways to move from sympathetic “on” to parasympathetic “rest and digest,” including breath, gaze, laughter, touch, nature, and intentionally induced recovery.Anger and emotional skill… how to feel anger without outward harm or inward collapse, and why the goal is to build the capacity to be “unbothered.”Loneliness and connection… why loneliness can surge when you leave familiar people and routines, and how “time-boxing” the feeling can help you train it instead of letting it bleed through the entire day.Reflection when life is full… how to build a sustainable rhythm for inner work, from 90-second practices to scheduled retreats, and why scheduling and celebration matter. If you find yourself wrestling with perfectionism, emotional spillover, loneliness, or a life that won't slow down, this AMA is a strong reminder that mastery is trained—one choice, one practice, one reset at a time.__________________________________Links & ResourcesSubscribe to our Youtube Channel for more conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and wellbeing: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine: findingmastery.com/morningmindset Follow on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and XSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.