Podcasts about gpa

In this episode, we break down how to determine whether you're truly competitive for the PA schools on your list so you can apply confident in your PA program list.

Whether it's being the wizard behind the curtain or “The Godfather” at ringside, James Russo bleeds Freelance Wrestling. Russo joins Windy City Slam for the first time in a long while to discuss Freelance's upcoming anniversary show, Trevor Outlaw's rise to the Freelance World Championship, working with Izzy Moreno, Bang & Matthews' heel run and how their match with The Headbangers came along, Chico Suave, GPA, Pat Monix, whether Freelance Underground could make a return and more. Plus, Mike recaps happenings from Wrestle League and BloodStone Wresling and previews big shows from 2econd Wrestling, DREAMWAVE Wrestling and House of Glory. Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

In this episode,  Rachael Thrash — educator, author, and Senior Director at Big Bad Boo Studios — joins Mike Caldwell to challenge the gap between student voice and student ownership. With 25+ years in education, Rachel argues that GPA-gated student councils and empty surveys exclude the students who need to be heard most. Through real examples of students solving real school problems, she shows what happens when kids are given genuine agency. She also walks through her new book Let the Learners Lead, a practical toolkit for educators ready to co-create school culture with students — not just for them We're proud to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

Nathan and Josh warn a listener against submitting a GPA addenda because they often draw more attention to the bad grades. Read more on our website. Email daily@lsatdemon.com with questions or comments. Watch this episode on YouTube!More LSAT Demon Resources.

Haldane weighs how students are ranked Will future Haldane classes have more than one valedictorian? That's one question raised by a change to the school's grading system, which will be implemented this fall with the incoming ninth-grade class. Haldane, like Beacon and many high schools, gives bonuses when calculating grade-point averages for schedules that include rigorous courses, such as Advanced Placement, honors and college-level classes. At Haldane, AP courses get a 1.1 multiplier, meaning that 100 becomes 110 when calculating a student's four-year GPA. The top grade in an honors course is 105. "We had a few students with over 100 percent GPAs this year," said Julia Sniffen, the Haldane High School principal. At Beacon High School, 15 to 20 seniors crack 100 each year, said Principal Corey Dwyer. Max Sanders, the valedictorian of the 2026 Haldane class, which is scheduled to graduate today (June 12), said he has a GPA of about 101. At Beacon High School, the valedictorian, Oscar McKible, said he finished with around 105 to lead his class, which will graduate on June 24. Starting with Haldane's Class of 2030, Sniffen said the district is going to cap GPAs at 100. Rigorous courses will remain weighted, she said, but "you can't be better than perfect." She said administrators are still discussing how to award valedictorian and salutatorian in 2030 if several students have perfect GPAs. "Does this impact who speaks at graduation?" she said. It's not unheard of to have multiple valedictorians. This year, Jericho High School on Long Island has 21, shattering its previous record of 15. The district does not weight its courses, so any student who receives an A+ in every class over four years is honored. Rather than giving speeches, the valedictorians lead the procession, wear sashes and are featured in a video honoring their accomplishments. The Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, Virginia, has a variation on the theme. It names any student with an A+ average as valedictorian and often has 100 or more. But only the student with the absolute highest GPA, including weighted classes, speaks at graduation. By contrast, the Cherry Creek School District near Denver, which serves 53,000 students, stopped recognizing valedictorians at its nine high schools this year. The district called naming a valedictorian "outdated" and inconsistent with its "core values of teaching all students, rather than ranking and sorting them." At Haldane, Sniffen said that capping the four-year GPA at 100 encourages a more well-rounded high school experience. "We want to focus on the whole child, a balanced experience through high school," she said. "They should take courses they're interested in and don't look at it like 'I'm being penalized if I want to stay in band for four years.' " Sniffen added that the change won't impact how universities evaluate student transcripts. She said colleges ignore weighting anyway and have their own processes for evaluating academic performance. Amanda Cotchen, a guidance counselor at Haldane, said some students do seem to select classes for the bonus points. "I have been asked, 'What's the weighting on each of these classes?' My reply is usually, 'Are you interested in the course?' " Sanders said he chose his courses not because of weighting but based on rigor. "I just asked, 'What classes do I want to fill my schedule with? For me, it happened to be APs." In retrospect, he wished he'd found time for Discrete Mathematics, an unweighted elective. "I was doing AP Calculus, and that was very involved," he said, so he took a study period instead. McKible said he scheduled difficult classes to keep his GPA at 100 or better. But he doesn't think he missed anything. The only thing he changed was dropping a study period and lunch "to take more heavy classes," he said. The senior successfully lobbied the administration to add weight to a science research class offered through the University at Albany. "I thought that w...

Richard Robinson's RDH journey is a reminder that the path into dental hygiene doesn't always start with a plan—it can start with exposure and a willingness to pivot. In this episode, Richard shares how he entered the dental hygiene profession later in life and built a 3.8 GPA despite undiagnosed dyslexia and test anxiety. His strong study habits, along with a great support system, and managing his dyslexia and test anxiety have led him to success. He has found ways to give back to his community by starting the Richard Robinson Scholarship, providing mentorship to students, and starting a nonprofit organization, MyWhy, that you can check out here: https://www.thatsmywhy.org/about-us

What are the truths students desperately need to hear before they graduate high school?In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl have one of their most honest and challenging conversations yet about the things traditional education systems often avoid saying out loud.From work-life balance myths and GPA obsession to networking, internships, social capital, purpose, and personal ownership, this episode pulls back the curtain on what actually creates opportunity after high school.Peter and Alli challenge the idea that test scores predict success, discuss why real-world experiences outweigh perfect grades, and explain why students who take action, build relationships, and embrace discomfort often gain the biggest long-term advantage.The conversation explores:Why “nobody cares” can actually become your superpowerWhy students should prioritize experiences over testsThe hidden value of internships, networking, and authentic learningHow your habits, friendships, and environment shape your futureWhy purpose and aptitude matter more than complianceThe difference between playing the school game and building a real futureThis episode is packed with practical truth, powerful stories, and mindset shifts for students, parents, educators, administrators, and anyone questioning whether traditional education is fully preparing students for life after graduation.If you care about student engagement, career readiness, durable skills, CTE, work-based learning, internships, AI, networking, or the future of education, this conversation will challenge the way you think about school and success.Powered by YouScience Brightpath.YouScience Brightpath, the next generation platform helping students make personalized decisions as they move from education to career. If you are serious about connecting students to real opportunities, head to ⁠youscience.com/disrupteducation-podcast⁠. Request a demo and let them know you heard about YouScience right here.

Join our online community ↓https://www.knowthyselfcollective.comTodd Rose is a Harvard-trained social scientist, former high school dropout with a 0.9 GPA, and co-founder of the think tank Populace. His research centers on the gap between what people privately believe and what they publicly say, and the profound consequences of that gap for individuals and for society. This is one of those conversations that reframes something you thought you understood and doesn't let you go back.What We Dive Into:1. Your brain estimates group consensus using a simple shortcut: the loudest voices repeated most often. On social media, that is 10% of users creating 80% of content.2. Belonging means being accepted for who you actually are. Fitting in means changing who you are to be accepted. 3. Authenticity is not about being perfectly accurate about who you are. It is about making choices you genuinely believe align with who you are right now.✨THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:https://www.mudwtr.com/knowthyselfUse code KNOWTHYSELF for up to 43% off sitewidehttps://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyselfTry LMNT & get a free sample pack ___________00:00 Intro01:27 What Are Collective Illusions?02:05 The Cost of Self-Silencing05:06 How We're Hardwired to Conform07:40 Why the Brain Is Easily Fooled About Group Consensus09:13 Social Media and the Amplification of Fringe Views13:20 What Americans Actually Want in Private21:01 Who Profits from Keeping Us Divided23:52 Foreign Manipulation and AI Bot Farms29:37 The Most Consequential Collective Illusions36:38 What Authenticity Actually Means41:15 The Coming Age of Courage42:14 Belonging vs. Fitting In49:44 René Girard and Mimetic Desire59:43 How Collective Illusions Can Shatter Overnight1:05:58 The Velvet Revolution and the Power of Authenticity1:12:09 How to Build the Muscle of Living in Truth1:20:25 Todd's Personal Collective Illusion: Faith and Identity1:24:34 Spiritual Exploration and Holding Beliefs Lightly1:32:23 Certainty and Knowledge Are Inversely Correlated1:41:42 Fulfillment Over Achievement1:50:31 Small Actions That Raise Collective Consciousness___________✨MORE FROM TODD↳Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltoddrose/↳Populace: https://populace.org↳https://www.toddrose.com/

Dillon Osleger wears a lot of hats: geologist, professional mountain biker for Specialized, trail builder, public lands policy analyst and advocate, and now first-time author. His debut book, "Trail Work: Restoring the Paths and Stories of America's Public Lands," blends science, history, and personal reflection into a look at our relationship with the places we love. It's already earned praise from the likes of Bill McKibben, Robert Moor, and former M&P guest Rick Ridgeway. And for whatever it's worth, I loved it as well.  I've read a ton of books on public lands, and this one filled in many of the gaps in my knowledge on this super-important and timely issue. Raised by two geologists who moved the family from Riverside to Austin to Northern California, Dillon grew up idolizing mountain legends like Rick Ridgeway and Jeremy Jones, and he wanted nothing more than to spend his life outside. He was, by his own account, a poor student—right up until a NOLS course at fifteen showed him he could learn through the things he was passionate about. That realization helped transform him from a 2.9-GPA high school student all the way to a scientist who holds a master's in Earth Science, with a lot of biking, skiing, surfing, and fishing along the way. We recorded this at Mountainfilm in Telluride, the morning after Dillon shared a stage with literary heroes like Kevin Fedarko. We cover his mountain upbringing, how mountain biking became his way of finding clarity, why he thinks the traditional classroom can be challenging for many curious and energetic kids, and the deep connections between public lands and the rural communities around them. We also get into the writers who shaped him—John McPhee, Wendell Berry, James Rebanks—and his belief that the world is far more purple than the red-and-blue map suggests. We also talk a lot about the process of writing his book and some of the biggest lessons learned from tackling such an ambitious project.  More than anything, this is a conversation about loving a place enough to do the work for it. I loved this one. Enjoy! --- Dillon Osleger Trail Work: Restoring the Paths and Stories of America's Public Lands Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/dillon-osleger --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Freeflow Institute, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, and the Well Done Foundation for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Introducing Dillon Osleger and highlighting TNC Colorado 6:12 - A nervous morning 8:39 - How Dillon got people interested in his book 11:12 - Growing up moving around 14:34 - Path to college 16:28 - Finding the right academia  19:16 - Mountain biking 23:30 - The question Dillon was trying to answer 28:12 - An overview of maps 34:04 - The Thomas Fire 37:12 - Public lands threats 42:30 - Real names 47:39 - Finding your why 51:13 - Bringing in jujitsu  53:16 - How writing the book changed Dillon 56:38 - The response to the book 1:02:29 - Book recs 1:09:13 - A purple world --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. We are continuing to see a few MBA programs release their final decisions, and candidates reporting their admissions from waitlists. We anticipate more waitlist movement in the weeks ahead. Graham noted that Clear Admit is planning its MBA Essay Workshop events series that is scheduled for July. These events will bring together the majority of the top MBA programs to discuss both their written essay prompts as well as their video essays. Early signups are here: https://www.clearadmit.com/events Graham highlighted a Fridays from the Frontline feature from a Haas student who discusses their recently launched AI Activation Playbook concept. Graham also noted a new admissions tip which focuses on identifying the right MBA programs to target. This led to a discussion on the Admissions Academy series, as well as the usefulness of the Clear Admit admissions bot, for helping identify MBA programs based on a candidate's resume. Graham continued with the Real Humans Alumni series. This week focuses on three alumni: from Johnson / BCG, Fuqua / JP Morgan and Kellogg / Bain. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry. This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a GRE of 335, and a strong career record in real estate. We think they should aim high. This week's second MBA applicant has a strong GPA of 8.65, from India. They work in consulting. We would like them to develop a more robust long-term goal. This week's final MBA candidate is deciding between Johnson and Stern. They want investment banking in New York City. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Connect with Salil here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salil-monga/If you're trying to make the jump into AI engineering, join Parsity: https://parsity.io/ai-devSalil Monga had a 4.0 GPA, applied to over 1,000 jobs, and landed three interviews. Not one of the jobs he actually got came from those applications.I sat down with Salil, now CTO of Cupe Connect, to dig into how you actually get hired in a difficult market: warm connections over cold applications, fundamentals over chasing the "golden stack," and why he walked into an interview thinking JavaScript was Java and still walked out with the offer.What we get into:- The 1,000-applications, 3-interviews reality, and why the applications were the wrong game to begin with- How every job he landed came from a professor or a peer, not a job board- Getting emotionally wrecked by applications, and the strategic mindset that fixes it- Using AI to actually learn instead of copy-pasting answers, and how he taught students to do the same- Why there's no golden stack, and how he shipped an iOS app having never built one before- Why fundamentals and problem-solving beat the framework of the month- How LeetCode quietly came back as a hiring filter, and how to treat it like one instead of hating it- Treating interviews as a game of chance you can tilt in your favor with rapport- Cube Connect: his no-algorithm, 50-meter-radius iOS app built to get people talking in real life againSalil is one of the more generous guests I've had on. He literally offered to review resumes and talk shop with anyone who reaches out, so go take him up on it.

En France, le tarif de consultation chez un généraliste fait partie des moins chers d'Europe, mais on se retrouve parfois à payer plus que les 26,50€ habituels et à ne pas être remboursés intégralement. Les numéros de secteurs, les conventions, l'OPTAM, les dépassements d'honoraires, le reste à charge…Tout le monde n'est pas familier avec ce vocabulaire, et c'est facile de s'emmêler les pinceaux ! Qui fixe les tarifs des consultations ? Quelles sont les différences entre les différents "secteurs" ? Écoutez la suite de cet épisode de "Maintenant Vous Savez". Écoutez la suite de cet épisode de "Maintenant vous savez". Un podcast Bababam Originals, écrit et réalisé par Maële Diallo. Première diffusion : mai 2024 À écouter aussi : ⁠GPA : combien gagne une mère porteuse ?⁠ ⁠Qu'est-ce que le micro-féminisme, cette nouvelle tendance sur TikTok ?⁠ ⁠Brain dumping : comment faire face à nos pensées envahissantes ?⁠ Retrouvez tous les épisodes de ⁠"Maintenant vous savez".⁠ Suivez Bababam sur ⁠Instagram⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Un memoir del lungo percorso durato anni, tra eterologa fallita e gestazione per altri negli Stati Uniti, attraverso cui Chiara Tagliaferri e il marito Nicola Lagioia arrivano alla nascita della figlia Lula. Il libro unisce il racconto di una maternità non biologica vissuta come scelta d'amore e del legame con Daisy, la gestante. Sullo sfondo, la riflessione politica sulla legge italiana che ha reso la GPA reato universale, stabilendo che il desiderio di un figlio può diventare un crimine.

In this episode, we uncover the sneaky thing that keeps many highly capable pre-PAs feeling behind, second-guessing themselves, and delaying the actions that could actually help them get accepted to PA school.Application to Acceptance Course - THE course for pre-PAs to create the strongest, most competitive CASPA application!What's Inside:Choosing the right PA schools for YOU and YOUR stats (even if you have a low GPA or weakness)Writing your most compelling personal statementCASPA Experience Paragraphs Templates - plug-and-play templates to write strong experience paragraphs that highlight YOUNEW!! Personal Statement Theme + Outline Creator Tool - discover your strongest themes AND get an outline of exactly what to write unique to YOUInterview course + MMI + Traditional Q&A WorkbooksSupplemental essays, AI and technology essay, and life essay Templates for emails of continued interest to PA schools, LORs and so much more! Direct access to us in a private A2A group for anything that comes up throughout your cycleJoin A2A here and see you inside! Keep up the amazing work, future PA!Beth + Katie

What does it actually mean to be ready for the real world? Not finished. Not just checked out with a diploma. Ready. In this episode, I sit down with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio, authors of The Business of You and Lead It Like Lasso, to talk about Blue, their app built to help middle school, high school, and college students discover who they are, learn to tell their own story, and step into the world with real confidence.This is not your typical EdTech conversation. Marnie and Nick are tackling something that report cards and GPA scores have never been able to measure: character, self-awareness, and the ability to communicate what makes you, you. And in a world where AI can generate a resume, a cover letter, and a personal statement in seconds, your authentic story is the only thing that actually sets you apart.What you will learn:Why is there a big difference between being finished and being readyHow Blue uses scenario-based games to help students discover their core values and strengths without 180-question personality testsWhy self-awareness is one of the top predictors of success and how Blue builds it at scaleHow Blue is closing the equity gap in college coaching, where families are paying up to $10,000 for the same mentorship Blue puts in every student's pocketHow districts can finally measure their Portrait of a Graduate outcomes using Blue's readiness frameworkWhy authentic storytelling is the skill AI cannot replaceChapters00:00 Introduction and Background04:54 The Concept of Blue09:43 Engaging Students with Blue18:16 Personalization and Reflection in Learning24:56 Asking the Right Questions31:24 Enhancing Student Readiness and Support34:04 Equity in Education: Bridging the Gap36:00 The Importance of Personal Branding39:02 Authenticity in Student Narratives40:54 The Future of Blue: Innovations and Feedback44:58 Reflections on Education's Challenges50:37 Connecting with the Innovators

They have dedicated their lives to celebrating culture, community, and academic achievement and now they've made it to graduation, getting well-earned high school diplomas. On this episode of the Supercast, meet some multi-talented Native American students who were part of an annual Jordan School District Community Night celebrating culture through traditional dance, music, a dynamic drum circle, art, and more. Hear how the Native American students hope to use their academic success to serve as a springboard for future pursuits and personal growth. Audio Transcription Student: What it means to us is it just brings us a lot of joy. It means of being part of something, being together with people of any race, whether you're Native American, Mexican, but it's just bringing together togetherness and just seeing the different diversities that you see or ethnicities. It's just really cool. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They have dedicated their lives to celebrating culture, community, and academic achievement, and now they've made it to graduation, receiving well-earned high school diplomas. On this episode of the Supercast, meet some multi-talented Native American students who were part of an annual Jordan School District Community Night, celebrating culture through traditional dance, music, a dynamic drum circle, art, and more. Hear how the Native American students hope to use their academic success to serve as a springboard for future pursuits and personal growth. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: We're here at West Jordan Middle School talking with two of our students who are part of the Native American program tonight. Introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about what this night is all about. DJ: Hello, I am DJ. I am part of the West Jordan High School Affinity Club, and I am here selling beadwork. We came here to present some of the beads that we have presented that our students or some of the people in our club have made. So all these beads or everything you see on the table that we have behind us has been made by our hands. We also came here to present to see other and just can't wait to see like the diversity we see here in different tribes. EJ Jones: Hi, I'm EJ Jones. I'm one of the members of the West Jordan Affinity Club, and yes, we are selling bracelets that are made by our wonderful students. Not only do we not just have bracelets, we also have earrings and phone chains for by wonderful students of ours that joined our club, and I'm so glad to see so many people here tonight because it's like a wonderful experience. Anthony Godfrey: What does it mean to you both to be part of the Native American Affinity Group at your school? Student: It brings us, what it means to us is it just brings us a lot of joy. It means of being part of something, being together with people of any race, being whether you're Native American, Mexican, but it's just bringing together togetherness and just seeing the different diversities that you see or ethnicities. It's just really cool and being part of that club really immerses you into a whole new world where you've never seen. You see like these different creative backgrounds between different people, different stories, and it's just wonderful to see that. Student: Yeah, it's just honestly, this club to us honestly just shows us what, that you don't have to be a Native American to join it. You can just join it to show, we can like show you what us Native Americans do and you can show us what you do just so we all can connect as one person. Anthony Godfrey: As you mentioned, anyone can be a part of the group and really it's about connecting with each other and feeling a part of the broader school. Students: Yeah, exactly. Anthony Godfrey: Tell me about some of the experiences you've had through the Native American program. I know that there was a drum making class recently. What are some of the things that have happened as a result of the program and place here in Jordan? Student: So of course the drum making class, I can't put a finger on exactly a lot of the events, but I know like we've gone on a field trip sometimes to see like different like, I think it was the Natural History Museum. That was pretty fun and it's just it, and this program just brings you to like, it brings you to a whole new world. Anthony Godfrey: You mentioned the diversity of tribes here tonight. Do you know which tribes are represented? Student: Navajo is definitely a big one. I know that maybe Ute, probably Apache, Shoshone, and just like there's so many to name that I just can't keep, but there's probably quite a bit that are here tonight that are being represented and some that are wanting to shine out more. Anthony Godfrey: I think that's really exciting that so many tribes are represented and I love this program in the way that graduates are honored with a sash and just with a recognition for all of your accomplishments. How does it feel to be at this stage? You know, if this, if this represents your, your education, you're right here, you're right at the last few weeks as a senior, how does it feel to be honored tonight? Student: It feels very like, like it feels very like surreal. It just feels like it's like it just all went by so quick and it's just like being here is like, you're actually like, “oh my gosh, it's like happening.” Like it's, it just immerses you into a whole new world and you're just like, “oh my gosh, what's like, it's happening now.” It's like, you just like, it like, “where did the time go? Where did the things go?” It just flew by so quick. Anthony Godfrey: So, well it only goes by faster and faster. What's next for you? Student: Straight to college. I'm going to community college first to get my general education done. Anthony Godfrey: Do you know what you want to study beyond that? Student: I know I want to study computer science and then hopefully become a teacher. Anthony Godfrey: Wonderful. Student: Yeah. Anthony Godfrey: Well, we'll watch for you coming back to Jordan School District. Student: Okay then. Anthony Godfrey: All right, thanks very much for talking with us. Student: Thank you so much. Anthony Godfrey: Stay with us when we come back. More with the Jordan School District Community Night celebrating our Native American students. [music] Male Voice: Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org. [music] Female Voice: Does your child need the flexibility to learn from anywhere at any time, on a cruise, in another country, or simply at home cozy on the couch? The Jordan Virtual Learning Academy is tailor-made for you and your family. It's personalized, dynamic virtual learning on your schedule. The Jordan Virtual Learning Academy is an integrated system of three schools in Jordan School District, Rocky Peak Virtual Elementary School, Kelsey Peak Virtual Middle School, and Kings Peak High School. Our programs are designed to meet or exceed district and state core curriculum standards, ensuring your child receives a superior educational experience tailored to their needs. Join us today at JordanVirtual.org. Anthony Godfrey: Now we're going to come into the gym at West Jordan Middle School and watch some round dances with participants from across the District. Brenda Villal : Thank you so much for joining us today. I'd like to introduce myself in the traditional way that my people introduce themselves. [Native language] Brenda Villal : I just said that my name is Brenda Villal and I am born into the Salt Clan, born for the Taurine House people, and my maternal grandparents are the Edgewater people, and that is how I identify as a woman, as a mother, and as a friend. Do I have any relatives here today? Is there any? There we go. Someone is Ashia or is it Kiaani? So, welcome. Thank you so much to Ami for allowing us to come and lead this round dance. The round dance is done all over the United States and Canada and beyond. It is a social dance that is done to show community and connection. And take a look at the circle. The circle shows that all are equal. This young girl here is equal to this tall man right over there with the tie. This young girl here is equal to this person over here in the blue suit. So a circle brings everyone together in an equal place or an equal space. The round dance is a social dance. Everyone is invited to participate. We always go in a clockwise direction and we usually hold hands and we love to have everyone participate if they would like to. If there are people that don't fit in the circle, just come grab somebody's hand and we'll make the circle bigger for you so that you all get to be a part of it. [Music] [Music] Hello. My name is Brenda Villal and that's the way I identify. I am Dineh. I am born into the Salt Clan. I'm born for the Towering House people. Today or tonight we were able to experience the Native American round dance. The only dance that we have found that the eight sovereign nations within Utah, the only dance that can be done that where everyone is invited to participate. But it is important for these nations to have a Native American representative either host or lead. We write educational resources. We co-create with the eight sovereign nations to change the narrative about indigenous people here within Utah. And tonight we were able to share the Native American round dance. We were very fortunate to have a drum group by the name of Red Spirit join us here in this beautiful building for all of the children and parents and staff in Jordan School District to experience the round dance. [Music] Anthony Godfrey: We also have the Native American mentor here with us from Jordan School District Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about this program and what it involves. Steve Hawkins: Sure. I'm Steve Hawkins and I'm the high school mentor in the District for Native American students. The big goal of the program is to help students pursue their educational and vocational goals in a culturally sensitive way to help them retain a sense of culture, be exposed to their own Native culture and strengthen that within the education system. One thing you should know is these kids are scary overachievers. You'd be very proud of them, Dr. Godfrey. They, the average GPA for our Native students is 3.0. Herriman High School students have a 3.5 GPA. The Native students there, two of them have 4.0. Anthony Godfrey: Oh that's awesome. Steve Hawkins: And also so many of the students are deeply involved in the JATC like DJ, who you just met, has learned computer programming at the JATC and 10 of our students have had a fantastic experience there and prepared for careers after high school. Anthony Godfrey: How many Native American students would you say do we have at any given high school? Steve Hawkins: West Jordan and Copper Hills have quite a few, about 30 each. Our lowest number is probably at Riverton with five. So, I'd say probably the average is 15 to 20. Anthony Godfrey: To me that just makes it so much more important for you to be there to connect and make sure that in schools of thousands of students that they connect with the broader community and don't lose the sense of personal identity, and in fact, enrich their sense of personal identity. Steve Hawkins: Yeah, and that's really the goal of the program particularly like you said is identifying with their culture and continuing to connect with that. That's why we did drum making which is not just making an instrument but there's a whole discussion on the spiritual and cultural relevance of it and it was a great experience. The kids were engaged from the very start to the very end. Anthony Godfrey: On a night like this, beyond what we do as a District and the work you do as a mentor, we see the support from families and from the broader community and the donations that come in and of the booths that are here. Describe a little bit of the family and community connection that's created. Steve Hawkins: One thing you'll see when you talk Native families is they are so close. Not only the parents are inspiring their kids pushing them to educate pushing them to get educated to achieve but they're also very tied in with their aunties and their grandparents and there's this wonderful sense of family values and community among the Native Americans here as witnessed by all the people who are here. The community itself has also been incredibly supportive. We have got thousands and thousands of dollars of prizes donated from retailers in the community in support of our Native students. Anthony Godfrey: It grows every year and it's really fun. I really look forward to it this time of year. What do you love most about being a mentor for our Native American students in high school? Steve Hawkins: Oh by far the best part is just to sit down and talk with them one-on-one and find out how life is going, how school is going and hear about their plans. These kids have great vision. It's really impressive that they are so capable of expressing themselves, that they have goals, they know what they want to do and they also know where they're there as they haven't decided yet, which of course who knows at 15 right? Anthony Godfrey: Sure, sure. Steve Hawkins: But they're just they're the kind of people that give you really hope for your country and your world just talking to them. Anthony Godfrey: I love that. That's what working with youth is all about. So well thank you for everything that you do and for talking with us tonight. We have a great night ahead of us. Steve Hawkins: It's a pleasure. Thank you. [music] Anthony Godfrey: Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, “Education is the most important thing you'll do today!” We'll see you out there.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ashley Christopher. Interview Summary: Ashley Christopher on Money Making Conversations Masterclass Guest: Ashley ChristopherHost: Rushion McDonaldPlatform: Money Making Conversations MasterclassFocus: HBCU access, scholarships, STEM pipeline, purpose-driven leadership Overall Summary Ashley Christopher shares the origin, growth, and impact of the HBCU Week Foundation, which she founded in 2017 to increase enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), remove financial barriers, and create direct pathways from high school to college and corporate America. What began as a local Wilmington, Delaware initiative evolved into a national movement that has facilitated over 10,000 on-the-spot HBCU acceptances and nearly $100 million in scholarships, including a landmark $40 million STEM scholarship partnership. The conversation blends entrepreneurship, education equity, resilience, faith, and purpose, highlighting how lived experience and authentic mission can scale social impact. Purpose of the Interview To spotlight the HBCU Week Foundation and its measurable outcomes (acceptances, scholarships, STEM investment). To educate families and students about on-the-spot college acceptance and scholarship opportunities. To inspire purpose-driven leadership, particularly among Black entrepreneurs and community leaders. To demonstrate how local solutions can scale nationally when rooted in authenticity and impact. To share a personal story of resilience, including surviving a stroke at age 29 and redefining purpose. Key Takeaways 1. Access Changes Outcomes HBCU Week’s on-the-spot acceptance model allows eligible students to receive immediate college decisions and scholarship offers at a live college fair. This removes prolonged uncertainty and barriers that often discourage first-generation and underserved students. Students bring their transcript, SAT/ACT scores, meet with an HBCU counselor, and can be accepted immediately. 2. HBCUs Are a Pipeline to Opportunity Ashley emphasizes that HBCUs are not just cultural institutions, but talent pipelines into corporate America, particularly for STEM fields. Enrollment growth and scholarship funding are as critical as brand awareness. 3. The Power of Strategic Partnerships A relationship that began with seven $40,000 STEM scholarships grew into a $40 million partnership with the American Chemistry Council. The goal: addressing a projected STEM workforce deficit while increasing diversity in the field. The partnership now supports 1,000 students committed to STEM majors at HBCUs, with nearly 600 awards already distributed. 4. Purpose Can Be Born From Crisis Ashley shares her experience of having a stroke at age 29, caused by birth control use, which required her to relearn how to write and regain physical mobility. The experience intensified her sense of urgency, discipline, and purpose. Surviving the stroke shifted her mindset from ambition to intentional impact. 5. Authentic Passion Fuels Scalable Impact Ashley never intended HBCU Week to become national—it was designed to serve students in her hometown. Growth occurred organically because the mission was authentic, focused, and student-centered. “When you love what you do and have a real passion behind the impact, it catches on.” Notable Quotes On Mission & Growth “The goal was to take care of the students in my hometown… I had no idea it would become national.” On On-the-Spot Acceptance “If you have the requisite GPA and SAT or ACT score, you can be admitted right there.” On HBCUs & STEM “If everybody around the table looks the same, we’re in trouble.” On Faith & Opportunity “I can’t take credit for it… but for my relationship with God, this wouldn’t be a thing.” On Purpose After Adversity “It created a different sense of drive and purpose in me.” On Impact “If I can’t help tier-one students, who can?” Conclusion The interview positions Ashley Christopher as a systems builder, not just a nonprofit founder. Her work demonstrates how education access, strategic partnerships, and lived experience can intersect to change thousands of lives. The conversation reinforces that scalable impact often starts with a local problem, clear values, and relentless execution. #BEST #STRAW #SHMSSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ashley Christopher. Interview Summary: Ashley Christopher on Money Making Conversations Masterclass Guest: Ashley ChristopherHost: Rushion McDonaldPlatform: Money Making Conversations MasterclassFocus: HBCU access, scholarships, STEM pipeline, purpose-driven leadership Overall Summary Ashley Christopher shares the origin, growth, and impact of the HBCU Week Foundation, which she founded in 2017 to increase enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), remove financial barriers, and create direct pathways from high school to college and corporate America. What began as a local Wilmington, Delaware initiative evolved into a national movement that has facilitated over 10,000 on-the-spot HBCU acceptances and nearly $100 million in scholarships, including a landmark $40 million STEM scholarship partnership. The conversation blends entrepreneurship, education equity, resilience, faith, and purpose, highlighting how lived experience and authentic mission can scale social impact. Purpose of the Interview To spotlight the HBCU Week Foundation and its measurable outcomes (acceptances, scholarships, STEM investment). To educate families and students about on-the-spot college acceptance and scholarship opportunities. To inspire purpose-driven leadership, particularly among Black entrepreneurs and community leaders. To demonstrate how local solutions can scale nationally when rooted in authenticity and impact. To share a personal story of resilience, including surviving a stroke at age 29 and redefining purpose. Key Takeaways 1. Access Changes Outcomes HBCU Week’s on-the-spot acceptance model allows eligible students to receive immediate college decisions and scholarship offers at a live college fair. This removes prolonged uncertainty and barriers that often discourage first-generation and underserved students. Students bring their transcript, SAT/ACT scores, meet with an HBCU counselor, and can be accepted immediately. 2. HBCUs Are a Pipeline to Opportunity Ashley emphasizes that HBCUs are not just cultural institutions, but talent pipelines into corporate America, particularly for STEM fields. Enrollment growth and scholarship funding are as critical as brand awareness. 3. The Power of Strategic Partnerships A relationship that began with seven $40,000 STEM scholarships grew into a $40 million partnership with the American Chemistry Council. The goal: addressing a projected STEM workforce deficit while increasing diversity in the field. The partnership now supports 1,000 students committed to STEM majors at HBCUs, with nearly 600 awards already distributed. 4. Purpose Can Be Born From Crisis Ashley shares her experience of having a stroke at age 29, caused by birth control use, which required her to relearn how to write and regain physical mobility. The experience intensified her sense of urgency, discipline, and purpose. Surviving the stroke shifted her mindset from ambition to intentional impact. 5. Authentic Passion Fuels Scalable Impact Ashley never intended HBCU Week to become national—it was designed to serve students in her hometown. Growth occurred organically because the mission was authentic, focused, and student-centered. “When you love what you do and have a real passion behind the impact, it catches on.” Notable Quotes On Mission & Growth “The goal was to take care of the students in my hometown… I had no idea it would become national.” On On-the-Spot Acceptance “If you have the requisite GPA and SAT or ACT score, you can be admitted right there.” On HBCUs & STEM “If everybody around the table looks the same, we’re in trouble.” On Faith & Opportunity “I can’t take credit for it… but for my relationship with God, this wouldn’t be a thing.” On Purpose After Adversity “It created a different sense of drive and purpose in me.” On Impact “If I can’t help tier-one students, who can?” Conclusion The interview positions Ashley Christopher as a systems builder, not just a nonprofit founder. Her work demonstrates how education access, strategic partnerships, and lived experience can intersect to change thousands of lives. The conversation reinforces that scalable impact often starts with a local problem, clear values, and relentless execution. #BEST #STRAW #SHMSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ashley Christopher. Interview Summary: Ashley Christopher on Money Making Conversations Masterclass Guest: Ashley ChristopherHost: Rushion McDonaldPlatform: Money Making Conversations MasterclassFocus: HBCU access, scholarships, STEM pipeline, purpose-driven leadership Overall Summary Ashley Christopher shares the origin, growth, and impact of the HBCU Week Foundation, which she founded in 2017 to increase enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), remove financial barriers, and create direct pathways from high school to college and corporate America. What began as a local Wilmington, Delaware initiative evolved into a national movement that has facilitated over 10,000 on-the-spot HBCU acceptances and nearly $100 million in scholarships, including a landmark $40 million STEM scholarship partnership. The conversation blends entrepreneurship, education equity, resilience, faith, and purpose, highlighting how lived experience and authentic mission can scale social impact. Purpose of the Interview To spotlight the HBCU Week Foundation and its measurable outcomes (acceptances, scholarships, STEM investment). To educate families and students about on-the-spot college acceptance and scholarship opportunities. To inspire purpose-driven leadership, particularly among Black entrepreneurs and community leaders. To demonstrate how local solutions can scale nationally when rooted in authenticity and impact. To share a personal story of resilience, including surviving a stroke at age 29 and redefining purpose. Key Takeaways 1. Access Changes Outcomes HBCU Week’s on-the-spot acceptance model allows eligible students to receive immediate college decisions and scholarship offers at a live college fair. This removes prolonged uncertainty and barriers that often discourage first-generation and underserved students. Students bring their transcript, SAT/ACT scores, meet with an HBCU counselor, and can be accepted immediately. 2. HBCUs Are a Pipeline to Opportunity Ashley emphasizes that HBCUs are not just cultural institutions, but talent pipelines into corporate America, particularly for STEM fields. Enrollment growth and scholarship funding are as critical as brand awareness. 3. The Power of Strategic Partnerships A relationship that began with seven $40,000 STEM scholarships grew into a $40 million partnership with the American Chemistry Council. The goal: addressing a projected STEM workforce deficit while increasing diversity in the field. The partnership now supports 1,000 students committed to STEM majors at HBCUs, with nearly 600 awards already distributed. 4. Purpose Can Be Born From Crisis Ashley shares her experience of having a stroke at age 29, caused by birth control use, which required her to relearn how to write and regain physical mobility. The experience intensified her sense of urgency, discipline, and purpose. Surviving the stroke shifted her mindset from ambition to intentional impact. 5. Authentic Passion Fuels Scalable Impact Ashley never intended HBCU Week to become national—it was designed to serve students in her hometown. Growth occurred organically because the mission was authentic, focused, and student-centered. “When you love what you do and have a real passion behind the impact, it catches on.” Notable Quotes On Mission & Growth “The goal was to take care of the students in my hometown… I had no idea it would become national.” On On-the-Spot Acceptance “If you have the requisite GPA and SAT or ACT score, you can be admitted right there.” On HBCUs & STEM “If everybody around the table looks the same, we’re in trouble.” On Faith & Opportunity “I can’t take credit for it… but for my relationship with God, this wouldn’t be a thing.” On Purpose After Adversity “It created a different sense of drive and purpose in me.” On Impact “If I can’t help tier-one students, who can?” Conclusion The interview positions Ashley Christopher as a systems builder, not just a nonprofit founder. Her work demonstrates how education access, strategic partnerships, and lived experience can intersect to change thousands of lives. The conversation reinforces that scalable impact often starts with a local problem, clear values, and relentless execution. #BEST #STRAW #SHMSSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many pre-PAs think they need a biology or chemistry degree to get accepted—but in this episode, we reveal why choosing a major you love may actually give you a bigger advantage when applying to PA school.

Send us Fan MailStudent engagement is at an all-time low, while student anxiety and behavioral challenges are at an all-time high. How do we turn the tide? Mark Perna, a public speaker, best-selling author and founder of TFS Results, joins Daniel Rock and Chris Bailey to offer a game-changing framework: competitive advantage. By moving beyond a singular focus on high academic grades, Perna outlines how schools can blend robust academics with technical competencies and professional life skills to get every student—from the 4.0 high-flyer to the struggling 1.5 student—fully locked into their learning journey.Key TakeawaysThe Three Pillars of Competitive Advantage: Discover the modern definition of a well-rounded education: robust academic knowledge, technical competencies and professional life skills working in perfect concert.The Solution vs. The Problem: Why straight-A students inherently view education as their solution, while lower-achieving students see it as their problem—and how to bridge that massive engagement gap.The 2.5 C-Student Paradigm: The eye-opening statistical reality of why close to 100% of major business leaders and CEOs would eagerly hire a 2.5 GPA student who possesses exceptional professional life skills over a high-achieving student without them.Overtly Teaching Professional Skills: SREB's Chris Bailey shares insight from aerospace giant Boeing on why workers are never fired for a lack of hard technical skills, but rather for a lack of professional skills.The AI Tripwire in Workforce Funnels: A critical warning for business and school leaders regarding the fourth industrial revolution and how the blind elimination of entry-level jobs via AI is destroying the talent funnel.Skills-First Hiring: Navigating the rapid global shift away from degree-based hiring frameworks toward a skills-first employment ecosystem.Resources MentionedAnswering Why: Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose and Performance in Younger Generations by Mark Perna.The Perna Syndicate: Host of the global education and workforce development podcast.Mark Perna's Official Website: markcperna.com. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social:FacebookInstagramX

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. We are continuing to see MBA programs release their final decisions. This upcoming week, USC / Marshall, CMU / Tepper, London Business School, Arizona / Carey, Georgia / Terry and Georgia Tech / Scheller are releasing final decisions. Graham highlighted a Fridays from the Frontline feature from a Stern student discussing their super experience with Stern's Endless Frontier Labs program. This was then followed by a deep-dive career reports piece focused on the consulting industry for MBA graduates. Graham also noted a new admissions tip which focuses on classes that might be worth considering before starting an MBA. Graham continued with the Real Humans Alumni series. This week focuses on three alumni: McCombs / Pepsi, IESE / Accenture and Owen / Bain. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry. This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from India, and works at Bain.  They also have links to family firm focused on pharmaceuticals. They have a 337 GRE score. This week's second MBA applicant is a veteran who has a 715 GMAT score and a 3.76 GPA from an Ivy League university. This week's final MBA candidate is deciding between McDonough and Anderson. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Supplemental essays are one of the most overlooked parts of the PA school application. Discover how to write stronger responses, avoid common mistakes, and stand out to admissions committees.Supplemental Essay EditingApplication to Acceptance Course:

Nesta edição, destacamos a aprovação em segundo turno da PEC que prevê o fim da escala 6x1 e a redução da jornada para 40 horas semanais , um marco legislativo que desafia o varejo a repensar seu planejamento de turnos. Analisamos como a Inteligência Artificial consolidou-se na jornada de compra, influenciando diretamente as decisões de 54% dos consumidores brasileiros. Mostramos que a notificação no celular virou o novo grito da promoção, impulsionando compras por impulso em mais de 90% dos shoppers. Por fim, preparamos as estratégias para a chegada do inverno, a estação de ouro para alavancar o ticket médio com a venda casada de vinhos, queijos e chocolates. Entre os destaques:⚖️ Fim da Escala 6x1: A aprovação do projeto na Câmara dos Deputados e como redes como o Savegnago e Pague Menos já se antecipam com a adoção do modelo 5x2.

May 28, 2026: Anthropic releases Claude Opus 4.8, sharper reasoning, better agentic coding, and a fast mode that runs 2.5x faster at a third the cost, with Mythos-class models coming in weeks. A new EY-Parthenon survey of 1,200 CEOs shows 99% expect AI to reshape their workforce strategy but only 42% are doing anything about it and why the 57-point gap between awareness and action is the real story. And a deep look at grade inflation in American colleges: the average GPA is now above 3.5, yet 43% of students meet none of ACT's college readiness benchmarks, 12th-grade math and reading scores are at all-time lows, and recent college graduate unemployment sits at 5.7% with a job-finding rate now matching high school graduates. What's behind it, what it costs, and what it means for the future workforce.

This date in history, dissecting the new Protect College Sports Act, Quick Hitters: Pete Golding's threat, Ryan Day's GPA-related bonus & 'Bama's AD backs DeBoer, Albert Breer with all the latest around the NFL, more kickoff times announced for Ohio State, CBS Sports ranks their top CFB coaches, and our weekly check in with Ya Highness.

Josh Hudson grew up in small-town Wisconsin, nearly failed out of college with a 1.6 GPA his first year, and took a $60,000 pay cut to throw $5,000 into a business nobody had heard of yet. Today he is the co-founder and CEO of OptimizeU, a hormone optimization and performance recovery company with 39 locations coast to coast and 150 employees whose families depend on the decisions he makes.This episode covers the full road. Psychiatric nursing and what three years with true schizophrenia patients taught him about staying calm under pressure. Hospice care and what walking families through death taught him about time. Medical device sales, a racquetball court conversation that changed everything, and the grind of building a clinic from scratch while cleaning the office alone for six months. Josh and Joe go deep on the collapse of testosterone in young men, the danger of self-managed hormone use, what women are being told that is flat out wrong, long COVID's hidden hormonal impact, the 80 versus 95 delegation trap that keeps driven men stuck, the weight of 150 employees, and what it really means to build a life worth protecting.This one earns it.What you will hear in this episode:A 1.6 GPA first year of college, renal failure, and doing his degree completely backwards What psychiatric nursing taught him about tone, calm, and staying grounded under pressure Why hospice care changed the way he sees time, work, and what a good life actually looks like The $5,000 bet, a $60,000 pay cut, and six months of cleaning the clinic alone Why testosterone levels in young men are collapsing and what is driving it The truth about peptides, pro hormones, green testosterone, and what Josh sees walking through his clinic doors every day Why women keep being told their labs are normal when they are not Long COVID and its ongoing hormonal impact most providers are not testing for The 80 versus 95 trap and why letting go is the hardest thing for any builder What creeps up when you have 150 people depending on your next decision What gratitude actually looks like when you have seen both psych wards and hospice units up close Josh's relentless pursuitSponsors:True Friends Moving Company: Your go-to moving crew in Middle Tennessee. Top-notch service, smooth process, personable and professional from start to finish. Link in the description. Nashville Fit, BodyWell, and B2 Wellness Suites: Three brands built as one ecosystem covering media, fitness, wellness staffing, and performance coaching. Links in the description.Find Josh and OptimizeU: Instagram: @OptimizeunashvilleWebsite: OptimizeUCenters.comSubscribe to The Relentless Pursuit Podcast for new episodes every week.00:00 Bootstrapped Beginnings00:39 Podcast Welcome01:19 Meeting Josh Hudson02:19 What Is OptimizeU02:45 Entrepreneur Mindset04:03 Work Life Balance07:12 Scaling The Clinics08:28 Building The Right Team10:03 Wisconsin Roots12:51 School Struggles13:59 Martial Arts Lessons16:59 College Reality Check22:00 Nursing And Marriage22:51 Psych Ward Insights24:54 Sponsor Break25:48 Cutting Out Distractions28:10 Hospice And Perspective31:06 From Sales To OptimizeU36:41 Founding OptimizeU Grind37:18 Growing With Purpose39:01 Impact Over Income40:41 Why Hormones Are Dropping43:59 Endocrine Disruptors Everywhere44:44 Optimize Yourself Basics45:30 Care Without Upselling47:51 Peptides Need Oversight50:30 Young Steroid Fallout52:40 Wellness Ecosystem Ad56:28 Postpartum Hormone Struggles58:51 Long COVID And Hormones01:02:23 Letting Go To Scale01:08:04 Ultimate Goals And Identity01:13:41 Gratitude And Perspective01:15:22 Where To Find OptimizeU01:16:32 Final Takeaway And Help#OptimizeU #HormoneHealth #TestosteroneDecline #MensHealth #WomensHormones #HormoneOptimization #Entrepreneurship #RelentlessPursuit #JoshHudson #JoeAdams #HealthPodcast #BuildingABusiness #PodcastForMen #RawConversations

✨ Become a founding member to access my online courses, including Jurassic Worlding and How To Live In The Future✨ Browse and buy all of the books we discuss on the show at Bookshop.org✨ Stream and download my music at artist-owned Subvert.fm✨ Learn about Atlas Research Group, my new team on a mission to build sovereign infrastructure for social coherence and collective intelligenceAbout This EpisodeThis week's guest is C. Thi Nguyen (Website | Wikipedia | X), associate professor of philosophy at the University of Utah and a specialist in the philosophy of games, the philosophy of technology, and the theory of value. In our first conversation on Future Fossils, we explored his writing on games as an art form in which agency is the medium. His new book, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game, takes that logic further and reveals the games that bind society together with institutional metrics — one of the most powerful, pervasive, and invisible technologies of all time.Thi's thesis hinges on the observation that a metric is never just a number. It's a value judgment dressed up in the costume of objectivity, a down-sampling of our richly multidimensional world into proxies that can travel efficiently between strangers. And with every subsequent compression of meaning into portable, scalable, decontextualized form, our metrics progressively displace place itself — the nuance of our singular, non-fungible lives — and define what we can even aspire to be.Thi calls this kind of cognitive enclosure “value capture”: when an institution uses metrics to coordinate across distance and difference, it engineers a context-invariant kernel that can travel between strangers without requiring shared background, history, or care. The power of these abstractions is real. So is their violence.We can use metrics instrumentally, holding them lightly as useful fictions. But more often than not we forget things like GPA, GDP, or KPIs started life as somebody else's choices — that someone, somewhere, decided what to count and what to ignore — and we begin to inhabit the metric as if it were reality itself: optimizing our lives, desires, and identities for a scoring system we didn't author and may never have consciously accepted.Games show us another way. By Thi's account, games are a medium for the transmission of different kinds of agency, a technology for practicing the very awareness that metrics erode: that metrics are cultural constructs, and we still have some choice in what to value. When you're playing, you know you're playing. The magic circle of the game space is a low-stakes laboratory for inhabiting a different set of values, and therefore different selves. Therein lies a whole philosophy of freedom, and in a moment when the infrastructure of meaning-making is being rebuilt from the ground up, recovering our capacity to see the game of modern life as a game may be the most important skill we have.But there's a twist that takes us beyond the scope of Thi's book and into the question that's been keeping me up at night for the last two years. With AI, we've tunneled so far into abstraction that we may have come out the other side. Large language models now allow us to translate between different perspectives, to ground insights from our aggregate intelligence in personal detail. If you've ever used a chatbot to explain physics to you as a specific human being, based on your own data vault, and in the style of a specific author, you know what I mean. Socrates' critique of written language in Phaedrus — that it couldn't “read the room” or know its audience — feels somewhat less relevant in an age when the generation of text is powered by systems with such a high-dimensional and granular view of things that we are no longer bound to one canonical version of anything. Is AI the apotheosis of our enclosure by institutional metrics, or is it the medium through which we are finally able to take a post-ironic stance on the constraints of modern life?It's starting to look like a world in which everything is a metric and everything is a game. And just maybe, that means we can renegotiate these tradeoffs…as long as we don't take ourselves too seriously.And with this, we circle back around to the core question of this project: As we approach the horizon where anything is possible, what should be? Who do you want to be, and what games will make you that person?Chapters00:00 Episode Teaser03:50 Intro Monologue09:11 Meet C. Thi Nguyen17:43 Value Capture Explained23:48 The Gap between Measured & Valued35:29 Recognition vs. Perception42:48 Games vs. Institutions46:43 Is Meaning Control an Interface Problem?49:09 How Rules Became Algorithms54:17 Fungibility & Monocropping56:38 Is Coordination at Scale a Red Herring?01:03:14 Art Provides Hope01:16:17 AI Futures & Values01:32:27 Thanks & AnnouncementsMentioned ResourcesAre humans destined to evolve into crabs? by Michael GarfieldCoarse-graining as a downward causation mechanism by Jessica FlackThe Computer as a Communication Device by J.C.R. Licklider and Robert TaylorPaul Smaldino & C. Thi Nguyen on Problems with Value Metrics & Governance at Scale (EPE 06) for Complexity PodcastThe natural selection of bad science by Paul Smaldino & Richard McElreathSlowed canonical progress in large fields of science by Johan Chu & James EvansJargon is a Moat by Second VoiceTrust in Numbers by Theodore PorterRules by Lorraine DastinSeeing Like A State by James C. ScottThe Power of Maps by Dennis WoodsDilla Time by Dan CharmasMetaphors We Live By by George Lakoff & Mark JohnsonMarshall McLuhanReiner KniziaLangdon WinnerSamantha MatherneIain McGilchristKevin Kelly

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ashley Christopher. Interview Summary: Ashley Christopher on Money Making Conversations Masterclass Guest: Ashley ChristopherHost: Rushion McDonaldPlatform: Money Making Conversations MasterclassFocus: HBCU access, scholarships, STEM pipeline, purpose-driven leadership Overall Summary Ashley Christopher shares the origin, growth, and impact of the HBCU Week Foundation, which she founded in 2017 to increase enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), remove financial barriers, and create direct pathways from high school to college and corporate America. What began as a local Wilmington, Delaware initiative evolved into a national movement that has facilitated over 10,000 on-the-spot HBCU acceptances and nearly $100 million in scholarships, including a landmark $40 million STEM scholarship partnership. The conversation blends entrepreneurship, education equity, resilience, faith, and purpose, highlighting how lived experience and authentic mission can scale social impact. Purpose of the Interview To spotlight the HBCU Week Foundation and its measurable outcomes (acceptances, scholarships, STEM investment). To educate families and students about on-the-spot college acceptance and scholarship opportunities. To inspire purpose-driven leadership, particularly among Black entrepreneurs and community leaders. To demonstrate how local solutions can scale nationally when rooted in authenticity and impact. To share a personal story of resilience, including surviving a stroke at age 29 and redefining purpose. Key Takeaways 1. Access Changes Outcomes HBCU Week’s on-the-spot acceptance model allows eligible students to receive immediate college decisions and scholarship offers at a live college fair. This removes prolonged uncertainty and barriers that often discourage first-generation and underserved students. Students bring their transcript, SAT/ACT scores, meet with an HBCU counselor, and can be accepted immediately. 2. HBCUs Are a Pipeline to Opportunity Ashley emphasizes that HBCUs are not just cultural institutions, but talent pipelines into corporate America, particularly for STEM fields. Enrollment growth and scholarship funding are as critical as brand awareness. 3. The Power of Strategic Partnerships A relationship that began with seven $40,000 STEM scholarships grew into a $40 million partnership with the American Chemistry Council. The goal: addressing a projected STEM workforce deficit while increasing diversity in the field. The partnership now supports 1,000 students committed to STEM majors at HBCUs, with nearly 600 awards already distributed. 4. Purpose Can Be Born From Crisis Ashley shares her experience of having a stroke at age 29, caused by birth control use, which required her to relearn how to write and regain physical mobility. The experience intensified her sense of urgency, discipline, and purpose. Surviving the stroke shifted her mindset from ambition to intentional impact. 5. Authentic Passion Fuels Scalable Impact Ashley never intended HBCU Week to become national—it was designed to serve students in her hometown. Growth occurred organically because the mission was authentic, focused, and student-centered. “When you love what you do and have a real passion behind the impact, it catches on.” Notable Quotes On Mission & Growth “The goal was to take care of the students in my hometown… I had no idea it would become national.” On On-the-Spot Acceptance “If you have the requisite GPA and SAT or ACT score, you can be admitted right there.” On HBCUs & STEM “If everybody around the table looks the same, we’re in trouble.” On Faith & Opportunity “I can’t take credit for it… but for my relationship with God, this wouldn’t be a thing.” On Purpose After Adversity “It created a different sense of drive and purpose in me.” On Impact “If I can’t help tier-one students, who can?” Conclusion The interview positions Ashley Christopher as a systems builder, not just a nonprofit founder. Her work demonstrates how education access, strategic partnerships, and lived experience can intersect to change thousands of lives. The conversation reinforces that scalable impact often starts with a local problem, clear values, and relentless execution. #BEST #STRAW #SHMSSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUMMARY In this episode of Long Blue Leadership, U.S. Air Force Academy boxing coach Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mark Clifford '97 shares how the sport shaped his approach to leadership, service and mentoring the next generation of cadets. A strong conversation on resilience and growth.   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK   COACH CLIFFORD'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Leadership is about others, not you. Elevate the people around you—when your team wins, you win. Iron sharpens iron. Seek (and create) hard reps, tougher opponents, and uncomfortable situations to build real capability. Look for “dogs,” not resumes. Prioritize competitiveness, resilience, and willingness to get hit and keep going over pedigree. Turn on the hot water. Know when it's time to flip the switch from relaxed and joking to locked-in, all-business execution. Take the punch, then execute. Composure after getting hit—physically or metaphorically—is the true test of a leader. Accountability and care must coexist. You can deeply care for people and still enforce standards, discipline, and consequences. Bloom where you're planted. Be the best where you are before chasing the next opportunity; stop leading with the exit plan. Don't lead only with rank. Some of the strongest leaders on his team lead through work ethic, example, and quiet influence. Use mentors; don't go it alone. Pick up the phone, ask for help, and learn from those who've led through similar moments. Family and support systems are force multipliers. A stable, supportive home front enables you to show up fully for the mission.   CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Intro: “Sometimes leadership means the mission stopped being about you” + Mark's accolades 00:01:40 – From hoops to the ring: leaving basketball, discovering boxing, and Coach Weichers' influence 00:03:55 – Finding “dogs”: how Mark recruits scrappy, resilient cadets and builds national champions 00:07:57 – Growing up competitive: family, academics-first father and rivalry with his brother 00:11:09 – Leadership from the ring: iron sharpening iron and elevating everyone on the team 00:14:30 – Warrior mindset: teaching cadets to take a punch, stay composed and execute a plan 00:19:00 – Riding the emotional highs and lows: coaching, winning, losing and not burning out 00:21:08 – Accountability with heart: tough call in Korea, stripes, and good order and discipline 00:24:36 – Competing together: peer squadron commanders, shared struggle and mutual support 00:28:05 – When you want to quit: advice Col. Clifford got, what he tells cadets now and “bloom where you're planted” 00:32:16 – Quiet leaders and culture: cadets who lead through work ethic and example 00:37:23 – Daily leadership reps: mental prep, PE classes, influence in the athletic department 00:43:11 – Talk to young Col. Clifford: trust the process, shake off negativity and the power of family support   ABOUT BIO Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mark Clifford, a 1997 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and former National Collegiate Boxing Association champion, is in his second season as head coach of the Air Force boxing program after leading the women's team to its first NCBA national title in his debut season, highlighted by a program-record four individual champions and a sweep of the men's and women's NCBA Western Regional titles. A former team captain and three-time NCBA All-American as a cadet, Col. Clifford also served two stints as an assistant coach, contributing to four national team championships and 21 individual national champions. He retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years of service, including assignments as director of fuel operations for Air Force One, commander roles in Hawaii and South Korea, combat tours supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and work on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Following his military career, Col. Clifford held leadership positions at Grand Canyon University and the DREAM Foundation, focusing on sports management education and mentorship opportunities for students. He earned a master's degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus and a doctorate from the University of New Mexico.   CONNECT WITH MARK LINKEDIN  |  FALCON ATHLETICS   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS: Guest, Coach Mark Clifford '97  |  Host, Lt. Col. Naviere Walkewicz '99   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Sometimes leadership means realizing the mission stopped being about you a long time ago. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. Long Blue Leadership starts now. Mark Clifford, welcome to Long Blue Leadership.   Col. Mark Clifford 0:14 Thanks for having me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:15 Absolutely, you know, we could jump right in, but before I do, I have to just talk about this. I had to write this down to make sure I didn't miss it. Boxing team captain, obviously; three-time Wing Open champ; three-time regional champ, three-time National Collegiate Boxing Association All-American, and the national champion of the NCBA your senior year.   Col. Mark Clifford 0:33 Yes, ma'am.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:34 I mean, that's just, and that's just as a cadet. Then you went on to serve 20 years in the Air Force as a logistics readiness officer, you know, you're commanding and you're leading squadrons. In addition to that, on the higher education side, assistant dean at Grand Canyon University in sports business.   Col. Mark Clifford 0:49 Yes, yeah, ran the sport management program when I first got there, probably a year after I got there, just to get my feet wet with higher ed, and then was elevated to the assistant dean of the College of Business. And so it was, it was fun, it was amazing, it was very different from what you're used to in the military, because I tried to come in with a little bit of military mindset, but it's a civilian institution, so you know, just a little bit different, just bringing myself there and seeing what happened.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 1:13 Well, you know, I guess what it shows is that you're not afraid to jump in and do, you know, something new. And I think that's — we'll probably discover that in the conversation today. So, maybe where we can start is the fact that you are back at USAFA as the boxing coach. You're here now running and leading the program that shaped you.   Col. Mark Clifford 1:31 Yes.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 1:32 Let's talk about that.   Col. Mark Clifford 1:33 Yes, let's talk about — I mean, I love the program. You know, I came into the Academy, went to the Prep School, on a five-year plan, like some of us that need a little extra help, little extra year, you know. I took my time and really understand that came in, I'm such a competitor. I was playing basketball at the Prep School, came in my freshman year, hoping to be on the basketball team, worked really hard, did all things the coaches asked me to do, still sat the bench, and so, like a lot of cadets, like every cadet, even our women now have to take boxing class, you know, as a mandatory class.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:04 When did that start? What year? Do you remember?   Col. Mark Clifford 2:07 I want to say 2017 is when the women started. It's always been instituted for our men. So my freshman year I did really well in the class, to the point where I had to box our assistant coach at the time, Ray Carter, for my GR, my test.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:22 Did you get an A? Col. Mark Clifford 2:23 I got an A. But it hurt. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:26 For him? Col. Mark Clifford 2:27 Heck no! He was the one punching me. He busted me up pretty good, but I still got the A in the class, and coaches — the same system I use today — is trying to find cadets in boxing class that are competitors that are looking to do more than just be either a cadet or on the team that they're on or ride a bench. I got tired of riding the bench behind a couple of folks until sophomore year, coach came and said, “Hey, you still interested in boxing?” I quit basketball, went to boxing and the rest is history.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:58 You didn't look back at all.   Col. Mark Clifford 2:59 No, you know it's hard to look back because it's shaped — I think we all kind of think back to our cadet years. I know I do sometimes, and kind of reminisce about, “What if?” I remember walking across the street one time, and my brother was ahead of me in '90s — Class of '96 — on the football team, and I was walking across the street as a freshman to basketball practice and ran across Coach Fisher DeBerry. “Hey, Clifford, will you come play football with me?” And so, you always think about opportunities that kind of cross your path, and I think about what would have happened if I would have done something different. I don't know if this story would be as successful as it is, based off of what I've learned in boxing and where I am today. And so, I'm very thankful for the program. I'm thankful for Coach Eddie Weichers, who shaped me, was a father figure for us when we were here. And you know, it's tough being a cadet, so you got to have allies and friends and people and mentors, and he was definitely one for me.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 3:55 Well, I'd love to know, you know — he saw you in class and discovered that talent. How are you finding potential nowadays in the cadets for the program? Because you just happened to have the women who defended a national champion, won it. So, two years now have been the NCBA national champs. Col. Mark Clifford 4:15 I think it's a couple of things I look for. One is, how scrappy are you? I think it was easy at Grand Canyon University to find, you know, the era of COVID, and the resiliency wasn't quite the same as what I remembered when I was here as assistant coach, and as a captain and as a major, as well. The cadets are different, the mentality is different, and so kind of make it simple, I'm looking for dogs, I'm looking for cadets that a) are excited to fight, are not afraid to box, aren't afraid to get hit, love the intensity of the sport, and I can shape that, and you know, the potential piece of that is, can they throw a pretty good punch, and can they take a punch, and they're not, you know, they're not jumping out of the ring with that. That kind of translates into what we're looking for with all of our officers and all officer candidates, is making sure that they can stay there and take a punch, collect themselves, and then go back and execute, right? And so that's what I'm looking for, and I've tried to find those in classes, and you know, a lot of times it's a lot of the athletes.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:21 Right.   Col. Mark Clifford 5:22 Because they're recruited here for other reasons, well, and other…   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:24 Other sports.   Col. Mark Clifford 5:25 Other sports, or whatever, and they want to be competitive, and as a freshman and a sophomore. It's tough, because you got juniors and seniors who have experience on the team. They're out there performing, and you're sitting on the bench, well, you know, I get you in the sport where you don't have to sit the bench.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:43 That's right.   Col. Mark Clifford 5:44 It's top person wins. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:45 So when I think about the team that you formulate and you grow, and they continue to hone in our craft, is it always the athletes that you kind of, that maybe have been benchwarmers, or have you found the diamonds in the rough that maybe have never fought in their lives, and never — that kind of surprise you, that have risen to the top?   Col. Mark Clifford 6:04 You know, there are a lot of diamonds in the rough, there are a lot of, but back to what, there's a lot of cadets that come here that aren't necessarily on a divisional, we're lucky because we have 25% of our population at the Academy are divisional athletes. But there are so many other young cadets that are just as competitive, just as athletic, and looking for something else, and how do you give them something, right? And when they get to come to the Wing Open and see their classmates in the center of Clune Arena, and that thing is filled with all the rest of the Cadet Wing.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 6:37 Yes, and grads and the community.   Col. Mark Clifford 6:39 And the community. They put the floor seats right there, you can sit ringside, it's an amazing thing. How do I be a part of it? And my philosophy is simple: If you enter the Wing Open and you win, then you're the person that represents this for regions and nationals. There's no favoritism, because I quote, unquote, recruited Naviere as a freshman. Now she's a senior, well, the senior gets her butt whooped, I'm taking a freshman. And so it's a very fair system, and so you find those diamonds in the rough. I'll give you one — two-time national champ. She's our team captain this year, Elise Bell. I don't think she's ever fought in her life.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:16 Wow.   Col. Mark Clifford 7:16 When I walked in the gym last year, my first year, I just noticed her work ethic. How do you just pour into something like that and refine that in the gym to become a national champ. And last year — I just love to tell her story, because last year I believe in regionals and nationals, every first round she lost 5-0 to the judges. She was losing, and she won every bout.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:42 Interesting.   Col. Mark Clifford 7:43 So it's just — you find those, and I'm hoping to find more of those cadets that just have that same energy, that resilience, that toughness and courage, really, and willingness to do what we ask you to do.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:58 So, were you like that growing up? Were you someone that had this mindset of, you know, a work ethic and, you know, scrappy, you know, before even getting into boxing? Were you like that as a kid?   Col. Mark Clifford 8:09 I was just a competitor, and that's my father, that's my mother, that's my grandmother, my father's side, who was very — everything had to be put into place. My father was born in 1929 in Washington, D.C., went to Howard University, ROTC post-Tuskegee, and entered the Air Force through ROTC in 1949.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:41 Wow.   Col. Mark Clifford 8:42 So his thing was academics, always. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:45 Yes.   Col. Mark Clifford 8:45 But I had a brother who was a year ahead of me, and it was academics for both of us. But how do you best the guy that's right next to you? Like, it was always just — my brother's name is Larry. That's what Larry and I always did, whether it was girls or sports, school, right? Yeah, it was always   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:02 You drove each other. Col. Mark Clifford 9:03 We drove each other, and it's just — it was amazing. You don't realize that until you're older, and so you go, “Yeah, that's what that did.” And so I think I was always just, 1) I was always a competitor, like I wasn't always the best, but I'd like to try to strive to be, and so that was just kind of how I was shaped.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:22 So was your dad very excited when you — you were recruited to the Academy, is that correct?   Col. Mark Clifford 9:28 My dad kind of wanted me to go — more so than maybe I wanted to go.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:34 When did you realize, like — because obviously you were on the five-year plan, right? So I think you had a couple of times to make a decision, like, “I'm good,” but you stayed. So when was it that it really connected with you that this is where I want to be, and I want to stay. Col. Mark Clifford 9:47 Probably after my sophomore year.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:50 OK.   Col. Mark Clifford 9:50 Yeah, because my first three years, like, I wanted to play basketball so bad. I was trying to recruit myself. This is when you had to go send out your videotape. You know what I'm saying. You're there with me.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:01 Yes, yes, paper. Email's not the thing back then. All paper.   Col. Mark Clifford 10:05 All paper. I'm trying to send videotapes out. Spring break at the Prep School, I think I went to Cal Riverside and tried to meet with the coach and drop off my tape. That's how bad I wanted to play basketball, right, and then I found success in boxing, and it was, I think, why go anywhere else? You start to realize, you get over, like, you're gonna have a job when you graduate. I don't have to look for a job, I don't have to go out there and struggle. I'm gonna get what I want to do out of the military, and it's gonna be a five-year thing for me, and then I'm out, right? And so I think that's what it was. I think it was my sophomore year, and I was going, my grades are terrible. I could say that now. It was — but no one's ever asked me for my GPA. I still was able to get a doctorate. Like, there's things that happen in your life that you'll still be able to achieve success, even though you weren't as great at it before. And so, yeah, I think it was just the realization of, “I could do this.”   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 11:09 So in that journey of, you know, wanting to play basketball so bad, finding a space and a place that really you started to hone in on yourself in boxing, and then, you know, went into the Air Force, you were leading. What have you found out about yourself in a leadership perspective through those different situations, whether you ended up not playing basketball or something that went really well for you, like national champ?   Col. Mark Clifford 11:35 I think just overall leadership was the ability for me to impact others to be successful, and I think that's what I took out of boxing, because it is an individual sport, but it's very team-oriented. We don't put banners on the wall that say “national champion” without a team mentality to make sure that our teammate, left and right of us, are also excelling. And so, in a small sport like boxing, at a time where I boxed, there was 12 weight classes, but you're boxing the guy above a weight and below a weight, because you're trying to make that person better, iron sharpens iron.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:10 Right.   Col. Mark Clifford 12:10 I also had, I was a 172-, 175-pounder boxing the heavyweight, because in my mind was no one's gonna hit me as hard as this guy is gonna hit me.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:19 That's right.   Col. Mark Clifford 12:20 And so if I can stand and get and last with this guy, I can last with anybody in college boxing. And that flowed for me into the military of — and part of my philosophy was how do I elevate everybody else, because I realized here at the Academy it's not about us, right? We're in the people business to make sure people around us are elevated, have the things that they need, resources they need to make sure that they're doing the job the best of their ability. Because then the unit does better as a team. The wing does better as a team. It's not about us individually. And so I think for me being able to translate that out of boxing into my Air Force career was part of what shaped me as a leader to make myself successful.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 13:02 Did you find yourself seeing if anyone could take a punch from you in your Air Force uniform, or how did you do that?   Col. Mark Clifford 13:10 Well, you know, I punch my words when I know you can't put your hands on people.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 13:16 Of course.   Col. Mark Clifford 13:19 You know, back in the early days, you know, I think the chief excused me from a meeting, and the meeting was back behind the fuel watershed. I can't remember…   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 13:32 Fair enough.   Col. Mark Clifford 13:33 Some wall-to-wall training that was going on with other individuals, but hey, chief said it was good. Roger that chief.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 13:40 That's hilarious.   Col. Mark Clifford 13:41 Yeah, no, you know, you don't put your hands on people. I used to have to tell people, “Don't let my smile fool you,” you know. I like to have a good time, I enjoy myself, I enjoy the people that I'm around. Also, I know our job is very serious, and I was very serious about our job. And so, part of my leadership philosophy was always — my dad's thing was the Golden Rule, you know, treat people the way that you want to be treated. And I always — there's some things here at the Academy that I didn't love, so I took away from, “I'm not going to be that type of person,” into accountability, holding people accountable, myself included. And so even at the Academy, as a knucklehead cadet, I did goofy stuff. I'd be the first one to say, yeah, I take my lumps, march my tours, take my Form 10, do what you need to do, but just survive the place and learn from it, and it shapes you out as a leader.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:31 Absolutely. You know, I'm curious, because I think about — you just said, “I like to have fun,” and you know, “but don't let my smile fool you.” You know, when you think about boxing and the mentality you have to have to literally stand across from somebody and hit someone, or take a punch, or you know, be hit back. How do you train that kind of mindset? Because I have to think it parallels a lot with the fact that we are developing warfighters. You know, how do you train that?   Col. Mark Clifford 14:57 Yeah, you know, that's kind of the bottom line of the boxing class. It's not about finding championship boxers. The boxing class is about exactly what you just outlined. It's how do you, as an individual, put a strategy and plan together knowing that you have an adversary across the ring that's going to hurt you. Like, the object of the game is to punch you. Pros is more so to hurt you. College boxing, amateurs, more to score more points than you. Bottom line, they'll hurt you, and that mentality of how do you compose yourself? Do the things that we asked you to do: a) defend yourself, b) have an offensive plan, even if you're losing, how do you compose yourself? Right, part of that warrior spirit is making sure that we always have that mindset of how we're going to achieve and beat our adversaries, and I think that's the bottom line of the boxing class. It's just, how do we do that? So, the mindset is exactly that, is you know you're gonna get punched, but can you punch that person when they punch you? Can you put some other things in place that I gave you tools — that I gave you, head movement, defensive movement — to take those punches away, right? From a strategic standpoint, and then be offensive, and then score your points.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:11 Right.   Col. Mark Clifford 16:11 And so that's the mentality we try to have boxers to make sure that this is a sport where you're gonna get hit. Once you get past that hurdle, it's good, right? It's how you work on all these other skill sets that make you better than your opponent. And if the other person's just as skilled as you are, what's the edge that we get? And I think that's part of our mental preparation that we do as well as our physical preparation.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:34 So I think about you shaping that for the team, both the men and women. How was that shaped for you? Was that your coach at the time, Eddie Weichers? Was that Wiechers? Was that someone in your family? Who were those mentors in your life?   Col. Mark Clifford 16:45 For me, it was Eddie Weichers and Ray Carter. Ray Carter was an enlisted assistant coach, and he was four-time, I think, All-Air Force heavyweight champ. Those two were instrumental for me, especially during my career times, before my time as a boxer, because I would work hard, work out a lot with Coach Carter, because the same mentality helped with a heavyweight. If this big joker can hit me, I can take the punch… He's also going to teach me some things. I mean, Coach Weichers was the same. It was the mental piece that his thing was knowing to turn on the hot water, and it was because I would have a good time, enjoy practice, have fun with the guys, but when you step in that ring, turn the hot water on, it's all about business. So, then, when you step out, turn it back on to cold, go back to goofing off and doing things that you do, but you get in there, it's all about business. And so, how do you train your mind to go, like, man, “I gotta go to war right now?” And it was, you know, I had a preparation before I got to the ring, and some things that I did that helped me mentally prepare before I jumped in there, but…   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:52 What did you do?   Col. Mark Clifford 17:53 You know, again, it was the Walkman CD Walkman, the CD Walkman. And I couldn't jump around too much because it was Skip. Yeah, the CB was skip had the little baby headphones had my little do rag on and I would just zone out on some music, I would zone out on music until it was time for me to get up and do my physical warm up with some jumping some rope shadow boxing and maybe little hand mitts with the coach before I jumped in the ring, but OK, yeah, it was a, you know, I couldn't jump around too much. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 18:25 It would skip, that's true. Now they just have — they don't have to have anything connected, just put in their ears.   Col. Mark Clifford 18:30 I'm jealous about it, to be honest.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 18:35 So I imagine when you're coaching, and I'm saying I imagine because I've not coached ever to this level. I coach my son's little league basketball team, but which is a whole different level of coaching, but what I find curious is, have you ever found yourself in the feeling of, because you know how it felt when you win, when you lose, and when you watch your cadets going through that, how does that affect you as a coach? Col. Mark Clifford 19:01 Yes, I'm learning to not, I'm learning to not ride the emotion like they do, but I definitely did my first year, I think, as an assistant coach. So, I was assistant coach with Coach Wishers five years total as active duty officer, and that was different because I was on the sideline, he was the main guy, I was a support guy, but when you're the head guy, you're the one that gives the kids advice, giving them the strategy, and then really I felt it at nationals, especially when we started to win in with our women, we our first female won in the first half of the day, a freshman, I don't know if she was expected to win. She didn't expect to win, but in our hearts, in our minds, we knew. And then this is the motion, because I know how hard they work and what it takes to get your hand raised, because I came up short my first two years when I'm the guy standing with my hands down, the other guy's hand is raised, and then getting my hand raised my senior year was the most amazing feeling. I rode that same emotion when we lost, when we won, and I was worn out and tired. So I'm trying to train myself not to try to ride that emotion, but it's hard, like you know. I want to be in there with them, and I feel the same things that they feel, because I went through that same process they went through. And so it's interesting dynamic because I'm trying to peel myself away from mine. I just haven't detached yet. I think I'm still emotionally and mentally driven by what happens with our cadets, and it's a weird feeling. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 20:36 I imagine as a leader that's probably a common challenge you have because you care so deeply about your team, like family, that you do get emotional, right, and that might even be one of the sharpest knives in your, in your kit. It's just, you know, how you employ it, I guess.   Col. Mark Clifford 20:52 Yeah, you know, that reminds me of a really tough situation when I was a commander in Korea. Back to, had to hold somebody accountable with that person. Part of the discipline action was taking a strike, right, blah blah blah, the things that happened for something negative, right, but he's such a good person, and it was a first, first mistake, but it was a big one, and what that led to was a person dropping rank, but then hitting higher tenure, and couldn't test for the next strike, and so I really struggled with that, and had really tough conversations with not only the group chief, but my commander, right, and my chief, my first sergeant. Is this really the right thing for this individual? I think ultimately for good organ discipline. Yes, I think emotionally because it was a small unit. We were in Korea, his, he had his wife there, I had my family there, right? So they became friends, close, right, close enough, because such a small group, and that's the type of organization that I like to have, because I think if it's you, almost play that disappointment role or daddy role, or whatever, however you want to characterize it, that leadership style, but it was, man, you really got to depend on your brother or sister, you let that person down, and you let us all down. Yes, and so that's part of my leadership style, especially in Korea. I took over for a commander that was let go and fired, and so there was a whole cultural change I had to do, so that was when the “don't let the smile full you” happened, right? And you just had to make sure that you held people accountable. That was one of the tough ones where emotionally you're going, "Man, am I making the right call?” Organizationally, absolutely. Personally, for that individual, it was tough. It was tough. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:36 How did those moments stretch you as a leader? I find that fascinating, because you do. You have such a warm and, you know, fun personality about you. I mean, I think when you think about command and the decisions you've had to make at different times, both in the ring, out of the ring, in uniform, et cetera. How did you grow as a leader?   Col. Mark Clifford 22:53 I think we all grow every day. I think, for me, I lean a lot on my mentors. I'm not afraid to ask for help, right? I learned that early in my career, that it took me a while, because I was in the way, but it took me a while to understand that I can pick up the phone and ask somebody for help, and they're going to help you, because, as an organization, our Air Force, our Space Force is all about making sure people are successful. We don't set people up for failure. Why? Because if one individual fails, yeah. So I think for me making those tough calls was was challenging, because because of my leadership style. I think it was, I want people to get along, I want our team to be meet the standard of excellence, if not exceeded. I want us to be always on that front edge, because I'm a competitor. Yes, I want to be the best, but also that comes with accountability and tough decisions. And I think when you have to be in the moment, make some of those tough decisions, that's you just have to go back and reflect. You have to lean on people that do the same thing. I had a great group of fellow squadron commanders at my first command in Hawaii, that's a really terrible basis to go to, that's why I stayed there for 20, that's why I stayed there for 20. The plan was five. Oh, yes, yeah, 20 happened because I had some great people around me, and I, and the bases weren't bad either, and so my family loved it, and we saw some rough assignments, but it ended up being great, but I can lean on my fellow squadron commanders if I had some enough time. But it was just a bitch session, or if it was a leadership lesson. Most of us were about the same year group, age group. I think one or two of the commanders was a year or two ahead of me, but it was just — we weren't competing with each other. We were making sure we were all competing together and being successful together. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 24:53 I think about that theme of being a competitor, and I remember you telling me about your brother and your dad. So, has there been a continued, you know, competition, and how you guys have done in your, in your careers and in life, or have you leaned back to your dad, like, “Hey, Dad, so how do you go about this?”   Col. Mark Clifford 25:09 No, you know, we unfortunately lost my dad a couple years ago.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:13 Oh, I'm sorry. Col. Mark Clifford 25:13 No, it's OK; 94 years of an amazing life. I found some old pictures of him and Chappie James, which is pretty — talk about history and legacy. But no, I think my brother — I found out — so, my brother left after his sophomore year. He hadn't finished the Academy. He stuck around here another year, so my sophomore year, and I really came to find out, although we competed against each other our entire lives, he was my No. 1 fan, and I didn't even know it. It was like — he would tell me stories of, I think, my first Wing Open, maybe my second Wing Open — my first Wing Open sophomore year, that he, for the first time, said some cuss words next to my dad because they were in the stands, because he was cheering for me, and it was just funny to hear, like, we're grown-ups, but you can't cuss in front of my dad. You don't say those things. He was like, “Oh no, Dad's gonna get me.” But no, I think since then it's been a really supportive relationship, and like anything that I do, he'll call me as soon as we're competing anywhere as a coach now, ask how we did, how the cadets did, he said he's proud of me, I'm proud of him too, and he's doing real estate in Southern California with his wife and his family. So it was weird to see that, or hear that from him, because it was always like…   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:31 Yeah, you were always like mmmm mmmm. Looking over your shoulders. Col. Mark Clifford 26:35 Yeah, like who's going to get who? But it was awesome. It was kind of cool.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:38 I love that, and I'm just thinking, you know, I'm sorry to hear of your dad passing, but I'm sure throughout those years you had many calls to him about, you know, some of those decisions you had to make in uniform, and I'm sure he was extremely proud of you making it a career.   Col. Mark Clifford 26:51 Yeah, yeah, I think he also was surprised I lasted as long as I did, just because I was so against it early on in my career. But no, I've been super proud, and it was always good to come home and just kind of share some stories with him, and he would reflect back on his stories, and he was a fighter pilot, and so just some of his fighter-pilot stories, and you know, the things that shaped me — talk about moments in your career and moments that shaped his career. It was just — it's just cool to have somebody like that in a different era that can share the different challenges, but also the same.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:31 That's a good point. Yeah.   Col. Mark Clifford 27:32 I think that's what's interesting with the military, like, and coming back to the Academy is a perfect example. Like, there's challenges that we have, they're kind of the same that we've had, probably 15 years ago when I was here.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:45 Like a cycle.   Col. Mark Clifford 27:46 It's a cycle. Yeah. So it's like now you have new leaders, how do they work through these different challenges differently than we did before? Not that we need to repeat history, but at the same time, you know what I'm saying, it just becomes a cyclical thing, that was how do we work. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 28:03 How do we navigate that? Yeah. Col. Mark Clifford 28:05 The same stuff, yeah. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 28:06 I want to go back to something you said, and I think it probably plays into some of the cadets that you work with, and or help to coach. You talked about how you weren't sure you wanted to go to the Academy, and staying, you know. The idea of quitting is where I'm really kind of going. What advice have you received to help you not quit, or to kind of push through when you wanted to quit? And have you seen that with cadets, and how are you navigating that?   Col. Mark Clifford 28:29 Yes, and yes. I think the best advice I received when I was thinking about quitting was, “Just really ask yourself why, what's the purpose, and then where you're going to go, like what's the plan?” And that's what was one of my dad's themes was, especially when I got out, was looking to navigate civilian jobs, right, but you don't leave something unless you got something else in your other hand. And so I was like, “How do you really focus in on being the best at where you're at, right, before you even think about stepping somewhere else?” And I had to reflect on that, especially as a cadet, was I really being the best at where I was as a freshman? Sophomore, I could tell you no, because I wanted so many other things, and it wasn't had anything to do with the Academy, had nothing to do with the Academy, but you know…   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:21 You were focused on basketball…   Col. Mark Clifford 29:23 Focused on other things until I could really be the best at all the things, and it's a balance here at the Academy — academically, militarily, athletically. I wanted to be the best athletically. How do I go win a national championship as the boxer? And so I found out that you've got to prioritize, which is… Right? We all had to do that. We all have to do that in our lives today. And so my priority was boxing, because I wanted to be great at athletics; academics, because I knew I can't get out of this place unless academics met the standard.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 30:01 And you couldn't box here…   Col. Mark Clifford 30:03 And I couldn't do that without the academics. My dad saying, like, “You don't do anything else unless your academics are where they need to be.” And lastly — it was OK for me militarily. I can make the military stuff work. It wasn't my party. Maybe I should have bowed a little bit more. So I share that with our cadets. Is how do you balance those things that want to make you successful? The one thing I tell the cadets now is, because I've been in the civilian world, it's tough. Like, if you leave here, you got to navigate A, go get a degree, and then B, trying to find a job which meets your standard and the standard of living that you want to have, it's going to be difficult. It's not — and so it's still a cadet's choice. Yes, and we've talked to them about, like, all right, make sure you put things in place to make yourself successful. But I try to give them same advice. I said, “There's no other place outside of the three military academies where you're going to go through a really tough time, you're going to have really awesome friends, you're gonna have a great experience, and, oh, by the way, you have a job, and you graduate — with free medical and dental, like that stuff's not cheap. Yeah, so I, you know, I think I share those things with the cadets, especially when they talk about leaving. And then I like to share — I try not to go back to, “Oh, back in my day” with that.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:19 Because our day was a long time ago.   Col. Mark Clifford 31:21 Now you didn't have to say it out loud. I think we know that, but it's true, you know, it's there are still some challenges out there, but they have to navigate the waters, and there's some things that they do differently now at the Academy that we did when we were at the Academy, but this is a really cool place. It's a great place to be from. It's a great place to put on a resume when you decide to get out of the military after your obligation. It's a great place because they're gonna give you a job and occupation. You get to fly jets if that's what you want to do. There's so many opportunities here that the cadets have.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:59 Yes.   Col. Mark Clifford 31:59 And I just overload them with that, because I think it is an amazing place. And the reason why I come back to it, because I think so highly of what it's done for me and shaped me. How can I do that for others and mentor others to make sure that they have a similar experience, but a successful one, no matter what their story is.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:17 Can you share an example of a cadet that surprised you from a leadership perspective, because of their work with you and their time in the ring.   Col. Mark Clifford 32:25 Well, it's hard. So I'm only in my second year. I've got a couple of seniors this year. Elise Bell is one of them. Her fiancé, Kamari Jackson, is a cadet I met when I was here. He was starting his junior year, he's coming off a neck injury, and I challenged him because he's hanging around the gym. I didn't know why. Now I know why. I thought it was boxing, it wasn't. It was Elise, but I'm good with that, you know. I would whisper in Elise's ear, try to get him back, because he was really good as a freshman. Then got hurt, but he's another young man that's just took leadership by the horn. Came in back this year, I challenged him to be at a certain weight. He said, “Coach, I'm coming back, I want to win it. I made weight.” I didn't think he was going to make the weight his first semester, fall semester. He was a squadron commander, plate is full but still made it down. Was one of those — he wasn't our team captain, but he was a team captain.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 33:26 Yes.   Col. Mark Clifford 33:27 It was just one of those…   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 33:28 …leading without rank or title.   Col. Mark Clifford 33:30 You didn't need it, yeah, but he just had that. He has an aura. I wouldn't say he surprised me. I just think it was just one of those success stories where you're going, man. I love to have a team like this that just — and we do. They lead in their own way. We've got some quiet ones; I've got some vocal ones. I've got ones — our senior this year, our heavyweight, the one that won the Wing Open, he did it with his work ethic. Elise Bell, she leads with her work ethic. There are different ways of leading in the gym, and I try to harness that, and then elevate those that are doing it, making sure the team sees what they're doing. There's a young lady, she's very quiet, prior enlisted two-time national champ now. She's won three Wing Opens, she's gonna probably get her fourth as a senior, she's gonna be our team captain this year, because she's quiet, but it brings out her show, forces her to use her voice a little bit more, because she does it quietly with her work ethic in the corner. But you all see her because she's always in the ring and she's always working. So, I wouldn't say they surprised me just yet. I haven't had so many surprises just yet, but I've had some that has solidified my resolve in why I came back because they understand where they're going, they're learning what leadership is, because you don't always have to vocally stand on the pedestal and be the person on top to be a leader, and I love that piece of this.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:56 So, I'm sure maybe this is a silly question, but obviously you have been assistant coach in the past. What made you come back as head coach?   Col. Mark Clifford 35:03 It's a silly question, Naviere. These cadets — no, this place is special. I love the Athletic Department. I mean, back to what it's done for me: I had the opportunity to come back as a young captain, working in the athletic department, was able to get a doctorate degree out of this place, was able to come back again and be around the cadets to learn more from Coach Eddie Weichers. And I think all of those parts and pieces helped develop me, because it put me in positions where I was able to grab jobs and be in positions to be successful. I had no business picking up a squadron command the second time I was here, but I was able to pick up the squadron command, because I had people pulling for me, pushing for me, and that's what you go back to, like you said before, what helped shape you, and that it's just the people around here that help shape me. And how do I come back and give back to an institution, to a department that really shaped me as an individual? And that's what I'm doing. I think I come back because it's — I want to see the cadets who struggled like me, and I find them in class too, that are debating whether they want to be or not, looking for something else to be a part of, and I always invite them to be part of the boxing family, because I know what boxing did for me and others who went through this program that were competitive, that couldn't make another team, or wasn't on a different team that wanted to show their skill that wanted to balance something from the academic side, because that is so stressful. Punching something is very stress relieving. There's something about it — especially if I can punch something in the face in front of other people and not get in trouble — I was doing it. And so I think being able to come back and give that opportunity to other cadets and then watch them flourish with it and grow with it, I think is why I'm back. And so I'm thankful for the athletic department. I'm thankful for the Academy. So, how do I pay it forward in my way, paying it forward? This is my way of paying it forward.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 37:02 I love that. Well, I want to ask you something that we ask our guests on this, because it's really about how you continue to hone your skills as a leader through all the journeys, right? In uniform, out of uniform, in the private sector, higher education, etc. What is something you do every day to be better as a leader?   Col. Mark Clifford 37:23 Well, you know, I think is internally, “How do I have an impact,” as a head coach in the athletic department, and I'm not an NCAA sport like some of our other coaches. How do I impact people around me in my sphere of influence? It's very different now when you're an officer, when you're a commander, you have entire unit that you have impact on. Mine are smaller. One, it's internally with my team, is how do I lead and impact my team, and so I want to make sure that I'm always prepared to support our cadets through practice, having a plan for them so they know when they walk in the door what we're supposed to do. Because I think that's important from a discipline standpoint of knowing and understanding what I have to do when I get to the gym, and what my end goal is. And I always come in for that mentally prepared, and then mentally preparing them for the rest of the season, because we have a long season. And then I always think about my series of influence. I'm in the athletic department on the physical education side. How do I make sure I am prepared for the other cadets in classes that aren't on the team? Make sure they have a positive experience in PE class, but also I make sure they know that I'm a grad. I make sure that they know I'm a high-level guy, because I think there's value in that when they can always ask questions that are driven towards operational air force, not necessarily about this particular class. So I make sure I'm prepared for those cadets, and then how do I then allow myself to be available for the rest of the department, not only the physical education department, but our athletic directors, and making sure that I'm a resource. I've been here before, right? I understand something. I may not have all the answers, but I'm willing to help the support. I'm always preparing myself daily for the cadets and the staff and the folks around me that my sphere of influence has, at least the best part of me every time I can work. And so I think daily for me it's a mental preparation, but also, you know, prepping for the day of the day of, from a leadership perspective, because my leadership role is very different now than what it was when you're active duty, when you're sitting at Grand Canyon University as a dean or assistant dean, right? Your influence is very different.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 39:40 So mentally you prepare yourself. What does that look like as far as like activity, right? So, are you taking care of yourself physically, so that you have the capacity to do more? Are you — I'm just curious, like, what does that look like when you say you're preparing yourself? Col. Mark Clifford 39:56 I do a couple of things. I think in the morning when I get up, I have a cup of coffee, and we typically — my wife and I typically watch the news together. It is thinking about the impacts of what happens in our world, how that impacts our Academy. I don't think — there's very little ripple effect that gets to the cadet, but also understanding why what's happening in our world is important to a cadet. I always try to prepare myself for those conversations, just in case they come up, and they have come up in classes sometimes. But I just give my perspective more so. Physically, I hit the gym, I work in a gym, so my wife says I have no excuse, at least you better be in a gym using equipment. I physically do that, and then I try to make sure I walk through our gym and put pieces together, equipment together, and make sure the equipment's in place and ready for our cadets, and sometimes I box and stuff. I gotta stay sharp.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:01 I was gonna ask, you know, how that you did with what was his name, the assistant coach at the time, Ray…   Col. Mark Clifford 41:06 Ray Carter.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:07 Yes, are you ever across in the ring with someone; with a cadet?   Col. Mark Clifford 41:12 My first year, I did. My last year, I let the young captains and majors do that. I realized that my mind will say do something — move out the way. I don't move out the way as quick as I used to, but I think I do.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:27 Then you feel that you didn't. Col. Mark Clifford 41:12 Exactly. I didn't. Never let the cadets know they got you.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:33 That's funny. All right, I want to ask you one more question. What's something, if you could have a conversation with young Mark as a cadet today, what would you tell yourself?   Col. Mark Clifford 41:44 I think the one thing I would tell myself is, trust the process, be the best that you can be, where you are, and where you're playing it, and do that to the best of your ability, and then shake off the negativity and the nonsense. I had some great friends here, but also some friends that didn't want to be here either, and so you feed off that negativity. I think that got into who I was, especially as a young cadet, because some of that negativity that probably kept me from being my best in certain areas, especially academically, especially militarily, because I think if I were able to do that, maybe my outcome probably would have been on the same trajectory, but also it would have been more positive experience,   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 42:27 Less painful for sure.   Col. Mark Clifford 42:29 Yeah, not chasing other things, trying to get your tape out, go recruit somewhere else. You're happy where you are, you're doing the best that you can, and it's going to be challenging, tough. And understand that you're going to take some losses, that's what this place is about. It's not always going to be a win, because in life, it's not always a win. And if you can bounce back from a loss, at some point it took me two years, in that third year, I bounced back in the loss to get that W, life becomes very, very easy. Yeah, you kind of figured out, so that's what I tell myself to prepare myself a little better. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 43:05 No, that's excellent. What's something that we didn't talk about today that you would really like to make sure that we share?   Col. Mark Clifford 43:11 I think we kind of talked about it, family, my family, my wife's been my rock for almost 30 years, we're on 29 this year, we're going on 30. We've got two boys that say they don't want to be in the military, I don't want to move. My oldest son is not in the military, he's moved three times since he graduated college two years ago. And then the youngest one, who didn't want to do it, would join officer training school in July.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 43:34 Congratulations!   Col. Mark Clifford 43:35 Yeah, super-proud. He's taking an eight-week route, not the five-year route. So, I don't know if he's smarter, I don't know how to play that one, but you know, I can't say enough about making sure that your family supports what you do. I could not have been as successful or do the things that I was able to do in the Air Force without my wife Elise and my two boys, Caleb and Jaden, without their support, because there were some tough times when you're deployed and you're gone and you just need that rock to make sure that the household is good, so you focus on your job while you're gone and be home in your home, and she made sure that we did that when we had opportunities, and she also, no matter where we went, made sure it was a home, and so I'm thankful for that, because the boys always had home versus places that we had to move to, right, and like you said, we have some good ones, thankfully. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 44:29 Well, it sounds like you also have translated that, bringing that that Elise has brought to your family, to your boxing family. I mean, I think when cadets are there, they're home away, this is home away from home, right? And maybe not all of them have father figures or leaders in their lives, and it sounds like you kind of taken that mantle, placed it right there.   Col. Mark Clifford 44:47 I tried, I tried. You know, we talked about this before we started, but I'm gonna push them hard. Make sure that they exceed that level of physicality and mentality that they think they can, because they will exceed it and be able to perform when it's time to perform. And I love it.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 45:07 Well, Mark, this has been amazing — Coach Clifford, I mean. What you're doing at the program, I mean, you started with you, right, embedded in you, and now you're taking it to the next level. What I learned today in your leadership lessons are those things that you've battled with in the ring, you're bringing out in life, whether in uniform, out of uniform, and you're not only sharing it with those that have been directly on your team, but those that may join your team. You know, we just talked about those basic cadets. So, what I really appreciate about you is you're willing to be there in that with them, celebrating their wins and helping them navigate those losses. So, thanks for being an incredible leader, and thanks for being on Long Blue Leadership. Thank you for investing your time, and for joining us here on Long Blue Leadership. I encourage you to share this episode with others who are on their own leadership journey. You can find this and all our conversations wherever you get your podcasts, or at longblueleadership.org. Until next time, I'm Naviere Walkewicz.   KEYWORDS Leadership development, servant leadership, transformational leadership, competitive mindset, resilience, mental toughness, accountability, team culture, coaching and mentoring, leading by example, emotional intelligence, authenticity, character development, warrior ethos, growth mindset, discipline, perseverance, decision-making, ethical leadership, influencing without authority, role modeling, performance under pressure, purpose-driven leadership, mentorship, building trust, developing potential, talent identification, culture change, officer development, military leadership, sports leadership, motivation, intrinsic motivation, ownership, responsibility, humility, continuous improvement, self-reflection, family support, work-life integration, peer influence, values-based leadership, strategic thinking, adaptability, handling failure, bouncing back from setbacks, high standards, excellence, preparation, focus, commitment, dedication.     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation      

Josh and Nathan warn a listener never to negotiate against themselves, and provide advice on how to (marginally) boost their admissions chances outside of their LSAT and GPA. Read more on our website. Email daily@lsatdemon.com with questions or comments. Watch this episode on YouTube!More LSAT Demon Resources.

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Backed by 72 peer-reviewed studies and research conducted alongside Google, Microsoft, universities in Brazil, and veteran treatment programs, Dr. Porter is one of the most experienced and validated practitioners in applied neuroscience and brain optimization working today. Together, Dave and Dr. Porter break down exactly how flickering light and binaural sound delivered through the BrainTap headset feeds the brain through the electron transport chain, triggers nitric oxide release, boosts mitochondrial energy, and drives neuroplasticity through frequency following response. They cover how 40 hertz gamma light breaks up amyloid plaque and why that same frequency is linked to reversing dementia, how BrainTap reset the circadian rhythms of coal miners in under three weeks, how 490,000 students in Brazil raised their GPA using brain wave entrainment, and how AI now builds personalized 21-day brain training protocols from 3,000 available sessions. If you are serious about biohacking your brain, upgrading sleep optimization, and doing smarter not harder work on your mind, this episode delivers the science and the tools. You'll Learn: Why light is the most underrated nutrient for brain health and how BrainTap delivers it directly to every cell in your body How 40 hertz gamma frequency breaks up amyloid plaque, restores blood flow, and may reverse dementia and Alzheimer's progression Why binaural beats and isochronic tones trigger frequency following response and what that does to your focus, metabolism, and energy How three 10-minute BrainTap sessions per day produces 26 percent more work output according to studies with Google and Microsoft How BrainTap restored deep sleep and REM cycles in coal miners with destroyed circadian rhythms in under three weeks Why 90 percent of autistic children in one study began speaking after six weeks of pulsed light therapy targeting alpha wave production How AI inside BrainTap now generates personalized brain training protocols based on your specific stress, sleep, and performance goals Why the vagus nerve is the hidden target of BrainTap's ear lights and how triggering it drives parasympathetic recovery How SMR brain waves create the optimal state for focus and concentration and why elite athletes use this for both performance and academic results What the NeuroCheck system measures across nine parameters of the nervous system in five minutes and how it validates your biohacking results Thank you to our sponsors! - AirDoctor | Go to https://airdoctorpro.com/daveasprey and save up to $300 on Air Purifiers. - AquaTru | Go to https://aquatruwater.com/daveasprey and save $100 on all AquaTru water purifiers. - iRestore | Reverse hair loss at www.irestore.com/DAVE and get exclusive savings on the iRestore Elite, use code DAVE Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights inhealth, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient. Keywords: Dr. Patrick Porter, BrainTap, brainwave entrainment, light therapy, sound therapy, binaural beats, isochronic tones, 40 hertz gamma, gamma frequency, amyloid plaque, Alzheimer's prevention, dementia reversal, neuroplasticity, brain optimization, neurotechnology, frequency following response, SMR brain waves, alpha waves, delta waves, theta waves, vagus nerve, vagal stimulation, parasympathetic nervous system, nitric oxide, mitochondria, electron transport chain, sleep optimization, circadian rhythm reset, deep sleep, REM sleep, Oura Ring, HRV, cognitive performance, focus and concentration, productivity, nootropics, brain entrainment, photobiomodulation, red light therapy, near infrared light, biohacking, human performance, anti-aging, longevity, neurohacking, mental resilience, stress reduction, anxiety relief, autism therapy, pulsed light therapy, AI personalization, personalized wellness, meditation technology, Dave Asprey, Beyond Biohacking Conference, NeuroCheck, nervous system assessment, brain health, mental performance Resources: • Go to https://braintap.com/dave/ for an exclusive offer for The Human Upgrade listeners • Get My 2026 Clean Nicotine Roadmap | Enroll for free at https://daveasprey.com/2026-clean-nicotine-roadmap/ • Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 • My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off) • Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off) • Dave Asprey's BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com • Dave Asprey's New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated • Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/ • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Trailer 00:30 – Intro & Guest Welcome 01:45 – BrainTap: Light & the Brain 04:15 – 40Hz Gamma & Alzheimer's 05:55 – Sound & Binaural Beats 07:26 – Usage Protocol & Results 08:37 – Sleep & Circadian Reset 09:29 – AI-Personalized Sessions 10:47 – Conference Preview 12:19 – Vagus Nerve & Ear Lights 13:33 – Closing & Offer See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feeling like you need perfect stats, thousands of PCE hours, and a flawless CASPA app to get into PA school? In this episode, we're breaking down why getting accepted is MORE about strategy, school matching, and building the strongest version of YOUR application — not being the “perfect” applicant.Application to Acceptance ENROLLING!! Inside A2A, we walk you through every step of creating your strongest, most competitive CASPA application!Every step of putting together your strongest, best PA school application:Choosing the right PA schools for YOU and YOUR stats (even if you have a low GPA or weakness)Writing your most compelling personal statementCASPA Experience Paragraphs Templates - plug-and-play templates to write strong experience paragraphs that highlight YOUNEW!! Personal Statement Theme + Outline Creator Tool - discover your strongest themes AND get an outline of exactly what to write unique to YOUInterview course + MMI + Traditional Q&A WorkbooksSupplemental essays, AI and technology essay, and life essayTemplates for emails of continued interest to PA schools, LORs and so much more!Direct access to us in a private A2A group for anything that comes up throughout your cycleJoin A2A hereKeep up the amazing work, future PA!Katie + Beth

Getting accepted into optometry school involves much more than strong grades and a competitive GPA. Interviews allow schools to evaluate communication skills, professionalism, maturity, and a student's passion for patient care. During a recent episode of the Depth Perception Podcast, Dr. Svetlana Nunez and Dr. Douglas Akidi shared practical strategies to help pre-optometry students feel more […]

Why does a pencil work so perfectly? Why does graphite leave marks on paper instead of just crumbling apart? And what do pancakes, honeycombs, geckos, and intermolecular forces have to do with any of it? This week we follow a simple pencil all the way down to carbon atoms, graphene sheets, and the weirdly satisfying chemistry that makes writing possible. Plus: final exam horror stories, missed alarms, and why reading the syllabus might save your GPA. Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Timestamps 0:00 – The strangely satisfying feeling of fresh pencils 1:03 – So… how do pencils actually work? 2:07 – A “polymer eraser” sparks this whole episode 3:10 – Are pencils disappearing for Gen Alpha? 4:35 – Graphite, graphene, and carbon structures 6:20 – What graphene actually looks like 7:10 – Carbon bonding and tetrahedral shapes 8:10 – Double bonds and flat molecular structures 9:40 – Electron highways and conductivity 10:20 – Melissa's graphene model demonstration 13:10 – Why graphene could replace silicon chips 13:30 – Carbon nanotubes explained 14:40 – What holds graphite layers together? 15:00 – Intermolecular forces return 17:10 – Quick refresher on intermolecular forces 18:50 – London dispersion forces and temporary dipoles 19:30 – Why graphite is brittle 20:00 – How pencils leave marks on paper 21:20 – Why graphite is basically perfectly designed for writing 22:00 – A detour into paper, parchment, and writing history 24:00 – Pencil hardness and clay mixtures 26:30 – Jam attempts a chemistry-heavy recap 33:20 – Cliffhanger: how erasers work 34:00 – Final exam disaster stories 36:50 – Oversleeping a college final 39:10 – Melissa's sprint across campus in pajamas 41:00 – Read the syllabus. Seriously. 43:10 – Teasing next episode: erasers and other forms of carbon Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife References from the Episode: Thanks to our monthly supporters Kelly D. Bri Summer Alden Amanda Raymond Kyle McCray Justine Ash Vince W Julie S. Heather Ragusa Autoclave Dorien VD Scott Beyer Jessie Reder J0HNTR0Y Jeannette Napoleon Cullyn R Erica Bee Elizabeth P Rachel Reina Letila Katrina Barnum-Huckins Suzanne Phillips Venus Rebholz Jacob Taber Brian Kimball Kristina Gotfredsen Timothy Parker Steven Boyles Chris Skupien Chelsea B Avishai Barnoy Hunter Reardon Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ashley Christopher. Interview Summary: Ashley Christopher on Money Making Conversations Masterclass Guest: Ashley ChristopherHost: Rushion McDonaldPlatform: Money Making Conversations MasterclassFocus: HBCU access, scholarships, STEM pipeline, purpose-driven leadership Overall Summary Ashley Christopher shares the origin, growth, and impact of the HBCU Week Foundation, which she founded in 2017 to increase enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), remove financial barriers, and create direct pathways from high school to college and corporate America. What began as a local Wilmington, Delaware initiative evolved into a national movement that has facilitated over 10,000 on-the-spot HBCU acceptances and nearly $100 million in scholarships, including a landmark $40 million STEM scholarship partnership. The conversation blends entrepreneurship, education equity, resilience, faith, and purpose, highlighting how lived experience and authentic mission can scale social impact. Purpose of the Interview To spotlight the HBCU Week Foundation and its measurable outcomes (acceptances, scholarships, STEM investment). To educate families and students about on-the-spot college acceptance and scholarship opportunities. To inspire purpose-driven leadership, particularly among Black entrepreneurs and community leaders. To demonstrate how local solutions can scale nationally when rooted in authenticity and impact. To share a personal story of resilience, including surviving a stroke at age 29 and redefining purpose. Key Takeaways 1. Access Changes Outcomes HBCU Week’s on-the-spot acceptance model allows eligible students to receive immediate college decisions and scholarship offers at a live college fair. This removes prolonged uncertainty and barriers that often discourage first-generation and underserved students. Students bring their transcript, SAT/ACT scores, meet with an HBCU counselor, and can be accepted immediately. 2. HBCUs Are a Pipeline to Opportunity Ashley emphasizes that HBCUs are not just cultural institutions, but talent pipelines into corporate America, particularly for STEM fields. Enrollment growth and scholarship funding are as critical as brand awareness. 3. The Power of Strategic Partnerships A relationship that began with seven $40,000 STEM scholarships grew into a $40 million partnership with the American Chemistry Council. The goal: addressing a projected STEM workforce deficit while increasing diversity in the field. The partnership now supports 1,000 students committed to STEM majors at HBCUs, with nearly 600 awards already distributed. 4. Purpose Can Be Born From Crisis Ashley shares her experience of having a stroke at age 29, caused by birth control use, which required her to relearn how to write and regain physical mobility. The experience intensified her sense of urgency, discipline, and purpose. Surviving the stroke shifted her mindset from ambition to intentional impact. 5. Authentic Passion Fuels Scalable Impact Ashley never intended HBCU Week to become national—it was designed to serve students in her hometown. Growth occurred organically because the mission was authentic, focused, and student-centered. “When you love what you do and have a real passion behind the impact, it catches on.” Notable Quotes On Mission & Growth “The goal was to take care of the students in my hometown… I had no idea it would become national.” On On-the-Spot Acceptance “If you have the requisite GPA and SAT or ACT score, you can be admitted right there.” On HBCUs & STEM “If everybody around the table looks the same, we’re in trouble.” On Faith & Opportunity “I can’t take credit for it… but for my relationship with God, this wouldn’t be a thing.” On Purpose After Adversity “It created a different sense of drive and purpose in me.” On Impact “If I can’t help tier-one students, who can?” Conclusion The interview positions Ashley Christopher as a systems builder, not just a nonprofit founder. Her work demonstrates how education access, strategic partnerships, and lived experience can intersect to change thousands of lives. The conversation reinforces that scalable impact often starts with a local problem, clear values, and relentless execution. #BEST #STRAW #SHMSSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Understanding vasopressors for CRNA interviews means going beyond what each drug does — interviewers want to know why it does it, at the receptor and cellular level. This episode walks through the mechanism of action for norepinephrine, epinephrine, phenylephrine, vasopressin, dobutamine, and milrinone, tracing each drug from receptor binding through intracellular signaling to the clinical effect at the bedside. Want to go deeper on vasopressors? Try The CRNA Club FREE for 7 days — the learning library has a full vasopressor lesson with dosing, indications, and comparison framework. FREE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU ON YOUR CRNA JOURNEY:9-Step Application Checklist - Every step you need to apply to CRNA schoolCRNA School Database - Search and compare 140+ CRNA programsTranscript Analyzer - Find out if your GPA is competitive for CRNA schoolCertification Planner - Your personalized CCRN study planTimeline Generator - Build your personalized application timeline TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Why vasopressors come up in almost every CRNA interview [01:30] What receptor framework ties all vasopressors together? [04:00] How do alpha-1, beta-1, and beta-2 receptors work at the cellular level? [08:00] What makes norepinephrine first-line for septic shock? [10:00] Why does epinephrine raise lactate, and should you stop the drip? [12:00] What is vasopressin actually doing in septic shock? [14:00] Free resources for your CRNA journey Follow us on Instagram: @thecrnaclubMore resources at THECRNACLUB.COM

Wednesday Hour 2: Iowa State's GPA, Tyler Kluver & David Eickholt on Iowa & Faceoff

My Conversation with Andrew starts at 17 mins  Subscribe and Watch Interviews LIVE : On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 750 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Subscribe to Andrew Substack Andrew L. Seidel is Vice President of Strategic Communications for AU, an author, and an attorney who's defended the First Amendment for more than a decade. Andrew is the author of two books: The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American (2019) and American Crusade: How the Supreme Court is Weaponizing Religious Freedom (2022). He's also co-editor of an academic text, Law and Religion: Cases and Materials (Foundation Press, 2022) 5th Edition, with Prof. Leslie Griffin of UNLV law school. A Senior Correspondent at Religion Dispatches, Andrew is a prolific author of opeds, has written several scholarly articles, has debated the utility of the Johnson Amendment, and organized and contributed to the groundbreaking report, "Christian Nationalism at the January 6, 2021, Insurrection," which was published by the Baptist Joint Committee and the Freedom From Religion Foundation and aroused congressional interest. Andrew is a recognized expert on Christian Nationalism, which he's spent the last decade fighting in and out of court. He's appeared on Fox News to debate Bill O'Reilly, MSNBC, and hundreds of other media outlets. Andrew graduated cum laude from Tulane University ('04) with a B.S. in neuroscience and environmental science and magna cum laude from Tulane University Law School ('09), where he was awarded the Haber J. McCarthy Award for excellence in environmental law. He studied human rights and international law at the University of Amsterdam and traveled the world on Semester at Sea. Andrew completed his Master of Laws at Denver University Sturm College of Law ('11) with a perfect GPA and was awarded the Outstanding L.L.M. Award for his work as the Erik Bluemel International Environmental Law Fellow. After a short stint in private practice Andrew joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation as a constitutional attorney and later Director of Strategic Response, running a nimble unit known as the Strategic Response Team and helping elevate that organization's profile. He joined AU in March of 2022. Before dedicating his life and law degree to keeping state and church separate, Andrew was a Grand Canyon tour guide and an accomplished nature photographer. Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewLSeidel On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Listen rate and review on Apple Podcasts Listen rate and review on Spotify Pete On Instagram Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on Twitter Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift Send Pete $ Directly on Venmo All things Jon Carroll  Buy Ava's Art  Subscribe to Piano Tuner Paul Paul Wesley on Substack Listen to Barry and Abigail Hummel Podcast Listen to Matty C Podcast and Substack Follow and Support Pete Coe Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing  

Website: ⁠bicarb.shop Riley Witt doesn't think you need talent to break four minutes in the mile—he just thinks you need to want it bad enough to spend $35.The Northwest Missouri State senior came on to break down the philosophy behind that take, and what followed was one of the more honest conversations about athletic ambition, economic reality, and the compounding edge of doing everything right. Witt grew up in a class of 36 students in Osage, Iowa, ran a 4:40 mile his freshman year of high school, and genuinely believed that was fast. He didn't have the training partners, the competition, or the context to know otherwise. What he had was an Exercise Science background, an obsessive attention to marginal gains, and a willingness to do things differently.That's where Bicarb comes in. Witt launched Bicarb 3.0 out of necessity (he wanted a sodium bicarbonate product that actually worked without the GI catastrophe), and built it into a business from his dorm room after going from a 4:11 mile to a 4:03 in two weeks on his first homebrew version.He walks Dominic through the science of how bicarbonate buffers hydrogen ions at the cellular level, why the longer distances are starting to adopt it, and what his proprietary kinetic gradient matrix technology does differently than anything else on the market.Underneath all of it is a runner who just ran 1:48 at the MIAA Outdoor Championships, holds a 4.0 GPA, and has one box left to check: a Division II national title. He's currently ranked second in the country in the 800m. The clock is ticking.Tap into the Riley Witt Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! S H O W  N O T E S  -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run  -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz Instagram: @riwitt03 Website: bicarb.shop 

Simplifying Health for a Hectic Life. In this episode, Dillan breaks down a straightforward, actionable lens to approach nutrition, the concept of a health report card and GPA. It is tailored specifically for busy parents and professionals. He emphasizes gradual systemization, focusing on foundational habits that lead to sustainable health improvements despite hectic schedules.Key Topics:The concept of a "report card" for health, grading yourself on whole foods, hydration, protein intake, sleep, calorie tracking, movement, stress management, and supplements.The importance of focusing on quality over quantity—choosing whole, single-ingredient foods, high-quality fats, proteins, and hydration.The analogy of your body as a house built with quality materials—better ingredients lead to better health outcomes.Practical steps to upgrade daily habits, such as swapping to better coffee, choosing high-quality eggs, and reading labels critically.How to determine your daily "GPA" for health and where to focus efforts for the biggest impact.The misconception that carbs, fats, or supplements alone determine health; instead, consistency in foundational habits is key.Setting systems—creating meal plans, shopping lists, and routines that make healthy choices effortless.The significance of tracking, tweaking, and systemizing habits to generate long-term health benefits.The influence of environment and habits as models for children's behaviors.Strategies for managing stress, sleep, and recovery in a busy, demanding life.Resources & Links:Limitless Theory AppMy Free Recovery Ebook for Busy ParentsWHOOP Fitness TrackerAmazon: The Complete Guide to Fats by Dr. SmithTimestamps:00:00 - Introducing the Busy Parent Nutrition Blueprint03:30 - Parental Overload and prioritizing big rocks: health as a foundational element05:00 - The report card approach: grading your health across key habits06:30 - The importance of quality food: whole foods, hydration, and protein09:30 - The fallacy of quick fixes: mastering fundamentals for lasting health11:00 - How body quality reflects the effort and ingredients put into it14:00 - How to find your GPA: assessing your habits and setting improvement targets17:50 - Calorie intake: understanding your basal metabolic needs and activity levels19:00 - Movement and mobility: walking, strength, and injury prevention20:50 - Stress management: breathing, meditation, social time22:00 - Supplements and micronutrients: targeting deficiencies through labs and quality products23:30 - Sample report card: identifying weak areas and creating targeted plans25:00 - Quality food focus: organic, pasture-raised, wild-caught27:00 - Reading labels: the 5-5-5 rule for carbs, protein, and fiber28:30 - Balancing quantity and diversity: seasonal eating, colorful plates, macro balance30:00 - The fallacy of "cutting carbs," Protein's role in aging, muscle, and metabolism33:00 - Healthy fats: olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds—quality counts37:00 - How to implement small, sustainable swaps for better quality ingredients in your daily dietary habits38:30 - Managing portion sizes and understanding calorie versus nutrient quality41:00 - Macro- and micronutrient timing: pre and post-workout nutrition strategies43:00 - Myths around fats and carbs—clarifying misconceptions45:50 - Why fats do not make you fat—brain health, hormones, longevity46:50 - Reading food labels effectively: the 5-5-5 rule49:00 - Calculating your daily calorie needs based on BMR and activity level50:30 - Why gradual change beats crash dieting—seasons and small shifts51:20 - Understanding emotional overeating: stress, decision fatigue, and habit traps52:15 - How sleep, portion control, and environment influence intake54:00 - Building systems: meal planning, prepping, and convenience hacks56:00 - Final tips: tracking, adjusting, and maintaining consistency

What are CAQs and why are they important to know about as a pre-Physician Assistant? We cover CAQs and how these relate to your future as a PA! Application to Acceptance Open for Enrollment!! Inside A2A, we walk you through every step of creating your strongest, most competitive CASPA application!Everything from:Choosing the right PA schools for YOU and YOUR stats (even if you have a low GPA or weakness)Writing your most compelling personal statementCASPA Experience Paragraphs Templates - plug-and-play templates to write strong experience paragraphs that highlight YOUNEW!! Personal Statement Theme + Outline Creator Tool - discover your strongest themes AND get an outline of exactly what to write unique to YOUInterview course + MMI + Traditional Q&A WorkbooksSupplemental essays, AI and technology essay, and life essay Templates for emails of continued interest to PA schools, LORs and so much more! Direct access to us in a private A2A group for anything that comes up throughout your cycleJoin A2A hereKeep up the amazing work, future PA!Beth + Katie

A.M. Edition for May 14. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has warned President Trump that any mishandling of the Taiwan issue could lead to ‘an extremely dangerous situation' – a message China bureau chief Jon Cheng and national security reporter Alex Ward tell us is casting a cloud over a closely-watched summit. Plus, the CDC assigns more staff to respond to the hantavirus outbreak as it tries to strike a balance between a swift response and sparking panic. And columnist Callum Borchers shares career advice for new grads, including that no one cares about your GPA. Luke Vargas hosts.  Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(00:00) — Welcome and setup: from premed dropout to med student(00:47) — Corporate grind sparks the spreadsheets vs patients question(01:30) — Rewinding to undergrad premed and the 495 MCAT during COVID(03:15) — Finances and first-gen pressure push him off the path(04:35) — Articles, AI, and volunteering rekindle interest in medicine(06:10) — Leadership draw: why physician responsibility appealed to him(07:10) — Timeline: research job, 2018 grad, 2020 MCAT, business analytics at Fordham(09:05) — Undergrad habits, no planner, and managing ADHD with better tools(11:05) — Corporate wins build confidence (Big Four, Wall Street, AVP)(12:50) — Planning the leap: savings, living at home, loans, and side investments(14:10) — Bridge/SMP at Toro Harlem: structure and guaranteed-seat criteria(16:25) — Working at Citibank while starting the master's; then going all in(17:55) — Confirming fit: brief shadowing, almost passing out, but more intrigued(18:55) — Harlem community events as a student doctor and seeing disparities(19:52) — MCAT retake to 501–502; Kaplan and official full-lengths(21:27) — SMP mirrored M1 exams; Z-score cutoff and comprehensive exam(22:45) — M1 transition is easier after the SMP run-through(23:35) — Logistics: 3.45 GPA + comp exam = seat; could apply elsewhere(24:25) — Starting a tea franchise in Astoria with partners during M1(25:35) — Brick-and-mortar stress, construction, and opening mid-semester(26:50) — Hardest part: letting go of a six-figure salary(28:05) — Would he change his path? Choosing experience over speed(29:20) — Exploring passions helps future practice and options(30:52) — Keeping doors open: medicine, consulting, and business(31:28) — Parents' reaction: skepticism to tears of pride(32:34) — Final advice: build confidence and believe in yourselfZarak shares how he walked away from premed after a 495 MCAT and an average undergrad GPA, chased a thriving corporate career, and then found his way back to medicine. A first-gen student, he talks openly about family expectations, finances, and why spreadsheets and commutes couldn't replace patient impact. He explains the planning that made his return possible: saving while living at home, using loans wisely, and enrolling in a one-year bridge/SMP at Toro Harlem that mirrored M1 exams and offered a guaranteed seat with a 3.45 GPA plus a comprehensive exam. He retook the MCAT to around 501–502 using Kaplan and official full-lengths, and found confidence through improved study systems and corporate-built habits. Now an M1, he's volunteering in Harlem, reflecting on health disparities, and even launching a brick-and-mortar tea franchise in Astoria with partners—while keeping med school first. Dr. Gray and Zarak dig into letting go of a six-figure salary, rebuilding confidence, managing ADHD with better tools, and why exploring interests outside of medicine can strengthen your future as a physician.What You'll Learn:- How a low MCAT and average GPA didn't end his med school goals- What a guaranteed-seat bridge/SMP at Toro Harlem required- How he planned the leap: savings, loans, and timing while working- MCAT retake resources he used the second time around- Balancing M1 demands with launching a brick-and-mortar business

In this episode, David Torres and Jessica Atkinson sit down with Kevin Lopez to unpack the gap between clinical education and real-world dental hygiene practice. Kevin shares honest insights from his experience, highlighting what truly matters once you step outside the classroom and into patient care.   What We Talked About:   Why disclosing is non-negotiable in dental hygiene practice and its impact on patient outcomes   Understanding vitals, liability, and staying within your scope of practice   The realities of transitioning from clinic to real-world settings   Why you don't need a 4.0 GPA to become a skilled and effective clinician   Key Takeaways: Clinical training lays the foundation, but real growth happens when hygienists apply those skills in practice. Prioritizing patient education tools like disclosing, understanding legal responsibilities, and building confidence matter more than perfection in academics.   Call to Action: Stay committed to improving your clinical skills and understanding your professional responsibilities. Focus on delivering quality patient care, continue learning beyond graduation, and connect with professionals who can help guide your journey.   Resources/Links:   Email: kevin@kevstalksteeth.com   Website: https://www.kevstalksteeth.com/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevstalksteeth/

If your family calendar currently looks like a game of Tetris designed by a sleep-deprived raccoon… welcome to Maycember. It's called Maycember because it's busy like December without any of the fun twinkle lights. But here's a little secret: Penn and I are almost out of Maycember… and it's kind of amazing.We talk about what it's like to finally reach the other side of the chaos and why, for those of you currently crying in a school parking lot while hot-gluing a costume together, there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. Penn and I also talk with award-winning journalist Rachel Feintzeig, whose New York Times essay about “considering underachieving” made parents everywhere feel deeply seen. Should we all be shooting for a Medium Maycember? We say yes.We introduce our GPA scale (General Parental Anxiety) and rank Maycember activities from “totally manageable” to “absolutely not” - and somehow we end the episode talking about a Beastie Boys parody song about charging cords. As one does. If you're deep in Maycember right now — hang in there... one day you will have a chill May. We promise. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at podcast@theholdernessfamily.com. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.Learn more about Rachel FeintzeigRead Rachel's article about UnderachievingVisit Our ShopJoin Our NewsletterFind us on SubstackFollow us on InstagramFollow us on TikTokFollow us on FacebookLaugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ATI — the educational arm of Bill Gothard's IBLP — shut down in 2021. The organization that spent decades providing curriculum to homeschooling families including the Duggars ceased operations without remediation, without outreach to former students, and without any institutional acknowledgment of the educational gaps it created. The adults it produced are still rebuilding.This week's True Crime Today review examines the most consequential conversations from our series on the Duggar family curriculum — the ideological architecture of the Wisdom Booklets, the institutional reach of the Character First program, and the measurable outcomes for adults who completed the full IBLP educational track.The curriculum's law and government modules framed democratic governance without divine authority as utopianism. The French Revolution was presented as a consequence of collective disobedience to God. Illness was attributed to failures of spiritual submission. The authority structure that governed the entire system concentrated power in a single individual — Bill Gothard — while requiring total compliance from everyone beneath him. The Character First program extended this framework into public school systems by repackaging obedience-based theology as secular character education.The educational outcomes document the cost. Former students report math instruction that ended at fractions. ACT scores achieved without any corresponding GPA that higher education institutions would recognize. Professional credentials — including law degrees obtained through IBLP-adjacent institutions — that proved nonfunctional in practice. Adults who lacked basic understanding of their own physiology into their twenties. The system produced compliance. It did not produce competence. When it shut down, the people who had spent their formative years inside it were left to close the gap on their own — with no institutional support and no public accountability for what was taken from them.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#DuggarFamily #IBLP #BillGothard #ATI #WisdomBooklets #EducationalNeglect #CharacterFirst #ATISurvivors #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

Today's Headlines: The Iran war is very much back on — Trump threatened Iran with "one big glow," called the exchange of fire "just a love tap," and bragged about sinking small boats, while US intelligence confirmed Iran still has about 70% of its missiles intact despite Trump claiming it's down to 18-19%. Gas prices have hit $4.50 a gallon — up over 50% since the war started — with CEOs warning that consumer spending is collapsing and everyone is borrowing to get by. Shell, meanwhile, posted $7 billion in Q1 profits, more than double the previous quarter, which seems fine. As if the war weren't enough to worry about, on the redistricting beat, Tennessee signed a new map eliminating the state's one Democratic seat by splitting Memphis into four suburban districts, Alabama passed their gerrymandering legislation while tornado sirens blared and the building flooded, and Mississippi is planning their own special session in a Jim Crow-era capitol that's been a museum for years. On top of that, Marco Rubio announced new sanctions on Cuba's state-owned industries and military conglomerate, while the State Department quietly beefs up disaster preparedness in South Florida in anticipation of further Cuba hostilities. Somehow Kash Patel is in the news again, he reportedly ordered polygraphs for over two dozen staff to find out who talked to The Atlantic about his drinking, while launching a criminal leak investigation against the reporter he's also suing for $250 million. Elsewhere, Trump's 10% tantrum tariff was ruled illegal by the Court of International Trade, Elon Musk was formally summoned by the French government to cooperate in their X investigation after skipping a voluntary interview — with Trump's DOJ calling it a "criminally charged criminal proceeding" — and Kalshi raised a billion dollars bringing its valuation to $22 billion, which means someone should probably check if their headquarters exists. And finally, a ransomware attack on Canvas knocked out coursework for students at over 3,000 schools, which is either a crisis or the greatest thing ever depending on your GPA. Resources/Articles mentioned: Axios: Iran and U.S. exchange fire in Strait of Hormuz Bloomberg: Consumers Are ‘Running Out of Money' and Cutting Back, CEOs Warn Bloomberg: Consumers Are ‘Running Out of Money' and Cutting Back, CEOs Warn NYT: Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit After Oil Prices Surged Amid U.S.-Iran War WaPo: U.S. intelligence says Iran can outlast Trump's Hormuz blockade for months Axios: Rubio announces new Cuba sanctions Mother Jones: After SCOTUS Destroyed the Voting Rights Act, Southern States Rush to Pass Jim Crow Voting Maps WVLT: TN governor signs new congressional map into law, dividing Memphis and marking end of special session The New Republic: Alabama Republicans Vote to Pass New Map as Tornado Sirens Blare The Guardian: Mississippi house to hold redistricting session at Jim Crow era capitol MS Now: Kash Patel ordered polygraphs of more than two dozen members of his team, sources say NYT: Trade Court Rules Trump's 10% Global Tariff Is Illegal WSJ: Elon Musk Summoned to France to Face Criminal Charges NYT: Kalshi, The Prediction Market, Is Now Valued At $22B  WSJ: Harvard, Berkeley and Thousands of Schools Suffer Cyber Outage Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(00:00) — Early spark for medicine: Jasmine's childhood curiosity and desire to help takes root at age four or five.(02:40) — High school split focus: AP sciences vs. seven-hour show choir and a one-week summer health program.(03:55) — Choosing Howard: Proximity to a hospital/med school and an open-door culture sealed the decision.(05:15) — Major, minor, and momentum: Biology major, chemistry minor, and 40 COVID credits accelerate progress.(06:40) — The hardest part: Juggling 21 credits—including biochem and orgo—while working left her exhausted.(07:30) — Working to afford school: From food service to barista to the gym, she logged 26–40 hours weekly.(09:10) — Intentional time use: Doing homework during/after class and finishing tasks before they lingered.(10:40) — When it became too much: Princeton Review course, burnout, and a first MCAT score worse than practice.(13:20) — Regrouping the plan: Graduating early, studying Jan–Apr, and defining a target MCAT within context.(15:15) — Mindset after a bad score: Grieving the disrupted timeline and pausing to finish strong in undergrad.(17:20) — The timeline trap: Why gap years feel scary and Dr. Gray's note that 75% take one.(19:50) — Building without connections: Deep website research, spreadsheets, and avoiding Reddit/SDN noise.(23:10) — Doors opened by advising: Programs that delivered mentorship and free MCAT materials.(25:00) — School list and interviews: 22 applications (20 MD, 2 DO), a DO fair, and six interviews.(28:00) — First invites and first A: Riding the wave of early interviews and an acceptance during homecoming.(31:20) — Med school reality: First year was brutal, second year harder, and memorization no longer enough.(34:20) — Final encouragement: Keep going, dream big, and be realistic about the path that gets you there.Jasmine shares a candid, practical look at making premed work when time and money are tight. She discovered medicine early, chose Howard University for its hospital and medical school access, and powered through a biology major and chemistry minor—accelerating with 40 credits during COVID. Meanwhile, she worked 26–40 hours a week in food service, as a barista, and at the gym, all while managing 20–21 credit semesters that included biochem and orgo. When a burnout-fueled first MCAT score came in below any practice test, she grieved the lost timeline, graduated early, and reset: January to April dedicated MCAT prep, a clear “good enough” score target based on her strong GPA, and an application strategy built on deep DIY research and school-by-school spreadsheets (not Reddit or SDN). She applied to 22 schools, earned six interview invites, and celebrated her first acceptance during homecoming. Now in medical school, she reflects on why second year felt even harder than first and how shifting from memorizing to true understanding changed everything. Dr. Gray and Jasmine unpack the pressure of timelines, the reality that many students take gap years, and how to keep moving forward when plans change.What You'll Learn:- How to balance heavy course loads with paid work- Handling a disappointing MCAT and deciding when to retake- Setting a “good enough” MCAT score in context of GPA- Building school lists and opportunities without connections- Why medical school study demands differ from undergrad

If you've ever watched a “leader” hide behind a title, chase a credential, or win a promotion by being great at politics instead of great at results, this conversation is for you. We sit down with Drew Christensen, leadership expert and author of *Discover The Truth About Leadership*, and we keep it blunt: real leadership starts with the person in the mirror, not the org chart.We dig into authentic leadership, self-awareness, and why the best leaders don't cling to one framework. Sometimes you need intensity, sometimes you need calm, but you always need judgment and integrity. Drew shares why he wrote the book, including the moment he got pulled into an absurd “kill this meeting” situation and realized how much modern work rewards motion over meaning.Then we go straight at the credential economy: MBA programs, higher education ROI, and student loans that feel impossible to escape. We talk about how tuition incentives get warped, why a “check the box” degree can be worthless without real skill, and why trades and hustle often outperform prestige. From hiring signals like GPA to corporate culture problems like perception management and internal marketing, the thread stays the same: simplicity is confronting, honesty is rare, and both are necessary if you want real impact.If you like no-fluff leadership advice, practical business insight, and a candid take on education and career myths, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's tired of the game, and leave a review so more people can find the truth.Join the What if it Did Work movement on FacebookGet the Book!www.omarmedrano.comwww.calendly.com/omarmedrano/15min