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Airey Bros Radio Episode 399. We sit down with Coach Chris Beene, Head Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Odessa College. Beene is one of the most decorated coaches in NJCAA history, leading South Plains College to 32 national team championships, earning 14 National Coach of the Year and 25 Coach of the Meet honors, and coaching more than 20 Olympians and World Championship athletes, 50-plus national champions, and 150-plus All-Americans. He was inducted into the NJCAA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Texas Track & Field Coaches Hall of Fame in 2024. In 2024–25 he received four NJCAA Legacy Awards, the only JUCO coach to do so.We cover his coaching philosophy, recruiting approach, academic standards, rebuilding Odessa into a national contender, international athlete development, double-threshold training and distance strategy, and how West Texas culture shapes tough, successful programs.FollowAirey Bros Radio:YouTube: @AireyBrosSpotify: Airey Bros RadioInstagram: @aireybrosradioFueled by: Black Sheep Endurance CoachingSupport the show: buymeacoffee.com/aireybrosShow Notes and Timestamps0:00 Intro and show open1:15 Coach Beene joins; Hall of Fame legacy and Odessa vision3:00 The JUCO mission and why community college athletics matter4:45 From South Plains to Odessa; rebuilding a winner8:00 Why JUCO is his favorite level to coach10:00 Myths about junior college coaching12:00 Odessa early rise; top women and men preseason rankings14:00 Global recruiting pipeline; Jamaica, Africa, and Texas roots17:00 What makes a great recruiter and how parents factor in19:00 Academics first; discipline, study halls, and accountability23:00 Why Odessa College support systems are elite25:00 International athletes adapting to climate, food, and culture28:00 West Texas hospitality and community33:00 Recruiting in 2025; relationships over hype35:00 Family balance, time management, and staff roles37:00 Mentoring moments; the hurdles story and athlete buy-in40:00 Evolving as a coach; standards, discipline, and growth43:00 Distance training; double-threshold, mileage, and VDOT46:00 Olympians and world championship athletes developed under Beene49:00 Academic excellence and GPA standards at Odessa52:00 Key meets; OSU Jamboree, Regionals, Nationals in Iowa55:00 Half marathon strategy and the quest to win all eight titles57:00 Building a full track program at Odessa; next steps62:00 Mentors, rivals, and respect across JUCO track and field64:00 Texas roots, Von Erichs, and wrestling ties66:00 Coaching mantras; love the process and habit over desire70:00 The person behind the coach; family, movies, and Dr Pepper77:00 Closing thoughts; Odessa's next chapter
[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] You Can Just Do Things In the winter of 2022 I was unhappily working at a dull but decently compensated IT job, which I had come upon at last after four years of phoning it in at college and abandoning my brief stint as an MMA Fighter/Porn Store Security Guard due to feeling like I was getting too old to be broke. If pressure to fit in with my yuppie, family-and-career-having peers pushed me into corporate life, the depressing mundanity of Covid-era day-to-day pushed me out just as quickly. On February 24th, 2022, Russia began its full scale invasion, and America learned what a “Ukraine” was. Having long used politics as a surrogate activity to distract myself from my life of chronic underachievement, I was already a little more familiar than most with the country's woes, and had followed the conflict from the time of the Euromaidan protests. Years before I had read of the likes of Azov and its many foreign volunteers, and had even periodically fantasized about dropping everything and going to the Donetsk Airport. But no, that Wasn't The Type Of Thing Normal People Like Me Did, so instead I joined my own country's armed forces, sat around pushing papers, earned the dubious honor of washing out “ahead of schedule”, and finally graduated college with a not very useful degree and a mediocre GPA. With the invasion however, things changed. Before I had always vaguely felt that I would eventually end up doing something “cool”, and had soothed myself with reassurances that I was still in the “early life” section of my future Wikipedia article and would bide my time before I made my play at greatness. Now however, the unrealisticness of this conceit was thrown into uncomfortably sharp relief by a certain contrast I could not not ignore. Only three days after the start of the full scale invasion, Ukrainian foreign minister Dymytro Kuleba announced the creation of the “International Legion For The Territorial Defense Of Ukraine”. Unlike in 2014, Ukraine was now specifically and officially soliciting foreigners with military experience to fight for them! I was at least technically in that category! I thought about my own time in the military. My ideas of going to war in Afghanistan had been quashed by the US withdrawal not long after I joined, and I had quickly found that military life involved more editing forms in Adobe Acrobat and less explosions than I had naively supposed. But this was a real war, a deadly serious war, and a major, world defining event at that. In the early months of the invasion the international media talked about almost nothing else. I spent all day at my desk pretending to work while frantically refreshing OSINT live maps and breathlessly following news from the front. I remember the circulation of harrowing video clips. Kalashnikovs being distributed to civilians in Kyiv, the mayor of a small village publicly asking its inhabitants whether they should personally accede to Russian ultimatums, or risk having their property destroyed and lives forfeit- to resounding cries of “Glory to Ukraine”. The Ukrainians' courage blew my mind. There were people who really had something to die for, and by extension something to live for. Meanwhile, there I was, sipping coffee and getting fat. The creation of the legion felt like destiny was reaching its hand out to me. Was I really going to ignore it so I could handle support tickets for the rest of my life? https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-the-russo-ukrainian-war
Ten days off the Appalachian Trail and I'm deep in the post-trail fog—so I'm doing what any reasonable human would: grading my own record attempt. In this episode I hand out a full report card on the AT self-supported FKT—physical execution, sleep, injuries, nutrition (hello 1,000-cal drink mix), logistics (RIP Shenandoah resupply), mental game, weather, terrain, and storytelling—then tally the GPA. I riff on why drone shots aren't a story, share some Mammoth 200 takes, and explain how two left shoes, a missing electronics bag, and shoe-toe peekaboo somehow still add up to a record. We hit night hiking tactics, the “toughness groove,” and field a few listener questions. Also: a quick bit on why it's “Appalachia,” not “Appa-lay-sha.”If this episode resonated, consider donating to The Trevor Project (link below)—they provide life-saving support and resources.Donate to the Trevor Project: https://give.thetrevorproject.org/fundraiser/6530749Sponsors that kept me moving: Janji (Snappy Trekker shirt & 5" AFO Ultra shorts), ReadyWise (my breakfast scramble), CS Instant Coffee (trail rocket fuel), and Garage Grown Gear (where cottage dreams live). Subscribe, drop a review, and tell one friend who thinks a “fun run” is 214 miles. Stay mid, America—and stay elite, my friends.Chapters00:00 Post-Trail Reflections and Celebrity Shoutouts02:34 The Popularity of 200-Mile Races05:45 The Appalachian Trail Experience08:22 Report Card on the Appalachian Trail FKT10:57 Nutrition Strategies for Endurance17:35 Mental and Emotional Resilience During the Hike23:00 Personal Reflections and Motivation23:57 Logistics and Gear Choices25:41 Resupply Challenges and Navigation28:17 Environmental Adaptation and Terrain Management30:30 Community Engagement and Storytelling32:21 Self-Assessment and Future Aspirations32:48 Audience Questions and Insights44:41 Closing Thoughts and Call to ActionSubscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.comSupport this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutsideBuy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSFEmail me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at jeff@freeoutside.comWatch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outsideWebsite: www.Freeoutside.comInstagram: thefreeoutsidefacebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside
Today, Dr. Jeremie Piña discusses GPA for Med School. Like the podcast? Schedule a Free Initial Consultation with our team: https://bemo.ac/podbr-BeMoFreeConsult Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more great tips and other useful information! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeMoAcademicConsultingInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bemoacademicconsulting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bemo_academic_consulting/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeMo_AC TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bemoacademicconsulting
Florie Mancilla is a dental hygienist in California with experience as a dental assistant and dental hygiene instructor, public health hygienist, and laser trainer. She became a dental assistant and did that for 10 years before fulfilling her dream of going to dental hygiene school. As a first-generation college student, she figured out a lot of the college process on her own yet still managed to pay for her pre-req courses, do volunteer work, and achieve a 3.1 GPA. In this episode, we highlighted what it has been like for Florie to pay off her student loans in hopes of educating students on the unexpected with loan forgiveness programs. Timestamps:(00:00) Florie's RDH Origin Story (11:18) Dental Hygiene School for Florie (17:17) Paying Dental Hygiene Tuition (18:06) An Unfortunate Series of Events for Florie (33:04) Building a Community in Dental Hygiene
Winter rain lifts PIRSA's crop outlook for SA to 8.5 million tonnes, GPA asks growers if they would like to pay a lower levy to fund R&D, and Ceduna on track on to be declared free of Mediterranean fruit fly.
In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. This week, MIT / Sloan, Duke / Fuqua, CMU / Tepper, UVA / Darden, UCLA / Anderson, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough, Washington / Foster, Vanderbilt / Owen, Georgia Tech / Scheller, Maryland / Smith and Minnesota / Carlson have Round 1 application deadlines. Oxford / Said has its Stage 2 application deadline. Graham highlighted several upcoming events being hosted by Clear Admit in the upcoming months, including a Real Humans series, a deferred admissions series and a series focused on MBA programs in different regions of the United States. Graham also highlighted our next livestream AMA, scheduled for Tuesday, October 28; here's the link to Clear Admit's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive. Graham noted that two new business-related academic programs were announced last week: Wharton's MS in Quantitative Finance and Georgetown's MS in Business Analytics. Graham then noted two recently published admissions tips, focused on MBA interview etiquette and the role of letters of support. Graham discussed the recently published Real Humans series focused on NYU / Stern. This led to a brief discussion on GMAT preparation. We then discussed the Class of 2027 admissions profile from Wharton, within the context of class profiles from Anderson and Johnson. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries. This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a strong international focus and can speak several languages. They have a super GRE score of 331. This week's second MBA candidate is a West Point graduate with a 2.76 GPA. We discussed potentials for mitigation, which might include retaking the GRE. They currently have a 321 GRE score. The final MBA candidate is from Pakistan and has a terrific GRE score of 335. They are working in energy sector consulting and looking to switch to a more health-care focused career. 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!
Active or not active, that is the question. In this week's episode we interview Alexandra Villa-Forte, MD, MPH, a staff physician in the Center for Vasculitis Care and Research at Cleveland Clinic and a leading vasculitis expert, on a pragmatic approach to recognizing disease activity in patients with ANCA vasculitis. · Intro 0:01 · Welcome Alexandra Villa-Forte, MD, MPH 0:10 · Dr. Brown sketches a potential patient that may be seen in practice 0:40 · How are you monitoring patients' kidneys? 1:28 · How reliable are ‘no casts' results in urinalysis tests? 4:15 · What is happening in the glomeruli? 5:23 · The importance of monitoring the urinalysis of patients with ANCA vasculitis 7:06 · Symptoms to watch for when tapering off medications 7:43 · Different scenarios with lung symptoms 9:35 · Evaluating patients with GPA; looking at the nose, ear and sinuses 12:20 · Neurologic symptoms in ANCA vasculitis 14:24 · Laboratory monitoring 15:52 · Should ANCA titers be a part of routine vasculitis monitoring? 17:05 · What is your approach using PJP prophylaxis in ANCA-associated vasculitis? 18:05 Thank you, Dr. Villa-Forte! 20:25 We'd love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to Dr. Brown at rheuminationspodcast@healio.com. Follow us on Twitter @HRheuminations @AdamJBrownMD @HealioRheum. Disclosures: Brown reports no relevant financial disclosures. Healio was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures for Villa-Forte at the time of publication.
I recently spoke with Kami Wanous, the creator of the Raising Leaders Roadmap and a homeschool mentor. A credentialed teacher with over seven years in public education and homeschooling since 2008, she draws on her background in English, leadership, and freedom principles to guide families toward meaningful learning. Kami helps homeschool parents create a culture that inspires a lifelong love of learning—equipping them to mentor with confidence and raise passionate leaders who make an impact in the world. She has been featured on CBS News and as a guest writer and speaker for homeschooling conventions, blogs, magazines, podcasts, and YouTube channels. In our conversation, Kami and I discussed: What it means to be a lifelong learner What a lifelong learner looks like Why being a lifelong learner is important for our kids headed to college Whether students can be "successful" in college without being lifelong learners How parents help our kids become lifelong learners And much more… Here are all of the ways you can connect with Kami: Website: TheFreedomScholar.com Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheFreedomScholar IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefreedomscholar YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtJpXKtndYS9rrP98KcvDEw LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kami-wanous-14117723a Podcast: Homeschool Success with Kami Wanous Click here to get the Freedom Scholar Love of Learning Launch Pad. Make learning time exciting—for you and your kids! Launch into joyful, lifelong learning! ---------- Families often focus on GPA and test scores when it comes to scholarships—but there's another powerful lever: your student's college major. In this free, live panel event, master career coach Lisa Marker-Robbins and scholarship strategist Dave Peterson will explain how students who make intentional, well-informed major choices can unlock more merit-based and private scholarship opportunities—and how to jump-start the process so you don't leave money on the table. You'll also hear insights from our moderators, Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley, hosts of the Tests and the Rest podcast, as we discuss: ✅How early career exploration improves both college applications and scholarship outcomes ✅What scholarship committees are really looking for—and how your teen can stand out ✅When and how to begin the process before deadlines sneak up ✅Real stories of students who aligned their goals and earned more aid This is a live, interactive session—we'll take your questions during the event and offer expert guidance you can act on right away. Whether your teen is unsure about their major or already has a goal in mind, this session will help you uncover new financial opportunities you may be missing. Click here to register: https://courses.flourishcoachingco.com/scholarships-majors ---------- This Week's Featured Scholarships: $1000 DP Law Encouraging Diversity Scholarship $1000 Karin Riley Porter Good Works Scholarship $2500 Money Metals/Sound Money Defense League Gold-Backed Scholarship $1000 Employment BOOST Scholarship $35,000 VFW Voice of Democracy Contest $5000 Christian Connector Scholarship $1000 Appily No-Essay Scholarship ---------- Start Your Scholarship Journey Today I would love to work with your student on their scholarship entries. The Scholarship Navigator Program provides personalized assistance with your student's scholarship essays. I go through as many rounds of review and feedback as needed. Plus, students get a customized list of scholarships that match their unique profile. These are just some of the benefits of the Scholarship Navigator Program. Go to www.ScholarshipGPS.com/services to learn more.
(00:00-16:05) Well boys, you gave it a hell of a try. Fan angst meter. Miles Mikolas most likely won't be back. We got a close out at the Ryder Cup. DeChambeau and Thomas go down. Don't say pegged. Home teams tend to be the favorite. Bummer this Cards Cubs series at Wrigley means nothing. Can't teach these scars, man. How many Ivy League listeners do we have right now?(16:13-29:15) Ain't no sunshine. Jackson's lost the plot. Jackson could only play one song on the saxophone. Doug thought he may go to jail yesterday. Kids on leashes. What colors are Brown University? Is spinning our wheels different from clearing the deck? You need a 4.0 GPA and a 33-35 ACT to get into Yale.(29:25-37:19) Mt. Rushmore of people that go by "Bob." Martin called Bob Costas "Bobby." Costas's career advice to Martin. Funny mascot names. We're not just spinning our wheels here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ben and Nate give listener Kaylyn advice on applying to part-time JD programs. Even though they're often easier to get into, the Demon advise still holds: Apply early and broadly with your best possible LSAT score and GPA.Read more on our website. Email daily@lsatdemon.com with questions or comments. Watch this episode on YouTube!
Nate and Ben tell listener Terry getting into a T14 law school isn't about having a pile of extracurriculars. It's about having an undeniable LSAT score and GPA.Read more on our website. Email daily@lsatdemon.com with questions or comments. Watch this episode on YouTube!
Nya favoriter i toppstriden efter Bajens derbyförlust! Kan verkligen Malmö FF vinna som nykomling? Bajens framtid synas och strukturella problem i våra seriesystem belyses. Vi ringer derbydrottningen Mimmi Wahlström som är både glad och kritisk. Alice Bergström - från Vallen till GPA - tar gärna på sig favoritskap och så avslutar härligheten med att prata italienska med Julia Karlernäs!Programledare: Marcus ThapperExpert: Saga Fredriksson & Thomas WilbacherPå länk: Alice Bergström, Julia Karlernäs & Mimmi WahlströmViva Femme görs i samarbete med ATG:Du hittar alltid dom senaste tripplarna, andelarna, Big 9 och annat från oss på https://www.atg.se/tutto/18+ Regler & villkor gäller. Stödlinjen.seI samarbete med TV4 Play:Unikt erbjudande ger dig som lyssnare möjligheten att ta del av ännu en spännande säsong av La Liga och Serie A hos TV4 Play, paketet TV4 Play Sport för enbart 174 kr/mån i 6 månader. Utöver det serier, film, tennis, rally, hästhoppning och mycket annat.Följ länken för att ta del av erbjudandet: https://www.tv4play.se/kampanj/vivaKontakta redaktionen: linus@k26media.seVill ditt företag samarbeta med Viva Femme? samarbete@tutto.seSociala Medier:Instagram - TuttofemmeTwitter - FemmevivaTikTok - FemmevivaTIDSKODER:00:00 Intro/presentation15:00 Samtal till Mimmi Wahlström28:00 Djurgårdens IF32:00 Samtal till Alice Bergström44:00 Senaste omgången50:00 AIK58:00 Framtid/scouting1:04:00 Samtal till Julia Karlernäs1:21:00 Kommande omgång Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join Ati as she sits down with her longtime mentor and friend, Dr. Laura Miner, to explore what it truly means to become the inner CEO of your business. Laura reveals the science-backed framework that transforms overwhelmed business owners into confident leaders, sharing why systems and strategy fail without the crucial third element - self-leadership. From overcoming dyslexia and barely graduating high school to earning her PhD, Laura's journey proves that building the leader behind the brand starts from within. CONNECT WITH ATI Ready to build a personal brand you are proud of: Free: ✏️Take the profitable personal brand quiz https://atigrinspun.com/quiz/ Ready to get massive Clarity on your personal brand: Get my Personal Brand Clarity Masterclass HERE Looking to Stand out ( on and off social media) get the Stand out Masterclass HERE
As a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet, now-Capt. Garrett “Kap” Kauppila '19 experienced a life-changing moment involving his older brother. SUMMARY That trial taught him success doesn't involve rank — it's about being present, showing gratitude and supporting others. Hear his powerful story on Long Blue Leadership. Listen today and be a better leader tomorrow! SHARE THIS PODCAST FACEBOOK | LINKEDIN "KAP'S" LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Never take moments with loved ones for granted - cherish every interaction. Treat everyone with equal respect, regardless of rank or position. Find your authentic leadership style - don't try to imitate others. Root yourself in gratitude to increase your overall happiness. Fill your own "glass" first before trying to pour into others - self-care is crucial. Wake up early and accomplish tasks to get ahead of your day. Pursue what truly matters to you, not what others expect. Be willing to invest in yourself and sometimes work for free to prove your value. Ask "why" to understand the root cause of people's challenges and needs. Leadership is about showing genuine care, being consistent, and helping others increase their opportunities. CHAPTERS 00:00: A Life-Changing Moment 01:04: Lessons from Adversity 08:30: The Importance of Gratitude 11:07: Finding Purpose in Leadership 11:28: The Journey to Teaching 17:57: Building Authentic Relationships 24:50: The Power of Self-Discovery 33:47: Investing in Yourself ABOUT CAPTAIN KAUPPILA BIO Capt. Garrett “Kap” Kauppila '19 is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, where he distinguished himself both academically and athletically. A native of Rocklin, California, he played defensive back for the Falcons and maintained strong academic performance throughout his time at the Academy. After graduation, Capt. Kauppila has served in the Air Force in various capacities, including as an instructor. His leadership approach is informed by both the discipline of his military career and his commitment to continual self‑improvement. One of the pivotal moments in Capt. Kauppila's life was when his older brother, Kyle, suffered a near‑fatal motorcycle accident leading to a stroke. During that time, Garrett balanced intense emotional and physical challenges—on top of his duties and studies—taking time off, helping with his brother's care, and eventually returning to finish strong at the Academy with a 3.85 GPA. This period deeply shaped his philosophy of leadership: the idea of the “glacier theory,” which emphasizes looking beneath the surface to understand people's motivations and struggles, and recognizing that many uphill battles are won by small, consistent adjustments. CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor: Ted.Robertson@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 ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Guest, Capt. Garrett "Cap" Kaupilla '19 | Host, Lt. Col. Naviere Walkewicz '99 Naviere Walkewicz As a cadet, Kap had just began his first season as a defensive starter for Air Force football when his world was turned upside down by a crucible moment. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Sept. 17, 2017, will forever stay with my family. I ended up getting a call that my brother, that he's not breathing, and it appears that he's no longer with us. I had about 45 minutes to an hour window where I thought that was completely the case. Again, the last I heard he was evacced on a helicopter. He got in a motorcycle crash and didn't know the extent of the details. Was in the Sierra foothills in northern California, and that's all I knew. That changed the trajectory of our entire lives. Naviere Walkewicz My guest today is Capt. Garrett “Kap” Kauppila, United States Air Force Academy Class of 2019 — a man whose leadership journey was shaped in a way few of us can imagine. Kap learned about the fragility of life, the danger of taking even a single conversation for granted, and the importance of showing up with passion and gratitude every day. That perspective now defines Kap as a leader and as a mentor to our cadets at the Air Force Academy. In this episode, he shares the lessons learned in the hardest of circumstances, the power of authenticity, the discipline of not taking life's moments for granted, and the conviction that true leadership begins with respect for others, no matter their title nor rank. So stay with us, because Kap's story is more than a testimony of persistence and staying power. It's a call to live and lead with purpose. Kap, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Thank you very much. Naviere Walkewicz We're so excited to have you. We want to go right to the moment your brother was in a motorcycle crash. Tell us about it. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Yeah. So, Sept. 17, 2017, I ended up getting a call that my brother was dead. That was the simple phone call — that he's not breathing and it appears that he's no longer with us. I had about 45 minutes to an hour window where I thought that was completely the case. Pretty surreal moment. You know, I can't say that I remember every detail of that feeling, but time had passed. I was trying to call people and figure out who could be there, who could be around. My uncle was the first one to arrive at the hospital. And again, the last I heard he was lifeline evacced in a helicopter. He got in a motorcycle crash. They didn't know the extent of the details. He was in the Sierra foothills in northern California, and that's all I knew. Lifeline evacced, unconscious, not breathing. He ended up surviving. He woke up in the hospital. My uncle was there. I end up getting a phone call, and I got the chance to speak to my brother on the phone, and I talked to him, and at first, I mean, I'm just in panic, you know? “Oh my God, he's calling. He's actually alive. Oh my gosh.” I got to get on the phone with him, and he seemed normal, beyond normal. And I had this realization that results matter less than expectations sometimes. If I expected that he was alive, I don't, they would have the same relief. But because I had the thought that he wasn't, that feeling will live within me forever. So, you know, I get the chance, we're talking on the phone. He's actually telling me about my game, and he was so excited to watch him play. Ask him about his day and his accident, what happened. He had no idea, right? When traumatic things happen in your life, sometimes it creates just a blackout. Even before, he didn't remember, you know, sometime before the accident happened. So he couldn't tell you what happened, how it happened, any of those details. But we went back and forth, kind of talking and exchanging a couple laughs, in fact. And I actually got a phone call then from Coach Calhoun who was kind enough to reach out to me just to tell me that, “Hey, you know, Kap, if there's anything we can do, I know there's a lot going on.” When he called me on the phone, it's not typical for a player to just get a rogue phone call from the head coach. So in that moment, I'm on the phone with my brother, we're laughing, we're enjoying time. It feels normal for all intents and purposes. I think I took it for granted. I think you go from this feeling that he is not with me to he is completely normal, and that dichotomy, that strong polarization of feeling that I had led to, I guess, complacency. I took him for granted in that moment, I perceived, and, you know, if I could have gone back, I never would have answered the phone call. I appreciate and love Coach Calhoun for calling me, but I just would have soaked in that moment with him. And I didn't even think twice, like, “Oh yeah, Kyle, Kyle, I'll call you right back.” I called my brother's name. “I'll call you right back.” He's “OK, no worries. Just call me back. Cool.” Hung up, you know, answer the phone with Coach Calhoun. He was so lovely, just supportive, just saying, “Hey, we're all here for you. Anything you need, just let us know. You, your family. Anything.” You know, wonderful. I go to call my brother back. OK. “Hey. You know, he's asleep.” “OK, no worries.” You know, it's been a long day. He's exhausted. Little did I know that that was the last conversation that I would have with him for a year. He had a stroke. He then was induced into a coma. My brother was in a coma, for, if I remember, right — I don't remember if it was a day, two days, it was a couple of days, and that was the last I spoke to him. And then it was, is he gonna survive? And I just hung up the phone. I did not say “I love you,” which is something I always think that I say to my loved ones, and I didn't say it in that moment, and I'll forever regret that, because I never knew if I'd say it again. And so that was very, very difficult. I was here at the Air Force Academy now, and I was, you know, I guess I was ecstatic after my first start, preparing for my second. And then life came at me quickly. It was, “What am I… I need to go home. I need to be gone.” Process the paperwork for administrative turn back, you know, thankful for people in my life that helped support me in that, namely, Col. Harding, Coach Calhoun, were pivotal. Also Col. Pendry was pivotal in that process for me. But we processed that paperwork and then I called my parents. I'm like, “Hey, I'm coming home. That's what we're doing?” My parents said, “He can't do anything here. He's…” for lack of better word, I hate this term, but he was vegetative. There was no movement, no speaking, there was nothing. So there was nothing I could necessarily do to support them in that exact moment. So my parents were like, “Hey, continue your dreams. That's what he'd want for you right now.” So that's what I did. And I spent the next couple of days still trying to exist and be normal. You know, it was actually near prog, you know, tests are ramping up. I'm pulling all-nighters. I can't sleep. I don't know how he's doing. We end up playing a game the next Saturday against San Diego State, who's actually ranked No. 22 in the country at the time. And it was at home. I dedicated that game, you know, I remember posting something on my Instagram saying, “This game is for my brother, with my brothers.” And so it was kind of that moment I realized that it's OK to play for the name on the front of the jersey and the name on the back of the jersey — both matter. And I'm really thankful we have our names on the back of jersey, because at the end of the day, that's part of the reason we do what we do. It's part of what keeps us motivated. And in that game, things are going up and down. The game was crazy. It was a monsoon. We had a two-hour delay. My parents are watching from the hospital bed, in fact, and I end up blocking a punt in the fourth quarter. And on that play, I snapped my collar bone clean in half and I thought, “OK, maybe I'm just being weak. Let me keep going. I'll keep playing. Try to tough it out.” I kind of play the next series. In fact, I do something that harms our team. I'm not fully there. I'm in a lot of pain. I can't really tackle the right way. Ended up coming to the sideline and I remember telling the coaches that are the medical trainers, I was like, “Hey, I snapped my collarbone.” But he was, “OK, don't be dramatic.” He knows what that looks like when people traditionally do that. He felt under my shoulder pad and was like, “Oh my God!” We're talking nearly compound, like the corner of my bone is up in my trap situation. That moment, life was like, “All right, time to go home.” You know, call it what you want. Call it bigger purpose, whatever that may look like. It was time for me to go home. It was a difficult time. It was a very, very difficult time. And I couldn't be more thankful to have had the opportunity to go home and handle what I needed to handle. Sometimes nothing makes sense until the bones are right. Not to make that pun, right — the bones are right. My collarbone had everything to do with the core of my family. There's no way I could have succeeded in my life as a cadet… when the big things are wrong, none of the little stuff is gonna matter. So had that opportunity. You know, I became my brother's, his word, not mine — he called me his parrot because I knew him so well that I knew what he was thinking and feeling. He didn't speak, my brother, when he got out of the coma. They didn't know if he would speak again. He didn't speak, in fact, until the next the next spring, so not quite a year, but it still wasn't conversational at that point in time. So I was his parrot, as he would say. Yeah, not his parent. My older brother would never let me claim that title. But yeah, I was his words. People would look at him and ask him a question, and he would look at me and give me a demeanor, and I was like, “You know, here's what's going on, here's what he's feeling, thinking, etc.” He doesn't have memory of those about three months of his life, which is pretty surreal to think. So that was a moment that turned my world upside down. Naviere Walkewicz Yes. I mean, literally, I just, I'm thinking through all of that you shared. It was a series of things that happened. I mean, my goodness, I guess the first question that comes to my mind as I was listening to you and soaking in that story is, how did you change in that moment? Because you went on a phone call, from being on a high to a low, complacent to like — what literally changed in you because of this? Capt. Garrett Kauppila Yeah, the moment that I realized that could be the last conversation I ever had with my brother, I didn't say I love you — that made me never take another moment for granted. And it's the littlest things in life that it's so easy to take for granted. And that's a cliche statement, but genuinely, I don't take for granted the ability to use my right hand. I don't take for granted ability to write my name. My brother can't use his right hand, right? He's my older brother. He turns 30 here in a couple weeks. Actually, he's still working on reading and writing. Those are things we take for granted every single day that I no longer do, and I hate that it came at his expense. I don't believe everything in the world has to happen for a reason. I don't think that he had to go through this at his expense for me to learn these lessons, but I know that I can find a reason for why everything happened, right? I can take a positive away from things about our relationship, about our family, but I don't believe it had to happen at his expense. It happened to happen at his expense. So with that, we have to take in our sphere of influence what is now in my control, something I talk to cadets about all the time. There's a lot of things happening in life. There's a lot of things happening around you that aren't necessarily what you wanted. They're not in your control either. But the reality is, where are you at now? Where are your two feet? And how can you come to play? What can you do with your present resources, your tools, your current situation? And so in those moments, I went home, and my mom would always tell me the Air Force Academy impacted me. I didn't realize it, but in her eyes, my ability to come home and step into the figure that I became for my family in that role, while I didn't feel like it was in shambles, unfortunately, after my brother's accident, a couple weeks later, my grandfather passed to a heart attack. It was just like one thing after the next, between his accident, my injury, and then my grandfather passing. My dad was with his father, now I was with my brother. My mom is trying to provide for our family and still make sure our house doesn't get foreclosed, while also trying to support all of us. And so she's always appreciative of my presence and being able to do that. I'm always thankful that the Air Force Academy supported me in being able to do that, because those moments, I will say, stay with me for the rest of my life, and I never would have been the man that I am if I hadn't had those experiences with him. He then proceeded to live with me for three years in Los Angeles. My brother and I are very, very close. So, again, it happened at his expense and I'll never be grateful for the fact that it took that experience for me to learn these things. So I asked for everybody to hear that story, or hear others like it, and try not to take the loved ones, the people in their life for granted, no matter how big or how small the moment they feel. But also take for granted the ability to do the littlethings you do in your life. Naviere Walkewicz Talk me through — how did you end up at the Air Force Academy now as one of the management instructors? Capt. Garrett Kauppila Yeah, so the GSP slot was with the intention of — the department releases you from your assignment. You do grad school, and I would do one operational assignment, intervening tour, as they like to call it, and then come back to the Academy to teach. Naviere Walkewicz Talk about when you knew that this was your passion — teaching. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Yeah, that started long before. It didn't happen when I was here. I had a teacher that greatly influenced me. His name was Mark Hardy. He was my AP microeconomics teacher in high school. As a 17-year-old, I had never had someone that influenced me so much in terms of, just like the charisma that he had, the consistency, the man that he is every single day. It inspired me to want to be the same for other people's lives. And I think it's easy to not appreciate that, the weight that someone can have, especially as a teacher, right at the high school level, how many lives it's actually impacted. And he had like 240 students that year. He's been there for decades, right? Naviere Walkewicz And he still made that influence on you, where you felt a connection. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Yeah, 100%. And I remember, every single day I came into the classroom, he had music on. He would shake your hand and he knew all of our names. He'd have us all switch seats. Ask my students — to this day, that is still what I do. And every single time there's test, I play The Final Countdown. That came from Mr. Hardy. So, that's my thing. I make them all move seats, know each other, know each other's names. I know all their names on Day 1 when they show up. It really freaks them out at first, but I think it's something special. It says you care. I know in life, people do not care about what you know unless they know how much you care. Another cliche, but my way of doing that is by the first day of class, I shake all their hands and say hello to them by name. They're like, “Have we met?” I'm like, “No, we have, not, but now we have.” And I think that they'll remember my name too, right? And so oftentimes, when you're the teacher, it's easy for them to remember you. It's not as easy for you to remember them. So you make that initiative, you show that that's your intention on Day 1, and it resonates with them. To me, that's a style of leadership. I think it establishes — I look power structures, and there's kind of a couple core power structures. There's five main ones. There's legitimate power. There's like, reward-based power, coercive power, there's expert power, and then there's reverent power. So then the ones I really focus on, I fixate on and I think about all the time, is this idea of expert leadership and reverent power. And this idea is that if you're an expert, people listen to you because you're knowledgeable. That's worth something, to have you on the team, right? You're the expert of a topic. What's even more powerful than that is if someone follows you, believes in your message for the sole purpose that they admire you. There's something about you that exhibits, you know — they see themselves in you. They want to be like you. Naviere Walkewicz Like you did for your AP economics teacher. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Absolutely. Mark Hardy, he had reverent power to me. He was someone that I looked up to, and now I hope I exhibit some of his traits of caring about people first. If you can show people you really care — you're gonna make mistakes — but if you stay consistent in your path, you have a motivation, you have a North Star that you're going towards and you do so with conviction, early on, you're gonna threaten people. Early on, you're gonna get haters. But as time goes on, as people are looking for that guiding North Star, if you're unwavering in who you are, I do believe people would want to join that train. If your tracks stay true, people eventually look and say, “You know, you get what you expect. What he says is what he does. And I believe it.” And eventually, that's the path that I want to lead others down. And so I think if your morality is guided the right direction, along the way, people are gonna hop off board, but you're gonna get a lot more people joining. And so that reverent power, that true leadership that says if we took the uniform off, this person would have respected you the exact same, that is what I put weight on. It's not a matter of rank. In fact, generally speaking, what is a captain at the Air Force Academy? There's not a lot of legitimate power, right, if we're being frank. So we're not at a normal base around the main squadron where that may be a significant leadership role. So I think that what it comes down to is treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Respect all, fear none. Naviere Walkewicz Wait, say that again. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Respect all, fear none. And the idea is that I genuinely don't believe I treat a four-degree different than I would treat my boss, who's an O-6. They walk by my office, it's, “Yes ma'am, how can I help?” “Yes sir, how can I help?” You know, “What's going on?” It's absolute respect, but it's not… You know, you're not treating people as though they're different than, less than, etc. They're all the same. If you treat everyone — you have a standard to hold everyone… You know, hold yourself to the level of responsibility that you treat everyone with respect but not fear. I remember sitting down — we actually, you and I… You did the run back from... Naviere Walkewicz Oh, march back? Capt. Garrett Kauppila I did the march back. You did the run back with Arden. And I wasn't willing to run at that moment, but I remember we got back and got to go to Mitchell Hall with the basics, and they asked me for a piece of advice. And it sounds too light hearted, but it's just true. You know, the basics, they're being led by our rising two-degrees. Do the rising two-degrees actually believe that they are in a place where they should have that much power over people? They kind of laugh about it. They know, “Whoa, this is weird that I have so much control over human beings.” Here comes the two-degree, which was me, right? I was the 19-year-old. And there I am leading a flight and basic training. It's almost comical to them that they have the ability to do that. So what I told the basics is, I was like, “Hey, guys, just so you know, guys, gals, right? Respect them. Be respectful. Never waver on that, but you don't need to fear them. They too struggle with things. They too have pain, have life happen to them.” And by the way, same with me, I'm a captain. What does that mean? I promoted twice. Woohoo. I promoted twice and didn't get in trouble. I mean, I'm not that different from them, right? They're all gonna graduate from here too. They're gonna end up in the same shoes as I am. So, no, anyway, my perspective is just that I'm a captain. Whoopty doo. I too have things I'm struggling with in my life, that I'm I'm working on every single day, trying to be a better version of myself. So I ask for their respect, but hopefully don't have to ask for it, because I'm already showing them that, reciprocating that. And so I think it becomes a natural state of your existence in the rooms that you're in. Naviere Walkewicz So I have to ask, have you had a cadet that you've seen or has come to you and basically views you as having that reverent power? Have you had a cadet share a story, or have you actually witnessed someone kind of taking on things that have come from you? Capt. Garrett Kauppila It's a great question. I've had a had an interaction yesterday that meant a lot to me. Incredible, incredible person, leader. And we were talking about, you know, she was preparing for GSP interviews. She's a stellar student. She's a great military leader. Naviere Walkewicz And what does GSP stand for? Capt. Garrett Kauppila Graduate School Program. We're very creative, as you know, at the Air Force Academy. Graduate School Program, but for the Management Department, which is the same slot that I earned in December of 2019. And so she came in to talk about it, and they're going to teach the department something about leadership, right, about their experience that they're having, and how they would use that experience to reflect on their cadets as if they want to be an instructor. At the end of the day, it's a grad school slot, but we're hiring someone to be our colleagues, right? Work with us to inspire the next generation of cadets. And we sat there and we talked about this idea of how much she cares, and she talked about a story. She was the squadron commander in basic, right? Which is not the flight, but like the whole, the five flights. So she was leading the squadron, and this year — I think it was the first time they actually were six weeks in that role. It wasn't three weeks and then transition. They wanted to create some cohesion. Naviere Walkewicz OK, so putting a lot of effort and the focus on the sponsor, or excuse me, squadron. Capt. Garrett Kauppila So the squadron commander and the director of operations stayed for all six weeks of basic. So she was the person for those five flights of basics. That was their leader for the whole six weeks. And she's not a large presence; she's not an intimidating person. But she's a caring, charismatic leader, and because of that, when she says something, people listen and it carries weight. And she told me she came to me because she felt as though I exhibited those same things that she feels within herself. It's funny because sometimes presence, like someone has a larger presence or a smaller presence by stature, they utilize that to try and create coercive power, legitimate power. I try to drop the sword and shield as soon as I meet anybody, right? Try to make it as calm, as comfortable as you can. And so when we were talking about that more, she told me a story that she was actually on the obstacle course trying to do everything with her basics. That's the type of leader she is. She tore her ACL and her basics watched her fall off the equipment in pain and struggle. I was like, “Gosh, were you not thankful that you are a kind, charismatic, caring leader — that's your leadership style?” Because they reciprocated that immediately. Could you imagine if she was just demeaning, demoralizing. Naviere Walkewicz Right. They'd be like, “Ha ha. She got what…” Capt. Garrett Kauppila That's how it would feel. It would absolutely feel that way, if that was the way that she led. And she remembers going back, she said she went back to the lightning shelter and sat there with other basics that were broken, and sat down and said, “How are you guys feeling?” They felt out of place. They felt bad. They weren't able to contribute and support their classmates and whatever. She goes, “I get it. I really get it.” You know, it's so easy for us to think we know someone's story, to call someone an F-18 pilot. I don't know if that term existed, right? That idea that you are skipping out of things. Do you really know? Do you really know what's going on? You probably don't. I know I was fresh out of knee surgery, actually, when I showed up to basic training. I had gotten knee surgery my senior year of high school and it's probably the reason I ended up here. You know, end up, you know, some other things fell by the wayside, and I came to the Air Force Academy. You know, people can say anything they want, but I don't want to connect them to my office to work with me. They say, “Hey, Capt. Kap. Can we do this, this, this, or can we change this class and change this major?” So I can. And sometimes I just want to say, “No, you can't do that.” But instead, I don't, I don't say that. I say, “Why? Why do you want that?” And what I learned by asking why, and asking why again, is there is a root cause of these things. And when we address the root cause, because you actually care enough to ask them, we can actually fix the problem, and we don't need to do any of those things. And so you get to the root of what something, what someone really has going on in their lives, and it's just proven to be so worth it for me. Every single time I get the chance to do it, I've learned that if I can pour a little bit into someone's glass — OK, first of all, don't pour from empty glass if you're empty within yourself, right? Like I was when I left to go home and be with my family — I didn't have energy for everybody else in that moment, trying to pour from empty glass is — that's not a sustainable effort. Fill your glass, make sure your people, your family and yourself are squared away and good to go. At that point when you have an abundance of water in that glass, pour from it, it's the most rewarding thing in the entire world. And I realized this. And you know, I think everything in my life getting up to that point created this, whether it was the highs of life, the opportunities presented to me through the Air Force Academy, through travel, through football, whatever that may have looked like, but then the lows of life that rooted me in gratitude, what I realized is happiness, and this is my little theory, that happiness is a box. I consider it a box of happiness. The amount of happiness you actually feel in your life is the area of that box. So, many people are predicated, they're so focused on raising the ceiling of the box. Raise the top. The problem is, if your gratitude dissipates along the way, the area never increases. So what happens is, oftentimes, people create more opportunities for themselves in their life and they take for granted all the places they've been and all the places they were. And so because of that, the gratitude dissipates as your opportunities increase, you never become happier. And they wonder why it's not so happy at the top and cheery… Because they weren't rooted in gratitude. If they never leave the ground and they keep the base of their box, in fact, they continue to drive that base of the box down into the ground while they create more opportunities, you will have more height to your box. What about the width Naviere Walkewicz I was gonna say, what about your gratitude being wider? Capt. Garrett Kauppila Now I've got a long, skinny box, right? That's not a lot of area. This is the people you get to share with, the friends and the family, the people you get to support and give back to. Right? You create opportunity. You root yourself in gratitude so you understand the people to your left and right. And now I believe it's your job to share it with them, expose them to it, so they can increase their opportunities. So they never leave their feet on the ground and they keep their gratitude. My job, I believe in — I'm a utilitarian, right? It's a philosophy concept. Increasing the ultimate world happiness — if there was some world happiness meter, an arbitrary meter in the world, if my actions are going to raise it, I want to do that. If they're going to diminish it, I'm not going to do that. So if it benefits me and hurts five others, I'm not going to do it. But if it benefits five others and it may take time out of my day, that sounds like a win, right? So I realized in every moment I'm with a cadet at a highly adaptable state of their mind — high brain plasticity. They're thinking, they're growing. They don't know quite yet who they are. They haven't lived on their own, haven't cooked their own meals, right? I was the same. I was no different. There was a moment that you realize how precious this moment in time is, they are. And I'm teaching firsties right now. They are about to go create everything that they are. But, I mean, you've met people you haven't seen five years, 10 years, 20 years since graduation. You're such a different person, right? At that time, when the leave the Academy, they really find themselves. So I don't take for granted conversations that I have, the moments I share with them in the classroom. I tell them my gratitude every day: “Thank you for letting me do what I love.” I say that to them almost every single day: “Thanks for allowing me to be here.” They're like, “I have to be here,” but that's not the demeanor that I dress it with, right? So root myself in gratitude and I just pour into them as much as I physically can. Maybe it's selfish of me. In fact, maybe I do it for myself. Think about it this way. I realize that pouring into people actually makes me happy. It really does. So maybe I pour into some people because it makes me happier. What if everyone was that selfish? If they actually knew what makes them happy? How many people go create massive success in their life, but they don't ever give back? And they find out, later on, they create these companies, they see all these things, and then they come back and go, “I really want to give back to my Air Force Academy. I really want to come back and teach in the classroom.” Heck, I remember sitting the NextGen Advisory meeting, you and I were in there with individuals highly successful, far more successful than I, and many of them were saying, “All I want to do is come back to the Academy and teach.” Gosh, what a moment for me to realize and to be introspective on the fact that I can't take this for granted. They can do all these things of all this success. People are oftentimes trying to chase someone on a ladder and try to be like them and have their success. And really, they're just trying to do what I do every day, and they want to do it for free. I get paid to do this job. What a blessing that is. And so those are the moments that help you to sink your — or dig your heels in and say, “I'm here.” Gosh, imagine me as a two-degree. You told me you're gonna get the Air Force Academy teaching the exact subject you want to teach, finance and investments. I bet that's a dream come true. Well, I can't be here now and forget about that, because then I'm gonna miss this moment. I'm gonna move on and wish I had it back. Don't put yourself in that position. Naviere Walkewicz You said something really interesting. It was about — I think it was something to the effect of you can't have something extrinsic, like chasing some kind of like opportunity and make you happy, right? It won't fulfill in like an intrinsic unhappiness or a hole or something. So how do you — how does that translate, I think, as you're helping to lead others and help others to think that way, as they progress? I know you talked about being rooted in gratitude, but is there more to it than the gratitude piece, right? Like, how do you also make sure that you're thinking about the intrinsic pieces? Capt. Garrett Kauppila Yeah, so I think that I have a great opportunity while I'm here. I get the opportunities to work with and see a lot of our recruits coming into the campus, and I get to speak with them and families. Get to see the excitement they have to eventually, one day, hopefully, arrive at the Air Force Academy. I get to work with a lot of cadets every single day, thankful to do it, and I get to see a lot of cadets. Sometimes that attitude changes. The gratitude they once felt, they become skeptical, it becomes challenging. They can't see the forest above the trees. They're caught up in that moment. But I also work with a lot of grads. I'm thankful to work with the Bolt Brotherhood and thankful to work with the NextGen Advisory Council, and have a lot of touch points to our grads. And I've never yet met a grad that is not grateful that they had gone through the Air Force Academy, that they graduated from the Air Force Academy. I've never met one that regretted that experience. I know a lot of recruits that are excited as hell to be here. I know a lot of cadets that are questioning their decisions at times. I know a lot of grads that would do anything to ensure that their loved ones or other people know about the Air Force Academy and what it did for them in their lives. And so what I asked of them is just to reflect back and remember themselves and how excited they were to have the opportunity to earn that appointment to be one of the, you know, 10, perhaps, you know, applications that had the opportunity to say that they were accepted and that they were gonna attend the Air Force Academy. Remember that pride they felt when they got their congressional nomination right? Imagine the feeling that parents feel when they drop them off at IDay, right? All of those feelings, they're real. You can't let them dissipate so quickly. Naviere Walkewicz Well, I mean, Kap, this has been amazing. There's a couple more questions I want to ask you. The first one is, because you're so passionate, and obviously you take care of yourself, how do you how do you feel your glass every day so that you can pour into others? What does that look like? Capt. Garrett Kauppila Yeah, for me, I have to stay busy. And that's the part of me that, you know, when I was younger, I was smaller, I think that's never changed. I have to remain busy. I tell people all the time, if they apply — because we've all had that experience of leaving the Air Force Academy and realizing, “Wait the people at the Air Force Academy are really fantastic. There are such high-quality people, intellectually, emotionally. In all ways. You go into society, it can be a little sobering, a little like, “ Whoa. We are not the Air Force Academy anymore. These people don't operate on the same frequency." That's not within our service, that's just in life, that's going around day to day. So I tell cadets all the time, “You have proven yourself that you can do this. You can commit to your goals. You can complete these long hours, these long days. Life will only get easier in terms of your time commitments.” Now, kids and things like that could change that, but at the end of the day, they prove themselves they can do it. I challenge them to continue on that trajectory when they graduate — not to let off the gas and continue to find things that actually make them passionate. OK, it's so easy for me to wake up every day with this passion, with this desire to do what I do because I love what I do. It doesn't feel like work. So biggest things for me in order to stay ahead, whether that be health, whether that be my sleep, whether that be my accomplishments, whatever it may look like — your leadership ability — I have to wake up and accomplish something. Wake up in your day and accomplish a task. I like waking up before everyone else. I did start doing that as a cadet; I'd finish ball practice and realize I have no mental capacity. I cannot do homework. It is 8 p.m. and I'm exhausted. So what did I do when I was exhausted? I went to bed. I put on my eye mask, my earplugs and slept like little baby angels, right? My hands crossed over my chest, right? And people always make fun of me. “Why are you always in bed at 8 p.m.” “Well, why are you always in bed when it's 4 a.m.?” What I realized was there's a time of day that no one can schedule anything on my schedule. No one's scheduling anything from 4 to 7. Just the reality. So if you wake up early in the morning and you accomplish tasks, now, I'm not getting up at 4 in the morning, usually it's about 5, but I accomplish tasks early in my day. I get ahead of my day, and I prioritize fitness, I prioritize my health, I prioritize my sleep. We can't possibly learn, lead, network, meet people, accomplish. I mean, we're gonna get injured. We're not helping ourselves. Naviere Walkewicz For less money, though, we can do an eye mask, because I also sleep with an eye mask. It's a game changer. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Read reviews on Amazon. Like is this easy stuff, right? I love classical conditioning, the idea that earplugs, eye mask mean sleep; earplugs, eye mask means sleep. Eventually you put in your ear plugs, your eye mask, whatever does your body do? It goes to sleep. Your brain turns off and stops thinking, because that's your routine. So I go to bed early, I wake up early, and I love to accomplish tasks early on in my day. By the time I arrive in the classroom, we're a couple hours in, right? The brain is operating. We're fully awake. We're ready to go. So I challenge people, if they want to achieve more in their life, they need to learn how to achieve more in a day, and once you learn how to achieve more in a day, learn how to achieve more in a week. And now can you make it sustainable. Some people have — they're 75 hard. They can do these things for a period of time. Their new year's resolutions — we love the gym in January, the first week of January. March… Naviere Walkewicz Everyone gets the gym back. Capt. Garrett Kauppila Yeah. And then all of a sudden, the gym is empty by February, right? You know how that goes. So it's like, do you actually mean this, or do you think that you want to do it? So I think if you can accomplish — learn how to accomplish more in one day, do it again the next day, and then repeat it the next day. But in order to do that, you have to be pursuing something that is yours. It can't because my family wants me to. It'll never be sustainable. It can't because someone else thinks it. It can't because I saw it on the internet. It has to be because Naviere Walkewicz wants to do this right. She wants to do this for her life. And so Kap wants to be this person. I want to strive for more and be the best version of myself. My mom tucked me into bed every single night when I was a little kid, you know — 4-year-old, 5-year-old — and she always said, “Hey, Garrett, the only thing you can do is be the best person you can be.” That's all you can do. That's your sphere of influence. So I try my best to be the best person I can be every day. That way I can be consistent, and people can always look to me and know what you see is what you get. You know that if I hop on the call, if I show up in the classroom, you know exactly what you're gonna get from me. I'm not gonna waver on that, and I think that's worth a lot so that someone can look to you and be admired by you, and hopefully you can exhibit reverent power. Naviere Walkewicz Well, I would ask you, what would you recommend to others and what they can do to be better leaders every day? But it sounds like you might give them the same example you just gave, because you're gonna practice what you preach. Is there anything else you might offer then for our — I mean, you do this with the cadets regularly, but just for anyone listening as they're trying to develop themselves as a leader or be a better, more reverent leader. What else might you offer that they can do each day themselves just to turn that dial a little bit? Capt. Garrett Kauppila Find who you really are. You can read all the books. You can read all the headlines. You can hear from me right now. You can hear from everyone else in this podcast. But if it's not you, it won't be true. You won't be able to make it sustainable. It won't be consistent. You will not be able to replicate those actions. OK, I love football so I love football analogies. You can be Nick Saban and Bill Belichick and have success by not being a player's coach or being a little rough around the edges. Or you can be Sean McVeigh and Dabo Swinney, who, if you don't know any of those people, they are younger in personality and in age. They have handshakes with their players, that's who they are trying to be. Don't try to be the other one, though. If Nick Saban tried to be cool with his players and have handshakes, now you're fake. Now you're just fake. Either one can prove to be successful, but you need to find who you are. And so if you don't know who you are, stop telling other people who they are, right? You have time to go. Your glass isn't full yet. Stop pouring it out. Right? Fill this thing at the top. Doesn't mean be selfish. It's the most selfless thing you could ever do is to pour into yourself, fill your glass so you have an abundance to give to others. If you give yourself a full glass and learn how to make it, you know, replenishing — this is some… we're talking like Red Robin fries here, like truly bottomless glass that we can pour from… Naviere Walkewicz Do you eat Red Robin fries? Capt. Garrett Kauppila I actually have not. But I'm not opposed to eating unhealthy in there, right? It's all aboutcalorie deficits. I just gotta work out more, I guess. But anyway, so my point is, if you don't know who you are, go find that first. That's the most important thing. Naviere Walkewicz How do they start? What's the first step in that? Because you just said you can read all the books, but if you're not this person, that's not you. How do you find out who you are? Capt. Garrett Kauppila You find out who you are by finding out what you actually care about. Learn what you really care about. Think about the times you're at peace. Think about the moment, if you could do anything in the world, money didn't matter, what would you be doing? OK, it sounds really cliche. The reason I teach finance, I teach investments, is to provide I believe that finance is a tool to allow you to be happy. I would never subsidize happiness for money. I believe that you have your finances together and they're squared away, and you are investing properly, doing all those things to take care of you, your life, your family, your stability. You can be present where your feet are, and you can make decisions based off what you really want to do. If you find what it is that you are passionate about, we'll find a way to monetize it later. I truly believe that. I think that we have a role for everyone in this life. Whatever it is that you really care about, find a way to be the best at it. Stop being complacent with being, you know, average. I don't care what it is, I don't care what your job is. Be the best at it, and you will find a way to monetize it. This is a silly story, but I learned so much from it. There was an individual who reached out. He's a content creator, does videography. I actually don't remember the gentleman's name, but he was reaching out every single day to Tyreek Hill. He wanted to video — now, Tyreek Hill is not someone we'll resemble for leadership qualities. That is not what I'm saying in this conversation. However, he was reaching out to Tyreek Hill because he's his biggest fan and he wanted to film videos, take videos of Tyreek Hill to create cool content videos, hype videos, etc. One day, Tyreek Hill's manager saw the message and told him, he said, “I'll come out for free. I will come out for free and do this for you.” What I learned in my life, throughout my time so far, and I have so much more to learn as I go forward, is if you're willing to invest yourself for free, the person that does more than they're paid for will soon be paid for more than they do. If you are willing to put yourself out there and prove to others that they need you, once they realize they want you, now you can charge them for it. So, what he did is say, “I'll come out for free on my dime.” Nothing to it. “Well, OK, sure. This guy wants him out for free and work with me and create videos for me. It sounds fantastic.” Well, then he does such a good job, he's like, “I want to hire you.” Oh, well, now it's gonna cost you, right? That individual ended up being contacted by the NFL because Tyreek Hill took his phone out of his hand, did it back up with him, created one of the coolest videos ever seen on, you know, terms of a game day touchdown celebration. That individual has now gone on to make tons and tons of money. He runs a company. Only happened like two years ago. The point in that story is he offered himself for free to show off his talents, but first you have to invest in yourself. You have to get great at something. Get great at something. Figure out what it is you really want to do and offer yourself for free. And once people realize that they want you, now you can charge them for it. Charlie Jackson, football coach, Air Force Academy grad, Class of 2000. He told me stories in Los Angeles Air Force Base. He was at Los Angeles Air Force Base. His dream was to coach in the NFL. He wanted to coach at the highest levels. And you can go coach a high school, get paid a little bit of money, and then spend decades to work your way up. Now that wasn't what Coach Jackson wanted to do. So he offered to be a free intern at UCLA. “I'm gonna work for free.” And he happened to just sit next to a couple of unpaid interns, one named Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the 49ers. The other is the current GM for the Washington Commanders. Those were the three unpaid interns in UCLA's office. Well, he offered himself for free. He tried to show him that they needed him. Once they realized they wanted him, now, they needed to hire him. He ended up on a quick path coaching at the Atlanta Falcons. He's now coached many other places here. He's now come back to Air Force. How do they always come back to Air Force? It's because they love it here. Something about this place is special. The same reason you're back here, same reason I am too. So I really, I really challenge everyone to find what is their truly love and find a way to be the best at that. Whatever it may be, there's a way to monetize it. Naviere Walkewicz This is amazing. Was there anything that we didn't touch on today that you want to share with our listeners? Capt. Garrett Kauppila Thank you. I appreciate it. Naviere Walkewicz Thank you. Thank you. Naviere Walkewicz As we wrap up today's conversation, I keep coming back to Kap's reminder, don't take for granted the things that matter most. That lesson first struck him in the hardest way when he thought he lost his brother, and it's become the driving force behind how he lives and leads today. Kat also shared another truth worth carrying with us be the best version of yourself, not someone else's version of you. That conviction shows up in how he teaches cadets, how he respects others, regardless of rank, and how he purchase every day with passion and gratitude. So here's the takeaway, Leadership isn't about chasing titles or timelines. It's about showing up authentically, valuing every moment and lifting up the people around you. The question we can all ask ourselves today is, what or who am I taking for granted, and how can I choose to lead with more gratitude and authenticity, starting right now. Thank you for joining us for this edition of lovely leadership. If Cap's story resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it and don't forget to subscribe, you'll find longer leadership on all your favorite podcast platforms we don't want you to miss what's ahead this season. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. KEYWORDS Leadership, gratitude, authenticity, adversity, Air Force Academy, personal growth, mentorship, self-discovery, resilience, life lessons. The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation
If you're wondering "How the heck do I become more competitive?!" You're not alone. With thousands of aspiring CRNAs accessing the same information online, on blogs, and on podcasts like this one, how do you really rise above the noise? It's hard, we hear it from applicants every day. In this episode, we dive into three often overlooked strategies that can take your application from solid to standout — and no, it's not just about your GPA or experience. You'll also hear practical, achievable steps to implement each one, no matter where you are in your journey.
Ben and Nathan dig into a law professor's claim that law school tuition is collapsing and explain what that really means for future students. More than 80% of students receive institutional scholarships. A strong LSAT score and GPA set you up to take advantage of the broken system rather than fall victim to it. Study with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 525 on YouTube0:31 - The Law School Tuition “Collapse”Ben and Nathan discuss a blog post by Professor Paul Campos on declining law school tuition. From 2010 to 2023, average tuition dropped by $9,000 (adjusted for inflation). The guys remind listeners that only one in five students actually pays full price, and those who do are often the least financially equipped. Improving your LSAT score and GPA is the surest way to secure a scholarship and avoid paying for law school.19:27 - Tips from Departing DemonsBen and Nathan share advice from departing Demon students who crushed the August LSAT.Olivia: Never give up.Keisha: Treat your official test like your practice tests.Sophie: Don't rush! Slow down, and the improvement will come.Andrea: Avoid law school debt by following the Demon way.33:22 - Are Optional Essays Really Optional?Susan wonders if she should submit optional essays with her applications. Ben and Nathan say: only if you have something good to add. LSAT and GPA remain the biggest factors in law school applications. For the top T14 schools, optional essays may be more useful to include. Ben also reminds Susan that her personal statement should show, not tell.41:04 - How to Structure StudyingKatherine asks how to structure her study time for maximum improvement. Ben and Nathan advise her to focus on one question at a time, prioritizing accuracy, and to mix drilling with timed sections.50:55 - Career AspirationsA listener wonders if stating a desire to become a prosecutor could hurt their application. Ben and Nathan explain that vague career goals aren't persuasive, but if you have concrete experience, a short mention is fine.56:25 - Time for the Early Decision TalkOvadia is considering an early-decision application to a T14 school. Nathan is skeptical of her chances and warns that scholarships through early decisions are rarely full rides. They recommend applying broadly to maximize her scholarship potential and improving her LSAT if she's serious about T14.1:10:08 - Personal Statement Gong ShowAmanda, a past contestant, writes in to thank Ben and Nathan for their feedback. Then Britt steps up as the next Gong Show contestant. In this segment, Ben and Nathan read your personal statement until they reach an unforgivable mistake—then they ring the gong. The record to beat is 34 lines, set by listener Sophia.1:23:07 - Word of the WeekThe article presented the salient facts of the dispute clearly and concisely.Get caught up with our Word of the Week library.
In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the upcoming MBA admissions season. This week, Dartmouth / Tuck, IESE and Imperial Business School have their Round 1 application deadlines; Duke / Fuqua is scheduled to release its interview invites for its Early Action Round. Graham noted that our second livestream AMA is scheduled for this Tuesday on YouTube; here's the link to Clear Admit's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive. Graham then highlighted the ongoing September series of admissions events. The third session is on Wednesday, and includes Berkeley / Haas, INSEAD, London Business School, Michigan / Ross and UNC / Kenan / Flagler. Signups for this series are here: https://bit.ly/cainsidemba We then had a detailed discussion on the recently released 2025-26 MBA rankings from LinkedIn and Bloomberg / Business Week. Graham noted two recently published MBA admissions-related tips that focus on completing the business school application data forms, and whether it is advisable to skip the GMAT or GRE and seek a test waiver. We continued our series of profiling star MBA professors. This week we feature two professors from Columbia Business School and Northwestern / Kellogg. We then discussed our first student-focused Real Humans for this season, from UNC / Kenan Flagler. Finally, we had our first class profile to review, from the Duke / Fuqua Class of 2027. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate graduated from the Naval Academy and was a division 1 athlete. They appear to have a very decent career in the navy. Unfortunately, they have a low GPA and a modest GRE score. This week's second MBA candidate is from Mexico and targeting Dartmouth / Tuck and several Canada-based programs. They are a chemical engineer graduate with several years of business experience. The final MBA candidate has recently had a fourteen-month break from work. They also want to waive the GMAT. They do appear to have strong prior experience and academics, but we caution against the waiver. 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!
Les enfants vont bien: homoparentalité et autres schémas familiaux
La voila la petite nouveauté de la saison 6!Une fois par trimestre, je vous proposerai une table ronde autour d'un sujet qui touche directement notre quotidien. Nous serons plusieurs autour de la table – aujourd'hui cinq – pour partager nos expériences, nos réflexions et nos vécus. Les thèmes seront choisis grâce à vos propositions, ou à partir des questionnements qui nous traversent nous aussi. Ces épisodes spéciaux seront disponibles en vidéo sur YouTube et en audio sur vos plateformes habituelles.Pour cette première table ronde, le sujet s'est imposé de lui-même, tant il pèse sur nos parentalités : l'injonction à la parentalité parfaite. Pendant une heure, nous avons tenté de comprendre d'où elle vient, comment elle s'impose à nous – parfois par la société, parfois par nous-mêmes – et surtout, comment nous pouvons nous en libérer.J'ai eu le plaisir d'échanger avec Nathan, papa trans, Guillaume, papa gay, Stéphanie, maman lesbienne, et Mandy, coach parental et maman hétéro. Je vous laisse maintenant découvrir cette discussion passionnante et je vous souhaite une bonne écoute !Bienvenue dans le podcast les enfants vont bien. Dans ce podcast, depuis près de 6 ans, avec plus de 200 familles extraordinaires, nous nous sommes attachés à démontrer que nos enfants vont bien! Si nous le savions déjà, il était important de donner la parole aux premières concernées pour visibiliser nos familles. Dans cette sixième saison, en tant que famille homoparentale, coparentale, transparentale, solo, recomposée et plus encore, nous allons nous intéresser à nos quotidiens et accompagner les parents dans leur éducation et leur bien être, car les situations que nous rencontrons, sont finalement universelles. Évidement je continuerai à vous proposer des témoignages d'accès à la parentalité grâce à des PMA, GPA, Insémination artisanale, adoption d'enfants pupilles d'état et plus encore. Et évidement, je donnerai encore et toujours la parole à nos enfants, car ce sont nos meilleurs ambassadeurs! Riche de plus de 200 témoignages, nous vous proposons en collaboration avec wedodata et le collectif famille.s, un outil extraordinaire qui vous permettra de vous y retrouver parmi les épisodes. En posant vos questions sur le site de L'explorateur de podcast, une IA vous répondra en vous proposant 5 extraits d'épisodes que vous pourrez écouter et ensuite choisir de lancer l'épisode en entier. Pour en savoir plus et tester cette innovation, je vous donne rendez-vous sur le site www.explorateur.collectiffamilles.com. Je suis Constance, j'ai 43 ans, je suis la créatrice et l'hote de ce podcast, je suis maman de 4 petites filles dont des triplées, qui ont la chance d'avoir 2 mamans. Je suis aussi Doula et enseignante, j'accompagne les familles dans toutes les facettes de leur parentalité extraordinaire.Si vous arrivez sur ce podcast via cet épisode, sachez que vous pouvez l'écouter dans n'importe quel sens, à votre convenance et selon vos affintés. Alors bienvenue à vous, on se retrouve un mardi sur deux sur toutes les plateformes de podcast, et si vous le souhaitez sur le compte instagram du podcast : @lesenfantsvontbienpodcast.Soutenez ce podcast http://supporter.acast.com/lesenfantsvontbien. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.
I recently spoke with Sarah, whose daughter, Madeline, won 18 scholarships at her senior awards event. Sarah describes their scholarship journey and how they achieved such great success. ---------- Families often focus on GPA and test scores when it comes to scholarships—but there's another powerful lever: your student's college major. In this free, live panel event, master career coach Lisa Marker-Robbins and scholarship strategist Dave Peterson will explain how students who make intentional, well-informed major choices can unlock more merit-based and private scholarship opportunities—and how to jump-start the process so you don't leave money on the table. You'll also hear insights from our moderators, Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley, hosts of the Tests and the Rest podcast, as we discuss: ✅How early career exploration improves both college applications and scholarship outcomes ✅What scholarship committees are really looking for—and how your teen can stand out ✅When and how to begin the process before deadlines sneak up ✅Real stories of students who aligned their goals and earned more aid This is a live, interactive session—we'll take your questions during the event and offer expert guidance you can act on right away. Whether your teen is unsure about their major or already has a goal in mind, this session will help you uncover new financial opportunities you may be missing. Click here to register: https://courses.flourishcoachingco.com/scholarships-majors ---------- This Week's Featured Scholarships: $100,000 Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway $5000 Omega Psi Phi Fraternity International Essay Contest $1500 IvyPanda Video Contest Scholarship $1000 Mediation & Conversations Scholarship $1500 Shout It Out Scholarship $5000 Christian Connector Scholarship $50,000 ScholarshipOwl No-Essay Scholarship ---------- Start Your Scholarship Journey Today I worked with Sarah and Madeline through the Scholarship Navigator Program, a comprehensive program designed to jumpstart your student's scholarship journey and provide invaluable ongoing support. With this program, your student will gain access to a personalized list of scholarships tailored to their unique profile, ensuring they can apply for opportunities that resonate with their passions and experiences. But we don't stop there! Your student will receive expert guidance on their scholarship applications and essays, including personalized reviews, constructive feedback, and editing assistance from Dave the Scholarship Coach. Both students and parents can take advantage of direct support for all scholarship-related questions, available through email and exclusive client-only Zoom meetings. We offer Scholarship Navigator programs for college students and high school students in the Class of 2026, Class of 2027, as well as for sophomores and freshmen. Empower your student to seize their future—enroll today!
Exam Study Expert: study tips and psychology hacks to learn effectively and get top grades
Social connections are critical for mental and physical wellbeing, and they significantly impact academic performance. Dr. Kimberly Horne shares evidence-based insights on nurturing friendships even during busy periods of study and examination preparation.• Loneliness affects concentration, GPA, and even immune system function• College social terrain differs dramatically from high school, requiring new connection strategies• Introverts can benefit from sitting in the same class spot and keeping notes about conversation topics• Scheduling social time should be as intentional as scheduling study time• "Micro connections" of just 5 minutes can provide significant benefits during busy periods• Finding your "tribe" through shared interests makes forming deeper connections easier• Friendships serve as anchors during challenging times on campusIf you found this episode helpful, please consider leaving us a review, following the show, or supporting us on Patreon. Your engagement helps us reach more people with these important messages about study success and wellbeing.**Find out more about Dr Kimberly Horn:• Discover more resources on her website: https://www.drkimberlyhorn.com/• Grab a copy of her book Friends Matter, for Life at https://geni.us/kimberlyhorn * **Find out more about Exam Study Expert:Hosted by William Wadsworth, memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress. BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/ Get a copy of Outsmart Your Exams, my award-winning exam technique book, at https://geni.us/exams * *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).
On paper, every pre-PA at your interview is basically the same: the GPA, the hours, the shadowing. So how do you stand out once your stats stop doing the talking? Your interview answers are where you can finally set yourself apart. In this episode, we're breaking down exactly how to shine in both traditional and MMI interviews so programs remember you long after the day is over!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In this episode, Belmont Head Coach Casey Alexander sits down with Slappin' Glass and breaks down his offensive philosophy, defensive evolution, and coaching journey. From assisted-basket strategies to player empowerment, Coach Alexander shares how three decades of culture and continuity shape Belmont basketball.Offensive Philosophy & EfficiencyAssisted Baskets: Nearly top-10% nationally, built on recruiting unselfish, high-IQ players who prioritize team offense over isolation.Ball Movement with Control: High passing volume paired with impressively low turnovers, thanks to system-oriented players.Pace & Tempo: Focuses on shot quality, not the clock; emphasizes quick transition opportunities whenever the defense isn't fully set. Runs a motion offense with freedom for players to break plays when advantages arise.Teaching Style: Concepts over DetailsConceptual Framework: Players learn broad principles, making reads in the flow of the game instead of memorizing plays.Player Empowerment: Every recruit gets the “green light,” fostering confidence and freedom from day one.Quality Shot Standards: Uses a unique “four-point shot” grading system in practice — shots only count if they meet strict criteria for rhythm, balance, and positioning.Recruiting & CulturePersonnel First: Success starts with finding the right offensive-minded, team-first players.Cultural Consistency: A 30-year standard of excellence, with a 3.5 team GPA and multiple Academic All-Americans.Flexibility in Recruitment: Willing to adapt for players with elite intangibles like toughness, competitiveness, and leadership.Defensive AdjustmentsLate-Season Turnaround: From bottom-third nationally to top-10 defense in the final five games, driven by greater physicality.Switching Philosophy: Shifted from over-switching (which bred passivity) to a system that demands initial defender engagement.Simplicity in the Gray Areas: Prioritizes communication, effort, and competitiveness over complex schemes.Coaching Development & ConnectionPlayer Relationships: Continuous growth focus, investing in personal connections and development.Direct Communication: Honest, demanding, but never manipulative.Career Foundation: 16 years under Hall of Fame coach Rick Byrd — patience and preparation that became his best investment.To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 60 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!
What if the biggest advantage you bring to your career isn't your GPA or degree, but the real-world lessons you learned by running a business in college? In this episode of the Leaders Across America Podcast, Steve Acorn talks with Jacob Brauer, a Michigan State graduate whose four-year journey with the Young Entrepreneurs Program shaped his future in ways no classroom could. From overcoming a speech impediment and the fear of rejection to leading ten branch managers by his senior year, Jacob built resilience, leadership skills, and confidence that carried him far beyond campus. Now a financial advisor with Edward Jones, Jacob shares how the program gave him the mindset, discipline, and relationships that opened doors early in his career. He explains why age is never a barrier, how trusting the process creates results, and why real-world experience is the best preparation for long-term success. Looking for an edge beyond your GPA? This episode shows how real-world experience prepares you for opportunities a classroom never could. If you've enjoyed this episode of the Leaders Across America podcast, be sure to leave a review and subscribe today! Enjoy! Key takeaways: How Jacob went from a shy freshman to running a $600,000 operation by senior year Why real-world experience beats theory when preparing for a career in business The evolving “why” behind Jacob's journey and why money alone isn't enough The role of relationships and mentorship in surviving challenges and staying motivated How to overcome doubts about being “too young” to lead or be trusted Why discipline, not just motivation, is the key to lasting success Why the program is the best internship for the right person and the worst for the wrong one And much more… Guest Bio: Jacob Brauer is a financial advisor at Edward Jones, where he assists automotive and manufacturing professionals in addressing their money concerns. A graduate of Michigan State University, Jacob spent four years in the Young Entrepreneurs Program, starting as a branch manager and eventually overseeing ten managers across Michigan. His hands-on experience in leadership, sales, and operations gave him the skills to step into a career usually reserved for older professionals. Today, Jacob continues to build his business with the same principles of discipline, resilience, and relationship-building that shaped his student years. Resources YEAA Website Leaders Across America Connect with Jacob on LinkedIn Follow Jacob on Facebook EdwardJones.com Books Mentioned: The Richest Man in Babylon Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Leaders Across America podcast or its affiliates. The content provided is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this podcast and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Listeners should consult with a professional for specific advice tailored to their situation. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that any reliance on the content is at your own risk.
What happens when you do everything “right” — the grades, the sports, the scholarships — but none of it makes you happy? For Ray Ford, the answer was found on a snowboard. Growing up in rural West Virginia with two engineer parents, Ray followed the path he was told would lead to success: top GPA, full ride to college, and a major in engineering. But watching the snow fall outside while grinding through calculus, he realized the only thing that ever brought him real joy was snowboarding. One bold decision to change his major — and his life's direction — set him on a path that's kept him on the slopes for more than a decade. Today, Ray is a trainer-level snowboard instructor at Aspen Snowmass, a mentor to younger athletes, and proof that you don't need a traditional degree to build a meaningful career. If you've ever wondered whether following your heart could actually lead to a career, Ray's story is living proof that it can — and that chasing passion is often the most practical choice of all. Ray's Resources:snowmassschool@aspensnowmass.comP: 970-923-8733rayjford90@gmail.comConnect with Joanna Lilley Therapeutic Consulting AssociationLilley Consulting WebsiteLilley Consulting on Facebook Lilley Consulting on YouTubeEmail joanna@lilleyconsulting.com#TherapeuticConsulting #LilleyConsulting #Successful #TherapeuticPrograms #Therapy #MentalHealthMatters #Podcast #PodcastCommunity #TheJourney #SuccessIsSubjectivePodcast #TheUnpavedRoad #PFCAudioVideo #PersonalGrowth #TherapyWorks #FreshStart
The Event Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a 22-year-old man named Tyler Robinson after a 33-hour manhunt. Robinson is someone raised conservative but “radicalized to the left.” Details on the Shooter Presented as intelligent (high GPA, ACT scores, scholarship) but later radicalized online and possibly at college. Mentions engraved messages on bullet casings with references to anti-fascism, LGBTQ+ memes, and video game codes. Suggests his roommate was transgender, possibly a romantic partner. Criticism of Media & Political Opponents Argues that mainstream media (e.g., New York Times, Daily Beast) downplayed or misrepresented the ideological motives of the shooter. Accuses the left of lying, celebrating Kirk’s death, and creating a climate of political violence. Religious & Spiritual Framing Kirk was a conservative leader but also an evangelist and Christian apologist. His pastor describes him as a “once-in-a-generation” figure whose murder is framed as both political and spiritual warfare. Parallels are drawn between his faith and martyrdom, with references to demonic opposition. Political Violence Theme Positions political violence as a growing problem attributed mainly to the left. Cites polls claiming many left-leaning respondents condone violence against figures like Trump or Elon Musk. Draws parallels to rhetoric labeling conservatives as “fascists” or “Hitler,” arguing it legitimizes violence. Public & Social Media Reactions Notes celebrations of Kirk’s death by some individuals online and in academia. Highlights instances of people being fired for making celebratory or critical remarks. Discusses Stephen King tweeting a false claim about Kirk, later deleting and apologizing. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Back to school means College Nights, info sessions, and sugar-coated admissions advice. Here's what they won't tell you… and what families actually need to hear. In this episode of College Coffee Talk, Andy and Pearl Lockwood pull back the curtain on what really matters in the college admissions and financial aid process. These are the uncomfortable facts your high school probably won't cover at its “College Night.” Topics include: ✔ What test-optional really means behind the scenes ✔ The problem with high school GPA inflation ✔ Why FAFSA and financial aid advice is often misleading ✔ How counselors are unintentionally steering families wrong
I recently spoke with Rachel Fusco, an educator and mental health professional dedicated to transforming the way we prepare young people for adulthood. Over the past two decades, Rachel has personally supported over a thousand college-bound students in high schools, college access programs, and private admissions consulting. Rachel has shared her expertise as a presenter and trainer for prestigious colleges, private and public high schools, after-school programs, mental health clinics, statewide conferences, and teaches graduate-level counseling courses in Career Counseling, Child and Adolescent Development, and Adolescent Suicidality. Leveraging her background in college admissions, adolescent development, and education as an independent college coach, Rachel works with teens, parents, and schools to transform the way we prepare young people for college. It's time to geek out, not stress out, about the future. In our conversation, Rachel and I discuss: The impact of brain development on college prep The need to break down college prep into specific tasks How self-awareness reduces student stress when it comes to the college application process Why college prep is stressful and how to reduce the stress How setting parameters (including financial) in the college search reduces a student's anxiety And much more.. To connect with Rachel, visit rachelfusco.com. ---------- Families often focus on GPA and test scores when it comes to scholarships—but there's another powerful lever: your student's college major. In this free, live panel event, master career coach Lisa Marker-Robbins and scholarship strategist Dave Peterson will explain how students who make intentional, well-informed major choices can unlock more merit-based and private scholarship opportunities—and how to jump-start the process so you don't leave money on the table. You'll also hear insights from our moderators, Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley, hosts of the Tests and the Rest podcast, as we discuss: ✅How early career exploration improves both college applications and scholarship outcomes ✅What scholarship committees are really looking for—and how your teen can stand out ✅When and how to begin the process before deadlines sneak up ✅Real stories of students who aligned their goals and earned more aid This is a live, interactive session—we'll take your questions during the event and offer expert guidance you can act on right away. Whether your teen is unsure about their major or already has a goal in mind, this session will help you uncover new financial opportunities you may be missing. Click here to register: https://courses.flourishcoachingco.com/scholarships-majors ---------- This Week's Featured Scholarships: $25,000 NHS Scholarship $1000 Buckfire Law Disability Scholarship $2500 Home Depot Path to Pro Construction Careers Scholarship $1000 Outstanding Citizen Scholarship $1000 Empowering Others Scholarship $1000 ScholarshipOwl No-Essay Scholarship $2000 Autumn Apple Choice Award No-Essay Scholarship
Send us a textIn today's explosive episode, I'm bringing you the most jaw-dropping stories that have everyone talking! I start with a deep dive into Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old who shot Charlie Kirk, revealing shocking details about his background, family, and the bizarre memes he inscribed on his bullet casings that will leave you speechless. Then I bring you the absolutely bombshell interview where nine Jeffrey Epstein victims come together for the first time to expose what the Department of Justice has REALLY been doing behind closed doors - and what they reveal about Ghislaine Maxwell will blow your mind! Next, I decode the mysterious redacted court filing in Blake Lively's explosive case against Justin Baldoni, and I share who I think this secret accuser is using production clues that nobody else has figured out. The drama gets even juicier as I serve up the full receipts from the nuclear war between Scheana Shay and Katie Maloney, including Katie's absolutely savage response to Scheana's book claims and the behind-the-scenes Vanderpump Rules secrets that production tried to bury. I also spill the tea on Kyle Richards' assistant's revealing interview about who was REALLY at Alexia Umansky's wedding, and he seems to give more hints on who was being snubbed even though they were there, plus Alexia Nepola's heartbreaking and inspiring story about her son Frankie that will move you to tears. Finally, I end with breaking news about NATO Article 4 being invoked after Russia's drone attack on Poland that could change everything - this is not a drill!For the Full episode for only $6 a month join our community! https://www.patreon.com/DishingDramaWithDanaWilkeyEpisode Highlights & Timestamps available on free Listening platforms.0:33 - The Charlie Kirk shooting deep dive begins - prepare to have your mind blown about Tyler Robinson!4:00 - Tyler's shocking background revealed: 4.0 GPA, 34 ACT score, and a $32K scholarship - this is NOT who you think it is7:06 - How Tyler was caught: Dad recognizes his own son from FBI photos and calls a pastor12:07 - The bizarre bullet memes decoded: "OwO what's this?" and furry fandom trolling explained17:17 - Three bullet casings revealed: "Hey fascist catch," anti-Nazi songs, and "if you read this you are gay"23:57 - BOMBSHELL: Nine Epstein victims unite and spill the tea on what DOJ is REALLY doingThe rest of the time codes are in the Patreon.Support the showDana is on Cameo!Follow Dana: @Wilkey_Dana$25,000 Song - Apple Music$25,000 Song - SpotifyTo support the show and listen to full episodes, become a member on PatreonTo learn more about sponsorships, email DDDWpodcast@gmail.comDana's YouTube Channel
Joe is joined by Quin Cho, Author and Fellow, Pacific Atrocities Education to discuss his books and expertise on World War 2. Quin Cho is an accomplished historian and author specializing in the history of global conflict and geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific region. A 2023 summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Quin earned a 4.0 GPA as a double major in History and International Relations. His academic excellence and rigorous training in archival research and historiography earned him the prestigious Outstanding Senior Award from USC's Phi Beta Kappa society, an honor bestowed upon only three students in his graduating class.Quin's debut book, Competing Empires in Burma: A Chronicle of the China Burma India Theater of World War II, achieved critical acclaim, ranking in the top 10 of Amazon's military regiments category and earning an average rating of 4.91 stars on Goodreads.Currently, he is authoring a multi-volume work on the Kwantung Army, exploring its role in the false flag attack on the South Manchuria Railway that precipitated Japan's conquest of Manchuria and set the stage for World War II in the Asia-Pacific.As a fellow at Pacific Atrocities Education since January 2024, Quin has made significant contributions to the organization's mission. Despite a three-month sabbatical to study Korean through the State Department's Critical Language Scholarship, he wrote 176 pages of his forthcoming book, which now totals approximately 427 pages. In March 2024, Quin conducted extensive archival research at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, scanning thousands of pages of primary source documents. These materials enriched his book and expanded PAE's archival collection. Additionally, he completed a 40-page mini-book on the Battle of Wuhan, slated for release in early 2025.Looking ahead, Quin's first volume on the Kwantung Army (150–200 pages) is scheduled for release in September 2025, coinciding with a commemorative event at the Officers Club in San Francisco marking the 80th anniversary of World War II's end. This strategic launch aims to amplify the book's reach, with subsequent volumes planned for future years. To continue this ambitious project, Quin seeks to extend his fellowship with PAE through 2025 and 2026, ensuring further contributions to the organization's educational and archival efforts.
What happens when life gives you a second chance? Clarence Vaughn's story is nothing short of extraordinary—a powerful testament to how faith, community support, and personal determination can transform even the most challenging beginnings into a life of purpose and service. Expelled from high school after missing 86% of the school year with a shocking 0.7 GPA, Clarence could have become another statistic. Instead, he is now serving as Director for the Office of Access and Community Connections at the University of Tennessee's Haslam College of Business, Clarence has come full circle. He creates opportunities for young people just like his former self, including pre-collegiate summer programs that bring high school students to campus. His leadership philosophy is refreshingly grounded: "Small wins outweigh large victories," he advises, cautioning against the desire to leap from entry-level to CEO without experiencing the crucial steps between.If you are looking for a Realtor, don't forget to call The Landes Team to help you buy and sell! Yvonnca LandesRealty Executives Associates865.660.1186 or 588.3232 www.YvonncaSellsRealEstate.com Adrienne Landes Realty Executives Associates 865.659-6860 or 588.3232 Click here: https://linktr.ee/talkintnwithyvonnca Turning Knox Rental (Event Rental Services): www.turningknoxrental.com Landes Home Collection Online Store: www.landeshomecollection.com For promotion inquires please contact Yvonnca Landes. 865-660-1186 All Copy Rights are owned Yvonnca Landes and the Landes Brand ©. To gain legal access contact David Landes 865.660.6860 or theappraisalfirm@charter.net Produced and engineered by: Adrienne LandesThank you for listening! Follow us on social media! https://linktr.ee/talkintnwithyvonnca
Justin Ballard (@JLB_Oso) and Jake Corley (@jacobcorley) regroup to riff on miner-to-AI megadeals, gas-to-power plays, and a modular ASIC that could reset fleet economics.AI x Power x BitcoinThis week we break down:TeraWulf × Google – a 10-year, 200 MW hosting deal (headline $3.7B; options could push multiyear value far higher) and why clean, reliable electrons (nuke/hydro) earn a premium—and might end in outright M&A.Who's Next? – the consolidation map: why Bitfarms (and possibly IREN/Iris) look “target-ready,” what MARA/RIOT are more likely to do, and how miner stock spikes telegraph hyperscaler interest.CoreWeave–Core Scientific Playbook – how long-dated revenue agreements morph into acquisitions when the real prize is energized, rack-ready capacity.Coterra's Power Option – a 7-year gas sale to CPV's 1.3 GW CCGT in Ward County with the right to buy ~250 MW/day indexed to ERCOT West—the first true Permian netback template and what it signals for E&Ps.Turbines, Permits & Sudoku – deposits and long lead times, GPA/air permits (NOx/CO₂), and the catch-22 between offtakes and hardware—why scale + compliance + capital win.Block's Proto Miner – Apple-clean design, rack-side sub-90-second repairs (as pitched), modular hashboards, open-source fleet software, and a 10-year design life—what that does to uptime and capex cycles.The AI Arms Race – trillion-dollar capex, billion-dollar talent bids, China's generation build-out, and why power-secure brownfield beats greenfield timelines.Where to Find Us IRL – Permian Power Conference (Midland, Sep 29–30) + Texas Capitol investor day/North American Blockchain Summit (Dallas, October).
Special Patreon Release: Wisdom from a Homeschooling Dad with Steve Lambert Luke 6:40 (NI) "The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher." *Transcription Below* Questions and Topics We Discuss: What are some wonderful aspects of your lifestyle that are not available to families who are not home educating their children? What are some common questions you get about homeschool and what truth do you have to replace the myths? How long will prep take for the homeschooling parent and what does a typical schedule look like? Steve Lambert has worn many hats in his 73 years: Pastor, author, speaker, stock broker and more. Together, he and his wife Jane Claire Lambert created and publish "Five in a Row" homeschool curriculum which has been a reader's choice favorite for nearly 30 years. They began homeschooling their children in 1981 and their seven grandchildren were homeschooled as well. Five in a Row Website Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and Savvy Sauce Charities Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“ Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” *Transcription* Music: (0:00 – 0:08) Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 1:37) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. I want to say a huge thank you to today's sponsors for this episode, Chick-fil-A East Peoria, and Savvy Sauce Charities. Are you interested in a free college education for you or someone you know? Stay tuned for details coming later in this episode from today's sponsor, Chick-fil-A, East Peoria. You can also visit their website today at Chick-fil-A.com/EastPeoria. I'm excited to introduce you to my fascinating guest, Steve Lambert. Steve has a unique perspective, as he has worn various hats, such as pastor, author, speaker, stockbroker, and more. But today, we're going to hear various stories of how God has been faithful in calling he and his wife, Jane, to homeschool, and also publish homeschool curriculum called Five in a Row. Regardless of our family schooling choice, these stories will build up our faith and remind us who we get to turn to in all things. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Steve. Steve Lambert: (1:37 - 1:39) Good morning. It's great to be with you, Laura. Laura Dugger: (1:40 - 1:53) Well, you are a part of a multi-generational homeschooling family. So, will you begin our time by taking us back to that initial decision that you and your wife made to home educate your children? Steve Lambert: (1:54 - 3:31) Sure, I'd love to. We made that decision back in 1981. I'm sure probably you and many of your listeners were not even born in 1981. But my wife came to me and she said, "So, hypothetically, what would you think if…” and my response was something like, "That cannot possibly be legal." Because at that point, we knew no one who homeschooled. We never met a homeschooler. I don't, you know, it was just completely foreign to my understanding. But I began to pray about it. And as I did, I felt like the Lord said, "You're accountable for how you raise your children." And I thought, well, if I'm accountable, then I ought to have some idea of how they're being raised. Because, frankly, in a classroom, 95% of their lives are spent there in the classroom. And they get home on the activity bus at 5:15 and eat dinner and go up and do their homework. And that's the end of the day. And so, I thought, alright, maybe that's a good plan. Now, parenthetically, let me add that it wasn't until a couple of years later, I felt like the Lord spoke to me and said, "And your children are accountable for how they turn out," which was profoundly important to me at the time. Because we've all known great families who produce train wrecks for kids. And we've known some train wreck parents who produce great kids. But we're accountable for how we raise our kids. And I thought, if I'm going to have to sit for the final exam before the Lord of Heaven, I'd like to at least have some input in some part and at least know how they were raised. So, that was beginning in 1981. Laura Dugger: (3:32 - 3:43) That is incredible, because you had no idea. I'm even getting goosebumps just thinking now of where your family is at from that decision. And could you catch us up to speed? How many children do you have? Steve Lambert: (3:44 - 4:25) We had two daughters. We kind of left that in the Lord's hand. And that's what we ended up with. And my wife would have loved to have more, but we ended up with two daughters. And between them, they have six daughters and one grandson. So, we have seven grandkids. Several of them are through homeschooling now, college or career. The youngest at this point is six. So, they're third-generation homeschoolers, which I think speaks to the validity of the homeschooling option for many people. You know it's worked successfully when your children want to homeschool their children rather than running as far away from homeschooling as they could possibly get. Laura Dugger: (4:27 - 4:38) Well, and even going back then to 1981, you were questioning at that point, is this even legal? So, catch us up. At that time, were there any legalities that you were up against? Steve Lambert: (4:40 - 8:42) Then, like now, it really does depend on the state where you reside. And Missouri has always been fairly homeschool-friendly. That said, within about a year after we began, our oldest daughter had been in public school in K-1 and had been in a private Christian school for one semester of second grade before we began the decision to homeschool. And someone, presumably a family member I suspect, turned us into Family Services for Educational Neglect Child Abuse. So, we had that dreaded knock at the door, and DFS came and had to inspect the children, make sure that they weren't bruised or harmed in any way, and then begin kind of the prosecutorial process against us. But eventually they realized they really didn't have much say, so they turned the case over to the superintendent of schools. And we happened to live in the same district where Jane and I had become high school sweethearts. So, we hired an attorney, and we went and had a meeting with the superintendent of schools. I often tell the story and describe him as being an older gentleman. Now, in reality, compared to me today at age 73, he was probably only 60. He was a young fellow of about 60. But when you're 30, that seems pretty old. And he had a couple of PhDs in education and administration, and he said, "You know, I strongly disagree with the choice you've made," but unfortunately, we had had our daughter tested using standardized testing just prior to that, and he compared her test scores after a year of homeschooling with her test scores when she had been in his public school classrooms, and she had improved significantly in every subject area. So, he said, "I'm not going to cause you any problems, but I still think you're making a serious mistake." And the footnote to that story was lived out less than a year later when my phone rang, and it was the superintendent of schools. And he said, "Mr. Lambert, can I speak with you frankly?" And I thought, oh boy, here we go. He said, "I don't know if you're aware of this, but we're having some problems in public education." And I said, "No, not, I can't believe that. Really, doctor?" And he goes, "No, we really are. Test scores are declining. Parents are unhappy. Faculties are unhappy. Administrations are unhappy. Students are unhappy. And I put together a blue-ribbon panel of educational experts for six weeks this summer to discuss how can we reface and reimagine education in our district. And you seem to have a very unique perspective on education, Mr. Lambert. Would you consider being a part of that panel?" And I said, "I would." And so, I went to the first meeting. They all introduced themselves and they all had lots and lots and lots of letters after their name. One was the director of curriculum development, another the director of elementary testing, another the director of high school counseling. And finally, I introduced myself and said, "Hi, I'm Stephen Lambert. I'm a homeschool dad." And every head in the room turned to look at me sitting in the back because up until that point, as far as I know, none of those men and women had ever seen a homeschooler and lived to tell about it. So, they began the journey. The first night of the discussion and the person in charge of the summer series said, "You know, we can all make a long list of things that are wrong with public education, but let's not start there. Let's start on a positive note as we explore this difficult topic. Number one, responsibility for educating children rests with the state." And I raised my hand and I said, "That's not right." And he said, "What do you mean that's not right?" And I said, "No, the responsibility for raising and educating children rests with their parents and only insofar as they choose to delegate some or all of their authority to you, does the state have anything to say about it?" And he said, "Let's take a brief recess." So, it's probably just as well that I didn't tell him that God told me that because that would have made his head explode completely. But anyway, that was 40 years ago. So, lots of water under the bridge since then in public education, I'm sorry to say has not gotten better, but instead it's gotten worse. Laura Dugger: (8:44 - 9:07) Well, and I think within that, you've even brought up some questions that people have about homeschooling families when you first were talking about the standardized tests. So, do you get these questions? A lot of times, do your children have any friends? Did they grow up socialized or how did they compare to their peers? Those types of things that there may be an underlying myth. Steve Lambert: (9:09 - 11:20) Oh, for sure. Those are the common questions. I was so ignorant of homeschooling in 1981 that I didn't even notice. I didn't even know the word socialization. I was too ignorant to even know that, but I did know friendship. And in fact, I prayed and I asked the Lord, I said, "How are my kids going to have friends if they're homeschooled?" And as you and some of your listeners may understand, I felt like the Lord spoke to me, not audibly, but in a sense that I clearly understood his heart. And he said, "Do you want friends for your children?" And I said, "Yes, Lord, of course I do more than anything." And he said, "And so friends come from being in the midst of people." And I went, yes. And then I paused and I could sense him kind of waiting on me. And I said, "Don't they?" And I felt like the Lord said, "No, if you want friends for your children, ask me. I'm the author of friendship." And he reminded me of David and Jonathan, for example. He said, in my imagination, at least he said, "This very night, I can hear the prayers of tens of thousands of people around the earth who are surrounded by people, but who are contemplating suicide this very night because they're so lonely. Friends don't come from being in large groups. Friends come from heaven, ask me." And so, that became a prayer. And neither of our children, none of our grandchildren have ever lacked for friends, lots of friends, close and intimate friends through sports, through music, through their church connections. And it really has turned out to be true that friendship, whether you're an adult, a child, or a teen, if you're lacking friends in your life right now, getting involved in more and more people and more and more busyness isn't necessarily the answer. Just stop and ask the Lord, "Lord, I'm lonely. I need some friends in my life. Would you bring me some?" And our daughter's first close friend, after I prayed that prayer was a number of months later. It was a little girl who had immigrated all the way from South Africa. Her father had immigrated to the United States after becoming a believer to attend a Bible college and then came to Kansas City to attend a seminary. And his daughter became my daughter's best friend, but she came from halfway around the globe. And since then, there've been so many that we couldn't count them all. Laura Dugger: (11:22 - 11:49) Wow. Steve, that is such a powerful and encouraging parenting tip, really just in every phase that we know where to turn and that God is the one who actually has the power to make these prayers answered. So, thank you for sharing that. What would you say are some wonderful aspects of your lifestyle that were not available to families who were not home educating their children? Steve Lambert: (11:50 - 14:20) You get to see your kids come to life, to discover who they are and why they were made and to watch them learn to read and to watch them explore and discover God's amazing creation in the world around them. You can travel with your kids. If you're homeschooling, you can take them wherever you go and you can have school in the car or school in the park or school at the lake. My kids, instead of reading about some of the national parks and reading about some of the great museums in America, we went and we saw them firsthand and in the process we got to see them begin to blossom and figure out who they were and why they were created. We're seeing with all that's happening today, a struggle that really so much boils down to children and teenagers and young adults having absolutely no idea who they are and they're questioning everything from their gender to their faith, to philosophy, to finances, to all those kinds of ecological issues. They really have no idea who they are and it's because in the classroom, nobody ever teaches them. You know, it says in Luke 6:40, "that a student is not greater than his teacher, but when he is fully trained, a student will be like his teacher." Discipleship is really about teaching and if you're not disciplining your children, somebody is. And in a public-school classroom, the wisdom of Dr. Luke suggests that your children will grow up to be just like their teachers and that's exactly what we're seeing in today's culture. So, if you want to have some input, if you want to see your children blossom, I mean, there's nothing more exciting than seeing your children learn to read for the first time and it's not that difficult. I mean, I often tell parents if you were trapped on a desert island, just you and your child, could you teach them to read? Well, sure you could. You take a stick and you make the letter A in the sand and you'd say, this is an A and then this is a B and this is the number two and this is the number three. There's nothing more rewarding at the end of life. And I can say this at age 73, I can say this without any reservation. The single most important thing you can do is to trust your life to Jesus. The second most important thing you can do is find somebody who's like-minded and marry them and make that marriage work through thick and through thin. And the third most important thing you'll ever do is raising your children and watching them become the men and women God created and take their place in a dying culture. Laura Dugger: (14:22 - 14:42) And you have years of wisdom journeying through being a homeschooling dad. And so, again, I would love to hear more about your journey. So, if we go back to 1981, I'm assuming that all of the curriculum was not available that we have available today. And so, how did you and your wife practically live this out? Steve Lambert: (14:44 - 22:14) Well, you're right, Laura. There wasn't any of the curriculum, which in many respects was a blessing. To be honest, there's so much material out there today. It's a little overwhelming. If you go to some of the larger homeschool conventions, you can find as many as seven or 800 vendors there, each telling why their particular curriculum is the one that you ought to choose. But back then there were no choices. And in fact, we contacted a couple of Christian curriculum publishers and asked to buy their materials. And they said, "No, we can't sell you because that would upset our Christian school customers because they had the exclusive right to this material." And so, we began with a old set of world books and a stack of children's reading books. And I think we did go to the yard sale, and we found an American history book that was published, I think in 1943. And so, it was somewhat incomplete because it didn't explain who won World War II. It just kind of ended in the middle of the war, but we began that journey. And what we discovered was that God consistently brought us the tools, the resources, and the people that our children needed. I would come home on certain days and I'd find Jane kind of crying in her bedroom and the girls crying in their bedroom. And because they were, we were trying to replicate school at home. And that's completely the wrong direction. Well, it turns out we didn't want school at home. We wanted homeschooling, which is an entirely different proposition. And so, on that journey, Jane began to pray. And she said, "Lord, this is not what I had in mind for our children. I did not imagine that we would be fighting and arguing over. You will do your homework. I won't. You can't make me. Yes, I can. How can I teach my children?" And he said, "Why don't you read to them?" And she said, "Well, I do read to them, but how can I teach them?" And he said, "Why don't you read to them?" She said, "No, no, I understand. I love to read to them, but how do I teach them?" And he said, "Why don't you read to them?" And so, after the third time, they began focusing more on reading aloud. And that just naturally led to the entire world around us. It doesn't really matter what you're reading. God gave educators and parents a secret weapon, and it's called curiosity. And so, if you can engage that curiosity and you read them a story, it doesn't matter what three bears, and suddenly they want to know more about bears. And how does this hibernation thing work and where do they live? And do we have any near our home? And can you find bears? And what's the difference between a black bear and a grizzly bear? And how long do they live? And what do they eat? And suddenly you become the guide rather than the opposing force. Suddenly you begin to sit on the same side of the desk with your students and you go on a learning journey together, because particularly in those early years up to middle school, really the only lessons, the lesson that you really need to teach children is to fall in love with learning. If they learn that you're home free, because they will self-direct and self-educate right on through high school, graduate school, they'll be lifelong learners. But if you reduce education to nothing more than carrots and sticks and dangling promises and threats, they will quickly learn that learning is not fun. And we just need to get through this as quickly as we can so that we can get on with life and the things that are truly important. And if you doubt that, I often tell parents who are contemplating homeschooling, if you doubt that, just look in the mirror, go back and just think about, for example, your fifth grade social studies exam. Tell me who the Norman Conqueror was. When did the Norman Conquest take place? How did that change European history? And you'll say, wow, I remember. I've heard of the Norman Conqueror, the Norman Conquest, but honestly, I don't remember it yet. Why not? Because honestly, I just learned it long enough to take the test. And then I forgot. And your kids are just like you. Many attribute Einstein with the saying that doing the same thing the same way and expecting some sort of a different result is insane. So, it stands to reason if you teach your kids the same way you were taught to memorize names and dates and highlight pages and books for Friday's quiz, they'll end up with the same results. They won't particularly be interested in learning. They won't remember 99% of all the things that you checked off your checklist that you covered with the children, but they don't remember any of it. So, through reading, that opened the door for the girls to begin to ask questions. And suddenly, like I said, instead of being in that tug of war, where as a parent or a teacher, you're trying to force children to memorize and regurgitate long enough to take a test, you suddenly become a resource person and you take them to the library and you take them to the natural history museum and you take them to the art gallery and you take them on nature hikes in the woods. And one question always begets ten more. I remember that when my oldest daughter, her firstborn was about two or three and she was getting ready for bed and in the bathtub and she said, "Mama, can I ask you a question?" And my daughter said, "No." She said, "Please, mama, just one question." She said, "No, honey, you've already had your 472 questions for today. Mama's exhausted. Finish your bath. Let's go to bed. You can ask a question tomorrow." She said, "Please, mama, please. Just one more question." She said, "All right, one more question. And then it's bedtime." She goes, "Okay. So, like, how does electricity work, mom?" So, that curiosity that God gave those children is the spark that makes homeschooling, not only a joy, but makes it infinitely doable. Whether you dropped out of high school or whether you have a doctorate in education, if you can keep that curiosity alive, your kids are going to be great. And let me add one other thought. We live in a world, the dean of a medical school, school of medicine at a university told me not too long ago, he said, "Do you realize that the body of knowledge of the human body doubles every year?" We learned more in 2022 about the human body than we had learned in all of history through 2021. And he said, we get the best and the brightest, the top one tenth of 1% who come here to medical school. And there's no way they can possibly keep up with the amount of new knowledge that's being developed. And if you ask someone who has a doctorate in any subject, the most tempting question to ask is, so you must know pretty much everything there is to know about that. And if they're even remotely honest, the first thing they'll say to you is, "Oh no, no, no, no. The farther we explore, the deeper we get, the more we realize we haven't even scratched the surface. There's so much we don't understand. The more we learn, the more we realize how much we yet have to learn." And so, that's an infinite loop of getting children to begin to manage their own education. We've said for years, you know, he got the best education money could buy, or they gave him the best education. You can't give a child an education. They're education resistant. The child has to learn to want to know, to be hungry and thirsty to know more about the world that God created around them and how it works. And homeschooling is a wonderful vehicle to make a lifetime learning out of your son or your daughter. 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There are processing fees that we cover for these donations, but we wanted to offer listeners a seamless way to share their finances with us when we share our content with them. So, just visit thesavvysauce.com and find the donate page under the tab support. Another way to find it is simply type in donate to the search bar on our website and just click the first picture shown. We are all about sharing around here, sharing resources, sharing joy, and sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. We ask that you also share by sharing financially, sharing The Savvy Sauce podcast episodes, and sharing a five-star rating and review. You can also share any of our social media posts on Instagram or Facebook. We are grateful for all of it, and we just love partnering together with you. Now, back to the show. The more I learn about homeschooling, the more encouragement I've heard from homeschooling parents, they will talk about there is always a learning gap no matter how you were educated. And so, I love how you're addressing that with lifelong curiosity that we will continue learning our whole life. But you also mentioned this word, if parents are considering homeschooling, you said it's so doable. And when you're talking about Jane hearing from the Lord, read to your children, I find that so encouraging. That's my favorite activity to do with our girls. That was the impetus for your family launching Five in a Row. Is that right? Steve Lambert: (28:24 - 32:17) That is right. Over a period of time, Jane certainly did math mechanics in a math workbook, and she used some specific structured approach to phonics to teach reading. But other than that, it was largely an open palette in which reading helped direct the course of education. And that became something that many of her homeschool friends as the years went by found enviable. They said, "You know, how does that work?" And she said, "Well, you just read aloud to your children, and then there's opportunities in an illustrated book to talk about the illustrations, the perspective, vanishing point, type of colors, the difference between watercolor and gouache, complementary colors on the color wheel, history, where did our story take place, what's it like, where is it on the map, what do people eat there?" And they said, “Yeah, we don't get that.” So, she began to just really as kind of a love gift for a few girlfriends, began to write some lesson plans to go with some popular children's books. And one thing led to another, and that was in 1994. So, this is our 29th year in publication, and I think Five in a Row has won pretty much every award that's out there, from Reader's Awards, Magazine Awards. It's more than 100,000 families, 600,000 children have used Five in a Row in the last 29 years, and virtually no advertising. It's almost exclusively by word of mouth, from a veteran homeschool mom pulling aside a young mom who just spent $1,300 on a massive stack of curriculum and is completely overwhelmed just three weeks into September, to say, you know what, we tried that, and we tried this, and we tried this other program, and we spent a lot of money. And then an older mom told me about Five in a Row , let me show you how it works. And suddenly that changes everything for so many of these young moms. Most of the problems that new homeschoolers are facing simply are not issues at all. And the crazy part is that there are some things they ought to be worrying about, but they don't know enough yet to worry about the correct areas. But both the obvious and the more subtle areas, God has answers. If he's invited you to go on the homeschool journey, he has something amazing in mind for your family. There are very few born homeschoolers, very few 15- or 16-year-old adolescent young women tell their school counselor, "You know what, I'd like to spend my life living in a two-income world on a single income and stay locked up with little people all day long without any peer support and have my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law think I'm crazy." That's not on most young women's radars, but it begins, for most families, the same way it began for our family. Hypothetically, honey, what would you think if, as the finger of God, the same God that said, let the waters be parted, the one that said, Lazarus, come forth, the one that said, let there be light, says, "Why don't you homeschool your kids?" And so, you become what we often call accidental homeschoolers. It suddenly occurs to you something that you swore you would never, ever do. But the good news is the one who invited you is faithful. Love is a powerful motivator. We all have stuff, and God has tried to make us deal with our stuff for years, and we've been resistant in many cases. So, he invites us to the covenant of marriage so that we'll have a living witness to remind us of our stuff. Honey, why do you always wait to the last minute? Honey, why do you get so upset? And if we're still stubborn, then he invites us to have children so that we have several living witnesses. But if we remain stiff-necked, finally he invites us to homeschool with children. And this way we have a house full of living witnesses all day long that say, "Mama, how come this and why do you do that?" And suddenly we begin to grow in ways we never thought possible through the medium of homeschooling. It strengthens marriages. It grows us up in Christ. It causes us to deal with our stuff. It's amazing what it does for our children. Laura Dugger: (32:18 - 32:44) It does seem like progressive sanctification, how the Lord has built that in within the family. And I just appreciate how you've gone before us. And so, if someone's feeling nudged in this direction, can you paint a picture, even using Five in a Row curriculum, what kind of prep would that require for the homeschooling parent? And what kind of schedule would their day look like? Steve Lambert: (32:46 - 39:39) Homeschooling is essentially tutorial education, and that's always been the realm of kings and the super wealthy who hired an individual tutor for their children. Because of homeschooling, our children can have a tutor. And tutorial education is so inherently efficient that even if you're terrible at it, your kids are going to do pretty darn well. So, when we start out, we're tempted to emulate the classroom. So, we think, well, my daughter's six. She was going to go into first grade, so we need to start at 7:45 in the morning and we need to go until 3:45 in the afternoon with 20 minutes for lunch. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can work with a kindergarten or first grader; 90 minutes a day is probably overkill. So, it's something that anybody can do in their schedule, at least in those early years. And it works best when it works for you and for your children. If your kiddo is a late-morning sleeper, trust me, they're not going to be at their best at 7:45. Don't let them sleep until 9:30. That's okay. You'll realize, for example, when you have teenagers, that they don't come to life until sometime after 11:00 p.m. That's when they want to come into your bedroom and ask you important life questions when you're struggling to try to get to sleep. So, first of all, you work with your children's schedule to some degree. You work with the schedule that works for you. And you work where it works for you. If you're sick or if you're dealing with morning sickness and pregnancy, homeschool's going to happen in the bed today, kids. Come on, gather around. We're going to read a story. If it's a nice day, homeschooling is going to happen at the park today. We're going to go on a nature hike. We're going to look at trees and wildlife and streams and rocks and waters. And we're going to learn to take our paints with us. And we're going to learn to paint the sky the way the illustrator did in our story this week that we're reading in Five in a Row. When Jane began, she actually would take the girls to a cemetery nearby where everything was beautifully mowed and there were beautiful trees and lakes. So, Five in a Row is built around the concept of reading a classic children's book, which Jane has selected thoughtfully and curated. And you read it for five days in a row. And so, on the first day, you're going to read the story aloud. And the children just want to know how did the story ended, what happened? A very surface, cursory reading of the story, really thinking only about the plot. But, you know, as you go back and watch a movie the second or the third time or read a book sometimes or play the second or third time, you discover there's a whole lot more beneath the surface. So, the first day they look at, on Mondays they do social studies. So, they look at the setting of the story. Where did it take place? How did people live in the 17th century? How did people live today in Japan or Australia? How did people live along the Ohio River in the 1800s? What sort of foods did they eat? What was their language like? Let's find it on a map. Let's learn more about it and maybe plan to cook a meal from that region or that period of history later in the week for the family. And you can make that as complex as you want. You can have the children make shopping lists and invitations and invite Grandma and Grandpa and help cook the meal and learn liquid and dry measure and cups and quarts and all of that and put a towel over their arm and serve the meal to Grandma and Grandpa and tell them about what they learned about Spain or Italy or France or Canada this week. So, now you've read the story and you've learned something about what's going on in the story. So, Tuesday, we go back and we read it a second time. This time we look at language arts, so new vocabulary words that came up in our story this week, new creative writing techniques that maybe there was a cliffhanger that made us want to turn the page and read and see what was next or maybe the author was really great at asking questions or writing dialogue or opening sentences that create curiosity. And so, we learned some of those techniques, and we can try them ourselves. And even a four- or five-year-old can dictate while Mom writes down their story, and they can illustrate it later and share it with Dad. And then on Wednesday, we look at the art. So, what did the artist teach us? What medium did they use? Was this charcoal? Was it pen and ink? Was it watercolor or gouache? Was it oils or pastels? How did they draw the water? Look, they drew reflections on the water. It's not just blue paper, is it? You can see the same colors in the water that were on the shore on the opposite side. You know what, kids? Let's get out your colored pencils or your crayons or your pastels. Let's try drawing water more realistically the way the illustrator taught us in our story today. And maybe learn something about famous artists who had similar styles of Degas or Renoir or Van Gogh or whoever. Thursday, we do applied mathematics, which is not the same as math. You're going to be doing math for 15 to 30 minutes every day in a sequential approach. But this is about learning, you know, the difference between a square and a rectangle. Well, they have four sides, but what's the difference? They're not all equal on the rectangle, are they? We're going to learn, like I said, how many pints in a quart, how many quarts in a gallon. And then on Fridays, we do science lessons. So, there's lots of opportunities in every children's book to learn more about why does the sky look blue? Why is the grass green? Why do some things float when you put them in the water and some things sink? And all of a sudden, you're at the kitchen sink with a stopper in it. You fill it with water, and you've gotten a penny and a cork and a birthday candle and whatever is in the kitchen junk drawer. And suddenly, the kids are learning about buoyancy, and they're testing things, and they're predicting their answers, learning more about the world of science and creation. So, typical day, long story short, for a beginning homeschooler with a kindergarten-aged child, probably going to be 15, 20 minutes maybe for phonics, 15 to 20 minutes for math, which at that level is simply learning the digits and haven't even thought about adding yet. And then another 30 open-ended minutes, 30 minutes to 90 minutes for exploring Five in a Row or whatever it is that you're reading that day. And for some days, that might turn into two hours. In fact, there are some days where it turns into all the way to bedtime and continues over the next two days. If you're learning about the solar system, and suddenly that catches their attention, and they want to go to the planetarium nearby, and they want to borrow their uncle's telescope, they eat, sleep, and drink astronomy for the next two or three days. And frankly, that's not an interruption in the curriculum. That's the answer to a prayer. God, please help my children grow curious. Help them nurture their love of learning. Cause them to want to learn. And sooner or later, we're going to learn about astronomy anyway, but all too often, it's while the kids are fascinated by a bug that just crawled in the room. And so, the smart mom puts astronomy on the shelf for the moment and learns about insects. Or vice versa. You're trying to learn about insects, and they're staring out the window looking at moons still visible in the western sky that hasn't set yet. So, helping children learn in the proper season is another key to making it all work. It's so flexible, and it's so simple. Laura Dugger: (39:41 - 40:33) Guess what? We are no longer an audio-only podcast. We now have video included as well. If you want to view the conversation each week, make sure you watch our videos. We're on YouTube, and you can access videos or find answers to any of your other questions about the podcast when you visit thesavvysauce.com. Well, that flexibility sounds so freeing and attractive, and as you explain it, it just sounds like such a lovely educational experience. And yet, I know a lot of homeschooling parents fear is that when their children graduate from the home, they wonder if they've done enough and how they'll perform out in, quote, the real world. So, what was your experience as you and Jane launched your first child to college? Steve Lambert: (40:35 - 46:24) Well, we actually sent our first one to college a week after she was 16. And to be honest, I wouldn't recommend that again for a variety of reasons. She had a four-point-something or other GPA in college beginning at just barely 16. But being academically ready and being emotionally ready are two different things. And so, probably, if for no other reason, we missed out on two more years of just exploring and learning together in home education. But when she went, she was the top of her class pretty much in every subject. Almost every study done of homeschool students by private industry and government suggests that students, on average, score about 20% higher if they were home-educated in every subject except math, where they're about the same, than their public school peers. And it's now been more than 20 years since Harvard set out, and they kind of were one of the earliest ones to create full-time recruiters for homeschool students because universities and the marketplace are looking today for homeschoolers. They realize that these kids are the leaders today. I saw a study of a small private university, I think in the Carolinas, if I recall, and they only had 3,000 students on campus, of which 90 were homeschooled, so 3% of the student body. But of the 12 elected student leadership positions, student advisor to the dean, senior class president, whatever, 11 of the 12 were homeschool students. So, even their peers recognized that these were the leaders in their community. And we now live in a world where nobody seems to want to work. Everywhere you go, there's help-wanted signs. And we've seen so many stories from friends and customers whose children were homeschooled who said it's a tremendous opportunity right now in the marketplace if you just show up and you're just semi-dedicated to actually doing the job. I interviewed a guy, well, he actually came up to ask me questions after I spoke, in Chicago, as a matter of fact. And he was the head of human resources for a large Fortune 50 company, and he said he had, I don't know, a quarter of a million employees. And so, I asked him, I said, so this is in May, you're out recruiting, I assume. And he says, “Yeah, I've got six recruiting teams crisscrossing American college campuses trying to recruit new employees.” And I said, “So you're obviously looking for the highest-grade point average or highest graduating class position and competing for those students.” He said, “No, not at all.” And I said, no? I said, “So IQ or SAT score?” He goes, “No, none of that.” I said, “Why?” He said, “Let me tell you something.” He said, “The average new hire costs us $70,000 to train. And this has been 15 years ago. So, it's probably 170,000 a day. And no matter what your discipline, whether you're in sales, marketing, quality control, engineering, whatever, we're gonna spend the first year teaching you how we do it here, not how you learned it in college. If we aren't successful in our recruiting, our company will go bankrupt. This is our largest single expense is personnel.” And we have learned over the years that graduating class position or grade point average or SAT score IQ is totally irrelevant when it comes to determining who'll be successful in the company and who won't. And I was a little taken aback and I said, “Well, if it's not any of those things, then you just throw darts at resumes?” He goes, “No, no, no.” He said, “We can accurately identify these students in the most cases.” I said, “So what do you look for?” And he said, “Well, you're gonna laugh.” I said, “Maybe.” He said, “First and foremost, by far and away, the ability to get along and work well with others.” He said, “If you can't, you're gonna get cross ways of your boss or another employee and either quit or get fired in the first six months. The second is to be able to complete a job, see it through to completion and meet the deadline. And number three, if you're really, really golden, the ability to work within the constraints of a budget. Those are the things that are successful, whether you work for our company or whether you're an entrepreneur or whether you're a homemaker, whatever you do in life.” So, with that in mind, I've spoken all over the country and encourage parents. These are things that we need to be working on. There are things that are not being worked on in the classroom. So, look for opportunities to hand more of the education off to your students, let them plan what do I wanna study for the next two days, the next two weeks, the next two months? Where am I gonna get the resources to discover that by the time they're in high school? I'm gonna give you a budget to work with. There's $200, you can buy some resources, tools that you think would be useful in the process. Where do we need to be in project management to start the process? Where should we be by the end of week two? Where should we be by the end of the month? These are the skills that employers are looking for and so many parents have told us that their kids have just rocketed in the marketplace. My final question to this guy was, so are you finding bright young men and women who can do the job? He goes, there's never been brighter, more thoroughly educated young men and women who can do the job. He said, the problem is I can't find any who will do the job. I can't find people who will do even four hours work for eight hours pay. They wanna go to Starbucks, they wanna be on their cell phone, they wanna be on Facebook, they wanna be talking to their friends, taking care of their online banking, paying bills. And so, character comes first. And if we teach our children their purpose and their place in this world, if we help them find and discover their giftedness and their aptitudes and invite them along those pathways and we increasingly turn more and more of that education over to them in the high school years where they begin to take responsibility for their own education, we're going to end up with not just capable but outstanding young men and women who can quickly take their place in our culture and rise to the very top because frankly, there's very little competition. Laura Dugger: (46:26 - 46:36) Wow. Well, Steve, is there anything else that we haven't yet covered? Any scriptures or stories to share that you wanna make sure we don't miss? Steve Lambert: (46:37 - 50:16) The thing we want people to take away from all of that is not that the only way to raise your kids is to homeschool or that God doesn't approve of anything else. The point is, listen to God and do what he said, but don't put your fingers in your ears because he often calls us to things that we really maybe didn't wanna hear and obedience is better than sacrifice. One of my favorite stories, when our oldest daughter started to college, she went through placement counseling that summer and the placement counselor said, "You know, I don't think I've..." That was in 1991. He said, "I don't think I've ever had a student who was homeschooled." So, that's pretty interesting. And she said, "Okay, great." And there were 30,000 students at this college and she was not only at that point, as far as we know, the only or first homeschooler, but she was also the youngest, having just turned 16 that in the middle of August. And so, when she began, one of the prereq classes that every incoming freshman had to take was public speaking. And she realized much to her horror that her public speaking teacher was the guy who had helped with her placement counseling earlier in the summer. And she really didn't want anybody to know she'd been homeschooled, but she said there were returning GIs from Operation Desert Storm. There were empty nest moms coming back to finish the degree. There were pre-med students. There were student athletes. There were just every kind of student in that class because everybody had to take public speaking. And he said, the very first day, the teacher said, "I'd like for everybody to give a six-minute speech on Monday. That's the best way to do this is just to jump in on whether or not you think we ought to be involved in nation building. Except for you, Ms. Lambert, and I'd like for you to give six-minute speech on what it was like to be homeschooled." And she slunk down below her desk and tried to disappear into the floor. And she said, "Dad, what am I gonna do?" I said, "Well, just get up and tell them." So, she did. And she said, you know, as far as I can tell over the course of that semester, she said every single person in that class, whether they were 18 or 58, found me somewhere on the campus in the quadrangle at the library, the cafeteria, in the parking lot, and said in one way or another, their own words, "You're so lucky your parents cared enough about you to be involved in your education. I'm jealous. I'm envious. I wish my parents had been." She said, but the one that killed me was a girl who was 18, had just graduated from a prestigious high school the previous May. And she began to tell her story. And she said, "When I began high school four years ago, my goal was to become valedictorian of my graduating class. I've never been at a sleepover. I've never been to a, you know, skating party or, you know, movies. All I've done is study for four years. And she said, I was in AP classes all the way through and my GPA was like 4.7887. And there was this guy and his was 4.78779. And he and I competed every year in every class. And it came down to the final test and the final class and the final semester. And I beat him by two points." And so, last May, she said, my dream came true. And I stood on the football field and I gave the commencement address, the valedictorian address to 4,000 of my peers, their parents, civic leaders, laity, community leaders of faith. And both of my parents were too busy to attend. She said, "I wish my parents cared and had been as involved in my education as yours were. You're very lucky." And she said, "Dad, it just killed me to hear her story." And I said, "I don't have any answers, honey, but our joy was raising you girls and seeing you become the people that God intended you to become." Laura Dugger: (50:18 - 50:43) Wow, Steve, that is so powerful. And what an incredible charge to leave each of us with to go and do likewise. And as we wind down our time together, you are already familiar that we are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your Savvy Sauce? Steve Lambert: (50:45 - 51:59) Read aloud, read often, read to your spouse, read to your kids. Jane and I continue, we've been together now 57 years, and we still read aloud to one another every single day. I read aloud to my kids still on occasion, my grandkids still, my daughters are in their 40s. My grandkids, but that was the joy. And that's the thing that when all else fails, when your relationship is struggling, when your homeschool day is falling flat on its face, get a great book and snuggle together with your kids and read out loud. It's in that process that their imaginations are birthed, their angst is quieted, and disagreements between spouses can suddenly be pushed aside because suddenly you're facing sorrow and you have a sword in your hand or you're coming down the Mississippi River on a riverboat or whatever it is that you, it unlocks doors that sometimes we didn't even know were locked. So, that's the Savvy Sauce that's worked for us. Read aloud, read often, and don't let a day go by that you don't read to your children, even when your kids are 18. And if you have little ones, read to the little ones and I guarantee you the high schoolers will come around and listen to every day. Laura Dugger: (52:00 - 52:23) I love that so much. That is wonderful. And I have very much appreciated your insights and wisdom that you shared with us today. So, thank you for the legacy that you and Jane have been building for years. Thank you for being a faithful and intentional father and husband. And thank you so much, Steve, for being my guest. Steve Lambert: (52:24 - 52:29) Laura, it's been my pleasure. I've appreciated the opportunity. Thank you for what you do. God bless you. Laura Dugger: (52:29 - 55:45) Thank you. One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a Savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now? Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process. And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today. And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.
Les enfants vont bien: homoparentalité et autres schémas familiaux
Bienvenue dans le podcast les enfants vont bien8 Dans ce podcast, depuis près de 6 ans, avec plus de 200 familles extraordinaires, nous nous sommes attachés à démontrer que nos enfants vont bien! Si nous le savions déjà, il était important de donner la parole aux premières concernées pour visibiliser nos familles. Dans cette sixième saison, en tant que famille homoparentale, coparentale, transparentale, solo, recomposée et plus encore, nous allons nous intéresser à nos quotidiens et accompagner les parents dans leur éducation et leur bien être, car les situations que nous rencontrons, sont finalement universelles. Évidement je continuerai à vous proposer des témoignages d'accès à la parentalité grâce à des PMA, GPA, Insémination artisanale, adoption d'enfants pupilles d'état et plus encore. Et évidement, je donnerai encore et toujours la parole à nos enfants, car ce sont nos meilleurs ambassadeurs! Riche de plus de 200 témoignages, nous vous proposons en collaboration avec Wedodata et le Collectif Famille.s, un outil extraordinaire qui vous permettra de vous y retrouver parmi les épisodes. En posant vos questions sur le site de L'explorateur de podcast, une IA vous répondra en vous proposant 5 extraits d'épisodes que vous pourrez écouter et ensuite choisir de lancer l'épisode en entier. Pour en savoir plus et tester cette innovation, je vous donne rendez-vous sur le site www.explorateur.collectiffamilles. com. Je suis Constance, j'ai 43 ans, je suis la créatrice et l'hote de ce podcast, je suis maman de 4 petites filles dont des triplées, qui ont la chance d'avoir 2 mamans. Je suis aussi Doula et enseignante, j'accompagne les familles dans toutes les facettes de leur parentalité extraordinaire.Si vous arrivez sur ce podcast via cet épisode, sachez que vous pouvez l'écouter dans n'importe quel sens, à votre convenance et selon vos affinités. Alors bienvenue à vous, on se retrouve un mardi sur deux sur toutes les plateformes de podcast, et si vous le souhaitez sur le compte Instagram du podcast : @lesenfantsvontbienpodcast.Aujourd'hui dans ce premier épisode de la saison 6, nous allons poser les bases de la saison. Je vous propose de découvrir Mandy Favrel, coach parentale, que vous retrouverez dans plusieurs épisodes de la saison. Elle nous aidera à décortiquer les situations complexes de nos quotidiens. Petite nouveauté cette saison, une fois par trimestre, nous nous retrouverons autour d'une table ronde regroupant des parents vivant dans des familles extraordinaires et Mandy, dont le thème sera choisi en concertation avec vous. Je vous laisse découvrir son métier et je vous souhaite une bonne écoute. Soutenez ce podcast http://supporter.acast.com/lesenfantsvontbien. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.
Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fortune, Barrons, HGTV Frank McKinney is a true modern-day Renaissance man who has pushed the limits of success in his every endeavor. His early years were not very promising: upon attending his 4th high school in 4 years (he was asked to leave the first 3), and seven stints in juvenile detention, he earned his high school diploma with a 1.8 GPA. With $50 in his pocket and without the benefit of further education, he left his native Indiana for Florida in search of his life's highest calling. Today, Frank's life is a testament to the power of aspiration to create a completely new reality. As a real estate artist he has created and sold 44 oceanfront mansions on spec, with an average price of $14 million. Frank recently announced he was un-retiring and coming back to create more real estate artistry! See two short films that were just made about Frank's exciting comeback! As a philanthro-capitalist, Frank has built 30 self-sustaining villages over the last 20 years in Haiti, providing 13,600+ children and their families with homes, schools, clinics, community centers, churches, renewable food and clean water, and means to support themselves. A best-selling author, actor, and keynote speaker, Frank has written seven books in six genres, with the title, premise and cover for his 8th book in his 7th genre being revealed at an exciting stunt Frank will perform on Friday the 13th of January, 2023! Frank has starred in four movies, and keynoted before audiences of ten to ten thousand around the world. Physically, Frank has pushed the limit of his body by racing in the Badwater 135-mile Ultramarathon 12x in the scorching summer in Death Valley, California, a race referred to by National Geographic as “the world's toughest footrace.” As with all of his books, Frank wrote his latest bestseller Aspire! in his Delray Beach, Florida, oceanfront treehouse office that has spectacular views and includes a bamboo desk, shower, bathroom, sink, air-conditioning, hardwood floors, cedar walls, a loft with a king size bed, and a suspension bridge to the master bedroom in the main house—that's Frank's commute to and from work! Today Frank and Nilsa, his wife of 32 years, split their time between Delray Beach and their “glass cottage” in the mountains of Canton, North Carolina. They enjoy visiting their 24 year-old daughter, Laura, in New York City, where she started and runs StrataBrand, a brand strategy firm. © 2025 All Rights Reserved © 2025 Building Abundant Success!! Join Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBAS Spot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23ba
Thinking about a career move but worried about trading stability for growth? In this episode, Shari Rash sits down with Amy Adler (CMRW, CERM, NCOPE)—president of Five Strengths Career Transition Experts—to unpack fearless career transitions, executive résumé writing, LinkedIn strategy, and career portfolio development. You'll learn how to position your impact, optimize for ATS keywords without losing your voice, and build a personal brand that opens doors to C-suite roles, board seats, and better compensation. You'll hear: How to reframe the “golden handcuffs” and evaluate real earning potential in a new role The resume art + science formula: metrics that matter, language that passes ATS, copy that sounds human What actually belongs in an executive career portfolio (résumé, LinkedIn, bio, thought leadership, more) When to tailor a résumé (and why tweaks should take minutes, not hours) The truth about networking vs. cold applying, and building relationships before you need them Personal branding on LinkedIn without the cringe—rules that keep your reputation clean and compelling Résumé “rules” that are outdated (one-page mandates, graduation years, GPA) and what to do instead How to identify your five strengths and translate them into executive-level language Guest: Amy Adler — President, Five Strengths Career Transition Experts; author of Courageous Career Change. Website: fivestrengths.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amyladler Podcast: How I Hire Listener Perk: Amy is offering a complimentary résumé or LinkedIn review for our audience! Sign up here: https://fivestrengths.com/letschat Be sure to follow the show on Instagram @everyonestalkinmoney! Thank you to our sponsors! Policygenius - Head to policygenius.com to compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. Ava - Help build your credit score with Meetava.com. Use promo code: Money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
durée : 00:37:13 - Le 18/20 · Le téléphone sonne - En France la question de la GPA traverse tous les courants politiques, et divise les églises comme les féministes. La pratique reste interdite en France, mais un enfant né d'une GPA réalisée à l'étranger sera néanmoins inscrit à l'état civil. Le débat est éthique, féministe, international même. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
Confused about the difference between PAs, NPs, and MD/DOs? In this episode, we break down education, training, scope of practice, lifestyle, and salary. You'll also learn how to answer common PA school interview questions like, “Why PA vs NP vs MD/DO?” and “What is the medical model?”____________________________________________Application to Acceptance NOW ENROLLING!! (Coaching starts September 15 so you're ready to submit by Oct 1) Create your most competitive application in Application to Acceptance Course - where we walk you step-by-step in creating your strongest, most competitive PA school application! From picking the right schools who will love your stats (even with a low GPA), to crafting an exceptional personal statement and experience paragraphs, and so much more, A2A has helped countless pre-PAs get accepted to PA school! Whether you want to apply now or next cycle, this course will show you exactly how to put together your best CASPA application so you can land PA school interviews and get accepted to PA school! We walk you through every step here!Keep up the amazing work future PA!Katie & Beth
When you substitute understanding with gimmicks, you hamper your score now and in the long term. Tips like “10 questions in 10 minutes” or “If you don't understand an answer, it's probably correct” excuse poor reading and rushed test-taking. When you accept that the LSAT is easy and every question is solvable, you're more likely to commit to a problem until you solve it. No shortcuts needed. Study with our Free planDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 522 on YouTube0:40 – Structuring StudyMila started with a 150 and plans to study two to three hours a day while in school. Ben and Nathan suggest limiting LSAT time to one focused hour and prioritizing perfect grades. After she's secured perfect grades for the semester, she can switch to LSAT prep. Mila and other candidates looking to boost their GPA could also consider enrolling in a few community college courses that offer A+ grades. 5:21 – Undergrad Involvement in Pre-Law ClubsKyle wonders whether joining pre-law clubs is necessary. The guys explain that clubs and extracurriculars are negligible compared to GPA and LSAT. A 4.0 GPA paired with a great LSAT score will always outweigh résumé fluff. Schools may pretend otherwise, but admissions officers prioritize numbers.15:17 – Graduate School ConundrumCarson asks if finishing grad school before law school makes sense. Ben and Nathan point out that lawyers learn what they need on the job—grad degrees won't add value. Universities push unnecessary certificates and programs because they profit from them. Don't pair bad LSAT prep with wasted tuition. Learn freely, but don't pay for credentials you don't need.26:53 – Pearls vs. TurdsDemon team member Beatriz shares a questionable piece of advice that one of her students heard from another prep company: “If you don't understand what the answer is saying, it's probably correct.” Turd. This advice is antithetical to the Demon approach. Wrong answers don't need to make sense, but right answers do. If you understand the passage, you should be able to understand why the right answer is right. The LSAT is easy if you approach it correctly.32:57 – UC Law San Francisco Welcome EmailNate reads a verbose welcome email from his alma mater, UC Law San Francisco (formerly Hastings). It's a wall of text showing what students pay thousands for—law school administrators framing business interests as justice. The email is more about promoting the school's image than welcoming students.39:50 – Choosing the Right Law SchoolSean wants advice on picking the right school. Step one: get your best LSAT. Step two: apply broadly and early. Step three: compare offers. Rule of thumb: rank schools by cost, not prestige. If a more expensive school is ranked higher, double its rank and see whether cheaper options fall within that range. Going cheaper often means graduating at the top of your class, with better job prospects and stronger networks.59:57 – Question TypesMcKenna asks whether she should study question types. The guys explain that focusing on question types is a distraction. Meaning is in the words on the page, not labels. Most struggling students overemphasize question types instead of careful reading. 1:07:53 – Personal Statement Gong ShowCelebrity contestant and Demon teacher Kaley shares a lived-experience essay. 1:19:05 - Word of the Week - InexorableAmong them was a rigid belief in the inexorable power of logic to change the opinions of others.Get caught up with our Word of the Week library.
In Episode 127 of Let's Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie reconnects with DJ Tharrington to hear about his incredible journey from struggling with dyslexia to graduating law school. After facing workplace discrimination due to his learning disability, DJ decided to pursue his long-held dream of becoming a lawyer. Despite being discouraged by several education consultants and rejected by 18 out of 19 law schools due to low LSAT scores and a modest GPA, he was eventually accepted by Southern University. Resources:Let's Talk Learning Disabilities Website: https://ltldpodcast.comContact info for the podcast: letstalklearningdisabilities@gmail.comE-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.comSocial:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/X: @diaglearningLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/Instagram: @diaglearning
Nate and Ben tell Paige to cancel her Demon subscription and focus on raising her GPA for the rest of undergrad.Read more on our website. Email daily@lsatdemon.com with questions or comments. Watch this episode on YouTube!
Applying to PA school is expensive—so how many programs should you actually apply to? In this episode, we break down the sweet spot, how to choose programs that match your stats first, and what to do if you've already applied but haven't received interview invites yet!
In this heartfelt and often humorous episode, Emma Stark sits down with Caroline Swan and Rebecca Rednic to share the biggest personal lessons they've learned so far this year.From burnt toast and unexpected fire alarms in the GPA office, to mobility scooter races down the corridor, the prophets take us behind the scenes of their real lives—and into the deep spiritual truths God is teaching them right now.They talk candidly about finding your pace with God, being content in the mystery, knowing who and what sustains you, and recognising different types of rest—active, exhausted, and restorative. Caroline shares how God is teaching her to be comfortable with the unknown, Rebecca reflects on discipline and consistency in a busy life, and Emma unpacks the courage to say “yes” and “no” to the right things in each season.Whether you're a prophet, a leader, or someone simply wanting to live more intentionally, this episode will equip you to identify your own “big learns” and embrace the season God has you in.In this episode:Behind-the-scenes prophetic life at GPA (and its chaos)Pace, structure, and consistency in leadership and family lifeLearning to be content in the mystery of God's plansDifferent types of rest: active, exhausted, and restorativeKnowing who sustains you and where to spend your timeThe “born ready” prophetic lifestyleHow to let go of what's not your responsibility
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! I hope your school year is off to a wonderful start. Today I'm excited to bring you a very special guest, Joyce Harduvel. Joyce is a passionate advocate for youth and the school counselors and social workers that support them. She worked in Chicago Public Schools for seven years where she specialized in evidence-based and trauma-informed behavior intervention for students with chronic challenging behaviors. Joyce is an advocate for proactive professional self care that allows school-based professionals to build that sustainable careers of their dreams so that they can do what is really important: support their students! She now works with school counselors and social workers as a coach and clinical supervisor while pursuing a law degree to further her skills in championing youth. In this episode, Joyce shares her expertise on how to create positive change for students by using data. She breaks down practical steps you can take to make data meaningful and actionable in your counseling practice. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: 1. Assessing the Situation Avoid going in with predetermined views. Begin with a holistic assessment that provides a well-rounded perspective of where a student is at. Gather information from multiple sources: families, teachers, and the students themselves. Use observations, records, and assessments to inform your starting point. 2. Developing Goals and Tracking Data Identify a lagging social-emotional skill and create a targeted goal. Explore resources like CASEL, which breaks SEL skills into five domains and offers free research and tools. Start small—choose one specific area to focus on. Establish a baseline using student records (assignments, attendance, GPA, behavior data). Incorporate tracking methods such as antecedent-behavior forms, duration or interval data, mood tracking, or SEL pre/post tests. Refine your goal to ensure it is SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound). Break goals into smaller benchmarks for clarity and progress monitoring. 3. Using Data to Drive Interventions Collect ongoing data through screeners, classroom input, or case notes. Remember—the point of collecting data is to actually use it. If progress isn't happening, adjust your goals and strategies. Use data to guide your interventions, advocate for student needs, and identify trends that may inform Tier 1 or Tier 2 supports. Most importantly, use data to celebrate student growth and successes along the way. This episode is packed with practical strategies to help you see data not as a burden, but as a powerful tool to create meaningful, positive change for your students. Resources Mentioned: Join IMPACT CASEL Woodcock-Johnson Testing Connect with Rachel: TpT Store Blog Instagram Facebook Page Facebook Group Pinterest Youtube Connect with Joyce: www.joyce-lcsw.com Instagram More About School Counseling Simplified: School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica. You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!
Ben and Nate break down the measurable cost of applying late in the law school admissions cycle. Your LSAT score has the most value on the day that applications open. By rushing your LSAT or applying late in the cycle, you sacrifice points and leave money on the table. With AI poised to disrupt the legal market, it's more important than ever to go to law school for free. Study with our Free planDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 521 on YouTube0:32 – AI Making Law School Obsolete?Ben and Nate discuss an article from a former Google exec claiming AI will make law and medical degrees obsolete. The guys acknowledge that AI is improving, but it still makes mistakes. While they agree that a law degree isn't a guaranteed gravy train, they also note that the law itself is a barrier to modernization, which will slow AI's impact on legal education. The schools most at risk are bottom feeders churning out lawyers for grunt work. Their advice: don't pay tuition at weak schools.14:50 – LSAT Suspended in Mainland ChinaLSAC halts testing in China after evidence of cheating. A Reddit post earlier this year even advertised cheating services. While tough for honest test takers in China, applicants should appreciate LSAC's effort to safeguard exam security.24:03 – Cost of Delaying AppsHow late is too late? While early applications are stronger, it's never worth rushing the LSAT. The best strategy is to get your best LSAT and then apply at the start of the next cycle. A University of Chicago Journal of Law and Economics article finds that delays weaken applications. Waiting 100 days is equivalent to dropping 2.1 LSAT points or 0.26 GPA points. Schools review applications in waves, and the earliest applicants are often the strongest. Missing the first wave, even by a day, can carry measurable costs.Dynamic Decision-Making under Rolling Admissions: Evidence from US Law School Applications47:43 – Main Point vs. SummaryA summary lists information, but a main point answers “why.” It's what the author is trying to convince you of, not just what they said.52:31 – Doing LR BackwardsListener Blair wants to work backward in Logical Reasoning to combat fatigue. Ben and Nathan's answer: If you're scoring under 175, you shouldn't be finishing sections anyway, so working backward means skipping easier questions to do harder ones. If you're at 175 or above, then fatigue isn't an issue.59:28 – Score PlateausListeners Trevor and Ireland feel stuck. The guys caution against chasing a single breakthrough. Progress comes from carefully reviewing and learning from every mistake, one question at a time.1:04:42 – Personal Statement Gong ShowListener Elena is the next Gong Show contestant. Ben and Nathan read her personal statement until they reach an unforgivable mistake—they then ring the gong. The record is 34 lines, set by listener Sophia.Want in? Send in your statement by September 1, 2025, to be considered for the Gong Super Show. 1:07:20 - Word of the Week - TruismThe standard advice about writing is mostly truisms, like “Make a plan,” “Don't use the passive,” or “Think of your audience.” Get caught up with our Word of the Week library.
In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the upcoming new MBA admissions season. Cambridge / Judge leads the way with its first-round deadline next week! Graham and Alex plan to host monthly AMA-style webinars, as this new admissions season gets underway. The first is scheduled for this Tuesday, on YouTube; here's the link to Clear Admit's YouTube channel so you can subscribe and not miss any of the streaming: https://bit.ly/cayoutubelive. Graham also highlighted the upcoming September series of admissions events, where Clear Admit will host the majority of the top MBA programs to discuss Round 2 application strategy. Signups for this series are here: https://bit.ly/cainsidemba Graham then noted four admissions tips, which focus on areas of key importance for those targeting the first rounds. These include how to engage with representatives of the top MBA programs, the students, alumni and faculty, and how to show that you have done the research for each of your target programs. We also cover the differences in applying in Round 1 and 2, as well as the importance of understanding who reads your business school applications. We also covered a common myth - the higher the rank of the program, the better the fit for all candidates. Graham also highlighted the new series that Clear Admit is publishing this season, which focuses on profiling some of the leading MBA faculty at the top MBA programs. For this week, we have profiles on two faculty from Harvard Business School and from MIT / Sloan. We continue our series of Adcom Q&As; this week we hear from Dartmouth / Tuck, Cornell / Johnson and Northwestern / Kellogg. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected three ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is from India and has a modest undergraduate GPA, with a positive trend. They have not yet taken the GMAT. This week's second MBA candidate has a 740 GMAT, and is from rural India. Scholarships are a key concern from them. The final MBA candidate is from Nigeria and has a GRE score of 332. They have some NGO experience and now work as a chartered accountant. They are targeting a nice spread of MBA programs. This episode was recorded in Anse Saint-Jean, Quebec 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!
Ben and Nathan share strategies for using visualization to stay engaged in Reading Comprehension. They also explain that getting a full-ride to law school takes more than just a high LSAT score—your application timing, school choices, and willingness to walk away from weak offers all matter.Study with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 520 on YouTube0:28 – How Law Schools Guide Career DecisionsA Harvard alumnus describes losing his job in big law after publishing an op-ed criticizing the Trump administration. Nathan and Ben discuss how law schools recruit students under the banner of justice, but then steer them toward corporate law firms. The guys remind listeners: you can't do public-interest work and make big-law money at the same time. Sending their students to big law is a choice that schools have a vested interest in. 9:27 – UC Law SF Sweatshirt DriveNathan shares an email from UC Law San Francisco (formerly Hastings) asking alums to buy sweatshirts for incoming 1Ls. He and Ben laugh at the school's request for $40 sweatshirts while simultaneously charging students more than $50,000 in tuition per year. 21:16 – Visualizing PassagesConnor asks for advice on improving visualization skills in RC. Strong reading comprehension depends on pausing to visualize the text—especially when it's abstract. Creating a mind map lets you evaluate each sentence and anticipate what's coming next. If you're not actively questioning and connecting ideas, you're missing the forest for the trees. 34:01 – Proctor TroublesMichael ran into issues with a proctor during his test and wonders if he should cancel his score. Ben and Nathan say there's no advantage to canceling. The real question is whether his practice test results showed he was ready. Prepared students need not worry about minor test-day issues.37:51 – Don't Settle for Sub-ParMike has a 3.98 GPA and practice LSAT scores in the 170s. He's considering applying in-state with a 166 but also wonders about his T-14 prospects. The guys advise Mike to take an additional gap year, score 170+, apply early, and secure scholarships at top schools, especially given his career aspirations. 44:17 – Conditional Full RideTheo adopted the motto of going to law school for free. After a gap year, he improved his LSAT, applied broadly, and accepted a full-ride scholarship to his top choice law school. The downside is that it's a conditional scholarship. Nate encourages Theo to stick to his commitment not to pay for law school.52:37 – Personal Statement Gong ShowNatalie is the next Gong Show contestant. In this segment, Ben and Nathan read your personal statement until they reach an unforgivable mistake—they then ring the gong. The record to beat is 34 lines, set by listener Sophia.1:08:34 - Word of the Week - WaylayI don't want to waylay our meeting with this topic.Get caught up with our Word of the Week library.