Podcasts about Great Recession

Don't miss this special 3-year anniversary of 'Catching Up to FI' as Bill marks the moment by doing something he's been helping everyone else do for years: officially 'coming out' as financially independent (FI)! It is hard to believe that the show has been around for 3 years, 196 episodes, 20k Facebook Community members, 1.4M audio downloads and 300k views on YouTube. Is this real?   Today we celebrate Bill's journey from Episode #1: 'A Boat Named Yolo', to officially reaching FI, but feels more like the 'The Fog of FI'. During this interview, Jackie gets Bill to open up and vulnerably share details of his wake-up call at 50: burned out, sued, house-poor after a disastrous renovation and de-risking at the bottom of the Great Recession, and still living paycheck to paycheck despite a 'rich doctor' income. He walks through discovering FI via blogs and books, taking a full year to reclaim his money from private bankers and whole life policies (he's naming names!). Bill's real superpower was boosting his savings rate up to ~40% in his early 50s using Mr. Money Mustache's 'shockingly simple math' to accept a 10 to 15-year timeline.   Fast-forward to 60 and a retirement-readiness check with a flat-fee, advice-only planner: after three years of expense tracking in Monarch Money, a comprehensive plan, and stress-testing with risk-parity portfolios, Bill gets the verdict every late starter dreams of, 'you could retire tomorrow'— and feels weirdly flat. We also dig into the emotional side: the identity crisis of possibly leaving medicine, using newfound leverage to negotiate work on his own terms, the choice to glide out over several years instead of cliff-retiring, and the shift from building wealth to giving with warm hands, mentoring younger docs, and helping his adult sons lay foundations he never had.   We close with Bill's hard-earned advice:  ➡️ Reverse-engineer your life from your tombstone ➡️ Focus on health span as fiercely as net worth ➡️ Stop over-identifying with your job or your number ➡️ Remember that for late starters, the real win is feeling less alone while you build a life you won't regret.   ====================   DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS:   MONARCH MONEY The modern way to manage money! Monarch will change the way you organize your financial life. Track, budget, plan, and do more with your money – together. Get 50% off the first year using this link and entering code: CATCHINGUP50   For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners    SUPPORT  THE  SHOW

EPISODE SUMMARY In this deeply personal episode, Gary shares the full story behind one of the most common questions he receives: Why would a nuclear submarine commander on track for admiral leave it all to sell life insurance? The answer isn't about career change — it's about calling. Gary walks through pivotal life moments: growing up broke, attending the Naval Academy, commanding a submarine, losing half his wealth in the Great Recession, and realizing he had outsourced responsibility for his financial future. That wake-up call forced him to rethink everything — not just investing, but fatherhood, leadership, and legacy. He explains how shifting from market speculation to real estate ownership and liquidity-based financial strategies changed his trajectory. He also shares how mentorship at Paradigm Life introduced him to the power of safe, liquid capital as a foundation for business growth. Ultimately, this episode is about agency — taking control of your household first, then helping others scale their gifts through business ownership, liquidity, and intentional wealth-building. This is not just a career story. It's a mission story.   Links and Resources from this Episode Connect with Gary Pinkerton https://www.paradigmlife.net/  gpinkerton@paradigmlife.net https://garypinkerton.com/  https://clientportal.paradigmlife.net/WealthView360   KEYWORDS Agency Financial independence Liquidity Infinite banking Hierarchy of wealth Real estate investing Business ownership Exit planning Financial responsibility Leadership transition Wealth control Family legacy Liquidity strategy Personal finance awakening Economic resilience EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 00:00–01:05 - Why Gary left a fast-track Navy career on the path to Admiral 01:05–02:12 - The tension between career prestige and personal calling 02:12–03:22 - Early life struggles and the Naval Academy opportunity 03:22–05:00 - His mother's life insurance payout and financial turning point 05:00–06:29 - The realization: outsourcing your finances is a mistake 06:29–07:45 - Losing half his wealth during the Great Recession 07:45–09:07 - Why market losses matter most when timing collides with life decisions 09:07–10:38 - The danger of blind trust in financial "professionals" 10:38–12:13 - Real estate as control vs. market speculation 12:13–13:45 - Liquidity as staying power during crisis 13:45–15:27 - Infinite Banking and building a tier-one foundation 15:27–17:43 - Why government contracting didn't align with his mission 17:43–19:32 - The turning point conversation with Patrick Donahoe 19:32–21:05 - Helping business owners scale their agency 21:05–23:12 - Wealth as fuel for impact — not status 23:12–End - Business ownership as a megaphone for your God-given talents  

Sign up for Practi, a new platform that helps law firms use subscription billing.Here are the top 5 takeaways from this episode:1. Start Early for Maximum Lifestyle Benefits. Chris started his subscription model in 2008 during the Great Recession, which allowed him to build his practice alongside his family life. The timing meant he never missed his sons' games or important moments – a work-life balance that would be much harder to achieve if transitioning from big law partnership later in your career.2. Niche + Brand Name = Credibility. FFL Guard (Federal Firearms License Guard) became the gold standard in its niche. The trade name made Chris's solo practice appear larger and more established than it was, while his deep specialization in federal firearms law created a defensible market position. Regulators even recommend his services off-the-record.3. Monetize Your Work Product Repeatedly. Chris built an online library, training courses (via Thinkific), and client portal where the same legal knowledge gets sold multiple times. As he learned from a mentor: “No man ever made millions billing by the hour.” The key is creating systems that generate revenue while you sleep.4. Annual Subscriptions with Payment Flexibility Work. Chris requires minimum one-year engagements but offers clients the choice to pay annually (at a discount) or monthly. This SaaS-style approach provides cash flow flexibility while ensuring enough time to build proper compliance infrastructure for clients. He ethically provides opt-out notices before renewal.5. Selling Prevention is Harder Than Selling Cures. The biggest challenge is convincing clients to pay $2,500/year proactively rather than $25,000 when disaster strikes. Chris positions himself as an “exterminator” – the reason clients don't see problems is because he's preventing them. This requires strong sales skills, public speaking, and building long-term trust and reputation.Bonus insight: Chris's tech stack evolved from Salesforce to Zoho (CRM), uses Grasshopper for phones, Thinkific for courses, and even adapted a debt collection tool (CHAX) for recurring check payments - proving you don't need perfect systems to succeed, just functional ones that work for your practice.__________________________Want your question to be answered on a future show? Fill out this short survey.Check out FFLGuard.Sign up for Paxton, my all-in-one AI legal assistant, helping me with legal research, analysis, drafting, and enhancing existing legal work product.Get Connected with SixFifty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a business and employment legal document automation tool.Sign up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Gavel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an automation platform for law firms.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Law Subscribed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to subscribe to the weekly newsletter to listen from your web browser.Prefer monthly updates? Sign up for the Law Subscribed Monthly Digest on LinkedIn.Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mathew Kerbis'⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ law firm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscription Attorney LLC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Want to use the subscription model for your law firm? Click here to sign up for a new platform that helps law firms use subscription billing. Get full access to Law Subscribed at www.lawsubscribed.com/subscribe

Episode SummaryIn this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Juanny Romero, founder and CEO of Mothership Coffee Roasters, for a raw and deeply human conversation about building businesses rooted in belonging—not hustle.Juanny shares her journey from growing up in Queens, leaving New York after 9/11 in search of agency, opening her first café in Las Vegas with no business plan during the Great Recession, and learning math from fifth-grade textbooks to keep the business alive. What started as a single café became Mothership—now an eight-figure company built around community, connection, and purpose.The conversation explores loneliness in modern society, why baristas are “architects of meaning,” and how revenue becomes a byproduct when people feel they belong. Juanny also shares her bold next chapter: slowing down, rejecting hustle culture, and empowering 1,000 women to become millionaires by giving Mothership away like seeds.Key Topics* Failing forward and finding agency* Building community as the real product* Opening during the Great Recession* Learning numbers to trust intuition* Scaling without losing soul* COVID, chaos, and creativity* Belonging as a business advantage* Mentorship, incentives, and boundaries* Redefining success beyond moneyLinks* Mothership Coffee RoastersConnect on LinkedIn* Juanny Romero* Neal Bloom This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we talk with Melissa A. Washington, award-winning advocate, speaker, author, entrepreneur, and U.S. Navy veteran, about intentional leadership, visibility without compromise, and building community that actually works. Melissa is the founder of Women Veterans Alliance, co-founder of Women Veterans Magazine, and the creator of Veteran Events, a national platform supporting veteran and military-connected communities. From enlisting in the Navy at 18 to reinventing her career during the Great Recession, Melissa shares powerful insights on resilience, reinvention, and creating infrastructure that leads to sustainable impact. This conversation is essential for women veterans, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and anyone building mission-driven organizations with purpose and clarity. What You'll Learn What intentional leadership really looks like Why visibility matters—without burnout or compromise How community and infrastructure drive lasting impact Lessons from career reinvention and entrepreneurship What it means to be fierce, fearless, and unfuckable in life and business About the Guest Melissa A. Washington is an award-winning advocate, speaker, author, entrepreneur, publisher, and U.S. Navy veteran. She is the founder of Women Veterans Alliance, co-founder of Women Veterans Magazine, and creator of Veteran Events. Melissa supports women veterans, founders, and mission-driven organizations through leadership, strategy, and visibility. Website: https://www.melissawashington.com Women Veterans Alliance: https://www.womenveteransalliance.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissawashington

Lucas Sherraden hosts Kerri Naslund-Monday on the Built How podcast to delve into the evolution of her illustrious real estate career. Discover how Kerri's unique approach—embracing the gray areas and shunning conventional norms—propelled her success in Oakland's competitive market. Lucas and Kerri explore how her team navigated short sales during the Great Recession and her innovative venture into online property bidding with Bid This Property. Essential for real estate professionals, this episode unveils how embracing individuality and leveraging technology can create standout paths to success. Connect with Kerri at https://www.theeastbayagent.com/ ---------- Be sure to leave a rating and review and don't forget to go to www.builthow.com and register for our next live or virtual event. Part of the Win Make Give Podcast Network

This week's guest is Elizabeth Gonzales James, screenwriter and bestselling author of the novels, “The Bullet Swallower” and “Mona at Sea,” as well as the chapbook, “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.”“The Bullet Swallower” is based on mostly true events from her own family lore, a magical realism Western that was named a best book of 2024 by NPR and Esquire.“Mona at Sea,” is a darkly funny coming of age story set against the backdrop of the Great Recession that was inspired by her own experience of long-term unemployment.And “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers” is the result of Elizabeth attempting to sit down and write a reported piece on how the actor Peter Sellers derailed the production of a 1960s movie, “Casino Royale.” That's when the book spins into its own chaos as five different narrators share their point of view about what the original essay is really about.We covered:- How she went from MBA graduate prepping for a career in finance to an unemployed stay at home mom living in her in-law's basement- The one, unfleshed-out idea for a short story that set her on the writing path (with a nudge from the creator of The Perfect Push-up, a made for TV fitness product)- How writing books is like dating- A detailed accounting of the financials for each of her book–and how she knew “The Bullet Swallower” would be her “put-my-kids-through-college” book- Making the jump from writing books to writing screenplays- Why, sometimes, all the tips in the world can't help you write more–and how to give yourself grace during those times- Knowing when to push and be disciplined, and when to back off- Her current productivity hack that involves handicraftsConnect with Elizabeth on Instagram @unefemmejames.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 153 - A Family Built Startup Story From The Kitchen Table with Mehmet Tascioglu   In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker interviews Mehmet Tascioglu, the Gen Z founder of Mosaic Cakes, a unique family business based in the Detroit area. Mehmet shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his family's experience during the Great Recession, through his initial ventures like Connect Me Tutoring, to the establishment of Mosaic Cakes. The discussion delves into the values instilled by Mehmet's father, the significance of family collaboration, navigating decision-making, and the challenges of introducing a new product to the market. Mehmet offers insights on the importance of mentorship, the influence of cultural heritage, and his vision for Mosaic Cakes as a symbol of the American melting pot. The conversation also explores generational differences, the role of tradition and innovation in family businesses, and the aspiration to build an ethical and impactful brand.   ·       00:54 Meet the Gen Z Founder: Mehmet Tascioglu ·       03:14 The Origin Story of Mosaic Cakes ·       05:38 Building a Business During the Pandemic ·       09:10 The Unique Appeal of Mosaic Cakes ·       13:24 Family Dynamics in Business ·       18:24 Leadership and Decision Making ·       19:08 Defining Family Business Values ·       20:21 Family Influence on Business ·       25:23 Generational Perspectives and Challenges ·       32:12 The Importance of Mentorship ·       34:24 Future Plans for Mosaic Cakes   Websites: ·       fambizforum.com. ·       www.chrisyonker.com ·       Linkedin: @mehmet-tascioglu ·       Instagram: @mosaic_cakes ·       Tiktok @mosaiccakes   Mehmet's Bio: Mehmet is Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Mosaic Cakes. Prior to starting Mosaic Cakes, Mehmet founded the nonprofit Connect Me Tutoring in 2020, which has since grown into the nation's largest youth-run free tutoring service, providing over 40,000 sessions. Mosaic Cakes is a Michigan-based gourmet dessert company pioneering an entirely new category in the American market. Founded by Mehmet (Stanford MS&E), his mother Senay, and his brother Emir, the company transforms a cherished family recipe into handcrafted premium triangular cakes featuring crushed butter cookies folded into signature chocolate sauce with fresh fruits, crunchy nuts, or other premium ingredients, creating a stunning mosaic pattern in every slice. What began as a beloved family tradition—a dessert the founders grew up enjoying at birthday parties, family gatherings, and celebrations—has become a thriving direct-to-consumer and wholesale business. Throughout their lives, the family witnessed how even the pickiest eaters absolutely loved these cakes, validating that this exceptional flavor experience deserved to be shared with communities across America. At its core, the company's mission centers on positivity, inclusivity, and courage, helping Americans discover a dessert experience unavailable anywhere else in grocery stores, bakeries, or restaurants while building a values-driven business that celebrates family heritage and entrepreneurial spirit.

Ryan recounts everything he's learned from the Epstein files so far, and with Grant, begins connecting all the red threads. Turns out, there's basically no major event this century that Epstein didn't have some involvement in — from the Great Recession to Donald Trump's 2016 win. Want to hear the rest of the conversation, plus ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for just five bucks a month at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

February, 8 2026, 8AM; This week the Labor Department said job openings in December dropped to their lowest level in five years,and layoffs surged in January to their highest level since 2009 during the Great Recession. Even members of President Trump's party are raising the alarm heading into this year's midterms. Senate Repbulicans worry backlash to Trump's handling of the economy and his aggressive deportation policies could cause a Democratic wave that sweeps both the House and Senate. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) joins The Weekend to discuss the current state of the economy. Actor Lena Waithe also joins The Weekend to discuss her new play Trinity and the Trump administration's attempt to rewrite Black history in America.For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnowTikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Has the US dollar become too weak? It can be difficult to filter through the headlines that make it appear that the dollar has dropped and lost 50% of its value and is getting close to collapse as some doom and gloom people would want you to believe. The truth is since January 2025; the dollar has been down about 10% against other major currencies. Keep in mind that it fluctuates every day, every hour, and every minute. This is normal, but the headlines can be very scary and it's also important to understand that over the last five years the dollar index has been up about 7%. There are pros and cons to a weak dollar. If you're planning on traveling to Europe or some other foreign country, hotels and other items will cost you more when the dollar weakens since our dollar buys less. Also, the price of foreign cars and trucks will increase because again a dollar buys less. But the other side of the coin is that people from other parts of the world can now come to the United States and spend money in our economy since their currency now goes further. Also, many of our products that we export will be less expensive so exports should increase while our imports decrease, reducing our trade deficit. Lower interest rates can cause our dollar to fall, but a strong economy can help counterbalance that decline. Will there be a default on the dollar? The chances of that happening are extremely low for many reasons. The US dollar is still the dominant global reserve currency, which adds strength to the dollar. It is also understood that yes, we do have high debt, but also if needed, the US can print dollars to pay that debt. Looking forward to 2026, there's a very good chance that the dollar will stabilize as the economy improves. Foreign top trading partners have pledged to invest $5 trillion in the United States. With that large investment, more travel to the US, and people buying more US products such as cars that are now a better deal due to tariffs and a weaker dollar, come the end of the year, we could actually see a firmer dollar, a booming economy and perhaps further declines in gold and silver that are still near all times highs. I get excited, just writing about it, but it will require patience for investors as I do see this as a volatile year.    18% of US adults have taken GLP-1 drugs. What's the concern? The price of GLP –1 drugs have come down and roughly 18% of adults in the US are using them. But there are other considerations outside of just weight loss. These drugs came out to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity not as a lifestyle change to lose 20 or 30 pounds. It is estimated that about half of people will stop taking the drug after one year and will probably be very disappointed with their future weight management. Studies have shown that when people stop taking the drug within about a year and a half, they regain most of the weight they lost. Studies also show that the weight gain comes four times faster than those who lost weight through normal dieting. While on these drugs, people see their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels improved, but when they're off the drug in a little over a year, those levels go back to where they were. Kevin Hall is a former senior investigator at the National Institute of Health and a specialist in nutrition. He says once you're off the drugs, your appetite will be much higher than it was and you could end up overeating, which leads to taking in too many calories. Another study shows people who gain weight back and decide to go back on the medication that it's not as successful the second or third time. People also don't realize a thing called weight cycling or gaining and losing weight and how that can affect the percent of fat to muscle. It is estimated that when you lose weight about 25 to 30% of it is muscle. But the sad part is when you have the weight gain after you're off the drugs, it is unfortunately more fat than muscle. So, as you can see, this is not a good cycle or a good plan for 10 to 20 years. If one thinks it is a good idea to just stay on these drugs for life, there are long-term risks such as gallbladder diseases, pancreatitis, and kidney damage. The kidney damage is one that would really worry me because as you get older and you have more pain you may want to take a pain reliever like Advil or ibuprofen, but doctors now look at people's kidneys to see if they can handle Advil or ibuprofen, which is another strain on your kidneys. Being concerned with how you look and taking the easy way to look better by popping a pill or taking an injection may cause you to have regrets when you're older.   Is the US housing market becoming a buyer's market? From 2020 to about 2022 it was definitely a seller's market and people could ask whatever they wanted for their home and if you didn't take it, there would be 10 people behind you that would. Well now things are changing back to where buyers can negotiate and sometimes even get a price below the asking price. Nationwide, about 62% of homebuyers purchased their home under the listing price. The discount of 8% was also the largest since 2012. Buyers are also obtaining concessions from sellers which could be things like cash for closing costs or buying down the mortgage. As recently as December, there were 600,000 more sellers than buyers and that's the biggest gap going back to 2013. What is helping the housing market is mortgage rates have declined a little bit, which has made homes somewhat more affordable for some buyers along with the cool-off in prices that we have seen. The best place to buy a home currently is Florida and Texas because new home construction has created a big supply of homes for sale. It can really depend on the local market you are looking at, but if you're buying in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, or Miami, about 85% of homebuyers paid under the original listing price. However, if you're buying a home in Newark, New Jersey, San Francisco, or San Jose, only 39% received a discount from the original list price. It was also noted that those markets had a low amount of new construction. There could be more to come if the supply increases, and prices ease somewhat as it would likely bring more buyers back into the market. Depending on where you're looking at buying, perhaps 2027 will be a great time to buy home.   Financial Planning: How Would an S&P 500 Portfolio Work in Retirement? Many investors nearing retirement feel comfortable staying fully invested in the S&P 500 because recent performance has been strong, but that confidence is often based on a short window of returns rather than the long reality of retirement. Retirement can last 20 to 30 years, and during that time markets will go through multiple corrections and bear markets. Once withdrawals begin, even modest withdrawal rates can amplify losses and deplete a portfolio. The late 1990s provide a clear example when the S&P 500 produced annual returns in the 20% to 30% range for several years in a row and many investors came to believe strong gains were easy and would continue… then 2000 came. Someone withdrawing an inflation-adjusted 4% from an S&P 500 portfolio in 2000 saw the account fall to roughly half its value within just three years, meaning a retiree at 62 with $1 million was left with barley $500k by 65. For those who stayed invested, after the Great Recession 9 years into retirement around age 71, the portfolio had lost close to 2/3rds of its original value.  At that point, the withdrawal rate needed to continue income was now 14%, up from the original 4%. Today the S&P 500 sits near all-time highs and trades at historically elevated forward earnings multiples, mirroring the late 90's. While the index has delivered roughly 10% annual returns over the long term, those averages hide the danger of sequence of returns risk, where starting withdrawals before or during a downturn can permanently impair a portfolio and leave too little capital to fully recover even when markets eventually rebound.   Companies Discussed: Lennar Corporation (LEN), Sysco Corporation (SYY), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) & Visa Inc. (V)  

On this episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast, we break down the explosive fallout from the latest Epstein Files release, from sudden corporate resignations at home to political shockwaves overseas, and examine new questions about whether Donald Trump was secretly meeting with Epstein in the lead-up to his first term. We also react to Trump's truly bizarre interview on NBC News, unpack devastating new economic data as layoffs surge to Great Recession–level territory and Bitcoin takes a sharp dive, and analyze Democrats' aggressive cross-examination of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Capitol Hill. Ben, Brett, and Jordy discuss all this and more. Subscribe to Meidas+ at https://meidasplus.com Get Meidas Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Deals from our sponsors!  Better Help: Visit https://BetterHelp.com/meidas to get 10% off your first month. Select Quote: Save more than 50% on term life insurance at https://SelectQuote.com/meidas today to get started! ZBiotics: Head to https://zbiotics.com/MEIDAS to get 15% off your first order when you use MEIDAS at checkout. Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to https://fatty15.com/meidas and using code: MEIDAS at checkout. Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#687: Your tax refund might be $300 to $1,000 bigger this year, and that's just the beginning of what's changing with your money. The Tax Foundation estimates most Americans will see significantly larger refunds thanks to seven major tax cuts. The child tax credit increased by $200. The standard deduction jumped by $750 for individuals or $1,500 for couples. The state and local tax deduction cap now sits at $40,000. Seniors get an extra $6,000 deduction, and deductions for auto loan interest, tips, and overtime work all increased. Retirement accounts saw major changes too. Catch-up contributions for high earners now must go into Roth accounts, which pushed thousands of employers to add Roth options to their 401k plans between 2024 and 2026. Kevin Warsh, the new Fed chair nominee, thinks the Federal Reserve has been doing it all wrong. The former Fed governor and Wall Street banker believes the Fed focuses too much on backward-looking data and reacts too slowly. He wants strategic, forward-thinking policy instead of chasing lagging indicators. President Trump clarified he never asked Warsh to lower interest rates and wanted to "keep it pure." The labor market shows serious cracks. Job openings dropped by nearly one million year over year to 6.5 million. Unemployment claims jumped to 231,000 last week. January layoffs hit 108,435 people — up 118 percent from last year and the worst January since 2009 during the Great Recession. Big Tech continues its massive AI spending spree. Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, and Oracle will collectively spend over $500 billion on AI infrastructure this year. Google's spending alone doubled from 2025, reaching up to $185 billion focused on data centers and Gemini development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Midterm worries grow as Republicans fear backlash to the administration's policies could cost them Congress – Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who pushed for the Epstein files release, demands answers on the DOJ's redactions – & troubling signs for the economy as jobless claims in January reach the highest number since the Great Recession. Peter Baker, David Drucker, Joyce Vance, Catherine Rampell, Justin Wolfers, Rep. Ro Khanna, and Jonathan Haidt join The 11th Hour this Thursday night. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jim and Eric kick off this week's show with a mix of snarky social media, surprising Super Bowl ads, and listener-driven questions before pivoting into a deep historical dive. From Universal's well-timed trolling of Disney to a fascinating look at a Middle East theme park that almost happened, this episode blends breaking news with one of those long-form Universal history lessons Jim is known for. NEWS • Universal Orlando trolls Disney following the closure of Dinosaur with a pointed Jurassic Park social post • Xfinity debuts a Super Bowl ad reuniting the original Jurassic Park cast, directed by Taika Waititi • Universal explores walkaround Jurassic Park characters including John Hammond, Ian Malcolm, and Dennis Nedry • Ongoing fan speculation around the Oz-tacular Spectacular trademark and where a Wicked-themed show could land • Listener questions about Epic Universe character appearances, including the elusive Donkey Kong meet-and-greet FEATURE • A detailed history of Universal Studios Dubailand - the ambitious Middle East park that was announced, partially built, and ultimately abandoned • How the Great Recession stalled Universal's international expansion plans • Why Universal quietly walked away from Dubailand after nearly a decade • How this abandoned project connects to Universal's renewed interest in the Middle East and a possible Saudi Arabia theme park HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Eric Hersey - IG: @erichersey | X: @erichersey | Website: strongmindedagency.com FOLLOW • Facebook: JimHillMediaNews • Instagram: JimHillMedia • TikTok: JimHillMedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency SPONSOR Be Our Guest Vacations Are you planning your next Universal or Disney adventure? Let the experts at Be Our Guest Vacations handle the details. As a Platinum level Authorized Vacation Planner, they offer top-tier concierge service for Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood, Disney destinations, cruises, and more. Start planning today at BeOurGuestVacations.com and be sure to let them know the Epic Universal Podcast sent you. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mamdani caps 1 month of betrayal with endorsement of right-wing Democrat Kathy Hochul / Layoffs by US firms tripled in January, as mass job cuts accelerate to Great Recession levels / Trump calls for country to “move on” from Epstein files, as scale and scope of criminality, cover-up expand

Paige Arnof-Fenn's entrepreneurial journey didn't start with a business plan — it started with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to pivot. In this episode of Inventive Journey, Paige shares how she went from Wall Street financial analyst to building a 24-year global marketing firm by trusting her instincts and leaning into what she loved most.Raised in a family of bankers, Paige assumed finance was her destiny. After earning a degree in economics, she landed on Wall Street and quickly realized that while she was good at the work, it didn't energize her. A single conversation changed her career trajectory when a colleague pointed out that everything Paige enjoyed about banking — planning events, managing promotions, and shaping perception — was actually marketing. That insight led her to business school, where she discovered a natural talent that reshaped her future.Paige went on to work at iconic companies like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola, gaining world-class training in branding, positioning, and strategy. But when the internet boom of the late 1990s arrived, she took a risk that surprised everyone around her. Leaving behind corporate stability, Paige joined early-stage startups where speed, experimentation, and direct customer feedback ruled the day. Those experiences rewired how she thought about growth and innovation.After three successful startup exits, the events of 9/11 abruptly changed the business landscape. Marketing budgets disappeared, companies panicked, and uncertainty ruled. Instead of stepping back, Paige leaned forward. Her network of founders, investors, and executives reached out for help — and she said yes. Without writing a business plan or opening an office, she began connecting great people with real problems that needed solving.That decision led to the creation of Mavens & Moguls, a virtual marketing firm built decades before remote work became mainstream. Paige scaled the business organically through relationships and referrals, assembling a global team of experts who could move fast and adapt to change. The firm survived the dot-com crash, the Great Recession, and COVID by staying lean, flexible, and focused on results.In this conversation, Paige also shares hard-earned leadership lessons — including when loyalty can hold a business back, why culture matters more than titles, and how building the right team is essential for long-term success. She explains why branding is no longer optional and why everyone, not just celebrities, is a brand in today's digital world.This episode is packed with insights for founders, marketers, and anyone navigating career pivots. Paige's story proves that success doesn't always come from careful planning — sometimes it comes from being brave enough to follow what feels right and smart enough to evolve when the world changes.To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

Outspoken explains why the job market did not do well in the month of January. They also discuss the latest details in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.

Finally some good news from the Supreme Court. Donald's pal Kid Rock has his own child rape problem. JD Vance praises Kid Rock ahead of halftime show. Another banner week for the “businessman president.” Highest layoffs since the Great Recession. Economy only added 22K jobs in January, far below expectations. Donald praises his torture ally at Prayer Breakfast. Scott Bessent stands by his awful remarks about Alex Pretti. Evidence that Melania movie tickets were bulk purchased. How to buy podcast downloads. The Washington Post laid off about one-third of its staff. With Jody Hamilton, music by Monday Favors, Seth Adam, and more! Brought to you by Russ Rybicki, SharePower Responsible Investing. Support our new sponsor and get free shipping at Quince.com/bob! Sign up for Buzz Burbank's Substack.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Planet Money book tour ticket info and dates here. A record number of Americans with poor or just okay credit are behind on their car payments. And once last year's numbers are tallied, an estimated 3 million cars will have been repossessed in 2025. That would be on par with how bad it got during the Great Recession. What's going on? And why now? Today on the show, we focus on the micro part of the story to answer the macro question. First, we hear a favorite story of ours from 2019. We follow the lifecycle of a delinquent car loan from three different perspectives: the salesman, the driver, and the repo man. Then we'll hear an update from them in 2026 as we try to find out why so many Americans are behind on their car payments. Subscribe to Planet Money+Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.This episode is hosted by Kenny Malone and Preeti Varathan. It was originally produced by Darian Woods and edited by Bryant Urstadt. Our update was reported by Vito Emanuel and produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, and edited by Planet Money's executive producer, Alex Goldmark.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" talks about "The View's" Whoopi Goldberg freaking out on-air about how she may be the next journalist arrested after Don Lemon's arrest for violating the FACE Act by participating in the Minnesota church protest against ICE; "The View's" Ana Navarro having her hypocrisy about a her feelings on grand juries exposed after a grand jury charged Don Lemon for breaking the law by participating in the Minnesota church protest against ICE; Don Lemon and Jimmy Kimmel discussing the details of his arrest while leaving out some significant information for why the grand jury charged him; an Australian immigrant successfully raising money on GoFundMe so he can come to the United States to live in Billie Eilish's Malibu mansion after she declared that there are no illegals on stolen land at the Grammys; Chris Madel arguing with CNN's Abby Phillip about Billie Eilish's anti-ICE comment at the Grammys and why regular people no longer care about celebrity activism; Zohran Mamdani telling CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin why NYC's budget is in a financial crisis not seen since the Great Recession, and that the only way to solve it is to tax the rich; CNN's Harry Enten sharing some troubling polling data for Donald Trump and the Republican Party after Texas' special election; and much more. WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Rumble Wallet - Don't let the big banks freeze your accounts. Own Tether Gold - real gold, on the blockchain and get direct ownership of physical gold bars, each one fully allocated, verifiable by serial number, purity, and weight. Download Rumble Wallet now and step away from the big banks — for good!  Go to: https://rumblewallet.onelink.me/bJsX/... Covepure -  A countertop water purifier certified to remove up to 99.9% of impurities including fluoride, PFAs, fertilizer runoff, pharmaceuticals, and others. Go to https://covepure.com/rubin to get $200 off for a limited time only! Tax Network USA - If you owe back taxes or have unfiled returns, don't let the government take advantage of you. Whether you owe a few thousand or a few million, they can help you. Call 1(800)-958-1000 for a private, free consultation or Go to: https://tnusa.com/dave

Storytelling isn't just a marketing tool; it's a competitive advantage. In this episode of the Title Agents Podcast, Mo Choumil sits down with industry veteran and writer Michael Holden of AmTrust Title to explore how storytelling, history, and human connection shape the future of the title business. From his early days in a family-owned agency to navigating the Great Recession, building thought leadership through Ramblings of a Title Man, and witnessing seismic shifts in technology, automation, and fraud risk, Michael offers a grounded, honest look at where the industry has been and where it's heading next.   What you'll learn from this episode Why the role of the title professional has shifted from title examination to experience-driven closings What the 2008 recession taught about resilience, scalability, and agency survival The reasons smaller, agile underwriters are driving innovation across the industry How automation and AI will reshape title examination while elevating the importance of closings Main essential for modern title professionals you need to know   Resources mentioned in this episode The Ramblings of a Title man 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin | Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover   About Michael HoldenMichael Holden is a senior leader at AmTrust Title, where he works with real estate professionals, lenders, and industry partners to deliver reliable, compliance-driven title and settlement solutions nationwide. With deep experience in title insurance operations, risk management, and relationship development, Michael is known for his practical approach to navigating complex transactions and evolving regulatory environments. His work focuses on protecting property rights, streamlining closings, and supporting real estate professionals with responsive service and national scale.   Connect with Michael Website: AmTrust Financial LinkedIn: Michael Holden, NTP, CLTP   Connect With UsLove what you're hearing? Don't miss an episode! Follow us on our social media channels and stay connected. Explore more on our website: www.alltechnational.com/podcast Stay updated with our newsletter: www.mochoumil.com Follow Mo on LinkedIn: Mo Choumil Stop waiting on underwriter emails or callbacks—TitleGPT.ai gives you instant, reliable answers to your title questions. Whether it's underwriting, compliance, or tricky closings, the information you need is just a click away. No more delays—work smarter, close faster. Try it now at www.TitleGPT.ai. Closing more deals starts with more appointments. At Alltech National Title, our inside sales team works behind the scenes to fill your pipeline, so you can focus on building relationships and closing business. No more cold calling—just real opportunities. Get started at AlltechNationalTitle.com. Extra hands without extra overhead—that's Safi Virtual. Our trained virtual assistants specialize in the title industry, handling admin work, client communication, and data entry so you can stay focused on closing deals. Scale smarter and work faster at SafiVirtual.com.

Seattle just elected a socialist mayor while simultaneously pushing a statewide millionaire's tax AND a corporate payroll tax—as Amazon and Meta announce thousands of layoffs. What could possibly go wrong? This is the perfect storm of economic suicide: tech companies already bleeding jobs due to AI disruption, a downtown core that's been obliterated, and politicians who think boycotting hometown companies like Starbucks is good leadership. We're watching the fastest way to turn a booming tech hub into the next Detroit. Amazon's already moving employees to Bellevue to escape Seattle's madness, and 21 out of 23 relocation clients are fleeing the region entirely. When you layer new taxes on top of record unemployment, guess who pays the price? Spoiler alert: it's not the millionaires—they'll just leave, dumping the tax burden onto the middle and lower classes who can't afford to escape. Is this the scariest economic moment since the Great Recession, or just what happens when socialists get the keys? How long before Seattle turns out the lights like they did in 1971? Drop your predictions below, and if you're tired of watching cities self-destruct in real-time, smash that subscribe button.

There aren't enough homes. Homes are too expensive. And mortgage rates are too high.In Episode 103 of One for the Money, I break down how the U.S. housing crisis was created, why it persists, and what realistic solutions could actually improve affordability.This episode goes beyond headlines and politics to diagnose the root causes of the crisis—using plain economics, real-world examples, and historical context. We also share practical guidance for anyone considering buying a home in today's challenging market.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture CA is a disaster, Newsom ran it into the ground follow the great reset and the green new scam. Now people and business are escaping. Walmart is leaving. Energy is the key to a strong manufacturing economy. Poland ramps up on gold. Gold has now overtaken the treasuries, everything is changing. The [DS] is panicking, they don’t have the people behind them like in 2020. Now they are left with their paid agitators. Obama, Clinton and Hollywood are preparing for chaos for the midterms. They have already put out the call. At the same time Trump is exposing Russia hoax, the rigging of the election and the J6 insurrection that the [DS] had against Trump. The D’s are in trouble Trump is putting pressure on the RINOs in the Senate to push the Save Act. Once this is done, it is game over. The D’s will push everything. Message was sent that the plan is in motion. Economy  (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/EnergyAbsurdity/status/2016553623270883769?s=20   non-viable alternatives to fossil fuels over the last 30 years: #Wind, #Solar, and #EVs. Despite all those TRILLIONS wasted, fossil fuels now account for an even HIGHER PERCENTAGE – 83% – of primary energy than they did 30 years ago. We must stop throwing away our children’s and grandchildren’s futures on false alternatives that simply do not and cannot work. https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2016793453007339819?s=20    be paying the LOWEST INTEREST RATE OF ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. Most of these countries are low interest rate paying cash machines, thought of as elegant, solid, and prime, only because the U.S.A. allows them to be. The Tariffs being charged to them, while bringing in $BILLIONS to us, still allows most of them to have a significant trade surplus, though much smaller, with our beautiful, formerly abused Country. In other words, I have been very nice, kind, and gentle to countries all over the World. With a mere flip of the pen, $BILLIONS more would come into the U.S.A., and these countries would have to go back to making money the old fashioned way, not on the back of America. I hope they all appreciate, although many don't, what our great Country has done for them. The Fed should substantially lower interest rates, NOW! Tariffs have made America strong and powerful again, far stronger and more powerful than any other Nation. Commensurate with this strength, both financial and otherwise, WE SHOULD BE PAYING LOWER INTEREST RATES THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/2016559031574311138?s=20 https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2016890828925313192?s=20  TRIPLED since Q4 2019, driven by aggressive purchases by central banks and rising prices. Over this period, central banks have added ~4,500 tonnes of gold, including unreported purchases. At the same time, foreign Treasury holdings have remained unchanged. Gold is redefining the global monetary system. Central banks maintain FX reserves—typically a mix of currencies, bonds, and assets like gold—to stabilize their currencies, manage liquidity, and hedge against economic shocks. U.S. Treasuries have long been the go-to asset because they’re considered ultra-safe, highly liquid, and backed by the world’s dominant reserve currency (the U.S. dollar, which still accounts for about 57% of global reserves). Gold, on the other hand, is a “neutral” asset: it’s not tied to any single government’s policies, can’t be printed at will, and serves as a hedge against inflation, currency debasement, and geopolitical risks.This crossover isn’t just a blip—it’s a structural change driven by several factors: Key Driver Explanation Impact Geopolitical Tensions and Sanctions Events like the Russia-Ukraine war (leading to frozen Russian assets) and U.S. actions (e.g., tariffs, interventions in Venezuela) have eroded trust in dollar-denominated assets. Countries fear their reserves could be seized or devalued overnight. theguardian.com Accelerates “de-dollarization” efforts, especially among BRICS nations (e.g., China, Russia, India), which now buy gold at 3–5 times pre-2022 levels, averaging 60 tons per month. finance.yahoo.com Gold’s share in reserves has doubled to over 25% in the past decade. newsmax.com Rising Gold Prices and Diversification Gold’s price surge (up 70% in 2025 alone) mechanically boosts its reserve value, but central banks are actively adding to holdings rather than selling Treasuries outright. mining.com This reflects a pivot away from U.S. debt amid concerns over America’s $35+ trillion national debt, persistent inflation, and fiscal policies under the Trump administration. fundssociety.com Gold is now the second-largest reserve asset after the dollar (overtaking the euro in 2024), signaling a re-regionalization of global finance where gold absorbs outflows from U.S. bonds. lfde.com The gold and U.S. debt markets are similarly sized (~$25–30 trillion each), making this shift feasible without massive disruptions. Central Bank Strategy Emerging market central banks (e.g., People’s Bank of China, Central Bank of Russia) are prioritizing gold for stability in a multipolar world, while developed banks hold steady. americanhartfordgold.com Net purchases hit 1,000+ tonnes in 2025, with forecasts for similar levels in 2026. gold.org Could push gold prices higher—analysts at Goldman Sachs see $5,400/oz by end-2026, while extreme scenarios (full USD reserve loss) speculate $39,000–$184,000/oz if gold backs global money supply. vaneck.com This isn’t about ditching the dollar entirely but reducing over-reliance.   If trends continue, it could lead to sustained gold demand, higher prices, and a more fragmented international financial landscape. Political/Rights  DOGE Geopolitical https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2016915491194057147?s=20  https://twitter.com/MarioBojic/status/2016846881079300384?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2016915405327962562?s=20   of China, Russia and Iran.    EU adds Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to terrorist list The European Union has added Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to its terrorist list in response to Tehran’s deadly crackdown on protesters in recent weeks. The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said EU foreign ministers took the “decisive step” because “repression cannot go unanswered”. She said ahead of the decision that the move would put the IRGC – a major military, economic and political force in Iran – on the same level as jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Source: bbc.com   War/Peace https://twitter.com/ianellisjones/status/2015933550822883607?s=20 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2016654714071285944?s=20 Anti-air warfare (AAW): Defending against aircraft, missiles, and drones using its Aegis Combat System, which integrates radar, sensors, and weapons for tracking and engaging threats. Anti-submarine warfare (ASW): Detecting and neutralizing submarines with sonar systems, torpedoes, and embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. Anti-surface warfare (ASuW): Engaging enemy ships or land targets with guns, missiles, and other weapons. Strike warfare: Launching long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles for precision strikes on ground targets. Ballistic missile defense (BMD): Intercepting ballistic missiles in flight, depending on configuration. Additional support roles: Maritime security, search and rescue, and intelligence gathering. https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2016914233233981950?s=20  right after reports of massive Israeli/US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, this is Moscow quietly confirming the hits while trying to de-escalate. Bushehr is Iran's only operating nuclear power reactor (Russian-built, ironically). If it got damaged or threatened, we’d be looking at Chernobyl-level fallout risks. Putin playing both sides: backing Tehran rhetorically but signaling “don’t go too far” to Washington/Jerusalem.   https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2016697707256025533?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2016934089165853048?s=20      Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda IT BEGINS: Zohran Mamdani Announces Plans to ‘Tax the Wealthy' to Compensate for NYC Budget Deficit (VIDEO) Well that was fast. Zohran Mamdani has been mayor of New York City for less than a month and he is already talking about raising taxes on the ‘wealthy' to make up the city's budget deficit, which he claims is on par with the Great Recession. Get ready to see a lot of Uhauls leaving the city. CNBC reports: New York Mayor Mamdani says city must hike taxes on wealthy to fill $12 billion deficit New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday said the city's wealthiest must pay more in taxes to help fill the staggering budget deficit of more than $12 billion that he was left by his predecessor. “This is at a scale that's actually greater than what we saw here in New York City during the Great Recession,” Mamdani said of that budget hole during an interview with CNBC “Squawk Box” co-anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin at City Hall.   Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2016689992932749554?s=20 https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2016622314306109944?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2016825781926662360?s=20   https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2016863073173114959?s=20   https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2016855148723593379?s=20 https://twitter.com/christopherrufo/status/2016702846822207663?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricTeetsel/status/2016681981887623280?s=20 https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/2016688511017947273?s=20 benevolent and humble servant of the oppressed. Then when it turns out — as it literally always does — that he was actually a violent unhinged degenerate weirdo, they will immediately pivot and insist that his character and personal life don’t matter actually. We were told Alex Pretti had no criminal record but we now have video of him spitting on and attacking ICE agents Was he charged for this? https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/2016702063334334904?s=20   https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/2016714718430310577?s=20 https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/2016712434606559516?s=20 https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/2016708027559141441?s=20 https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/2016704306401976345?s=20 https://twitter.com/FrontlinesTPUSA/status/2016734414537990436?s=20 https://twitter.com/Mollyploofkins/status/2016377949121884259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016377949121884259%7Ctwgr%5Eb6afd1fffe8094942ed0a2c48dbd21175293b47b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fwatch-has-been-actress-molly-ringwald-claims-trump%2F   https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/2016691592619516200?s=20   “But the rest of us would survive… This is the time for a revolution.” Brandon Johnson Says He's Coordinating With Other Democrat Mayors To Thwart ICE Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson admitted Wednesday he was “in regular communication” with other mayors leading so-called “sanctuary cities” in efforts to impede enforcement of federal immigration laws. “To respond to the operation in Chicago, I leaned heavily on other cities' responses, like Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shared her experience governing while the city was in Trump's crosshairs,” Johnson said. “We've been in regular communication both at the executive level and the staff level with cities like Minneapolis and Portland, Oakland, Boston, and Denver and Baltimore to learn from each other's experiences and develop strategies to protect our constituents.” Source: dailycaller.com   https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2016645995606552671?s=20 https://twitter.com/bitchuneedsoap/status/2016520711951564977?s=20   https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/2016662505930584574?s=20   President Trump's Plan BREAKING: ICE and CBP to DRAW-DOWN Number of Forces in Minnesota After Tom Homan Strikes Deal with State Officials – Here Are the Details (VIDEO) https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2016865706126545214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016865706126545214%7Ctwgr%5Ef45391945d583495415892fba4a2de7da17713e7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fbreaking-ice-cbp-draw-down-number-forces-minnesota%2F   just 3 days! Tom Homan means business. https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2016867645958529115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016867645958529115%7Ctwgr%5Ef45391945d583495415892fba4a2de7da17713e7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fbreaking-ice-cbp-draw-down-number-forces-minnesota%2F   Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2016868888491761913?s=20  https://twitter.com/KurtSchlichter/status/2016584955472838709 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2016737774288654360?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2016938140326645996?s=20   https://twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/2016868004798124447?s=20   https://twitter.com/FlipCrypt/status/2016359757557141542?s=20  court” “How do you set the stage” The raid showed pictures of files, one was in a bathroom, and another a stage. Funny because Hilary deleted 600k emails, from a server, kept in her bathroom. What would it look like if we “had it all” How do you set the stage? How do you inject evidence into a Grand Jury conspiracy case for Russiagate? I think a lot of the comms right now, and the actions around the country show preparation for this Grand Jury to conclude. It could take weeks, or even months. But my bet is those boxes set on the stage are Russiagate and beyond. The boxes in the bathroom are Hiliary’s emails, and currently, a grand jury is having a look at it all. https://twitter.com/FultonCo_GA_GOP/status/2016671877297488352?s=20 County Board of Elections literally denied these requests. The Georgia State Election Board has been trying for 4 years to get the records.  Including issuing a subpoena for the ballots and other records.  And ALL of those efforts have failed.  Until today. I applaud Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel for finally searching for and retrieving the records from the 2020 election that the U.S. Attorney General under federal law is entitled to receive and review.  It is my hope that the FBI is in the process of getting every box of 2020 election materials in that warehouse to be able to piece together, once and for all, the truth about 2020. I am dedicated to making sure to the best of my ability that elections in Fulton County are accurate.  Let's hope this starts a new chapter in Fulton County for transparency and accountability.” Julie Adams Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections Republican Party Appointee  Why did trump start in a red state.    https://twitter.com/keithedwards/status/2016671823870513436?s=20 Materials Sought in Fulton County FBI Warrant Revealed – A Difficult Road Lies Ahead for Fulton County Officials FBI Agents seized over 700 boxes worth of documents and brought them north to Virginia in two tractor trailers  https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/2016701882576560547?s=20   utilized during the 2020 General Election in Fulton County All ballot images produced during the original ballot count beginning on November 3, 2020, THE RECOUNT, and any other ballot images All voter rolls from the 2020 General Election in Fulton County from absentee, early voting, in person, and any other voter roll that indicates voters: to whom an absentee ballot was issued, from whom an absentee ballot was received, or who participated in advanced voting or election day voting Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2016665638778143047?s=20   years ago. Fulton County refused. Excerpts from witness affidavits include: Susan Voyles, 20-year election official: “Pristine” ballots “difference in the texture of the paper” with “a different feel” and “no markings” and approximately “98% for Joe Biden.” Georgia Democrat observer: “Hundreds of ballots with no folds or creases. Perfect black bubbles. All for Biden.” Another Georgia Democrat: “All had perfect black bubbles and were all Biden. I heard ‘Biden' over 500 times in a row.” @VoterGa has been fighting in court for six years just to inspect these ballots. Why was Fulton County so determined to keep them hidden?? https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/2016706788351971434?s=20     https://twitter.com/drawandstrike/status/2016705043144003652?s=20   AND INCLUDING THE JACK SMITH SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE. And the first thing that happens when you end up in election related litigation is you are given a PRESERVATION ORDER FROM THE COURT. So NO, Fulton County officials did not destroy these ballots, or tapes or any other federal election records THAT THEY ALREADY ADMITTED TO HAVING IN OFFCIAL COURT RULINGS BEGINNING 5 YEARS AGO.  https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/2016902941836198297?s=20 https://twitter.com/PatriotXV11/status/2016713624061116652?s=20 https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2016663357089001566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016663357089001566%7Ctwgr%5E18c7aab2309ab32958cb900c1fa5f6df8f16003a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fbreaking-president-trump-announces-first-ever-assistant-attorney%2F     https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2016594714569441286?s=20 https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2016901410441289982?s=20 https://twitter.com/DoWCTO/status/2016577329393242364?s=20 3800 Q !!Hs1Jq13jV6 ID: e6ce6c No.7943347 Jan 28 2020 14:46:22 (EST) DurhamBoat.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_boat Anons found the subtle hint dropped in the beginning. Think Durham start. Think ‘Q’ start. You have more than you know. Q 1 Anonymous ID: BQ7V3bcW No.147012719 Oct 28 2017 15:44:28 (EST) Anonymous ID: gb953qGI No.147005381 Oct 28 2017 14:33:50 (EST) >>146981635 Hillary Clinton will be arrested between 7:45 AM – 8:30 AM EST on Monday – the morning on Oct 30, 2017. >>147005381 HRC extradition already in motion effective yesterday with several countries in case of cross border run. Passport approved to be flagged effective 10/30 @ 12:01am. Expect massive riots organized in defiance and others fleeing the US to occur. US M's will conduct the operation while NG activated. Proof check: Locate a NG member and ask if activated for duty 10/30 across most major cities. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

It's here, lawbreakers: our episode on Steven Soderbergh's 2012 runaway hit MAGIC MIKE. Is this a sobering look at economic precarity after the Great Recession? Or is it a movie about gyrating hunks? Here to help us answer that question is writer, adult content creator, and proprietor of Spectrum Boutique, Zoë Ligon! We talk transactional desire, hot bods, side hustles, Zoë's experience seeing Magic Mike Live in Vegas, and a lot more. Look: you're horny, let's do it - listen to the episode, that is! Plus, a brief note about Minneapolis. Further Reading: "'How Would You Like A Lap Dance?': The Oral History of 'Magic Mike'" by Kate Lloyd "Where Mike Got The Magic" by Tressie McMillan Cottom Further Viewing: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (Badham, 1977) BOOGIE NIGHTS (Anderson, 1997) BEAU TRAVAIL (Denis, 1999) STEP UP (Fletcher, 2006) MAGIC MIKE XXL (Jacobs, 2015) MAGIC MIKE'S LAST DANCE (Soderbergh, 2023)   Follow Zoë: https://www.thongria.com https://www.spectrumboutique.com Follow Pod Casty For Me: https://www.podcastyforme.com/ https://twitter.com/podcastyforme https://www.instagram.com/podcastyforme/ https://www.youtube.com/@podcastyforme Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PodCastyForMe Artwork by Jeremy Allison: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyallisonart  

Wall Street’s booming year will not be enough to stave off a financial crisis that Mayor Zohran Mamdani says is worse than the Great Recession nearly two decades ago. “Wall Street’s announcement is something that is very encouraging and frankly will be helpful in dealing with a $12 billion fiscal deficit,” Mamdani said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s Balance of Power on Thursday. But it might not be enough. “The reason I cannot point to Wall Street and say the deficit will be taken care of is simply the sheer scale of this deficit. We are talking about something that is larger frankly than what the city even faced during the Great Recession.” He discusses his push to hike taxes to fill budget gaps, how his city dealt with recent severe cold and more with Bloomberg's Myles Miller. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" talks about Marco Rubio's tense exchange with Rand Paul over the constitutional authority to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro; Democrat Brian Schatz going speechless after Marco Rubio gave a brutally honest answer about possible regime change in Cuba; Ilhan Omar talking to MSNOW's Chris Hayes about her response to her attack at a town hall event; "The View's Ana Navarro having her naive narrative about Alex Pretti being a peaceful protester being shattered by new footage of him spitting on ICE agents and attacking their vehicles; "Shark Tank's" Kevin O'Leary explaining how the Trump Accounts for kids, which will be invested in the stock market, could completely change how people view investing and thinking about their future; Zohran Mamdani already declaring a fiscal emergency larger than the Great Recession for NYC's budget to justify his plans tax the rich; and much more. Dave also hosts a special "ask me anything" question-and-answer session on a wide range of topics, answering questions from the Rubin Report Locals community. Watch Dave Rubin's FULL interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali here:    • Somali Immigrant Has a Chilling Warning fo...   WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Polymarket -Go to http://polymarket.com to trade on the outcomes of live events from politics, pop culture, to sports and more! Mars Men -  A potent and natural testosterone stack that optimizes your body's ability to forge usable testosterone. For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men when you use code RUBIN . Go to: http://Mengotomars.com BUBS Naturals - BUBS helps restore collagen levels closer to what your body had in its youth—so your joints feel stronger, your hair and nails grow healthier, and your skin looks smoother. Live Better Longer with BUBS Naturals. For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code RUBIN at Bubsnaturals.com

Mayor Zohran Mamdani Says New York City is facing a fiscal crisis at the scale of the Great Recession. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga speaks out against ICE during a speech at her concert in Tokyo while Gutfeld SLAMS Jessica Tarlov on The Five over her trashing ICE. Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…Bank on Yourselfhttps://BankOnYourself.com/Dana Bank on Yourself offers tax-free retirement income, guaranteed growth, and full control of your money. Receive your free report.Relief Factorhttps://ReliefFactor.com OR CALL 1-800-4-RELIEFTry Relief Factor's 3-week Quickstart for just $19.95—tell them Dana sent you and see if you can be next to control your pain!Patriot Mobilehttps://PatriotMobile.com/DANA or call 972-PATRIOTSwitch to Patriot Mobile in minutes—keep your number and phone or upgrade, then take a stand today with promo code DANA for a free month of service!Humannhttps://HumanN.comKick off the New Year with simple, delicious wellness support—pick up Humann's Turmeric Chews at Sam's Club next time you're there and see why they're such a fan favorite!Byrnahttps://Byrna.com/DanaMake 2026 the year you protect your family with solid options—Get the Byrna today.WebRootTake your cybersecurity seriously! Get 60% off Webroot Total Protection at https://Webroot.com/Dana  Noble Goldhttps://NobleGoldInvestments.com/DanaThis is the year to create a more stable financial future.  Open a qualified account with Noble Gold and receive a 3 oz Silver Virtue coin free. Subscribe today and stay in the loop on all things news with The Dana Show. Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramXMore InfoWebsite

Tom Homan has his first press conference as he takes over the situation in Minneapolis. Dana reacts and shares commentary to new footage showing Alex Pretti with a gun in his waistband, spitting on and attacking federal law enforcement officers and kicking the tail light of their vehicle on January 13th. TSA workers eating dinner were mistaken for ICE agents, drawing dozens of protesters to a California restaurant.Jacob Frey dodges when asked if he changed his mind after the latest video of Alex Pretti and vows to give financial support and legal resources to the violent criminals who were apprehended by ICE. The government remains on their political heels before another shutdown. CNN's Abby Phillip blames Trump for Ilhan Omar's attack. Hakeem Jeffries threatens Kristi Noem by saying she needs to be “put on ice permanently”. Mayor Zohran Mamdani Says New York City is facing a fiscal crisis at the scale of the Great Recession. Lady Gaga speaks out against ICE during a speech at her concert. Gutfeld SLAMS Jessica Tarlov on The Five over her trashing ICE.Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…Bank on Yourselfhttps://BankOnYourself.com/Dana Bank on Yourself offers tax-free retirement income, guaranteed growth, and full control of your money. Receive your free report.Relief Factorhttps://ReliefFactor.com OR CALL 1-800-4-RELIEFTry Relief Factor's 3-week Quickstart for just $19.95—tell them Dana sent you and see if you can be next to control your pain!Patriot Mobilehttps://PatriotMobile.com/DANA or call 972-PATRIOTSwitch to Patriot Mobile in minutes—keep your number and phone or upgrade, then take a stand today with promo code DANA for a free month of service!Humannhttps://HumanN.comKick off the New Year with simple, delicious wellness support—pick up Humann's Turmeric Chews at Sam's Club next time you're there and see why they're such a fan favorite!Byrnahttps://Byrna.com/DanaMake 2026 the year you protect your family with solid options—Get the Byrna today.WebRootTake your cybersecurity seriously! Get 60% off Webroot Total Protection at https://Webroot.com/Dana  Noble Goldhttps://NobleGoldInvestments.com/DanaThis is the year to create a more stable financial future.  Open a qualified account with Noble Gold and receive a 3 oz Silver Virtue coin free. Subscribe today and stay in the loop on all things news with The Dana Show. Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramXMore InfoWebsite

Mental health providers aim to reach more men If you are a millennial, you likely remember dial-up internet, flip phones and being told that education was the key to stability. But for many born between 1981 and 1996, adulthood arrived with the Great Recession, student loan debt and a job market filled with uncertainty. Those factors may help explain why this generation reports higher levels of anxiety, depression and burnout than previous generations. Not everyone who experiences mental health challenges is willing to seek help, especially men. Some mental health professionals hope to reach reluctant men, particularly millennial men, where they are. Wednesday on the “Sound of Ideas,” local experts will explore the mental health challenges facing this group and what meaningful change could look like. Guests: - Jake Ross, Licensed Independent Social Worker & Owner, The Ross Wellness Group - Walter Patton, Executive Director, Ghetto Therapy - Neel Parekh, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Urology, Cleveland Clinic - Jessica Vazquez, Prevention & Wellness Manager, School Health Program, MetroHealth "Missing Sam" by Thrity Umrigar Later in the hour, we're joined by Northeast Ohioan and best-selling author Thrity Umrigar. Her latest novel centers on a woman named Sam from Cleveland Heights who goes missing during an early morning run. Her wife, Ali, is shaken by the disappearance and suspected by some in the community. Ideastream Public Media's Carrie Wise spoke with Umrigar about “Missing Sam,” which explores how prejudice can spread in the wake of a tragedy. Guests: - Thrity Umrigar, Author, "Missing Sam" - Carrie Wise, Deputy Editor of Arts & Culture, Ideastream Public Media

Summary  In this episode of Gary's Gulch, dive into a heartfelt journey of personal growth, agency, and financial independence. Host Gary reflects on his childhood challenges, military career, and the lessons he's learned about true wealth and legacy. Highlighting Aaron Chapman's "Redneck Economics," Gary urges listeners to find their unique genius and use it to build a better future. Explore the power of entrepreneurship, parenting, and the pursuit of self-reliance in today's world. A must-listen for those seeking inspiration to take control of their financial destiny and personal growth..   Episode Highlights 00:00:13 - Launch of "Redneck Economics" 00:01:08 - Power of unconventional language 00:02:35 - Real estate vs. stock investing 00:03:15 - Agency and control over future 00:03:52 - Influence of Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" 00:06:06 - Economic challenges in the 1980s 00:07:00 - Personal financial journey 00:11:05 - The choice for Naval Academy 00:15:00 - Impact of the Great Recession 00:16:25 - Realization on financial independence 00:18:21 - Importance of legacy and time 00:20:47 - Shift from materialism to family 00:22:02 - Significance of choosing time with family 00:23:05 - Personal story about father's impact 00:25:38 - Investing in self and God 00:26:48 - Final thoughts on agency and impact   Links and Resources from this Episode Connect with Gary Pinkerton https://www.paradigmlife.net/  gpinkerton@paradigmlife.net https://garypinkerton.com/  https://clientportal.paradigmlife.net/WealthView360     Keywords Gary's Gulch   Redneck Economics   Aaron Chapman   Passive Investing   Financial Freedom   Rental Real Estate   Cash Flow   Control Over Future   Atlas Shrugged   Ayn Rand   Self-Reliance   Agency   Entrepreneurship   Financial Journey   Family Legacy   Importance of Time   Business Owners   Philanthropy   Inflation   Interest Rates   Paul Volcker   2008 Recession   Dot Com Crash   Stock Market   Wealth Management   Human Agency   Charlie Kirk   Freedom Preservation  

What separates solar projects that get built from those that die in development? Brad Stutzman has spent 16 years figuring out the answer.Brad is the Founder and CEO of O3 Energy, a Dallas-based solar development and construction company. He started in 2009 during the Great Recession, pivoting from real estate financing to renewable energy. O3 Energy has since deployed hundreds of on-site solar projects across commercial, municipal, and non-profit customers throughout the Southwest, Hawaii, Guam, and Mexico.Key Discussion PointsHow the 2009 recession and Obama's American Recovery Act launched Brad's solar career through the 1603 grant programWhy behind-the-meter projects reduce development risk by eliminating land acquisition and off-taker uncertaintyO3 Energy's approach to "practical innovation" and requiring ROI from every business improvementHow Brad converted a capped New Mexico landfill near Sandia Labs into a working solar facility (brownfields to brightfields)Why Brad is repowering a project with Erthos flat-to-earth racking technology after wind damage destroyed the Ballasted fixed tilt systemThe future of "renewable baseload power" through solar plus battery storage achieving grid parityAI integration in solar monitoring platforms that analyze system performance and troubleshoot issuesBrad's 16 years in solar development reveal a consistent truth: successful projects require patience, practical thinking, and smart partnerships. His brownfield conversion near nuclear weapons storage required Nuclear Regulatory Authority sign-off. His California municipal project needed creative cross-property engineering. Neither would have happened without tenacity. As Brad puts it, mistakes are only mistakes if you don't learn from them. O3 Energy continues expanding into the Midwest and Mexico while preparing for the next wave of solar plus storage. The company is actively seeking partners for development, construction, and asset management opportunities nationwide.Connect with Brad Stutzman Brad's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradstutzman/03 Energy Website: https://o3energy.com/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

In this episode of Live Like a Leader, I sit down with organizational development expert Gil Crosby (https://www.crosbyod.com/) to explore timeless principles for change, leadership, and frontline empowerment. Learn why most “programs” fail, how to balance authority with freedom, and how leaders can unlock performance by listening to the people closest to the work.Gil Crosby has been an Organization Development Professional since 1984. He applies the Social Science of Kurt Lewin to help organizations navigate change and improve performance, as the same principles apply in both business and society. He is also a Professor at the Leadership Institute of Seattle, and he has just published his 7th book, Leadership and the Front-Line Workforce, for anyone in an organization. Here's what we get into: Kurt Lewin's social science—and why it still worksGil explains Lewin's core insight: when people who live with the problem talk it through together, design solutions that make sense to them, and test them, change actually sticks. Whether it's improving productivity in a plant or reducing violence in a community, people implement what they help shape. Why “forcing best practices” often failsWe talk about how organizations take something like Lean or the Toyota Production System and try to copy-paste it—usually by forcing compliance. Gil highlights what gets left out: at Toyota, when a worker stops the line, the supervisor's first response is “Thank you.” That level of respect and engagement is the point—and when it's missing, the system becomes just another top-down “program of the month.” A perfect frontline story: the Channel Locks lessonGil tells an incredible example from a manufacturing plant: management tried to reduce theft by making workers check out channel locks (basic tools used constantly), which slowed production every time someone needed one. When we asked the obvious question—what does downtime cost compared to a $15 tool?—The plant manager immediately changed course: “Tomorrow, we're putting channel locks everywhere.”And the best part? Once workers saw leadership was actually listening, they didn't steal them. Trust went up, friction went down, and productivity improved. Empowerment isn't “nice”—it's operationalI share why bad customer service drives me crazy (including what I've seen in Slovakia), and the pattern underneath it: people on the front line aren't empowered to make decisions. If the people closest to the work can't act, everything bottlenecks—and leadership often doesn't even know what's broken. Battlefield leadership and “commander's intent.”We connect this to military lessons: when leaders hoard information and control, people suffer. When teams understand the goal and the intent, they can make smarter decisions in real time. That's true in combat, and it's true in business. Democracy vs. autocracy—at work and in societyGil shares Lewin's conclusion that hit me hard: every generation has to learn how to be effective democratic citizens, because democracy isn't self-sustaining. The same is true inside organizations: if people aren't taught how to think, participate, and take ownership, you'll get passivity… or rebellion. The leadership sweet spot: structure + freedomOne of my favorite parts: Gil breaks leadership down as a balance of structure and freedom.People need clarity, information, accountability, and guidance.They also need autonomy and space to think.Too much control creates compliance-without-commitment. Too little structure turns into leaderless chaos. Meetings, fear, and why delegation is so hardWe talk about why leaders struggle to delegate well: endless meetings, unclear authority structures, and fear—fear of upsetting someone, fear of saying no, fear of authority (often rooted way earlier than work). I share a line I coach leaders to use when they're overloaded: “I'd be happy to do that. I'm maxed out—what would you like me to deprioritize so I can take this on?” Gil's low moment, and a leadership lessonGil opens up about the Great Recession: no safety net, consulting work dried up, and he drove a taxi to survive. His takeaway is powerful: do your best, no matter the role. And don't get cocky when money is flowing, because it can stop.MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAYIf you want performance, stop trying to “roll out” solutions to people. Build solutions with them. The front line sees what leadership can't—and when you treat them like owners instead of obstacles, everything improves: morale, execution, and results. --------John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Jake, Will, Lauren, and Rabih talk about what the best investment of 2025 really was and why staying invested matters more than timing the market. Then they discuss why boomers tend to have less retirement savings than millennials, unpacking the shift from pensions to 401(k)s, the lasting impact of the Great Recession, and how automatic enrollment and modern investing tools may give younger generations a long-term edge. Finally, they explore commonalities between dentistry and college football as private equity enters both spaces. Learn more about the Dentist Money Launchpad Program, join the waitlist to learn everything you didn't learn about money in dental school through a series of live courses built exclusively for D4s and recent grads! Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Michelle Warner took the “escapee avoidance” route — she planned to do the traditional MBA-to-consulting path… then graduated straight into the Great Recession (the day Lehman fell). That curveball pushed her into entrepreneurship early: a founder-for-hire role turning a multi-billion-dollar foundation asset into a business, followed by a mission-driven tech startup, and eventually her current work helping small business owners design the next iteration of their business.This is a tactical episode about what actually works when you're leaving corporate: why you should “throw spaghetti at the wall” early, how to stop doing random coffee chats, and how to use relationship marketing and audience borrowing to land clients faster — without turning into a sales robot.What you'll learn • Why “sequence over strategy” matters more than the perfect plan • The hidden risk of being too strict and narrow early on (and why it creates regret later) • How Michelle built her business through relationship marketing, not content churn • “Audience borrowing” as the fastest way to build trust and pipeline • How to approach connector conversations vs. client conversations • Why your early goal is simple: learn how to make money and stack wins • A practical way to think about packaging: repeatable frameworks, flexible middleKey moments / highlights • Graduating into chaos: the day Lehman fell and what it changed • Founder-for-hire: getting a salary while living the startup founder life • Affordable internet in inner cities — and what customers actually did with it • “Fractional CEO” before fractional was trendy • The rule: don't build with blinders on for too long • The shift from “networking for jobs” to networking as a long-term business asset • The line that matters: say something that people can't “unsee” after the callMichelle's core concepts (worth stealing) • Sequence over strategy: the order of moves beats the elegance of the plan • Throw spaghetti first: test offers, clients, and problems before you commit • Connection avatar: define who's worth meeting so networking doesn't waste your life • Trust transfer: get introduced through people/places your audience already trusts • Audience borrowing: build relationships with people who “own the room” your clients are inBest quote energy • “Learn all the rules so you can go break them.” • “It's more important the order you do things than how good you are at it.” • “I'm totally unemployable.” (Escapee anthem)Connect with Michelle • Website: themichellewarner.com • Podcast: Sequence Over Strategy (short, practical episodes; curated playlists on her site)Connect with Brett / The Escapee ecosystem • If corporate is broken and you're looking at an exit strategy, this is your sign. • Join the community: TheEscapeeCollective.com

Chris Cuomo breaks down what's actually behind Trump's sudden push around Greenland — and why it fits a familiar pattern in how power and pressure are used. Cuomo explains how disruption is often deployed as leverage, not something meant to fully play out, and why markets, institutions, and allies are rarely allowed to absorb the consequences people are told to expect. The rapid shift from tariff threats to talks with NATO reinforces the idea that escalation is part of the maneuver, not the destination. Placing the Greenland move in historical context, Cuomo points to moments like the Great Depression and the Great Recession to show why “let whatever happens happen” has never been true. Whether it's markets, trade, or geopolitics, he argues that chaos is frequently the tool, not the endgame — and that recognizing this pattern matters far more than reacting to the headline of the week. Follow and subscribe to The Chris Cuomo Project on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday: https://linktr.ee/cuomoproject Join Chris Ad-Free On Substack: http://thechriscuomoproject.substack.com Support our sponsors: Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos—get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/CUOMO. Application times and rates may vary. Reverse hair loss with @iRestorelaser and get exclusive savings on the iRestore Elite, use code CUOMO at https://irestore.com/cuomo! #irestorepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Gino Barbera shares his insights on the three essential steps to create meaningful change in both personal and professional life. He emphasizes the importance of perceiving the need for transformation, recognizing one's ability to change, and being ready to take action. Drawing from his own experiences, particularly during the Great Recession, Gino illustrates how he transitioned from being a 'pizza guy' to embracing a new mindset that allowed him to pursue real estate and personal growth. He encourages listeners to shift their perspective from merely wanting to change to actively transforming their lives by understanding their unique gifts and potential. Takeaways:Perceiving the need for change is the first step.You have the ability to change your circumstances.Being ready to change is crucial for transformation.Creating connections is essential for effective communication.You must stop being a victim and take responsibility for your life. Insights:"Don't think of the word change. Just think of the word transform.""I was the one who created those first circumstances.""Create the connection with that person." We're here to help create real estate entrepreneurs... About Jake & Gino: Jake & Gino are multifamily investors, operators, and owners who have created a vertically integrated real estate company. They control over $350M in assets under management. Connect with Jake & Gino here --> https://jakeandgino.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. In this episode of Chatter with BNC, host Ben Kenney speaks with Chris Moeller, founder and CEO of Orion Growth. They discuss Chris's entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of starting a business during the Great Recession, and the evolving landscape of work and housing in the wake of COVID-19. Chris shares insights on affordable housing issues in North Carolina and his passion for vinyl records, highlighting the importance of music in his life. The conversation wraps up with Chris's vision for the future of Orion Growth and his commitment to making a positive impact in the community.  

Before there were Instagram likes, Twitter hashtags, or TikTok trends, there were bloggers who seemed to have the passion and authenticity that traditional media lacked. The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton UP, 2023) tells the story of how early digital creators scrambling for work amid the Great Recession gave rise to the multibillion-dollar industry that has fundamentally reshaped culture, the flow of information, and the way we relate to ourselves and each other. Drawing on dozens of in-depth interviews with leading social media influencers, brand executives, marketers, talent managers, trend forecasters, and others, Emily Hund shows how early industry participants focused on creating and monetizing digital personal brands as a means of exerting control over their professional destinies in a time of acute economic uncertainty. Over time, their activities coalesced into an industry whose impact has reached far beyond the dreams of its progenitors--and beyond their control. Hund illustrates how the methods they developed for creating, monetizing, and marketing social media content have permeated our lives and untangles the unforeseen cultural and economic costs. The Influencer Industry reveals how, in an increasingly fractured and profit-driven communications environment, the people we think of as "real" are merely those who have learned to exploit the industry's ever-shifting constructions of authenticity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Before there were Instagram likes, Twitter hashtags, or TikTok trends, there were bloggers who seemed to have the passion and authenticity that traditional media lacked. The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton UP, 2023) tells the story of how early digital creators scrambling for work amid the Great Recession gave rise to the multibillion-dollar industry that has fundamentally reshaped culture, the flow of information, and the way we relate to ourselves and each other. Drawing on dozens of in-depth interviews with leading social media influencers, brand executives, marketers, talent managers, trend forecasters, and others, Emily Hund shows how early industry participants focused on creating and monetizing digital personal brands as a means of exerting control over their professional destinies in a time of acute economic uncertainty. Over time, their activities coalesced into an industry whose impact has reached far beyond the dreams of its progenitors--and beyond their control. Hund illustrates how the methods they developed for creating, monetizing, and marketing social media content have permeated our lives and untangles the unforeseen cultural and economic costs. The Influencer Industry reveals how, in an increasingly fractured and profit-driven communications environment, the people we think of as "real" are merely those who have learned to exploit the industry's ever-shifting constructions of authenticity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

Before there were Instagram likes, Twitter hashtags, or TikTok trends, there were bloggers who seemed to have the passion and authenticity that traditional media lacked. The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton UP, 2023) tells the story of how early digital creators scrambling for work amid the Great Recession gave rise to the multibillion-dollar industry that has fundamentally reshaped culture, the flow of information, and the way we relate to ourselves and each other. Drawing on dozens of in-depth interviews with leading social media influencers, brand executives, marketers, talent managers, trend forecasters, and others, Emily Hund shows how early industry participants focused on creating and monetizing digital personal brands as a means of exerting control over their professional destinies in a time of acute economic uncertainty. Over time, their activities coalesced into an industry whose impact has reached far beyond the dreams of its progenitors--and beyond their control. Hund illustrates how the methods they developed for creating, monetizing, and marketing social media content have permeated our lives and untangles the unforeseen cultural and economic costs. The Influencer Industry reveals how, in an increasingly fractured and profit-driven communications environment, the people we think of as "real" are merely those who have learned to exploit the industry's ever-shifting constructions of authenticity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/economics

Before there were Instagram likes, Twitter hashtags, or TikTok trends, there were bloggers who seemed to have the passion and authenticity that traditional media lacked. The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton UP, 2023) tells the story of how early digital creators scrambling for work amid the Great Recession gave rise to the multibillion-dollar industry that has fundamentally reshaped culture, the flow of information, and the way we relate to ourselves and each other. Drawing on dozens of in-depth interviews with leading social media influencers, brand executives, marketers, talent managers, trend forecasters, and others, Emily Hund shows how early industry participants focused on creating and monetizing digital personal brands as a means of exerting control over their professional destinies in a time of acute economic uncertainty. Over time, their activities coalesced into an industry whose impact has reached far beyond the dreams of its progenitors--and beyond their control. Hund illustrates how the methods they developed for creating, monetizing, and marketing social media content have permeated our lives and untangles the unforeseen cultural and economic costs. The Influencer Industry reveals how, in an increasingly fractured and profit-driven communications environment, the people we think of as "real" are merely those who have learned to exploit the industry's ever-shifting constructions of authenticity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

Before there were Instagram likes, Twitter hashtags, or TikTok trends, there were bloggers who seemed to have the passion and authenticity that traditional media lacked. The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton UP, 2023) tells the story of how early digital creators scrambling for work amid the Great Recession gave rise to the multibillion-dollar industry that has fundamentally reshaped culture, the flow of information, and the way we relate to ourselves and each other. Drawing on dozens of in-depth interviews with leading social media influencers, brand executives, marketers, talent managers, trend forecasters, and others, Emily Hund shows how early industry participants focused on creating and monetizing digital personal brands as a means of exerting control over their professional destinies in a time of acute economic uncertainty. Over time, their activities coalesced into an industry whose impact has reached far beyond the dreams of its progenitors--and beyond their control. Hund illustrates how the methods they developed for creating, monetizing, and marketing social media content have permeated our lives and untangles the unforeseen cultural and economic costs. The Influencer Industry reveals how, in an increasingly fractured and profit-driven communications environment, the people we think of as "real" are merely those who have learned to exploit the industry's ever-shifting constructions of authenticity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

In this conversation, Brian Baniqued shares his extensive journey in the real estate industry, detailing his evolution from a young agent to a successful entrepreneur. He discusses the importance of adapting to changes in the market, leveraging technology like AI, and the lessons learned from navigating the Great Recession. Brian emphasizes the significance of building financial independence through real estate and the strategies he employed to create multiple income streams.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

As agency owners settle into 2026, it’s easy to operate on autopilot—chasing the next tactic without reconnecting with what made the business work in the first place. In this episode, Chip and Gini make the case for looking backward before charging forward. Chip admits his first agency started because “consultant” sounded better than “unemployed.” But the real question isn’t just why you started—it’s why you decided to keep building. That motivation should be informing your strategy today. Gini shares how she once believed she wanted a large agency with hundreds of employees and global clients. When she hit 30+ people, she realized she’d built something she didn’t enjoy leading. She was buried in HR issues instead of doing the work that energized her. The Great Recession forced a reset, and she restructured the business around her strengths. Her advice: figure out what brings you joy in the business, and protect time to do more of it. Otherwise, you risk drifting into micromanagement or burnout. The episode also digs into practical growth tactics from the early days that still work. Gini recalls how she built her pipeline by developing relationships with business development leads at large agencies. When prospects came in below their fee threshold, they’d refer the work her way—a principle that remains just as relevant today. Both hosts encourage owners to revisit their “things I’d never do” list from when they started. It’s worth checking whether you’ve quietly drifted into those same patterns over time. Key takeaways Chip Griffin: “Agency owners often ask me, what should I do next? And the answer is very different depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the business.” Gini Dietrich: “We say this to clients all the time, go back to the basics. It works. And it works for your agency, too.” Chip Griffin: “You need to do what’s right for you. And so, I think that the key to that is really going back to your roots, understanding what motivated you to get started, what drove that success in the early days.” Gini Dietrich: “You want to focus on the things that you are great at, and the things that make you the happiest, and the things that are most motivating to you, because that’s how your business will grow.” Turn ideas into action Write down why you started your agency and what drove your early success. Block 30 minutes to identify patterns from those early days that you could leverage again for growth or business development today. Identify one thing that energizes you most about the work—then carve out time to do more of it. Even if it’s behind the scenes (like strategic brainstorming or quarterly client reviews), injecting that spark back into your role helps prevent burnout. Make a quick list of “things I swore I’d never do” when you started. Check whether you’ve drifted into any of those patterns on inertia—and decide if it’s a learned lesson or a habit worth breaking. Related Do you remember why you started your agency? Why one-size-fits-all advice doesn't work for agencies View Transcript The following is a computer-generated transcript. Please listen to the audio to confirm accuracy. Chip Griffin: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: And I am Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And Gini, I’m thinking way, way back, way back decades now to why I started my agency. Gini Dietrich: Oooh. Decades, huh? Chip Griffin: And I can’t remember ’cause I’m too old now, so. No, Gini Dietrich: you can too remember. Chip Griffin: Well, I mean, the honest answer is that I started my first agency was because I was unemployed. And it was better to describe myself as a consultant than unemployed. Yeah. Sure. And then than accidentally started accumulating business. Yeah. But I, but I do think it, it is a helpful exercise for us to go back and, and think about why we started the businesses or, or maybe not, in some cases, like mine, because I was unemployed, is not the greatest explanation. So you know more why did I decide to, to, to build it into an actual business. Gini Dietrich: Why? To keep going. Yeah. I think that’s good, especially as we’re, we’re thinking about starting out the new year and remind ourselves, you know, of the reasons that we started this. Some of us do it because we’re, we’re unemployed. Some of us did it because we found a better, we, we think we had a better way of doing things. Some of us did it because we have a problem with authority. Some of us did it ’cause we’d make terrible employees. I mean, there are lots of different reasons, but I think reaching back into our archives in our brains and thinking about why we did it or why we, I think that you’re right, why we continue to do it is a, is a really good exercise. Chip Griffin: Yeah, I mean, I, and, and I’ve said over and over again over the years that, that I think too many agencies operate on inertia, as opposed to any kind of a, a fundamental strategy. And so, you know, it’s very easy to say as, as I’m sure many people ask you as they do me, well, what’s the, what’s my next step? Here’s where my agency is now, what, what should I do next? And the answer is very different depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the business. So trying to think back to those early days and what motivated you to start the business. Evaluate it because it, that may have changed, right? You, you may have started it because it served a particular need in the moment, and maybe it’s different today, but thinking about that and thinking about what you really want from the business is usually a better way to come up with strategic decisions than it is to say, well, what do other agencies like mine do when they get to this stage of growth or to this challenge? It’s, you really need to to match it up because otherwise, what’s the point of taking on all of that risk and stress of being a business owner? Gini Dietrich: Yeah. I mean, a really good example of that is I really thought I wanted to build a great big agency with hundreds of employees and, and clients around the globe and all of the, all of the things. And as I started to grow and we got to about 30 ish, 33, 32 people, I realized that’s not what I wanna do. Right. It was not enjoyable. I had built a company that I was not thriving in, that I didn’t enjoy leading. You know, I was dealing mostly with HR issues and not doing the work. And so the, the Great Recession did afford me the opportunity, unfortunately and fortunately to kind of take a step back and, and think about what kind of business do I want to have? And what kind of business do I want to lead? And while we’re back up to that same size, it’s a different structured business that allows me to focus in on the things that I do best and do the things that I enjoy versus HR ’cause that is not something I enjoy at all. Chip Griffin: I, I think I’ve yet to meet an owner who likes, enjoys doing HR or accounting or those sorts of things. Not fun. There are some who do it well. But don’t enjoy it. But I, I don’t think I’ve found any that actually enjoy doing it. So, but, but I think that, you know, as you think back to those early days and you think about what motivated you, it can often help you to figure out, you know, what is, what is that spark that you need in the business for you to either continue enjoying it for a longer period of time or bring back some of that, that joy that you had in those early days. Because I know a lot of agency owners these days are, are frustrated and, you know, trying to figure out how to change things for the better. And I think part of the way you inform yourself of that is by thinking back to those early motivations and figuring out how you can inject more of that into your business today. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think it’s, I think it’s really important to do that. And I think there, you know, for me personally, I get really passionate and enjoy my job when I’m learning and doing new things. So artificial intelligence, of course, has been a great big thing for me because I’ve really enjoyed learning it and understanding it and implementing it into my business and then taking it to clients. You know, last month we launched the PESO operating system, AI edition, where the AI prompts you instead of you prompting it. So it will say, what are your business objectives? What are you trying to achieve? What are your audiences? What are your messaging? And then it builds a PESO program for you that’s fully integrated versus you saying I need you to act like a marketing director who can, who understands PESO and can build this and this. It’s that. So I like, those are the kinds of things that really get me excited. And building those kinds of things gets me excited and motivated. So it’s, it’s easy because I understand that about myself. It drives my team crazy ’cause they’re like, oh, she’s got something new. Or my, their favorite thing is, I had an idea. And they’re like, oh no, no, not again. But that’s what keeps me, yeah, that’s what keeps me motivated. So finding a way to understand what brings you joy in the business, I think is incredibly important. So that without exhausting your team, of course, but doing it in a way that keeps you motivated and, and not burned out. Chip Griffin: Yeah. One of the things that always used to, to drive my teams nuts was I would say, you know, over the weekend I was playing with this new thing. And, and you could just see the looks on their faces and they’re like, oh, this is a lot more work for me now. Gini Dietrich: This is gonna be fun. Yep. Chip Griffin: This is, yep. Yep. They, they never seemed to appreciate it the way that I had hoped they would when I came to them. Correct. With these, these brilliant brainstorms of mine. Gini Dietrich: Yes. Chip Griffin: I, and I think as, as you know, founders of agencies, most of us come in with some sort of that. Idea that, that we want to be creative or strategic or those kinds of things. And as we end up in more of a management role, we have less and less opportunities to do it. So I, I think that, that rather than giving up on that dream, we need to figure out how we can sprinkle enough of that in there to keep ourselves motivated. We can’t give up the, the management piece. We can’t give up the business development piece. Many of us would like to. But the, the reality is that, unless you’ve built a fairly large agency, you just don’t have the ability to pull yourself out of that, as a solo owner. But it doesn’t mean that you have to give up on those things entirely. You can carve out a piece of time to work on that, and if you are structuring your role in such a way that you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it also means that you’re frankly less likely to be doing the, the, the bad things that founders of businesses can do, which is micromanagement and tinkering with things that you don’t really belong in because you, because you’re not occupying yourself with the things that really motivate you. And instead, you’re continuing to try to do every aspect of the business. And that’s where you start to, to run into team morale problems quite often. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know, I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is that, yes, I can do the work, and yes, I can probably do it pretty well, but is it really something that I should be focused on? And if not, is it something that I can pay an expert to do because in the long run, it’ll cost me less money, less time, less resources, all of the things. And I know as small agency owners, it’s really hard to say, gosh, I’m gonna have to spend $2000 or $3,000 a month on an expert. When in fact it might save you, you know, 15 or 20 grand on the backend. So I think you have to think about these things as investments in your business and investments in your time so that you can focus on the things that, that you are great at and the things that make you the happiest and the things that are most motivating to you, because that’s how your business will grow. Chip Griffin: Absolutely. And if, if that happens to be being creative and strategic, then, then you can, you shouldn’t be doing it day to day in all likelihood for clients. Sure. But you should find ways to do it either as part of, you know, quarterly or annual client reviews. Or internal brainstorming sessions that you’re engaging in. There’s a lot of things you can do behind the scenes to be useful and, and to, to exercise those muscles in a way that that gives you satisfaction. But doesn’t put you on the front lines so that you’re, you know, now the, the one that the, the client decides they’re gonna call every time they’ve got an issue. Because that, that ends up eating up a lot of your time in a way that probably you’re not going to enjoy. So sometimes it’s doing things behind the scenes that gets you the, the most value, or doing annual in person with the client. But they understand it’s special that you’re here, this is not. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. This is not something they can or should expect every week. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know, I, I know I’ve talked about this before on the podcast, but we do quarterly planning with our clients. We do a quarterly look back, and then we, you know, say, okay, based on metrics and data and all that and your priorities, here’s what we’re suggesting for quarter two or in the next quarter. And that has afforded many opportunities. A, for me to, to work in my where I’m, where I’m strong, but it also almost always gets us more money. So when you’re, when agency owners are like, oh, should I do a cost of living raise every year? Should I increase by 10 or 15% every year? That kind of goes away because you are getting new projects every quarter based on the the plan and the strategic strategy and creativity that you’re providing to the clients every quarter, because they’re like, oh gosh, yeah, we should actually do that. And some, and sometimes they’ll say, we don’t have extra budget. Can we move some things around? Which is okay, but most of the time they’ll say, you know, we, we have a little extra budget. Let’s focus on doing that. We have to launch a new website. Here’s some extra budget for that. We have to do a series of webinars to maintain our CEUs. Let’s here’s a little extra budget for that. So there are things and opportunities for you to, for lack of a better term, term upsell when you’re doing these quarterly meetings versus waiting for the annual. Chip Griffin: Yeah. And, and so, you know, finding a way to, to inject yourself in those things is a valuable exercise. Absolutely. From that, look back to the early days. But the other thing that that can be helpful in looking back to your early days of your agency is, you know, what helps drive your early success? Because a lot of times when we’re trying to find solutions to our current growth issues, we can find clues in some of those early days and mm-hmm. A lot of that, you know, in the early days of, of most agencies, it may be that low hanging fruit from personal networks and things like that. But there are usually other patterns that you might be able to see there that might help you to understand what are, what are the basics that you need to go back to? How do you, how do you employ some of those rather than, than focusing on, you know, all of the fancy new things that you see, you know, some, you know, genius podcast hosts talking about as far as how to grow an agency and instead say, Hey, this is what worked for me. Yep. Because you may find something that works again today. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we say this to clients all the time, but going back to the basics. It works. And it works for you too, so absolutely you should think about those kinds of things. Chip Griffin: Yeah. I mean, you didn’t get here by accident. Well, maybe you got, maybe it’s a little bit of an accident sometimes that happens. Maybe, yeah. Some of it. But, if you’ve had any longevity at all, even a few years of longevity as an agency owner, there are patterns that you can find usually that started in those early days. That you can lean into for understanding and rather than trying to do something wild and different, focus on the things that you know, you’ve proved can work for your business. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. One of the things, if I were to dig back into the archives, one of the things that worked extremely well for us is I had developed relationships with people who did business development at the large agencies, and what I found is that if they had an RFP or a current client or a prospect come in and say, we only have a quarter of a million dollars to spend. They’re not even gonna look at that. And so they started just referring that business to us, which is how I grew the business. Mm-hmm. So if I think about that now, how could we replicate that kind of, you know, pipeline development? It was extremely effective. And I, I gift that to all the listeners too. Like there are larger agencies in all of your cities that they have a certain threshold, and if any something comes in below that, they are happy to refer business. So there is, there is one way for you to start thinking about how am I going to, you know, keep myself motivated? How am I gonna keep my pipeline full? How am I gonna keep cash coming in? That’s one of the things that you can think about. Chip Griffin: Yeah, and thinking those things through. I mean, sometimes it’s not a one for one where you did exactly the same way you did it originally, but you take that nugget of an idea. And you know, things like, finding other people who can refer you business that’s not quite a fit for, for them, but might be for you. It’s a good reminder to be out there and having conversations with your peers. With people even that you might perceive sometimes as competitors, because there are often opportunities. In the work that I do with agencies, it’s not uncommon for some of the other consultants in the space to refer clients to me that are a better fit for my background and the kinds of agencies that I work with and vice versa. Because you know, we all have our specialties. And as an agency you have your specialties, so it is very common for many agencies to have grown this way. So certainly something to be looking at today, particularly if you’re struggling to find that new business in 2026. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, I think I really love the advice of thinking back to how you got to where you are and some of the things that you did, and going back to basics a little bit, because those are the things that are going to continue to work. And to your point, maybe tweak a little bit to make a more, be more effective in ’26. Chip Griffin: I mean, it also puts you in the right mindset, I think, because if you’re thinking back to those early stages, that tends to be when many agencies have the most growth, when things are most exciting. And so if you can try to bring back even a sprinkling of that, that can be really helpful. Particularly when times are tougher, or you’re looking for the inspiration to take things to the next level or whatever challenge you may be facing today, those lessons can be extremely valuable and also motivating at the same time. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Yeah. I used to, I used to get mad at companies that would hire big PR firms for like brand awareness and, you know, sending news releases and they didn’t get any coverage. They didn’t get any results. And I would get, I would get angry and I would call the company and be like, you’re so stupid. I would never do that today. But I had such a, I was just so naive and passionate about what we were doing, that it didn’t bother me to call and be like, we can do this significantly better for you. And in some cases they laughed and hung up on me. And in some cases, like we became agency of record. Like we took AOR away from Fleischman Hillard one year from a big, big company with a big, big company. And it was because I made a phone call where I was like, I can’t believe that you’re spending this kind of money and getting these kinds, these lackluster results. They were like, all right, let’s listen. I don’t think I would do that today, but it worked. Chip Griffin: Right. But, thinking back to those things can help you do two things. One is to think some of the positive things that you can do or the affirmative steps, right. That you can take. But the, but sometimes looking back to, to how you got started can also be reminders not to do certain things. Gini Dietrich: Sure, sure. Chip Griffin: So, particularly if you’ve started an agency and maybe you worked at an agency previously when you started, you probably had this laundry list of things. I would never do these things as an agency. And I, I think back to my first agency and some of the agencies that I had worked with previously, you know, did a lot of what I felt was nickel and diming of you in terms of back in the day charging you for faxes and photocopies. Sure. Yes. And all sorts of little expenses. And so, you know, I was committed back then to making sure that my invoices were always clean and simple and fixed, and I just worked in the cost of all of these things. Into my total cost of doing business so that I never had to aggravate a client. Fast forward to today. If I found myself doing that, I, by looking back, I would say, wait a minute. Let me think about that. Am I, am I being true to what my vision was of the business? And if not, is that because I’ve actually learned something and it does make sense to do what I thought was wrong back then. Because I mean, you can learn and grow. There’s nothing wrong with that. Sure. Or have you just fallen into the trap because you walked around and you saw other people doing it. So you said, well, I’m gonna start charging for faxes too. And if you’re charging for faxes in 2026, by the way, Gini Dietrich: we have a problem, but Chip Griffin: we have a huge problem because, what the heck are you using that fax machine for? Let alone that you’re charging for it. And by the way, where did you find a fax machine? Because I haven’t seen a fax machine in person in a really long time, except maybe like at the back of a doctor’s office. The, you know, Gini Dietrich: the bank and the doctor’s office. Yeah, I think that’s it. Chip Griffin: Well, I haven’t, I don’t, I kind, I haven’t been inside a bank in a long time, but Gini Dietrich: yeah, Chip Griffin: everything’s, everything’s electronic now. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. There’s no need for that. Chip Griffin: But yeah, think, think back to those, those motivations that you may have had that rather than I want to do this, it was, I never want to be the kind of agency that does this. Because it, it is really so easy to fall down those rabbit holes over time without even realizing that you’re just, you’re doing the same things that, that you didn’t ever want to see when you started your business. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. And I think it’s so easy to sit on social media, and you’ll get served ads from experts who say this is the way that you should do things. And in some cases it might work. And in some cases you might be like, there’s no way. And I think it’s really easy to listen to somebody and say, yeah, but we went from $3 million in debt to making $3 million a day, like, you know, these wild claims. And then you kind of get sucked into that. I think if you’re really true to who you are and what kind of agency you want to build, that’s going to enable you to say, this just doesn’t feel right to me. I’m not, I’m just gonna… great if he’s really making $3 million a day, I need to just bypass this one. Chip Griffin: Because you need to do what’s right for you. And so, I think that the key to that is, is really going back to your roots, understanding what motivated you to get started, what drove that success in the early days. And by understanding the, the early months or years of your agency, the more that you can inform some of the decisions that you’re making going forward one way or the other. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Think about it. It’s a good way to start ’26. Chip Griffin: Nice positive way. We, we managed to get through an episode here without beating up on our listeners. We didn’t start the year on a negative note, did we? We started positive. We did. Think about, we think about what has worked for you previously. Yes. And do more of that. Do more. So we will do more of this on a future episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. But in the meantime, I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: I’m Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And it depends.

As agency owners settle into 2026, it’s easy to operate on autopilot—chasing the next tactic without reconnecting with what made the business work in the first place. In this episode, Chip and Gini make the case for looking backward before charging forward. Chip admits his first agency started because “consultant” sounded better than “unemployed.” But the real question isn’t just why you started—it’s why you decided to keep building. That motivation should be informing your strategy today. Gini shares how she once believed she wanted a large agency with hundreds of employees and global clients. When she hit 30+ people, she realized she’d built something she didn’t enjoy leading. She was buried in HR issues instead of doing the work that energized her. The Great Recession forced a reset, and she restructured the business around her strengths. Her advice: figure out what brings you joy in the business, and protect time to do more of it. Otherwise, you risk drifting into micromanagement or burnout. The episode also digs into practical growth tactics from the early days that still work. Gini recalls how she built her pipeline by developing relationships with business development leads at large agencies. When prospects came in below their fee threshold, they’d refer the work her way—a principle that remains just as relevant today. Both hosts encourage owners to revisit their “things I’d never do” list from when they started. It’s worth checking whether you’ve quietly drifted into those same patterns over time. Key takeaways Chip Griffin: “Agency owners often ask me, what should I do next? And the answer is very different depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the business.” Gini Dietrich: “We say this to clients all the time, go back to the basics. It works. And it works for your agency, too.” Chip Griffin: “You need to do what’s right for you. And so, I think that the key to that is really going back to your roots, understanding what motivated you to get started, what drove that success in the early days.” Gini Dietrich: “You want to focus on the things that you are great at, and the things that make you the happiest, and the things that are most motivating to you, because that’s how your business will grow.” Turn Ideas Into Action Write down why you started your agency and what drove your early success. Block 30 minutes to identify patterns from those early days that you could leverage again for growth or business development today. Identify one thing that energizes you most about the work—then carve out time to do more of it. Even if it’s behind the scenes (like strategic brainstorming or quarterly client reviews), injecting that spark back into your role helps prevent burnout. Make a quick list of “things I swore I’d never do” when you started. Check whether you’ve drifted into any of those patterns on inertia—and decide if it’s a learned lesson or a habit worth breaking. Related Do you remember why you started your agency? Why one-size-fits-all advice doesn't work for agencies View Transcript The following is a computer-generated transcript. Please listen to the audio to confirm accuracy. Chip Griffin: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: And I am Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And Gini, I’m thinking way, way back, way back decades now to why I started my agency. Gini Dietrich: Oooh. Decades, huh? Chip Griffin: And I can’t remember ’cause I’m too old now, so. No, Gini Dietrich: you can too remember. Chip Griffin: Well, I mean, the honest answer is that I started my first agency was because I was unemployed. And it was better to describe myself as a consultant than unemployed. Yeah. Sure. And then than accidentally started accumulating business. Yeah. But I, but I do think it, it is a helpful exercise for us to go back and, and think about why we started the businesses or, or maybe not, in some cases, like mine, because I was unemployed, is not the greatest explanation. So you know more why did I decide to, to, to build it into an actual business. Gini Dietrich: Why? To keep going. Yeah. I think that’s good, especially as we’re, we’re thinking about starting out the new year and remind ourselves, you know, of the reasons that we started this. Some of us do it because we’re, we’re unemployed. Some of us did it because we found a better, we, we think we had a better way of doing things. Some of us did it because we have a problem with authority. Some of us did it ’cause we’d make terrible employees. I mean, there are lots of different reasons, but I think reaching back into our archives in our brains and thinking about why we did it or why we, I think that you’re right, why we continue to do it is a, is a really good exercise. Chip Griffin: Yeah, I mean, I, and, and I’ve said over and over again over the years that, that I think too many agencies operate on inertia, as opposed to any kind of a, a fundamental strategy. And so, you know, it’s very easy to say as, as I’m sure many people ask you as they do me, well, what’s the, what’s my next step? Here’s where my agency is now, what, what should I do next? And the answer is very different depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the business. So trying to think back to those early days and what motivated you to start the business. Evaluate it because it, that may have changed, right? You, you may have started it because it served a particular need in the moment, and maybe it’s different today, but thinking about that and thinking about what you really want from the business is usually a better way to come up with strategic decisions than it is to say, well, what do other agencies like mine do when they get to this stage of growth or to this challenge? It’s, you really need to to match it up because otherwise, what’s the point of taking on all of that risk and stress of being a business owner? Gini Dietrich: Yeah. I mean, a really good example of that is I really thought I wanted to build a great big agency with hundreds of employees and, and clients around the globe and all of the, all of the things. And as I started to grow and we got to about 30 ish, 33, 32 people, I realized that’s not what I wanna do. Right. It was not enjoyable. I had built a company that I was not thriving in, that I didn’t enjoy leading. You know, I was dealing mostly with HR issues and not doing the work. And so the, the Great Recession did afford me the opportunity, unfortunately and fortunately to kind of take a step back and, and think about what kind of business do I want to have? And what kind of business do I want to lead? And while we’re back up to that same size, it’s a different structured business that allows me to focus in on the things that I do best and do the things that I enjoy versus HR ’cause that is not something I enjoy at all. Chip Griffin: I, I think I’ve yet to meet an owner who likes, enjoys doing HR or accounting or those sorts of things. Not fun. There are some who do it well. But don’t enjoy it. But I, I don’t think I’ve found any that actually enjoy doing it. So, but, but I think that, you know, as you think back to those early days and you think about what motivated you, it can often help you to figure out, you know, what is, what is that spark that you need in the business for you to either continue enjoying it for a longer period of time or bring back some of that, that joy that you had in those early days. Because I know a lot of agency owners these days are, are frustrated and, you know, trying to figure out how to change things for the better. And I think part of the way you inform yourself of that is by thinking back to those early motivations and figuring out how you can inject more of that into your business today. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think it’s, I think it’s really important to do that. And I think there, you know, for me personally, I get really passionate and enjoy my job when I’m learning and doing new things. So artificial intelligence, of course, has been a great big thing for me because I’ve really enjoyed learning it and understanding it and implementing it into my business and then taking it to clients. You know, last month we launched the PESO operating system, AI edition, where the AI prompts you instead of you prompting it. So it will say, what are your business objectives? What are you trying to achieve? What are your audiences? What are your messaging? And then it builds a PESO program for you that’s fully integrated versus you saying I need you to act like a marketing director who can, who understands PESO and can build this and this. It’s that. So I like, those are the kinds of things that really get me excited. And building those kinds of things gets me excited and motivated. So it’s, it’s easy because I understand that about myself. It drives my team crazy ’cause they’re like, oh, she’s got something new. Or my, their favorite thing is, I had an idea. And they’re like, oh no, no, not again. But that’s what keeps me, yeah, that’s what keeps me motivated. So finding a way to understand what brings you joy in the business, I think is incredibly important. So that without exhausting your team, of course, but doing it in a way that keeps you motivated and, and not burned out. Chip Griffin: Yeah. One of the things that always used to, to drive my teams nuts was I would say, you know, over the weekend I was playing with this new thing. And, and you could just see the looks on their faces and they’re like, oh, this is a lot more work for me now. Gini Dietrich: This is gonna be fun. Yep. Chip Griffin: This is, yep. Yep. They, they never seemed to appreciate it the way that I had hoped they would when I came to them. Correct. With these, these brilliant brainstorms of mine. Gini Dietrich: Yes. Chip Griffin: I, and I think as, as you know, founders of agencies, most of us come in with some sort of that. Idea that, that we want to be creative or strategic or those kinds of things. And as we end up in more of a management role, we have less and less opportunities to do it. So I, I think that, that rather than giving up on that dream, we need to figure out how we can sprinkle enough of that in there to keep ourselves motivated. We can’t give up the, the management piece. We can’t give up the business development piece. Many of us would like to. But the, the reality is that, unless you’ve built a fairly large agency, you just don’t have the ability to pull yourself out of that, as a solo owner. But it doesn’t mean that you have to give up on those things entirely. You can carve out a piece of time to work on that, and if you are structuring your role in such a way that you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it also means that you’re frankly less likely to be doing the, the, the bad things that founders of businesses can do, which is micromanagement and tinkering with things that you don’t really belong in because you, because you’re not occupying yourself with the things that really motivate you. And instead, you’re continuing to try to do every aspect of the business. And that’s where you start to, to run into team morale problems quite often. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know, I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is that, yes, I can do the work, and yes, I can probably do it pretty well, but is it really something that I should be focused on? And if not, is it something that I can pay an expert to do because in the long run, it’ll cost me less money, less time, less resources, all of the things. And I know as small agency owners, it’s really hard to say, gosh, I’m gonna have to spend $2000 or $3,000 a month on an expert. When in fact it might save you, you know, 15 or 20 grand on the backend. So I think you have to think about these things as investments in your business and investments in your time so that you can focus on the things that, that you are great at and the things that make you the happiest and the things that are most motivating to you, because that’s how your business will grow. Chip Griffin: Absolutely. And if, if that happens to be being creative and strategic, then, then you can, you shouldn’t be doing it day to day in all likelihood for clients. Sure. But you should find ways to do it either as part of, you know, quarterly or annual client reviews. Or internal brainstorming sessions that you’re engaging in. There’s a lot of things you can do behind the scenes to be useful and, and to, to exercise those muscles in a way that that gives you satisfaction. But doesn’t put you on the front lines so that you’re, you know, now the, the one that the, the client decides they’re gonna call every time they’ve got an issue. Because that, that ends up eating up a lot of your time in a way that probably you’re not going to enjoy. So sometimes it’s doing things behind the scenes that gets you the, the most value, or doing annual in person with the client. But they understand it’s special that you’re here, this is not. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. This is not something they can or should expect every week. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know, I, I know I’ve talked about this before on the podcast, but we do quarterly planning with our clients. We do a quarterly look back, and then we, you know, say, okay, based on metrics and data and all that and your priorities, here’s what we’re suggesting for quarter two or in the next quarter. And that has afforded many opportunities. A, for me to, to work in my where I’m, where I’m strong, but it also almost always gets us more money. So when you’re, when agency owners are like, oh, should I do a cost of living raise every year? Should I increase by 10 or 15% every year? That kind of goes away because you are getting new projects every quarter based on the the plan and the strategic strategy and creativity that you’re providing to the clients every quarter, because they’re like, oh gosh, yeah, we should actually do that. And some, and sometimes they’ll say, we don’t have extra budget. Can we move some things around? Which is okay, but most of the time they’ll say, you know, we, we have a little extra budget. Let’s focus on doing that. We have to launch a new website. Here’s some extra budget for that. We have to do a series of webinars to maintain our CEUs. Let’s here’s a little extra budget for that. So there are things and opportunities for you to, for lack of a better term, term upsell when you’re doing these quarterly meetings versus waiting for the annual. Chip Griffin: Yeah. And, and so, you know, finding a way to, to inject yourself in those things is a valuable exercise. Absolutely. From that, look back to the early days. But the other thing that that can be helpful in looking back to your early days of your agency is, you know, what helps drive your early success? Because a lot of times when we’re trying to find solutions to our current growth issues, we can find clues in some of those early days and mm-hmm. A lot of that, you know, in the early days of, of most agencies, it may be that low hanging fruit from personal networks and things like that. But there are usually other patterns that you might be able to see there that might help you to understand what are, what are the basics that you need to go back to? How do you, how do you employ some of those rather than, than focusing on, you know, all of the fancy new things that you see, you know, some, you know, genius podcast hosts talking about as far as how to grow an agency and instead say, Hey, this is what worked for me. Yep. Because you may find something that works again today. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we say this to clients all the time, but going back to the basics. It works. And it works for you too, so absolutely you should think about those kinds of things. Chip Griffin: Yeah. I mean, you didn’t get here by accident. Well, maybe you got, maybe it’s a little bit of an accident sometimes that happens. Maybe, yeah. Some of it. But, if you’ve had any longevity at all, even a few years of longevity as an agency owner, there are patterns that you can find usually that started in those early days. That you can lean into for understanding and rather than trying to do something wild and different, focus on the things that you know, you’ve proved can work for your business. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. One of the things, if I were to dig back into the archives, one of the things that worked extremely well for us is I had developed relationships with people who did business development at the large agencies, and what I found is that if they had an RFP or a current client or a prospect come in and say, we only have a quarter of a million dollars to spend. They’re not even gonna look at that. And so they started just referring that business to us, which is how I grew the business. Mm-hmm. So if I think about that now, how could we replicate that kind of, you know, pipeline development? It was extremely effective. And I, I gift that to all the listeners too. Like there are larger agencies in all of your cities that they have a certain threshold, and if any something comes in below that, they are happy to refer business. So there is, there is one way for you to start thinking about how am I going to, you know, keep myself motivated? How am I gonna keep my pipeline full? How am I gonna keep cash coming in? That’s one of the things that you can think about. Chip Griffin: Yeah, and thinking those things through. I mean, sometimes it’s not a one for one where you did exactly the same way you did it originally, but you take that nugget of an idea. And you know, things like, finding other people who can refer you business that’s not quite a fit for, for them, but might be for you. It’s a good reminder to be out there and having conversations with your peers. With people even that you might perceive sometimes as competitors, because there are often opportunities. In the work that I do with agencies, it’s not uncommon for some of the other consultants in the space to refer clients to me that are a better fit for my background and the kinds of agencies that I work with and vice versa. Because you know, we all have our specialties. And as an agency you have your specialties, so it is very common for many agencies to have grown this way. So certainly something to be looking at today, particularly if you’re struggling to find that new business in 2026. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, I think I really love the advice of thinking back to how you got to where you are and some of the things that you did, and going back to basics a little bit, because those are the things that are going to continue to work. And to your point, maybe tweak a little bit to make a more, be more effective in ’26. Chip Griffin: I mean, it also puts you in the right mindset, I think, because if you’re thinking back to those early stages, that tends to be when many agencies have the most growth, when things are most exciting. And so if you can try to bring back even a sprinkling of that, that can be really helpful. Particularly when times are tougher, or you’re looking for the inspiration to take things to the next level or whatever challenge you may be facing today, those lessons can be extremely valuable and also motivating at the same time. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Yeah. I used to, I used to get mad at companies that would hire big PR firms for like brand awareness and, you know, sending news releases and they didn’t get any coverage. They didn’t get any results. And I would get, I would get angry and I would call the company and be like, you’re so stupid. I would never do that today. But I had such a, I was just so naive and passionate about what we were doing, that it didn’t bother me to call and be like, we can do this significantly better for you. And in some cases they laughed and hung up on me. And in some cases, like we became agency of record. Like we took AOR away from Fleischman Hillard one year from a big, big company with a big, big company. And it was because I made a phone call where I was like, I can’t believe that you’re spending this kind of money and getting these kinds, these lackluster results. They were like, all right, let’s listen. I don’t think I would do that today, but it worked. Chip Griffin: Right. But, thinking back to those things can help you do two things. One is to think some of the positive things that you can do or the affirmative steps, right. That you can take. But the, but sometimes looking back to, to how you got started can also be reminders not to do certain things. Gini Dietrich: Sure, sure. Chip Griffin: So, particularly if you’ve started an agency and maybe you worked at an agency previously when you started, you probably had this laundry list of things. I would never do these things as an agency. And I, I think back to my first agency and some of the agencies that I had worked with previously, you know, did a lot of what I felt was nickel and diming of you in terms of back in the day charging you for faxes and photocopies. Sure. Yes. And all sorts of little expenses. And so, you know, I was committed back then to making sure that my invoices were always clean and simple and fixed, and I just worked in the cost of all of these things. Into my total cost of doing business so that I never had to aggravate a client. Fast forward to today. If I found myself doing that, I, by looking back, I would say, wait a minute. Let me think about that. Am I, am I being true to what my vision was of the business? And if not, is that because I’ve actually learned something and it does make sense to do what I thought was wrong back then. Because I mean, you can learn and grow. There’s nothing wrong with that. Sure. Or have you just fallen into the trap because you walked around and you saw other people doing it. So you said, well, I’m gonna start charging for faxes too. And if you’re charging for faxes in 2026, by the way, Gini Dietrich: we have a problem, but Chip Griffin: we have a huge problem because, what the heck are you using that fax machine for? Let alone that you’re charging for it. And by the way, where did you find a fax machine? Because I haven’t seen a fax machine in person in a really long time, except maybe like at the back of a doctor’s office. The, you know, Gini Dietrich: the bank and the doctor’s office. Yeah, I think that’s it. Chip Griffin: Well, I haven’t, I don’t, I kind, I haven’t been inside a bank in a long time, but Gini Dietrich: yeah, Chip Griffin: everything’s, everything’s electronic now. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. There’s no need for that. Chip Griffin: But yeah, think, think back to those, those motivations that you may have had that rather than I want to do this, it was, I never want to be the kind of agency that does this. Because it, it is really so easy to fall down those rabbit holes over time without even realizing that you’re just, you’re doing the same things that, that you didn’t ever want to see when you started your business. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. And I think it’s so easy to sit on social media, and you’ll get served ads from experts who say this is the way that you should do things. And in some cases it might work. And in some cases you might be like, there’s no way. And I think it’s really easy to listen to somebody and say, yeah, but we went from $3 million in debt to making $3 million a day, like, you know, these wild claims. And then you kind of get sucked into that. I think if you’re really true to who you are and what kind of agency you want to build, that’s going to enable you to say, this just doesn’t feel right to me. I’m not, I’m just gonna… great if he’s really making $3 million a day, I need to just bypass this one. Chip Griffin: Because you need to do what’s right for you. And so, I think that the key to that is, is really going back to your roots, understanding what motivated you to get started, what drove that success in the early days. And by understanding the, the early months or years of your agency, the more that you can inform some of the decisions that you’re making going forward one way or the other. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Think about it. It’s a good way to start ’26. Chip Griffin: Nice positive way. We, we managed to get through an episode here without beating up on our listeners. We didn’t start the year on a negative note, did we? We started positive. We did. Think about, we think about what has worked for you previously. Yes. And do more of that. Do more. So we will do more of this on a future episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. But in the meantime, I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: I’m Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And it depends.

In this episode, Travis sits down with leadership expert and “Business Sergeant” Chris Hallberg to unpack how great sales and great leadership go hand in hand. From shoveling driveways in Minnesota to scaling and selling an energy‑efficient remodeling company during the Great Recession, Chris shows how disciplined systems, integrity in sales, and long‑term thinking can build serious revenue.​ On this episode we talk about: How Chris went from shoveling snow and working at McDonald's to military police, then into construction sales and six‑figure commission income The story of launching an energy‑efficient remodeling business in 2008–2010 using tax credits, ROI calculators, and “green” door‑to‑door canvassing to thrive while legacy contractors went under Why door‑to‑door is still “king” in certain home-services niches, and how to sell respectfully at the front door without being a stereotypical high‑pressure closer The mindset shift from zero‑sum “I win, you lose” sales to win‑win selling that focuses on impact, education, and walking away when you're not the best fit How Chris now helps leadership teams implement EOS and uses his GoExpand AI platform to build disciplined, accountable, highly profitable organizations​ Top 3 Takeaways The best salespeople think of themselves as problem solvers and educators, not manipulators; they're willing to walk away when their solution is not truly in the customer's best interest. In tough economies, differentiation plus math wins: pairing tax incentives, real energy‑savings ROI, and targeted canvassing allowed Chris's company to grow while others shrank. Long‑term success comes from systems and culture, not just charisma—frameworks like EOS and tools like GoExpand help leadership teams create repeatable, scalable performance. Notable Quotes “I look at people as helping people, not selling people. No one wants to be sold, but everybody needs help.” “If you serve other humans, you'll get your just rewards. If you're only trying to take, you'll only get what they'll let you have.” “Both models can work for six months, but only one works for ten years.” Connect with Chris Hallberg: Website (Veteran community): https://bizsgt.com​ Coaching & software: https://goexpand.com​ EOS Implementer profile: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/chris-hallberg​​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️

Keith explores why the real goal of building wealth isn't luxury—it's protecting yourself from the emotional and practical pain of money stress.  You'll hear how owning the right kinds of assets can change your lifestyle options over time, and why waiting on the sidelines can quietly erode your financial future. Keith also pulls back the curtain on a major, often overlooked force that has helped keep real estate values resilient for years, and what that means for anyone thinking about adding more property to their portfolio.  Finally, you'll get a sense of the kinds of opportunities and strategies listeners are using right now to move from just getting by to playing to win in their wealth building journey. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/587 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  1-937-795-8989 to speak with a freedom coach Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com or text 'GRE' to 66866 Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   Welcome to GRE I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, more important than building wealth is avoiding poverty. It's backed up by research. Learn about a force that constantly gives a boost to real estate values that you probably haven't considered before, and own assets or get left behind. I discuss a plan for doing it today on get rich education.   Speaker 1  0:29   Since 2014 the powerful get rich education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord. Show Host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors and delivers a new show every week since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads of 188 world nations. He has a list show guests include top selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki. Get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android listener phone apps build wealth on the go with the get rich education podcast. Sign up now for the get rich education podcast, or visit get rich education.com   Corey Coates  1:14   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  1:30   Welcome to GRE from Dar es Salaam Tanzania to Darlington, South Carolina, and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Weinhold, and this is get rich education the voice of real estate investing since 2014 and it's a new year, part of the reason why you need to build durable wealth for yourself is actually not to be wealthy. It's really to avoid a lack of wealth. It's in order to pad yourself against poverty. Now, shortly, I want to talk to you more aspirationally if you are or soon plan to make 500k per year or more.    Keith Weinhold  2:15   But first, there are a number of studies that show that beyond a certain level, more wealth barely increases your happiness level. In fact, if you ask many people, they say that doubling their income or doubling their net worth is what they really want, like, that's their goal. Like, in their mind, that's the benchmark in which they've made it. And you know what, when they double their income, though, then they want to double it again. They think that that is the next benchmark. So there can be this endless amount of wanting, because once you've doubled, you just want to keep doubling. But what's really more important is padding against money problems, because if having a little more doesn't change your happiness much, well, it's poverty that can really diminish a level of happiness and fulfillment in your life. So money problems don't just hurt your wallet. They actually hurt your emotions. And this isn't just some motivational poster idea, the statistics are clear. Multiple studies show that when money is scarce, when paying the regular bills feels like a monthly street fight, people report more sadness, more worry and even depression, not just sometimes, but constantly. The reality is that about 71% of Americans say that money is a major source of stress. My gosh, more than seven out of 10. So that's not a fringe category. That's the norm that say money is a major source of stress. Another study found that 42% of adults say money negatively affects their mental health. So close to half of the people walking around you right now feel emotionally beat up by their financial situation, and the gap gets even wider when you compare groups, when people experience serious financial hardship, nearly half, 49% show signs of depression among people without any financial hardship, only about 11% of that group show signs of depression. And Northwestern Mutual did an extensive study on all this. So it's not just a small difference, it's a completely different emotional reality, almost like two separate worlds. To put it plainly. For you, money will not guarantee happiness, but a lack of money can absolutely fuel sadness, and this matters. Because financial confidence isn't just about dollars. It's about dignity. It's about feeling like you're able to breathe, and it's about believing that your future can be bigger than your past. I mean, the research also shows the relationship flows in both directions. Money stress can make mental health worse, and poor mental health can make financial decision making harder. So it's sort of this loop, this cycle. And what breaks the cycle? It's not luck. It's not hoping the economy magically fixes all of its problems. It is going on offense, taking steps that build security instead of surrender, for most people, that turning point comes when they start owning assets, not just paying bills. It comes when money stops being a source of fear and it starts being a tool. Because though we focus on real estate investing here at GRE but ultimately it is a lifestyle improvement show. And before we're done today, I'm going to talk about what you can actionably do to go on offense. Now, what if you already have a higher income, or you expect to make a high income in the near term, if you're earning roughly $500,000 per year or more, and you value time efficiency in making sure that you don't live a rough quality of life. You are on the threshold of a tier that helps ensure that you can avoid some misery. Yes, there is a step change here that can help ensure you have a higher standard of living. Do you know what I might be talking about? Any idea 500k of income is where it begins now. It's only beginning here. At this point, to make sense, where you tilt into starting to fly private instead of flying commercial. Yeah, private flights. Now your situation is going to depend on more than just the income. It's whether or not you're single or you have kids and more, but it's at this income level where you can start to cover a $10,000 flight without biting into your essential living expenses. It's most justifiable when your time savings or your productivity gains translate into real value. I'm talking about things like business deals, meetings and schedules and the benefits of flying privately are pretty significant. Time efficiency is the real superpower here, drive up to the plane, wheels up in minutes. The flexibility is there. You can leave pretty much when you want. You can change your flight plans mid trip if you need to. You get access to smaller airports. That means you can land closer to your final destination and skip big city traffic congestion. You've got privacy and security, no crowds, no TSA stuff. You've got quality of experience, comfort, quiet cabins, custom catering, no competing for overhead bin space. Now even affordable private is still pretty expensive. It is substantially more than first class commercial seats, and I have had limited experience flying private, but at 500k of income, flying private can still feel like a stretch, even though it's doable for you, a more comfortable range is a million dollars or more of annual income, that's when private flights feel much easier to justify for business or lifestyle. Now, with $2 million of annual income or more, most heavy private flyers live here in this range, the $2 million plus income level, they can charter, they can fractionally own, or they can use memberships, all with less stress. When you earn this much, and if you're ultra high net worth, we're talking about $5 million worth of income plus or $20 million worth of net worth plus, well, then private flying is really commonplace. This is where you often have a personal jet, concierge services and flexibility on demand. So as the first episode of the year here, I want to give you some opportunity to dream and goal set. Yeah, you need to stretch out and give space to your aspirations sometimes, and this is a good time to do that, really, though, a more important reason for increasing your income and net worth is that it helps you avoid the discomfort of poverty. But yeah, come on, if nothing else, can you believe that before every commercial flight you have to hear that nonsense about how to inflate a raft if you're. Plane crashes in the water, or you could use your seat as a personal flotation device. Come on your seat. Can't even support your back for a three hour flight. If there's ever been a reason to invest Well, it's so that you never have to hear that stuff again before every flight chase    Keith Weinhold  10:19   last week here on the show, you'll learn more about how stable real estate prices are, why prices have never crashed in your entire life, and also why they can't double in one year. Real Estate is too slow moving 30 days between you making your offer and you closing the deal, that's actually considered pretty fast. In fact, if national home prices ever crash, I will legally change my first name to Fabrice, yes, Fabrice, I would also do that if they doubled in a year. It is almost impossible for either of those things to happen. You learned about how these things have not happened in your entire lifetime on last week's show, yes, even in 2008 in the last 85 years, nominal home prices have risen every single year, except seven of them now. Why is that? Why are the prices of US housing so resilient and just keep going up up up, almost inexorably? Well, it's actually more than just the main well documented reasons that you know about and that we've talked about here. It's about more than these attributes, like population growth, household formation, wage growth, inflation, eroding the currency and land scarcity in desirable areas beyond all of those, one reason that home values just keep going up, up up and are expected to rise again this year is something that We have not discussed yet, and that is government intervention? Yes, in the US and a lot of world places, housing is not a free market. We have a free ish market that sort of comes with training wheels and support animals. Think about how the government helps ensure that home prices stay propped up even through most recessions. We're talking about attributes like ever expanding loan access and mortgage interest deductibility. Then there's depreciation in write offs for investors like us and property tax structures that lag market value when loans have lower down payment requirements or a lowering of credit score requirements and ever expanding loan limits in terms of dollar amounts, well, that increases the demand for those that have the capacity to pay, and it nudges up prices even more incentives, like deducting your mortgage interest in tax depreciation when you don't even have a real expense, but yet you get to write it off anyway. It all heaps on the government driven demand for real estate Now none of these individual things, these government interventions, raise prices overnight, they increase demand structurally. There's evidence that the government is doing even more in recent years to prop up housing demand than they have in the past. This is increasingly a propensity to not let housing fail like it did in 2008 I mean, just look at covid During 2020, and 2021, what a glaring example of how government will prop up home values and not let them fall down if you lost your job during covid. Oh, we'll give you mortgage loan forbearance. That's where you could skip. Oh, just say nine monthly payments, and then you can just tack those nine payments onto the end of your 30 year loan and make those payments decades from now. There was a foreclosure moratorium in effect then too, so you've got forbearance and low rates and stimulus checks and a ban on foreclosures. Well, all of that helped borrowers make payments, and that supported home price growth. There was no fire sailing, really, that could have taken place then, and you will recall that during that time period, in fact, the year 2021 national home prices soared 19% so housing is not a completely free market. You really don't have to look very far to know that. I mean, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are both still government sponsored and still in conservatorship. And here's the thing, so far, I've only talked about how government has propped up the demand side. Side of the market. I've only talked about half of it. Don't forget the sometimes unintentional supply restriction the governments induce as well keeping housing supply in check. Well, that helps drive price appreciation. I'm talking about the zoning spaghetti that new homebuilders have to navigate through the permit purgatory, minimum lot sizes that can seem larger than some European countries, environmental reviews that last longer than the movie Avengers. Endgame was that a three hour, two minute movie, all of these roadblocks limit new housing supply that makes it harder to build. So governments provide an ever present tailwind to housing values by both boosting demand and by crimping supply. Government amplifies these forces, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but the result is the same propping up housing values. If all these years since coming out of the Great Recession have shown us anything, and the 2020 pandemic reinforced it, it is to either own assets or get left behind. You've got to own assets or you will be left behind, and that's whether you're trying to stay away from poverty, like I talked about at the top of the show, or whether you're aiming to fly private instead of commercial, something more aspirational, really. That's the lesson I've got more straight ahead here. There will only ever be one get rich education podcast episode 587 and you're listening to it.    Keith Weinhold  16:43   You know, most people think they're playing it safe with their liquid money, but they're actually losing savings accounts and bonds don't keep up when true inflation eats six or 7% of your wealth. Every single year, I invest my liquidity with FFI freedom family investments in their flagship program. Why? Fixed 10 to 12% returns have been predictable and paid quarterly. There's real world security backed by needs based real estate like affordable housing, Senior Living and health care. Ask about the freedom flagship program. When you speak to a freedom coach there, and that's just one part of their family of products, they've got workshops, webinars and seminars designed to educate you before you invest. Start with as little as 25k and finally, get your money working as hard as you do. Get started at Freedom family investments.com/gre, or send a text. Now it's 1-937-795-8989, yep, text their freedom coach directly again. 1-937-795-8989,   Keith Weinhold  17:54   the same place where I get my own mortgage loans is where you can get yours. Ridge lending group and MLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than anyone because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequel and even chat with President chailey Ridge personally while it's on your mind, start at Ridge lending group.com that's Ridge lending group.com   Dana Dunford  18:27   this is hemlane's co founder, Dana Dunford. Listen to get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and don't quit your Daydream. You Keith,   Keith Weinhold  18:45   welcome back to get rich Education. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, we're talking about new angles with respect to how the future belongs to asset owners. Every year, people say, This is my year, but only a few actually take the action to back that up and make it come true. One thing that I've learned is that people love saying, I want an opportunity, but what they really want is certainty. Unfortunately, certainty only shows up after opportunity is gone. History is full of people who walked past moments like this now owning more of an asset like real estate today, and instead they just look and say, Oh, it's probably nothing. Well, what about alternatives? What's your employer's plan for you? I mean, really, what's a typical employer's plan for employees spend 40 years here at this desk, and I guarantee that you'll become moderately comfortable with a nice 401K balance that you can start withdrawing from by the time you're age 65 at which time you'll start paying taxes on it too. So really, that's it. That's their plan for you. Yes, that's their plan for you. Though, as you know, I do not forecast mortgage rates. No one, not one analyst or rating agency, expects mortgage rates to fall substantially any time soon as we look at the real estate landscape, in fact, among 21 different major research groups, which include PNC Bank, Redfin, Moody's, wells, Fargo, the NAR totality, if you average what their forecasts are, one year from now, mortgage rates are expected to be at the same level that they are today, which is about 6.2% if you want to add more assets, prices are probably only going to be higher one year from now. The Fed is involved in QE like behavior again, which resumed last month, that gives the effect of more money printing, and it provides an environment for a continued price run up across not just real estate, but nearly every asset class. Current CPI inflation is 2.7% and long term inflation expectations are elevated. The Fed is cutting rates. The current Fed funds rate is about 3.6% and the President wants the Fed funds rate cut to 1% central banks are stockpiling gold, and the US dollar just had its worst year since 2017 so a lot is lining up to keep supporting housing values. Now, when we zoom out, starting back in 2012 us home prices have now risen 14 years in a row, and the average annual gain since that time is about 6% which is sustainable and close to historic norms. Year after year. Some people keep waiting for the right moment, and meanwhile, the right moment just keeps passing them by. And look, now here's a really interesting way for you to look at things from a long time investor like me, I have bought a wide variety of investment real estate over the years. I bought single family homes to both live in and single family homes to rent out vacant land, agricultural parcels, small apartment buildings and larger apartment buildings on every single one at the time when I purchased it, it was the most that anyone had ever paid for that property in that property's history, and if there were bids and I ended up getting the property, then I was the highest bidder as well. So on. Effectively, every single property purchase of my life, I paid more than anyone ever. And if someone had no understanding of the real estate market. They might think that that sounded bad, like I executed with a poor strategy or a lack of experience or direction, but that's just usually how it works in real estate, with the incessant postulation of almost unceasing appreciation and inflation, and years later, when it was time for me to sell the property, what were those conditions like? What happened then? You guessed it, I sold it for the most that it had ever sold for. So for that next buyer, that was the most then that anyone had ever paid for the property in history, yet again, and if it was a bidding situation, chances are I sold it to the highest bidder. So therefore, that has nothing to do with luck, that has nothing to do with timing, that is simply being an active participant in the real estate market and enjoying the leverage and all the other benefits all the while. So history shows that trying to time things based on market conditions or what you think market conditions are going to be, that does not work. What does work is owning more assets sooner. Every property that you purchase, expect to pay more for it than anyone ever has in that property's history. And then every property that you sell down the road, expect that you're going to sell it for more than what anyone has ever sold it for. Historically, that is normal. Now if your net worth is below $1 million or even below $5 million you really can't play the game not to lose. That's what keeps people stuck. You've got to play to win. The world already has your money. If you want access to it, you have simply got to go out. Out and get it. You play offense now, and you can play defense later, when your financial position is where you want it really and here's a huge insight, more money is lost trying to avoid a downturn than is lost actually being in the market when one finally happens, like I've discussed lately, real estate price downturns are uncommon. Sitting out and waiting is a wealth killer, because even if a downturn does happen, well, if you're already invested, you are positioned for the upturn. You're going to get the full measure of the upturn. That's where the real gains are, and this is where real estate is different. Leverage just keeps working for you. In the background, your 401, k does not do that. There's no leverage beyond maybe a two to one employer match, and then you get taxed when you finally touch the money. Some people like to gamble a little play a prediction market like poly market. Have something in Bitcoin, maybe even have exposure to a risky altcoin. I guess the NFL playoffs start this coming weekend. Some people want to bet on that and have their fun. Maybe even be invested in a high flying tech stock, or even the sp500. These vehicles rarely build wealth when you're actually young enough to enjoy it, because you're probably unleveraged there, you're exposed. You've only got your dollars working for you, not others, and you sure can do some of that day to day stuff. Go on polymarket and bet on when man will first land on Mars or something. Have your fun while the real wealth is built by the quiet, slow moving leverage of your larger real estate portfolio. In the background. Real estate, you can put 20 to 25% down on a 200k income property and control the whole thing. That's what investors are doing with our GRE marketplace properties right now, often in a low cost market like, say, Kansas City or Memphis, say that, for example, you're looking to add four doors this year, four rental units. Now that might take the form of one duplex and two new build Florida single family rentals. Now, with about 250k you can control $1 million of property adding assets this year. And here at GRE our nationwide provider network connects you with the real deals, and our providers often tell us about them before the public knows, for example, the properties where the builder still in this environment buys your rate down to perhaps four and a half percent. That is still happening. And why do the properties that our GRE investment coaches connect you with seem like such good deals at times? Well, there's a few reasons for that. Investor advantage markets just intrinsically have low prices. There's no agent that you have to compensate. It's a direct model that keeps the price down. These providers provide homes in bulk that helps keep the price down. And since we're dealing with investment properties, income producing properties, there are not any of these owner occupied emotions, so you don't get unreasonable sellers that hold out for a high price because there's some sentimental attachment there, or something like that.    Keith Weinhold  28:38   Let me give you three examples of real properties that our GRE investment coaching helps connect you with right now, and this is the place to be entry level homes, because entry level homes are few long term you are going to own a scarce asset that everybody wants. The first one is a brand new build single family rental in Cullman, Alabama. That's right between Birmingham and Huntsville, booming Huntsville. Now this property is currently vacant. However, it's in an A class neighborhood, so good appreciation potential, but less cash flow on this one, the rent is $2,100 the purchase price is 317k Yes, just 317k for this five bed, three bath, 2500 square foot rental, single family home. That's new build. One advantage Alabama has, and why we often have available Alabama properties is that really low property tax in that state you're going to benefit from a low fixed expense ratio over the long term. Alabama, property taxes are well under 1% per year as a percentage of the property value. In fact, at less than 410 Tax of 1% Alabama has the lowest property taxes in the entire continental United States. Only Hawaii has a lower one, where you're going to find a national average of 1% or a little more than 1% the second property is also brand new construction. It is a duplex in Goddard, Kansas, which is outside Wichita, each side of the duplex has three beds, two baths and 1300 68 square feet combined. Rents both sides are $3,500 and the purchase price is 447k and it is leased. Both sides are rented out. You can contact our free investment coaching and scoop up this or one like it today, and I'm looking at pictures of this really good looking new build duplex in the Wichita area. Looks like a two car garage on both sides, really attractive. And again, on these new builds, oftentimes the homebuilder is still buying down your mortgage rate for you, often under 5% the last one I'll mention, and I'm just giving you three samples to help give you an idea here. And if you're listening to this in a few years, you'll probably wish you could purchase these at prices this low. This last one is not new builds. Unfortunately, I can't quickly find the year of construction, but it looks older. It is a Kansas City single family rental, fully renovated. The cash flow numbers are super attractive. $2,100 rent on a purchase price of just $227,500 and free property management for two years is offered here on this renovated Kansas single family rental. Our investment coaching can answer questions about it for you. When something's renovated, you definitely want to see what the scope of work is. And there are also larger properties available. If you're looking to trade up some of your properties with accumulated equity into something else, we can help build an entire portfolio for you, or you might currently be only invested in one market, where we can help you determine what second market might make sense for you based on your time horizon and your own goals. Hey, maybe you've got a private plane in a decade kind of goal, or maybe we'll help you find out that adding more property does not make sense for you at this time in your situation, even though the opportunities are pretty good right now, because compared to two years ago, the inventory to select from is wider today, And the mortgage rates are lower now too GRE investment coaches are your free trusted advisors. It's like having a silent partner on your deal, someone who gives you insight but doesn't take any equity. There's no compensation for you to provide at all. It's about your portfolio, your goals and your direction. And our coaches also help you with services related to managing your real estate assets long term, like your tax and CPA questions, legal questions, though, that's pretty limited, because we're not attorneys here. For example, what happens if you have an appraisal surprise and the appraisal comes in lower than the amount that you've contracted to buy a property for, we help you with something like that, any inventory issues or inspection issues and property management guidance that you might need. In fact, if you've engaged with our free investment coaching in the past, even a few years ago, and we helped you find a property and say, now you have some sort of property management issue. Let us know. Keep in touch with your GRE investment coach. You tell someone like Naresh here, and he will step in. And when you set up a time to chat, which you can do at greinvestmentcoach.com There's really nothing special that you need to do to prepare if you can bring a 20% down payment. Now the ball is already rolling, and in today's environment with closing costs, that's usually about a 50k minimum. It helps if you're pre approved for a mortgage loan with Ridge lending group, or whomever your lender of choice is. What's interesting is that these deals are good. These are real estate pays five ways, properties that our coaches help connect you with. So sometimes we are buying these properties ourselves here at GRE. We have in the past, but there is no way we can buy them all, not even close. That means that an opportunity remains for you. Yes, we are real estate investors ourselves here at GRE, right now, there are better properties available than ones that we've bought ourselves recently, and there is more overall selection too. You can easily see the coach's calendar, select a time and then have a phone call or a zoom chat, whatever you like. If. From there. Our coaches usually give you their phone number, so then later, you can even text them. Our coach, Naresh, he responded to someone on Thanksgiving. That's the level of dedication here. So here's the next step. Book a time at GREinvestmentcoach.com you can do that now. That's where the calendar lives. There's no back and forth. Just pick a time right there that works. It's Free. Select a 30 minute time slot, and lately they've been available seven days a week. And you're going to walk away with clarity on your goals, your timeline and what's realistic for you, if you're tired of watching from the sidelines, tired of trying not to lose, tired of waiting for perfect conditions, and conditions are never perfect, well, this is your moment to play to win. It's pretty easy to remember to connect with a GRE investment coach. Visit greinvestmentcoach.com Until next week, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream.   Speaker 2  36:10   Nothing on this show should be considered specific personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC, exclusively.   Keith Weinhold  36:38   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth building, get richeducation.com  

What kind of wealth actually sustains you when life knocks you flat? In this episode of the Millionaire Mother Podcast, I am joined by one of the most profound voices in personal development and wealth consciousness. Patrice Washington is a multi-award-winning thought leader, bestselling author, transformational speaker, and the host of the top-rated Redefining Wealth. Named one of Success Magazine's Top 25 Influential Thought Leaders in Personal Development, Patrice has been seen on Good Morning America, CNBC, Essence, and more. But what makes her work so powerful is not just her success, it's the depth of wisdom forged through loss, surrender, and rebuilding. In this conversation, Patrice takes us deep into her personal story from becoming a millionaire in her early twenties, losing everything during the Great Recession, surviving profound grief, navigating nearly $400,000 in unexpected medical debt, and rebuilding her life and legacy from the ground up. Tune in to hear: Why becoming a millionaire didn't protect Patrice from loss and what ultimately did The pivotal hospital moment that reshaped how she defines success forever How surrender is not giving up, but releasing the illusion of control The Six Pillars of Wealth and how they create resilience when money disappears What it looks like to rebuild after humiliation, shame, and starting over Why wisdom (not income) is the most valuable form of capital How to move through rock-bottom moments without losing your identity or faith The inner work required to sustain wealth, not just create it Why resilience is the real currency behind long-term success Connect with Patrice: Download the Redefining Wealth App (available on iOS & Android) Learn more about Redefining Wealth Live at redefiningwealthlive.com