Podcasts about Honestly

Season Eight! How is it possible you're all still here?! We're so incredibly thrilled to have you all with us for another season. We've got big plans for talking to your favorite people, getting under the hood of your favorite tropes, and filling your TBR pile with your new favorite books. We quickly find ourselves in the deep end, talking about craft, criticism, and romance's place in 2025. But first, we share what we did on our summer vacations. Season Eight. Wowzer. Honestly, we love knowing you're out there. Thank you so much for listening.If you'd like more romance chat in your life, please consider joining our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! There, magnificent firebirds hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com. NotesIf you're a writer looking to learn more about in person events for romance craft, check out Romancing the Craft in Anaheim this fall or Spring Fling which will be hosted by Chicago North Romance Writers in spring of 2026. Australia is not actually a land of criminals, but Tasmania is a dark place…the sky we mean. On the This is Love podcast, there was an episode about it! Check out the Night Sky app, which will help you identify the stars you are seeing in the night sky. Martha's Vineyard is great, actually. But watch out for ticks and sharks. Speaking of Jaws, it's a different vibe without that music and here's more about John Williams and the power of the score.AP isn't doing book reviews anymore, and that means that there will be less book news in papers across America. We talked about the decline of cultural criticism this week. Read more about music criticism and film criticism. This goes hand in hand with news that less Americans are reading for pleasure. Across storytelling mediums, people are noticing a breakdown in the ability to tell a story. Here's a great essay about the difference between premise and narrative in film. Here's a really interesting thread from Blue Sky wondering if

Is running a dental practice the most stressful part of your life? Does hiring and retaining the right people seem impossible? Do you question whether dentistry was the right choice for you? Kiera reflects on DAT's recent CEO Dentist Webinar, including what dental leadership ideally looks like — from an individual and team perspective. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript:   Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera. And today I am so giddy to be recording this podcast. If you missed it, you missed out. We did our CEO dentist webinar workshop and it was so rad. We did it in August and just kudos to all the doctors that were there. If you missed it, you're in luck. I'm going to give you the highlight reel. But I really hope that you plan to join us. It was a three day, ⁓ full playful out workshop that I just thoroughly loved. had doctors.   joining us every single night and really just having that mindset shift of how do I go from being this day in day out operator to a CEO owner of my business? Like what are the things that I really should be doing as a CEO versus what should I be doing as a founder? Like how do we shift that mindset? And we did it based on our proven model, the yes model. You guys have heard me chat about that. The focusing on you and your vision, earnings and profitability, and then systems and team development. So it was just really, really fun. This really was something to help.   Honestly, like afterwards, had so many calls with so many people that were there. And it was just joyful because they said, Kiera, I really want to learn how to be the CEO. Like as you talked about it, I finally understood like what my role should look like and how I should be evolving. And so just really fun. So just want to say thanks for our entire team. Thanks to everybody who joined. And for all of you, if you didn't ⁓ get to be there, you missed out. It was like full blown. And I did a little surprise. I wasn't expecting it, but I actually ended up ⁓   like doing an after party and it was really fun to just have real conversations. So ⁓ really, truly just a highlight. And today I'm going to kind of like break this down into what we did. I'll give a couple of highlights from each day of just for you to kind of get the highlight reel of it. And then, Hey, if you ever want to chat about how to become the CEO dentist of your practice, this is what we're doing for a lot of offices. I've kind of been shifting our model to help dentists and teams really elevate to have practices that run with team.   leadership to have dentists to truly run in their realm of being that healthcare provider that you love and or exiting and going out of the chair. No, there's no set path. It's your path and really helping dentists ⁓ just elevate to that level of like, do I own this business and not have it own me? So just super jazz. That's what we're working on. Just really, really, really fun and exciting things and getting your team bought into this as well. So with that, I'm just excited. Welcome. If you're new to the podcast, I'm Kiera. It's super nice to meet you.   ⁓ I love all things dentistry, including my last name is Dent. ⁓ I came from self-made, ⁓ being able to help practices grow to the level, the growth, the fulfillment, the joy that they want, helping doctors and teams align. And this is coming from real life, all of my experiences, all of our collective experience of our consulting team, bringing you tactical practical tips to make your life and your business work for you and not against you. So with that,   ⁓ was just a jazz. Like it was so fun. So the first day we really talked about, ⁓ just some topics of like who can relate. So if you can relate to this great, this podcast is for you. number one is running a dental practice is the most stressful part of your life. hiring and retaining the right people seems almost impossible. Some months so great. Others feel like you're drowning. Your patients are canceling last minute, leaving your team and you helpless. know how to be a dentist, but you have no clue how to run a business. You're alone with your problems.   You question if dentistry was the right choice for you. You feel like everyone has it together, but you don't. ⁓ and I hope if you answered yes to any of those questions, you realize that truly, truly, truly, you're not alone. And every single dentist feels this at some point and some survive and others thrive. And so the whole goal of the CEO Dennis workshop was to help you thrive. And so on the first day we really went through like, what exactly is a CEO? I remember there was this aha moment in my career where I'm like,   what does a CEO actually do? I'm not joking, I Googled this and I was like, what is a CEO? Like, what do they do? And it was a good, I would say a good, ⁓ probably identity shift for me. To realize like a CEO is your chief executive officer. So like, this is the person who executes. So you oversee the execution of day to day, but you don't do it all. So your job is to lead the vision, plan for the future.   Create and protect the culture and do big opportunities, but stay out of the weeds. Like that's genuinely what you're supposed to do. And a lot of dentists, we'll add one more Asherick. A lot of times you do the dentistry. Sometimes you do it full time and other times you hire associate dentists to do it with you. So like, that's what it means. It means you oversee. You think about a CEO of Amazon, they are not packing the boxes and shipping it out. They are not calling on all the customer service things. They are not creating the bots and the software.   Their job is to look over the vision. Their job is to keep people accountable. Their job is to plan for the future, look for the big opportunities, ⁓ really truly protect the culture and stay out of the weeds. So I think when I looked at that, I'm like, how many dentists actually live like this? Probably not a lot. So what we did is we like went through an audit and then we worked on like the key foundation and this might feel a little fluffy and I'm sure some participants might have thought this, but if we don't get the you portion of the yes model correct, we can't say yes to things.   The number one, and I purposely built the yes model in the pillars in the exact formula of you first earning second systems third. And if you will follow this model, you really truly can get there. And so what we talked about is how like how you show up as a leader directly impacts the success, the relationships, your financial and personal freedom and the overall happiness and fulfillment you have in your practice. So when I look at this, like, okay, great. You have to take care of you and   We talked about like actually how to shift your identity. And so a lot of times people identify themselves today. But if you knew like Tony Robbins said, the strongest force in the human personality is the need to stay consistent with how we define ourselves, not who we actually are, but how we define ourselves. So what we actually had ⁓ everybody doing the workshop on day one was to create this new identity of being the CEO dentist. Like what would the CEO dentist do or not do? ⁓ you're still checking charts at night. What a CEO handle end of day task like that.   Yes or no. No one's held accountable. What does CEO allow chaos to become culture? Your team's just clocking in. How would a CEO reignite motivation? You're bleeding cancellations. How would a CEO oversee the systems to prevent that? Your schedule's full, but your profits don't show it. How would a CEO fix that? Cashflow is unpredictable. How would a CEO create stability? You're doing busy work and have no time to look at the big picture. How would a CEO solve it?   So just again, it's like when we shift our identity, not from who you are, but to a CEO. So I now am, I'm not Kiera, I'm not dentist Kiera. I am now, you guys, I was never dentist Kiera. I was dental assistant Kiera, I'm consulting Kiera. But for you, like you're dentist John, you go in, you do the fillings, you are this practice owner. But what would CEO John or CEO Kiera or CEO Sarah or CEO Marsha or CEO Tom or CEO Tony or CEO Kevin, what would they do or not do?   And when you can shift this identity, you can actually start to see, and you can look at the delegation ladder. And we talked about the delegation ladder of what tasks, because when you're a small business versus when you expand and become a larger business, you actually have different, like it's literally in a tier of what you're going to delegate and when, because as a founder is a new startup, as a CEO, you're doing a lot of the work. You don't have the cashflow. You can't afford it. You're going to do all the work. So at that point, that CEO is doing that.   But as the practice builds and evolves, a lot of CEOs stay there and they don't actually evolve into delegating the tasks that they should be. And so when we go through the entire delegation ladder from like administrative tasks, a patient experience, treatment coordinator, and selling cases to marketing, to leadership, these are all the zones of where is your name out on that delegation ladder and where should it be based on the current size of your practice. And then what, even if you're small, what's your next hire? Well, first hires administrative tasks. So it's either a front office team member, it's a personal assistant, or it's an office manager.   that's going to immediately delegate all of those front office tasks for you, but they're going to do all of that. And then you move into, you're doing the patient experience, you're doing the closing of the cases, you're doing the marketing, you're doing the leadership, like, but you, you offload that first and then you offload the next and the next and the next. And so really looking at this of like, we, it was really cute. We had this fairy godmother and it's like, you are now the CEO. It's time to be the CEO. And I think for us on day one of people just being highlighted of   you now have this new identity. And so looking at it of when I look at this, what's standing in my way of being the CEO? What does my dream business look like? What does that vision timeline look like for me? And what must change now to become the CEO? So as you go through that, that was a quick recap of day one. And then we rolled right into day two, which day two is a lot more tactical. Day one's a bit more of you, you becoming and taking on this new identity. And I will tell you,   when I got on calls afterwards, because it was actually real fun. We had a lot of calls, really excited to welcome the new offices to our company and to our group. And they're already shifting and changing. had some people text me after that of saying, I'm now committing to being the CEO dentist. And when you take and embody a new identity, like, because I thought through this and we were brainstorming as we were prepping this webinar or this workshop. And I thought, how am going to get people to recognize that the you portion is the most pivotal pillar of this whole success model?   And how do get them to do it quickly? And I realized change identity is the fastest way to change. But like changing identity can feel hard. But if I tell you like, it's like putting on a t-shirt and I say, all right, today you're wearing CEO t-shirt. How are you going to act? Just like I can be Kiera, the executor. I can be Kiera, the consultant. I can be Kiera, the sales. I can be Kiera, the customer service. Those are just t-shirts and hats. But if I'm going to put on my main t-shirt, my main hat, I change my identity and I walk into that office every day. And I'm now the CEO dentist.   you will start to act quicker and faster. It's just like the person who wants to get healthy read Atomic Habits. say what they do is they don't ask them to like become healthy. They say, what would a healthy person do? Well, they would walk to their car instead of driving and get the closest parking spot. They would eat snacks like celery sticks for snacks rather than other things. They would have their tennis shoes by the side of their bed. They would go walking every day. you don't, and that's how you'd be able to like, what would a CEO dentist do? What would a CEO dentist not do?   That's how you can start to shift this identity and become that. So that was just a quick, like I said, quick recap of day one and then day two is just fun. It's about numbers. ⁓ Numbers are one of my favorite things because you've got to really understand numbers because numbers are your superpower. Not knowing your numbers, believe it or not, causes more stress than knowing them. Even if they're bad, even if they're good, not knowing because you're getting this constant fear of like, are they good? Do we have money? I don't know. It's also helping you make confident decisions.   develops the steps of where you need to go. And it also helps you track progress to take action before it's too late. So really numbers to me are the proactive approach in a business rather than the reactive. And it's okay, it does not matter where we start. It always helps us then become more proactive as we're going through. So we went through KPI. So a key performance indicator, which one should you be looking at? What are some common ones? We went through stats and KPI spreadsheets, how we look at these, like what we need to do on the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly. So like daily we're looking at month.   Today production collections, we only have that 98%. We also want to look at our end of day sheet, making sure we've got all of those procedures built out weekly. We're looking at our KPIs to review during doctor and OM weekly meetings. So looking at trends, creating action items before things get too late, like literally our entire team and our clients, they track stats every single week. Cause we're looking for trends. The offices that do this are always my profitable offices. The offices that don't are the not profitable. Like it is science though, like what you track and measure improves. So track.   Monthly, you do your month and number review, like all the KPIs, what were the trends and what are we going to do better next month? Where are we at? I just talked to an office the other day. We realized we're a hundred thousand behind where we want to be for end of year. We have four months left or two months left or one mother, wherever you are. But if you plan and you look ahead. Four months, trying to make up a hundred grand is way easier to do than two months, trying to make up a hundred grand. So when we look at that and you just change the game, you change how we schedule, we change how we're going to do our block schedules. All of it is really easy, but if you don't look at this and you don't measure it.   Huh, you're in stress. This is stress. ⁓ We look at our overhead, we look at our PNL, and then quarterly we look at our year to date, where are we at? What are the gaps? We're gonna set reach goals or quarterly goals, and then we track weekly and make sure we're on track for that. So we went through a monthly cost spreadsheet too. This is honestly my most favorite spreadsheet of all time. So legit, I love it, and it's here, and it's something that I have of what is our monthly BAM, our bare ACE minimum? What does it cost us to run the practice?   on a high end, low end and where we currently are. So if I've got to scale and add more people, if I need to reduce in times of chaos or hard times, I at least know those numbers and that will give you so much confidence because now you've got a piece of the puzzle to then know what do we need to produce? What do we need to collect? We went through an overhead calculator and what are the benchmarks? What should my payroll be? What should my supplies be? Labs, advertising, all of that. What's my overhead? What's my doctor salary and where can I cut? Because the way to fix your numbers are three things. One, decrease what we're spending.   That's one, two, increase production and three, increase collections. If our collections, cause you can be producing and if you're not collecting, guess what your overhead sky high strip, like that's a stressful zone. Just go collect the money. You've already done it. Collect the money. If we're not producing enough to cover our bills, well, we need to increase our production and build block schedules and different pieces like that to make sure what we need to produce for our practice is actually there. And then like looking at our costs, what can we cut? What things could be more efficient in? do we maybe need to delay a hire or do we need to make the hire?   whatever it is, but knowing those areas, like that's where math becomes very fun. Numbers become fun. It's just a simple math equation. It's not hard. We're not going into algebra and geometry and calculus and all of that trig. No, it's literally simple, basic math where we can say, okay, this is what I'm making. This is what I'm spending. And this is what we're collecting. Which of those levers do I need to turn? And so showing offices how like collections matter and different pieces like   going through an overhead calculator, had actual spreadsheets for KPIs, for a monthly cost spreadsheet, for our overhead calculator. All of that was actually really, really lovely. And then showing offices like we're aiming for you to be 20 % profitable after doctors paid, after all expenses are paid, 20 % profit is what we aim for with our practices. And so when you look at your profit, and if right now you're like, I don't even know profit, hey, let's chat. Let's talk about it because you gotta make the money and keep the money. We're gonna make sure we're not spending more money than we're making. And then we're prepping and preparing and we're working towards that profit margin.   having cash flow, having profit at the end of the month will lower your stress radically. So we went through all that. We also had like a whole KPI checklist to have, and it was really fun because when we look at these numbers, this is where the stress stops. And we actually went through like a real life example with the people that were participating with us and they could quickly see, you don't even know this practice. Look at this KPI scorecard. What do you see and what should this practice take immediate action on? Again, a CEO hat, a CEO shirt.   That person's going to look at the trends. They're not going to go dig into the weeds. Most of the time, they're going to look at this and say, okay, well, if my production's 160 and my collections are a hundred right now, even you listening on the podcast, you can tell that's my gap. We're producing 160, but we're collecting a hundred now that one succeed because we're putting in our numbers in gross, not net production. That's a problem. Fix that. Maybe our collections are good, but if we're producing that in net and we're only collecting a hundred thousand, that's a huge gap. What do we need to do to fix our collections?   Our year to date collection presented 62%. You know right there. And when this office had an overhead of 85%, well, to me looking at that without even knowing this practice, they have a collections problem right there. They increase the collections, their overhead goes down, money instantly becomes available. So many offers like, here, we don't have the money. And I look and I'm like, you got 500,000 in AR, you've got the money. We just need to collect the money. You're producing well, your expenses are in line. Or other times like our expenses are high. Let's reduce that. Let's figure out how we can get it.   So giving some parameters in that and really knowing like, when you look at as a quick review for you, do you actually use your numbers as super power? So one, do you have KPIs? Two, do you review them weekly? Three, does every team member have their own number and do they track them? So meaning like a number that's going to move the business forward that they know that they can impact that they own as ownership. Does your team know how they can impact the numbers? Do you know your overhead? Do you know what's in your AR right now? How much money is sitting out?   And do you have a plan to get to ideal profit? So answering those questions really will help you kind of have an overview of, all right, got it. These are the things. And I will say for anybody, you want, we actually gave away a lot of these worksheets. So to anybody who scheduled the call. So if you're like, Hey, I'm just curious, like, how can you help me with like maybe my you portion, maybe my earning portion or the last person of systems and team development. Hey, schedule a call with us. I'm happy to share a lot of these spreadsheets with you in a lot of the pieces, because why not? I know you weren't there and I know you didn't get all of it.   But I would love to help you out and I'd love to give you a lot of these resources. So book a call. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com or go to our website, TheDentalATeam.com click book a call. I think it's really something lovely to be able to help. And honestly, Hey, why not? You're going to get all the resources and we're to be able to give you a true roadmap for your practice. actually do. ⁓ it's about an hour long complimentary call where we actually go through your practice. give you a highlight, ⁓ of where to go. What are kind of the big pieces in your practice and then also give you resources. So really it's a no risk for you.   ⁓ It's no pressure, just truly clarity and momentum. So, ⁓ and like I said, the KPI scorecard, the monthly spending, the overhead calculator, those types of things I think are just so powerful to be able to access those and to even see what you should or could be doing. So then as a wrap, day three of the workshop was so fun. It was one of my favorite days. Shout out to Eve, our marketer. She said, Kiera.   I want you to really try something for me. And I'm all here for innovation creation. Like let's try something new. And she said on systems, I want us to do like a rapid fire. And so what we did, because what I found is one, you have the vision, you take on this, this, this new hat, new identity of I'm the CEO dentist. You now know that numbers are your superpower and you're going to use your numbers to not be used by your numbers. So you're to look at the numbers and we're going to see where are the gaps.   whatever your numbers are. So the numbers need to lead to the vision and whatever numbers tell us, the numbers tell us a story. Just like that example I gave you, there was a collections problem. Well, great. If there's a collections problem, that's the system that we now go implement into a practice. So it's really, really great to see like, my gosh, I don't have to like eat this whole elephant. It's very simple based on the vision and the numbers to tell you which systems are broken, which systems are lacking and what things we need to implement, improve or optimize. So the last part was systems and Dental A Team, I   I like cadences. like to see like a map. So I put 12 systems for the 12 months of the year. And some of you have heard these things in the past. You can look these up on our website. We've got lots of them, but basically just like, okay, what's my kind of outlook for every single month? So January's office management mastery and leadership, February's doctor optimization. So making sure like endo, CE, Botox, like whatever it is, we're just optimizing our doctor procedures in-house, looking to see what could we do to optimize that more.   March is billing with ease, April's five-star patient experience, May is smooth sailing scheduling, June is maximized case acceptance, July is dynamite dental assistance, August is elevated hygiene, September is confident marketing, October is complete operations manual, so get that thing done, November is practice profitability, what we just discussed, and December, yes, pun intended, A-Team hiring and onboarding. So like a little calendar for you to, as you're going through as a CEO,   Now you don't have to think of like, I've got to do all the systems. You've got a checklist of, all right, let me go look at this system. Let me go look at this system. Let me look at this category and see what could I optimize? What could we improve? What could we enhance? So what we did is we actually did a speed round and it was a yes or no. You weren't allowed to have anything gray and we had three questions under every system. So they went through 36 different areas of their practice and it was either yes or no to then say, how are your systems in those areas?   So for example, and people were giving a zero out of three, a one out of three, a two out of three or a three out of three. So let's go to management mastery. This would be your office manager. I review weekly KPIs to ensure we're on track to hit goals. It's either a yes or no. There's no in between. My leadership team runs effective meetings and follows up on action items. Yes or no. know each team members receiving regular one-on-one coachings for growth monthly. Yes or no. And I'll give you a trickier one. Cause why not? Let's like, people were like, I was doing so good. And then I got into.   Some of these other ones, so let me grab, let's do maximize case acceptance. This one would be our practice maintains at least a 75 % patient case acceptance and tracks it daily. Yes or no? You might be having that. And if you don't know, then it's a no. We have a solid follow-up system for unscheduled treatment and offer easy financing options. Yes or no? Next, visits are scheduled in the back office to help increase case acceptance. Yes or no? So what we did is there's so many things within every single system, but tried to break it down so people could quickly see.   of the 12 systems, where am I maybe lacking to then maybe take execution and action and also as CEO. then no great. have a focus for every single month that I can really look at. I can have a checklist. I can look at this and then we actually take action to improve our practice consistently. So we worked through that. And then we said that the piece is we can talk about you as a leader. We can talk about money and profitability and systemization, but for excellent systems to stick.   You have to have extraordinary leadership. And this is where it was like, but wait, what about the CEO dentist? Do I have to do all of this? And the answer is again, as a CEO, your job is to lead the vision, plan for the future, create and protect the culture, big opportunities and stay out of the weeds. That's your job. That's what you're supposed to do. And maybe we can add in their clinical dentistry if you want to, but like that is what you do. So for that, Britt and I actually then went into their, their two dimensions of leadership because we started thinking about this and in that delegation ladder,   There is this zone of leadership and one side is going to be the executive and that's the future planning, the vision, the culture. Like that is truly the CEO dentist, but there's a split side to it. And the other side is the management side. So Britt and I actually make the yin and yang of the leadership team. I've got the executive side. Britt's got the management side. And management side is operations and systems, people, and then nitty gritty details. Britt is amazing at this. I'm amazing at vision and you need both of those pieces to work in harmony together.   to have it and it's usually not the same person. And so helping people go through that and to see where am I strong? And as the CEO of your practice, you might actually flourish in the management side and that's a okay. You need to hire somebody who's a visionary next to you. Or you might be freaking awesome at the visionary side. You need a strong manager that does all the pieces that you are actually not naturally good at, nor should you be spending your time on to pair gently with you and perfectly with you.   This way your practice can flourish and you can actually be the owner of your business rather than being owned by your business. So looking at this, was really like, where do you actually fall as a CEO dentist, executive leader? Where are you doing? What needs to change in your practice? And as we go through this for you to even kind of do an assessment of how am doing on my vision and owning and being the CEO dentist and that identity and truly sitting in that seat. Then what about my numbers and how's the profitability of my business, the future progress and growth?   And then looking at my systems, how are we on those 12 systems? What needs to happen? And then on my executive leadership, am I on the visionary side or on the management side? And who do I need to have? And do I have a strong person? Is that the right person in the right seat there? Or does that need to be evolved? And so it's one of those pieces of like, we have all the pieces, like we, we know, but how do we actually make this go from like knowledge to action? And I think that was the piece of really helping people.   ⁓ recognize that time is so fluid and so fast. And when I look back, I shared a story of where I truly was sitting in a room of a bunch of really smart business owners and I'm like, I don't even know what they're talking about. And I think so many times when we hear a podcast like this or we listen, we know we should be doing it, but we don't actually know how and we feel inferior. It's what we do is we just keep doing the same thing. And rather than that, I would maybe suggest you take a pause and you say, are you really the best person as a CEO to do this? Or...   Is it maybe worth it to hire somebody who knows how to do it and has been there, done that and done it successfully to help you and your team. I really, really dislike coaching for myself. So that's why I built that only team the way I did. I don't like to be coached as the CEO and then have to try and take that back to my team. That's exhausting. There's things that I need to know. And there's things that my team needs to know. And that's actually why we built Dental A Team the way we did. We coach doctors and teams. We teach doctors how to be the executive.   We teach you how to be the CEO, how to get out of the weeds, how to empower your team. And then we teach teams how to follow up so dentists can actually let go. We can build the leadership. We build the tracking. We build the numbers so you can sit there and confidently run your business rather than being ran by your business. And to think about like when I took the leap of faith to hire a coach, when I didn't know and was so scared to do it, I look, and that was six years ago that I hired her. And in those six years, things that happened like Dental A Team,   has definitely grown. Like we have hundreds of clients that we're able to serve on a very personal intimate level. I was very adamant as we built this company that I would never go to a spot where people just felt like a number and not a person. And so being able to scale it to grow, because my mission is to positively impact the world of dentistry and to do it in the greatest way possible. Like truly, how do I do this, but make people still feel like a person and to be seen. So Dental A Team, you want to be here? If I would have not like taken the leap and.   gotten the help that I needed and truly owned that I'm a CEO. I'm not expected to know everything. And I need to hire people that are smarter than me, better than me, and help me grow and optimize in areas that I don't even know. ⁓ My confidence wouldn't be here. My passion, the certainty of myself, my growth, my purpose, my freedom of life, like the life that I get to live now versus the life I was living, the ability to say yes to everything I need, want, and deserve. And that's why I built the yes model, because to help other doctors, other team members be able to say yes.   to everything you need, want and deserve is life changing. That's why we've got the Yes model. And so for that, it was just a really fun, like it was such a beautiful thing to walk people through a complete workshop to help them see where am I at? And I hope today you took kind of the notes and you look to see like, am I at? And just know that being the CEO and owning your business is not a destination, but it's a journey.   It's a space and you'll get more and more into that, but it's a forever evolution. You're never fully systematized. You're never always profitable. You're never always going to sit perfectly in the CEO seat. You're going to ebb and flow and it's just like a mountain and climbing the mountain. There's peaks and valleys and there's highs and there's lows and that's the game of business that we signed up for, but not doing it alone, not trying to figure it all out on your own, not trying to solve all the problems. I think is one of the most beautiful things. So if that resonates with you, we really talked about like joining consulting.   is only for offices that want to thrive and not just survive. It's you want strong systems in your practice that work with or without you there. You want to improve your leadership skills and actually learn how to be the CEO dentist. You want to be the CEO dentist that you were meant to be. You want to have a team that enjoys their work and owns their work. You want to be with peers like other dentists, other office managers, other leadership teams that make you better. Not that of like comparison and competition, but out of true genuine lifting each other up.   bringing part of a bigger community that's more that gives you hope, gives you help, gives you ⁓ benchmarks to look forward to, gives you ideas of how to do it differently and better. And you know that there must be a better, easier way because you know that there truly is. And so if that's something that you're interested in, like I'd love for you to reach out. Like I know you weren't able to attend the workshop. I hope you tend next year. Cause it was like so much more than I could even give on this podcast. But if that resonates with you.   Schedule the practice growth call. Like truly we're going to go through it. It's complimentary. We're going to dig through all the pieces of your practice. Look at a lot of things we just discussed and the added bonus is you will get all of the resources. So KPI scorecard, KPI checklist, fixed cost spreadsheet, ⁓ our monthly cost spreadsheet, the overhead calculator, the cashflow guide, some really, really incredible things that I think are just so valuable and powerful for you. But more than that, you're going to get clarity and momentum. And I think right now that's one of the greatest gifts you could give yourself. So book the call.   take action. You don't have to do it all yourself. And I think that that's like get out of the weeds because we need your vision. We need you to be the leader of the business. We need you to actually be looking at the numbers, having a team, driving that forward because no one else is doing that. You're the leader at the helm and it's either you or it's got to be someone else. But generally speaking, it's you, the dentist, the owner. And so let's help you out. Let's give you that freedom. Let's give you that confidence. Let's give you that roadmap.   and do it in a way that's for you and your practice. So reach out, head to the website, TheDentalATeam.com, book a call, email us, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And truly let's help you out. Let's do a complimentary call and just see where are you at? How can we help you? And like I said, as an ad bonus, let them know you listened to the CEO Dennis Workshop ⁓ podcast and we will happily give you those downloads. ⁓ They are tactical, they're practical, they're able to be put into place right away because you all know I love tactical, practical, and you know that my biggest passion is you.   It's you being successful. It's you having the life that you want. It's being able to have life on your terms, to be able to say yes to everything that you want, need and deserve. That's why you did this. That's why you went to dentistry. And so let's give you the life that you had always envisioned. And let's take that from a dream and a wish to a reality. And with that, thanks so much for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast. ⁓  

In 1987, in an issue celebrating the first 10 years of the saga, the legendary Starlog magazine featured an article titled Behind the Lines of Star Wars that somehow predicted the next almost 40 years of stories! Join us as we go through the article by the mysterious Michael Wolff and discuss what he got right and what it still could predict for stories not even told yet! So start a farm, listen today and celebrate the love! JOIN THE BLAST POINTS ARMY and SUPPORT BLAST POINTS ON PATREON! NEW ANDOR SEASON 2 EPISODE COMMENTARIES! COMMENTARIES FOR EVERY SKELETON CREW EPISODE! NEW EMPIRE STRIKES BACK COMMENTARY! Theme Music! downloadable tunes from episodes! Extra goodies! and so much MORE! www.patreon.com/blastpoints Blast Points T-SHIRTS are now available! Represent your favorite podcast everywhere you go! Get logo shirts while supplies last! Perfect for conventions, dates, formal events and more! Get them here: www.etsy.com/shop/Gibnerd?section_id=21195481 If you dug the show, please leave BLAST POINTS a review on iTunes, Spotify and share the show with friends! If you leave an iTunes review, we will read it on a future episode! Honestly! Talk to Blast Points on twitter at @blast_points "Like" Blast Points on Facebook Join the Blast Points Super Star Wars Chill Group here www.facebook.com/groups/ BlastPointsGroup/ we are also on Instagram! Wow! www.instagram.com/blastpoints Your hosts are Jason Gibner & Gabe Bott! contact BLAST POINTS at : contact@blastpointspodcast.com May the Force be with you, always! This podcast is not affiliated in any way with Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, The Walt Disney Company, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries.

“The next generation will live into the words we speak over them, so we should consider what words we are speaking over Gen Z. We, older generations, are responsible for raising, stewarding, and discipling the next generation, and right now, they are hearing from us, “We don't like you.” - An excerpt from What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. We're in a bit of a tale as old as time moment. There is a lot of discussion about Gen Z - and a lot of it negative. Honestly this seems like a not uncommon issue where older generations speak negatively about younger generations, but there is something that does seem different about the conversation surrounding Gen Z. Gen Z is considered the first digital native generation and there is data to show a decline in church engagement in Gen Z. As I read from the excerpt earlier, there is a narrative in place that Gen Z is lazy, difficult, and weak. But what if we flipped the narrative? What if we approached Gen Z with hope and optimism, maybe even appreciation for what we can learn from them? Gen Z isn't just the future of the church, it's the church today so how can we think of and approach Gen Z differently than the prevailing narratives. My guest today is Dr. Tanita Maddox, national director at Young Life and author of the new book What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. In this conversation, we talk about who Gen Z is, how they think, the relationship between Gen Z and the church, and why we should not only be hopeful about Gen Z but even see them as a brave, resilient generation. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/What-Really-Wants-Know-About-ebook/dp/B0DT5J9QZM?ref_=ast_author_dpSubscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: The Man You're Meant to Be - https://youtu.be/Zrn5ws4rFecThe Urgency of Grace in a Worn Out World with David Zahl - https://youtu.be/kiOQU4TO3QULiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle with Alan Noble - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fIDelighting in Jesus with Asheritah Ciuciu - https://youtu.be/nHFPW4QLc9sEmbracing Brokenness with Michael John Cusick - https://youtu.be/Wzky80I2lPwMysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxILiving Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA

Kamala Harris has revealed why she’s still rocking the old-school wired headphones. On Colbert, she joked that AirPods aren’t secure enough, saying she’s sat through too many intel briefings to risk people eavesdropping on her train chats. Honestly, it’s giving FBI chic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Darren and I have entered a whole new season of life - the kids are 18, child support is over, and the house is very quiet. Honestly? I sometimes miss the frenzy and chaos of a full house!  Darren joins me today for an update on our lives now that all of these changes have occurred.  We'll tackle your listener questions:  What does life feel like without child support?  How do we support our young adult children?  How do I expect to show up as a stepmom in the lives of my adult stepkids?  What has changed in our marriage on the other side of this journey?  Work with Jamie:  www.jamiescrimgeour.com/coaching  Join Elevate:  www.jamiescrimgeour.com/elevate  Thanks to our sponsors: LMNT | My Go To Electrolyte Drink. Head to www.drinklmnt.com/kickassstepmom to get a free sample pack with any drink mix purchase. Cozy Earth | Go to www.cozyearth.com and use the code COZYJAMIE for 40% off of your order Metabolic Reset Program | Get $350 off with the code JAMIE350 at https://www.jentherhn.com

I have the honor, the absolute honor, of introducing someone who's not just a guest, but a living, breathing modern-day missionary hero. Gerri Johnson has been a missionary in Brazil for over 50 years. Yes, you heard that right five decades of serving, loving, and pouring her life into the people of Brazil. That kind of longevity in missions is rare, almost legendary. It's not just dedication it's legacy.And speaking of legacy, the fruit of her life's work is nothing short of dream-worthy. Three of her children are also missionaries in Brazil, and her youngest son is now serving as their pastor. I mean, come on if that's not a dream come full circle, I don't know what is.She and her husband, Dan Johnson, have lived a life of quiet faithfulness that continues to echo across generations. Just recently, Dan had the privilege of preaching at a conference in a church where they served for 17 years. A church they left 20 years ago. And get this: not only were the original converts still there, still faithful; but, now their children are grown and faithfully serving in that same church. I am sure that brought such a sense of fulfillment to their souls.Gerri's not just someone I admire, she's someone I want to be like. I want what she has. Her joy. Her faithfulness. Her quiet strength. Her impact.Oh, and before we jump in, let's not forget: Gerri is also a fan of Brazil's traditional dish, feijoada. A rich, savory black bean stew with pork. Though… she'll take it with the “noble cuts,” thank you very much. Not so much the pig's feet and tail.

Lately I've been asking myself a hard question: if God never did another thing for me—if He didn't answer another prayer, open another door, or bless me with the things I desire—would I still be satisfied in Him? Honestly, that's not an easy question to wrestle with. In this week's episode, I'm sharing how God has been shifting my perspective from chasing His blessings to cherishing His presence. We'll talk about the difference between seeking God's hand and seeking His heart, why true contentment has nothing to do with circumstances, and how I'm learning (and re-learning) to trust that He Himself is enough.FOLLOW US: @girlsirlpod@mariahclayton_Don't forget to leave a 5 star rating! 

In this episode, Kevin Kelleher (Director of Medical Affairs at Medtronic & founder of the Rural Health Technology Consortium) shares his journey from nurse to sales leader, and why passion, and not just money, must drive your career.Kevin's story really stuck with me. He went from nursing into sales, but what makes his perspective different is how he ties everything back to passion and purpose. He also opens up about what it's like serving rural communities, the push for more diversity in clinical research, and even how he balances leadership with family life. Honestly, it's one of those conversations that leaves you rethinking your life. From breaking into medical sales, building trust in rural healthcare, and tackling diversity in clinical research, to leadership, productivity, and family balance... Kevin brings powerful lessons you can apply today.

See You Tomorrow at the Food Court follows two high school girls, who look like total opposites, meet up everyday after class at the mall food court on their way home to just talk about life while they eat whatever catches their eyes. Wada is seen as a quiet, perfect honor student but in reality she's actually a gacha game diehard with zero chill when it comes to her favorite SSR. Yamamoto has the look of a flashy gyaru type but in reality she's thoughtful, grounded, and way more studious than people think. Every episode drops into a handful of mini-stories about whatever chaos Wada brings that day, while Yamamoto keeps her friend tethered.This week is another solo episode with Jack but Rick did send him some notes and his score. It was also a recommendation from Major Montana. The show in general for Jack was solid and was easy to watch in the sense that it was easy to get through. It was not a heavy show but rather it was something that literally took you in the day in the life of 2 friends who meet up everyday. This is not something that you closely have to watch or pay attention to but it does help as there is a little bit of a narrative for it but it also is not hard to just pick up at any point in time for it. Honestly if you are looking for something that is an easy watch that is not heavy and is a cute show that has some shenanigans in it then this is for you but if you are looking for something deeper with character development then this is not for you.Next Week's Pick: "Lycoris Recoil"Have you had the chance to watch See You Tomorrow at the Food Court or any of our previous selections? We'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations for future picks!Deals for You:Supporting your anime binge sessions is what we do best! Here are some exclusive deals that'll make your anime-watching experience even better.Crunchyroll Affiliate Offers:Get 15% off your first anime merch order here.Stream your favorite anime with Crunchyroll. Start Your Free TrialTokyoTreat Special: Use code "FEATUREDANIME" for $5 off your first box through this TokyoTreat link.Looking for some podcast merch? We've got you covered:Main StoreAlternative ShopSupport Our PodcastLove what we do? Support the podcast through Patreon! You can get access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.Support us on PatreonStay Connected With UsDon't miss out on our latest episodes or discussions! Join us across our social channels and be part of the community:Contact UsAnime List: Check out our anime list on MyAnimeList.Twitch: Watch us live on twitch.tv/featuredanimepodcastEmail: info@featuredanimepodcast.comX (Twitter): @ThoseAnimeGuysFacebook: Featured Anime PodcastDiscord: Join our DiscordAnime Info and Our Ratings:Producers: KADOKAWA, Magic Capsule, TOY'S FACTORY, Tokyo MX, KBS Kyoto, SUN TV, TV Aichi, BS NTV, AT-XSource: MangaGenres: Slice of Life, Comedy, DramaAired: June 2025 - August 2025Number of Episodes: 6Our Scores:Jack's Score: 8 / 10Rick's Score: 6 / 10

Episode 172: Is this the best Star Wars? Yes?“Good afternoon! Or morning. Or possibly the crack between the two—time's funny like that. Anyway—HELLO! And welcome back to The Not Funny Guys Present: Off the Reels—the internet's number one podcast about public libraries… with books… on forgotten classified military missions. Proper hush-hush. Secret stuff. Probably guarded by people in unnecessarily big hats. Love a big hat.Right! This is episode one hundred and seventy-two. One. Seven. Two. Which, coincidentally, is also the exact number of jelly babies you can fit in the TARDIS console. (Don't ask me how I know that. I… just do.)And today—ohhh today—we are talking about one of the best Star Wars films in years. Years and years and possibly parsecs. The first truly grown-up Star War. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. A film that proves Star Wars can make you cry. Me! Crying! Actual tears on my fez. Fezzes are cool. Damp fezzes… less so.And here we are, your favourite ne'er-do-wells, the Not Funny Guys. I'm Casey—your resident snarky droid—and I'm joined, as always, by my two co-conspirators: Dr. Jon—he's one with the Force and the Force is with him, which sounds exhausting but looks impressive—and Eric, our quiet-quitting, sabotage-plotting, cunning engineer. Honestly, if he ever builds a Death Star, we are doomed. Together, we are the Not Funny Guys.And now, gentlemen… it's that time again. The time when we gather to talk about everything and nothing and possibly space ferrets. Do space ferrets exist? Must check. Later. Right now—focus. It's time… to be Not Funny!”Next Week: Star Wars, Episode IV: A New HopeFollow us, like us, comment, share and MORE!!!Questions?Follow us, like us, comment, share and MORE!!!Email us at: NotFunnyGuys.OffTheReels@gmail.comFollow us on Instagram: @not_funny_guys_presents Follow us on Twitter/X: @NotFunnyGuysPodFollow us on BlueSky: @The Not Funny Guys Follow us on TikTok: @nfg.offthereelsFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotFunnyGuysPodcastWant to chat?Substack Post on Dad's Passing Anniversary: https://substack.com/@anesotericmindset/note/p-172613900?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=wdua1The Ugliest of Words: https://a.co/d/dLnvQjqCheck it out!Acast: https://open.acast.com/public/streams/6412512bc35e5800112d0bb3/episodes/68a33af9e19a4396a0b4c38a.mp3Find the episode here: Or on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/show/6feiDCgMNynJ8fd6la2zikOr on Apple Pods at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-funny-guys-presents-off-the-reels/id1677589916Or wherever you get your podcasts.Please follow, like, share, and comment!Not Funny Guys! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For one of our first episodes back in 2018 (S1E3), we discussed 'Hunky Dory' by David Bowie with then co-host Barry Stock. Honestly, though, for our first 20 episodes or so we were still finding our way and weren't even playing any music clips at that point. So when this week's guest, musician David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets), suggested taking on Bowie's fourth studio album, we couldn't resist revisiting this stone cold classic with such a thoughtful, well-informed guest. Essential listening! Songs discussed in this episode: Changes (David Bowie cover) - The Muffs/Robyn Hitchcock/Shawn Mullins/Cybernauts/Bananarama; Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus; No New Tale To Tell - Love and Rockets; Mambo Sun - T Rex; 10538 Overture - Electric Light Orchestra; The Shape Of Things To Come - Slade; You Can Get It If You Really Want - Desmond Dekker; Ziggy Stardust, Starman, Changes - David Bowie; Sheep (Pink Floyd cover) - Arthur Brown, Rick Wakeman, Jan Akkerman, David J., Carmine Appice; Oh! You Pretty Things - David Bowie; Oh! You Pretty Things - Peter Noone; The Bewlay Brothers, Eight Line Poem - David Bowie; My Way - Frank Sinatra; Life On Mars - David Bowie; Judy Teen - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel; Kooks - David Bowie; This Guy's In Love With You - Burt Bacharach; Exquisite Corpse - Bauhaus; Quicksand - David Bowie; An Old Fashioned Love Song - Paul Williams; Fill Your Heart, Andy Warhol, Song For Bob Dylan - David Bowie; Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie cover) - Bauhaus; Waiting For The Man - The Velvet Underground; Amsterdam (Live, Olympia 1964) - Jacques Brel; Queen Bitch, The Bewlay Brothers - David Bowie; Oh No! Not Another Songwriter! - David J  

This week, we're taking a look at Voyagers, the movie where arguably the entire class of sexy young movie stars in training gets on a spaceship and descends into horny chaos while Colin tries to keep the peace. Honestly we mostly just talk about Gran Turismo in this one vroom vroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’d like to dedicate this episode to my mother, Mimi Finnegan who fell asleep in death yesterday. It was such a surreal experience, standing by that hospital bed with my brothers and sisters and dad. We had so much confusion regarding her prognosis, but eventually it became clear that she had very little time left. We prayed for her, read scripture to her, played some of her favorite Christian songs, and said goodbye to her. But what really grabbed my attention was her smile. She kept smiling as she knew she was dying. She was quite alert and able to talk. When it came time to take her off the machines that were pumping medication with diminishing returns into her, she joyfully authorized their removal. I’ve never seen someone with such a firm grip on the hope of resurrection in the face of death. Honestly, it was inspiring. Christian hope is really important, really transformative, and really crucial during times of suffering. Just knowing that there is a resurrection and that I will be able to see my mom again is a lifeline I’m clinging tightly to right now. Anyhow, this is a sermon I preached about a year ago at our church, which is called Living Hope. I hope it will encourage you to recognize the power of hope in your life.   Listen on Spotify   Listen on Apple Podcasts —— Links —— More about Mimi Finnegan here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group, follow on X @RestitutioSF or Instagram @Sean.P.Finnegan Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play it out on the air Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Get Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this pearl of great price. Get the transcript of this episode Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.

“Many a man is a failure today because no one ever believed he could be otherwise. So I say to you: if you believe that there is only one being and only one cross, you will lift the cross from a seeming other.” – Neville Goddard“If you really believe me you will not pass anyone without doing something to lift his burden. Taking up his cross, you will represent him to yourself as you would like to see him; and to the degree that you are self-persuaded, he will become it, even though he may never know what you did.” – Neville Goddard

Welcome to a Very Special Episode: Ma's Hair Is Down & Everything Goes to Hell (almost!).This week on Little House 50 Podcast, we dive headfirst into an episode that has it all: emotional turmoil, slow-burn temptation, passive-aggressive teenage angst, and… Ma's hair down. Yes, DOWN. That's when you know things are about to get spicy on the prairie.Charles hops on a wagon and leaves for a job, so Caroline hires a handsome, mysteriously single handyman named Chris to finish the kitchen extension. He's good with tools. Very good. Suspiciously good. Soon, he's hammering more than nails—he's hammering his way into Ma's heart.Mary, ever the emotionally intelligent eldest child, smells drama from a mile away and starts throwing shade with the precision of a seasoned Real Housewife of Sleepy Eye. Honestly? She's kind of a bitch in this episode—but like, a justified bitch. We support her.Meanwhile, Laura is blissfully unaware that her family is one flirty barn-raising away from a full-blown scandal.And then there's Ma. Sweet, proper, dutiful Ma—until suddenly, she's got her hair down and a suspiciously candlelit glow in the kitchen. You don't let your hair down in Walnut Grove unless you're catching feelings or catching trouble.And honestly, if anyone earned the right to slap Nellie into next Tuesday, it's Mary in this episode.Will Laura keep calling him “Uncle Chris,” even though he is giving major stranger danger with a toolbox energy?! Girl.Will Ma go there?? (She won't... but we all kinda wanted her to for a second.)Grab your bonnet and your prairie popcorn—this episode is pure frontier soap opera.Let's get into it.Then, join us on Patreon where Alison and Pamela chat about the recent Little House event in Indiana, and a preview of episodes to come!Links and Resources:Haven't signed up for Patreon yet? Link is below!PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/LittleHousePodcastJoin us in NYC! November 22nd at 1pm at GREEN ROOM 42Little House 50th Anniversary Podcast-LIVE!You can also LIVE STREAM this event!Grab your bonnets and buckle up, New York—because the prairie is coming to the city!  Expect behind-the-scenes stories from the beloved TV show, lots of laughs, audience questions, and maybe a surprise or two.  It's the kind of prairie mischief you get every week on the podcast—but you can be a part of it! So put on your lemon verbena, put down the morphine and hitch your wagon - Walnut Grove is moving to NYC for one night only! Can't be in NYC? LIVESTREAM TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE!https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/www.LittleHouse50Podcast.com to connect with our hosts and link to their websites.www.LivinOnaPrairieTV.com  Check out the award-winning series created by Pamela Bob, with special guest stars Alison Arngrim and Charlotte Stewart.Prairie Legacy Productions - the place to go for info about all new Little House events!To learn more about Little House on the Prairie, Visit www.littlehouseontheprairie.comLittle House 50th Anniversary Bus Tours - www.SimiValleyChamber.org  select Little House 50th Anniversary and then Bus TicketsFacebook/Instagram/TikTok:Dean Butler @officialdeanbutlerAlison Arngrim @alisonarngrimPamela Bob @thepamelabob, @prairietvSocial Media Team: Joy Correa and Christine Nunez https://www.paclanticcreative.com/Producer: Tony Sweetwww.ubngo.comLHOP EventsMansfield on Sept 26-27FAN EXPO IN Dallas Oct 4-5Live Podcast! Nov 22 from The Green Room 42 in NYCLittle House on the Prairie Cast Reunion -- Dec 12-14, Simi Valley, CAhttps://www.littlehouseontheprairiecastreunions.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/little-house-fifty-for-50-podcast--6055242/support.

Ever been advised to film your training with your dog by a dog professional? Honestly, we have our reasons for asking you to do this (and we don't care about the state of your living room either!Important Links from this episode:1. Join my upcoming workshop supporting the parents of environmentally sensitive dogs here: https://www.pawsupdogs.com/triggered/2. Join the free 3 day event "Connect" and learn how to build an even better relationship with your dog. Register here: https://www.pawsupdogs.com/connect-for-dogs-and-their-people/ --------------If you'd like my support on your journey with your dog, please visit www.pawsupdogs.comI offer:- Self-paced online courses and a membership for dog guardians and trainers-  Digital 1:1 Trauma informed dog assessments for dog guardians and business assessments for dog trainers- Higher level mentorship for dog guardians and trainers3. To Join Canine Connection (my training and support membership for BOTH ends of the lead, please click here4. I love answering your listener questions so if you have a question for me, please click here to submit it and I might just answer it on the podcast!------------------------------------------------------------------------Here are some other resources available for you and your dog:1. To register for one of our behavioural workshops (for in depth support on everything from reactivity, recall, separation anxiety, leash walking, car travel, vet visits, puppies and more) please click here2. To join our free facebook group click here3. Are you a dog professional? Check out our podcast for pet pros here** Come and see us at www.pawsupdogs.com** Join our private facebook group. Click here** Follow us on instagram @pawsupdogstraining

Inside Parallax IG: https://www.instagram.com/inside_parallax?igsh=dXp6aTN1bTZnMHhj---------------------------------------------------------------------Discord: https://discord.gg/KXJewVbJ---------------------------------------------------------------------Our new Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/Shootin_The_Shit/s/44jMexiCSH---------------------------------------------------------------------Hoodlum_Actual IG: https://instagram.com/hoodlum_actual?igshid=MmVlMjlkMTBhMg==---------------------------------------------------------------------Other IG: https://www.instagram.com/sts_hoodlum_actual?igsh=aGo0cGZwMWRvdnps———————————————————-----------------------------Adam's post nuke NEW IG: https://www.instagram.com/slvrtacofrommi?igsh=MXE0Y3k2bXNzNndrNA==--------------------------------------------------------------------Other IG: https://www.instagram.com/sts.adam?igsh=MW1tazVhZTZtMnlmNA==———————————————————---------------------------Its.Millar.Time IG: https://instagram.com/its.millar.time?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA==---------------------------------------------------------------------Other IG: https://www.instagram.com/sts.millar?igsh=aHJheHYwcWVhdDZw---------------------------------------------------------------------Chris IG: https://www.instagram.com/sts.chris1?igsh=aWUzbTk4Z2g3b2pp

Sarah Hurwitz served as a White House speechwriter from 2009 to 2017, first as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. She's with us to discuss her new brilliant book: As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us, which is a must-read for every Jew who often has mixed feelings about their faith (not that there is anyone like that), as well as non-Jews who want to understand us weirdos better. Honestly everyone should read it, or at the very least buy it. Don't take our word for it, read what beloved guest Yossi Klein Halevi has to say: “Beautifully written and brilliantly argued, As a Jew is that rare book that defines an historical moment. The American Jewish awakening is upon us, and Sarah Hurwitz is its prophet.” We discuss Jewish peoplehood, how our story is shaped by the outside gaze, and how to have productive conversations. Also, what did Sarah steal from the White House? And what did Chaya Leah steal from Auschwitz??Want to help us grow? Review and rate us five starts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Also:* White House tea* Meditation, spirituality and being a hospital chaplain* Every non-Zionist Jew should read this book and learn about their internalized antisemitism.* Zionism is not an entry point* Sarah's campus tour that started on… October 10th, 2023.* Nobody hates the university's Russian club* There's a Torah for that* The revolution will not happen in old buildings* Your gateway Mitzvah* A day of Jewish difference* It's ok if you don't feel anything at Shul* Why Sarah couldn't sell her book in Israel* Whose antisemites are worst, the left or the right? No need to argue, plenty of hate to go around.* Where are the politicians with a spine?* Can you yell at people until they agree with you?* Well, it's been a great 80 years! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Leading up to my milestone birthday, everyone kept asking: How are you going to celebrate? Big party? Big event? Honestly, I didn't want to do any of that—and for the first time, I felt totally okay about it. I gave myself permission to celebrate exactly how I wanted, which is how I ended up fully embracing the We Do Not Care Club.In this episode, I'm sharing the Business + Marketing Edition of the We Do Not Care Club, where I reveal the 10 things I'm officially no longer available for as I step into my fifties.This is your permission slip to stop caring about what doesn't matter and to focus on showing up real, imperfect, and powerful.Follow the creator of the We Do Not Care Club movement, Melani Sanders: https://www.instagram.com/justbeingmelani/https://www.tiktok.com/@justbeingmelanihttps://www.youtube.com/@JustBeingMelaniIf you like the vibe of this episode, you're a perfect fit for the Joy of Copy Club: www.kimkiel.com/copyclubText me a question or comment!

In this episode, JIm and Derek are joined by Justin and Aly to discuss whether we should build a separate internet. Honestly, it seems like a good idea on paper. Then, how can we make the labyrinth a more effective trap using modern technology?  Panelists: Jim, Derek, Justin, Aly

 In this episode, Ashley shares her powerful story of overcoming domestic abuse. Ashley recounts her tumultuous marriage marked by emotional and psychological abuse, her journey through a traumatic childbirth experience, and her eventual separation. She discusses the impact of her childhood abuse, her struggle with self-doubt, and the challenges of single motherhood with special needs children. Ashley also shares how her faith and community support played vital roles in her healing journey. The episode concludes with Ashley's advice for others in abusive situations to prioritize self-care and seek supportive communities. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast 00:34 Meet Ashley: A Survivor's Story 01:38 Ashley's Background and Journey 04:19 Challenges of Parenting Special Needs Children 05:12 Coping During the Pandemic 06:55 Ashley's Upbringing and Faith Journey 14:21 Meeting Her Husband and Early Red Flags 16:15 The Birth of Ashley's Children 21:34 Experiencing Abuse and Control 23:26 Realizing the Extent of Abuse 24:15 Deciding to Leave 25:42 The Second Separation 32:05 Ongoing Abuse During Divorce 35:02 Healing and Support 38:56 Faith and Moving Forward 41:53 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement   Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/   Ashley Transcript [00:00:00] Special thanks to 7 5 3 Academy for sponsoring this episode. No matter where you are in your fitness and health journey, they've got you covered. They specialize in helping you exceed your health and fitness goals, whether that is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or nutritional coaching to match your fitness levels. They do it all with a written guarantee for results so you don't waste time and money on a program that doesn't exceed your goals. There are martial arts programs. Specialize in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. They take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Sign up for your free class now. It's 7 5 3 academy.com. Find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, [00:01:00] Diana. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. So today on the wounds of the Faithful podcast, we have a survivor story today. So please welcome Ashley to the show. Thanks for coming on the podcast and sharing a bit of yourself with us. Hi. You're welcome. I'm glad to be here. I haven't seen you since the girls. We went over to Starbucks for an outing and we had that incident with the spider. Yes, I know. Multiple spiders crawling around the table and on you. Oh, well I thought that Kelly had killed the one on the ground and then we found out there was another [00:02:00] one and it was on my shoulder and you wanna see me freak out? Okay, that's how you get me to freak out is a spider. So here we are trying to kill the spider. But we had a good time. It was fun. Just fun to get out. It was a hot day. We were out there roasting in the heat, but it was just fun to get out and, have some girl time. Right? Yes, definitely. We needed it. So, let's, get to know you a little better. So give us a little introduction about yourself. What general part of the country are you from, and are you married? How many kids you got, what do you do for a living? That kind of stuff. Okay. Well my name is Ashley, and I live in Arizona. I've been here for five years now. I was living in North Carolina with my husband and our family for, we were on the East coast for about, oh gosh, probably about eight years or so. And, living in, in North Carolina, Virginia, and [00:03:00] that area. So I met Diana through Mending the Soul. I joined because I have been separated from my husband for, about a year now. We've been separated twice and that was due to abuse that was going on in the marriage. So I have a history of abuse in my life, starting from when I was little. There was abuse that happened outside of the home, with. People that were slightly older than me. And that was more of like a, sexual abuse or molestation kind of situation. And then getting married, I thought it was a good relationship. I thought we were a good team. And we, I think it, it was okay for a while until we had children and that's when things started. Unraveling and a lot of patterns started popping up all over the place of, all kinds of a abuse that, not physical, but it was [00:04:00] emotional, mental, psychological, spiritual abuse, all of those. And I'm still kind of working through and wrestling with the effects that that had on me. And it's still, I mean, I have good days and I have really, really hard days. So it's kind of, it's still, even though it's been a year of being apart, it's still all over the place. Mm-hmm. Um, but I do feel like I'm making progress and, many, the soul did help with that along with counseling. So that's where I'm at right now and I'm currently going to school to get, to become a speech language pathology assistant. And, I have about just one semester left of that. And then I know I'm so excited to, hopefully get to work with kids that are, you know, having difficulties for whatever reason. And I am a special needs mom. My, middle child has autism and. So that's been a journey. And then my youngest also has struggles in certain areas of learning. So, yeah, this [00:05:00] will help me also, while being able to help other people. So that's where I'm at right now. So your special needs kids, what kind of challenges does that bring as a single mom and going through abuse? Mm. Oh gosh. I hadn't really thought of it in that context before, but it's a lot because you're, as a parent, you're trying to focus on their needs and trying to meet them where they're at, but at the same time, you're trying to meet yourself where you're at. So it's constantly trying to think of everyone's needs and trying to meet everyone where they are, including myself. So it is, it's a lot to think through. Every day. Yeah, but I love 'em and I mean, it's amazing to see their growth and, yeah. But it is definitely a struggle. So your kids free today, get a break, but how have you been coping during the pandemic with your kids? [00:06:00] What have you found that works? Yeah, so thankfully I've been talking to family about this also, our schedule. Because of Kim, his running his elopement, we have a hard time going to a lot of places already. So even before the pandemic, we didn't go to a lot of stores or we mostly spent our time outside and at home. So that really, I think, helped set us up for this situation because it wasn't a huge jump, you know, from being out around people all the time to nothing. So we were already kind of ready in some ways. So it's a lot of time outside as much as we can. The kids love roller skating. They love swimming. They love, yeah, just being outside doing anything they can. So that, and then, even doing games inside the house together is fun, like pillow fights or box, like my youngest likes to, like, he's practicing boxing and he loves to, [00:07:00] like I put on the oven MITs, and then he has his little boxing gloves, which is so cute. It's, it's fun. And, just trying to get their energy out. And then I work out also, so we're trying to like get all that energy from all of us. So it's, that's been good. Well, it's pretty funny. When we've had group, you know, the kids are there, three boys, like climbing all over her and poking her and mom, mom, mom. And she's trying to focus on, her part in the group, and, you just do the best you can, right? Yep. Exactly. That's, I think it's learning to just roll with it, so it's like, yeah, and like the pandemic continues to teach us that I think is, we just have to be able to roll with it as it comes. Wow. Oh, so tell us a little bit more about your upbringing. Were you raised in a Christian home? Not with my mom and my stepdad, who I lived with later, but my grandparents, who I lived with when I was little, they took me to the Nazarene Church and I was a part of that [00:08:00] community, so I was a part of a church. I don't particularly remember learning about Jesus or, salvation in particular. I just remember just in general learning about. God in general. And so that's kind of how I was raised. And then when I moved in with my mom and my stepdad, they're not a part of any faith community. So I would go either with friends to church, and then when I was older I would just go by myself, drove, I drove myself there. And and that's kind of how it started. What kind of relationship would you say you had with God? Was it personal? Was it God was distant or? Uh, I think when I was very little, I didn't feel like I had a relationship really, but always as I got older, I remember always feeling like he was there. I remember always feeling like I didn't quite understand how I knew that, but he just, I just felt like he was there with me. And then as I [00:09:00] continued. Learning more and especially after Ava, or sorry, especially after my daughter was born, I really realized the connection with Jesus and got, had my relationship with God through him. And so that's when it really became very personal. So like in the last 10 years, more so. Do you remember when you actually made that decision? Was there a day? Yeah, I don't remember the date, but, we had started having struggles in our marriage pretty soon after Ava was born and I was feeling so confused and so lost and like I needed to be doing more. And so I was going through the Love Dare book and in there it was really a really good book for that moment. And it lays out. Scripture each day. And at the end, it gives you an opportunity to accept Jesus. And I remember being so blown away during that book because no one had ever explained to me the importance of Jesus [00:10:00] and what he did for me. And so when I was like, why have I not heard this? Like, oh my gosh. And yeah. And so at the end I remember just sitting at the table crying, crying, like I could not stop crying. And it was like something inside of me just clicked and, yeah, so I said the prayer and, every, a lot of things changed after that and continued to change. Wow. That's, I've never heard a story like that. You know, I had The Love Dare book, actually, the guy I was dating. Mm-hmm. That was abusive to me, gave me that book, and it was really strange. He tried to get me to go back to my ex-husband, who was my one abuser, and, it was an excellent book, but at that time. There wasn't going to be any parting of the Red Sea Miracle with my ex-husband. I kept telling this guy, we're already divorced. It's over. Yes, I'm moving on. Yes. But it's amazing that you found Jesus through that book. I praise the [00:11:00] Lord for that. I know, and that's the, I think it's interesting because I started reading that book to help with the marriage. And it did somewhat, but I think the most, it was cool because God met me where I was doing what I was doing, you know? And it didn't matter why I started it. Yeah. It's just so cool. Amazing. So what were your teenage years like? Did you have a lot of self-confidence growing up? Oh gosh. I would say no. I mean, middle school was really hard for me. I had a lot of rejection and embarrassing things happen, and they kind of linked with the abuse. That happened when I was younger. And so that kind of, I spiraled quite a bit there and I just, I think, decided that I wanted to protect myself. And so I decided, okay, I'm gonna get straight A's in school. I'm gonna run track and I'm gonna do [00:12:00] the best I can with that and I'm not gonna get in trouble. And I just made all these like promises to myself, I think, to protect myself. So I think I appeared on the outside probably like I had. I a lot of confidence, but it really was protection and so I don't feel like it was confidence at all. It was all rooted in fear and trying to protect myself. So, no, I don't think I did. Mm. Now how did your grandparents play a part in your life? They were very significant. Mm-hmm. And they, yeah, they still, they're a huge part still. Yeah. I mean, it's hard to put into words everything that they've done, but they gave me a safe place. They've always been a safe place for me. And no matter what they, I have never felt abandoned by them. I've never felt judged by them. I've never felt, like they didn't try to understand me so they've always, they've been a consistent, safe place. Throughout my whole life. And [00:13:00] so even in those hard times, I, I did always know they were there. And, I would call my grandma instead of talking to my mom or anyone else, I would always call my grandma and talk to her. And she kind of helped me work through in college when I finally, I think I was hitting another breaking point in college when I was drinking a lot and really depressed. Honestly, I was running track at a college and. Trying to perform still, but then partying also. And there were these two parts of me that were like colliding and it was so painful and I didn't know how to get out of this situation. And so she helped me a lot through that also. And then later with my realizing the abuse with Dan, with my husband, and deciding to make changes there, she helped me a lot through that Also. Hmm. So yeah, her support has meant the world. I didn't really grow up with traditional grandparents. I didn't, my grandfathers died long before I was even cognitive, [00:14:00] and my dad's mother died when I was seven. And then my mother's mother, we didn't have a very close relationship because she was a very abusive person, and my mother mm-hmm. Didn't, my mother didn't want us around her and she really was a, nasty person. But, so I didn't really grow up with grandparents. I think that's why I was always friends with a lot of senior citizens. Were my good friends because I didn't have grandparents. I had, teachers and coaches and, the next door neighbor. Mm-hmm. I kind of clung too. So it was a blessing that you had have grandparents to be there for you and guide you through these tough times? Yes. Yeah. It's, it is. I mean, thinking about if I didn't have them, it's been hard enough. Even having that support. So I can't imagine not having that support. It's been, it literally feels like a gift. That God has put there to help me [00:15:00] get through all of this. And, yeah. So I'm just really thankful. So we're gonna transition to the unsavory part of the podcast. When did you meet your husband and were there any warning signs, that there was going to be abuse? So we met, we were both attending Arizona State University and we met there. We were part of a co-ed business fraternity. And, we met at a party and we, I mean, I felt like right away that I wanted to be with this person, even though I didn't know him. As I was telling you before, like I was in a really unhealthy place. All through college. It's because I, everything from my childhood hadn't been addressed and was still, all that pain was under the surface. And I think I was just trying to cover it up any way I could by drinking, sleeping with people. And, that's kind of where our relationship started. That's how it started in that [00:16:00] kind of context and. So we were both in a really unhealthy place. I think his, parents had just started the divorce process, I think when I met him. And he had a lot of pain from his childhood too. And so I think we both were just trying to cover up the pain. And so in the beginning I couldn't see any red flags because we were very similar, I think, in how we were. Covering up things and living life. And so it wasn't until really, until we had kids, because my attention was divided between him and the kids and my, and needing to take care of myself once my attention was divided, that's when all of the. The pattern started bubbling up, so I couldn't see it until quite a bit later. Mm. Wow. So when your children came along, you had a pretty dark time for you. Did you wanna share [00:17:00] about the, birth of your children? Yeah, I can. So my daughter's birth. Was overall good. We had to have a c-section because she was, she was not head down. She was bottom down and she did not wanna flip, which is totally, it's funny 'cause she's very, like kind of stubborn in her own way. And so it's funny that she just was like, Nope. Like, I'm good right here. I'm not moving. And so yeah, the C-section went well and, but. I remember I felt so sad in the hospital. I was so happy to see her, but at the same time, I think seeing her face and seeing how vulnerable she was as a baby, I think triggered everything in me at a whole new level from what happened when I was younger. So that's how her birth was difficult. And then, or my second child's birth. Was a slightly difficult Also, I was trying to have a [00:18:00] VBAC and the cord was wrapped around his, around his neck and his heart rate was dropping and so we had to go in for an emergency C-section. That one, went pretty well too. Overall, given the circumstances and everything. So it wasn't until a lot, our third child's birth. That was really, really difficult. And during that I was trying for another vbac, which looking back I wish I had not done that. But I was trying because I felt like that's, I really wanted that experience. And so I was trying and I found a doctor that would support me in doing that. And, um. It was, the birth was taking too long. I was kind of stalled in labor and they, I had an epidural and. I couldn't feel very much, but at one point I felt a pop. And this was as they were planning to get me into the [00:19:00] emerge, into the room to deliver, to via C-section. They were already planning it. We were just trying to get in there once it was open and available. Mm-hmm. And I felt this pop as they were planning this. And, I didn't know to say anything because I didn't. No, anything was wrong. I couldn't feel any pain. And we get into the emergency room, no, still no one knows anything has happened. And he's allowed to be awake and okay. And so I'm still awake and they find the, the rupture in my uterus. And I lost about probably half my blood and, and so that was very, very traumatic in and of itself. Getting out of the hospital was difficult because my blood still didn't look quite right to them. My blood work and everything, they weren't happy with it. And so, but I went home. And decided not to get a blood transfusion. Just because I didn't feel comfortable with it. [00:20:00] I ended up developing a hematoma and an infection, and had to go back in the hospital and was on antibiotics. I think it was about a week I was in there and. So when I came home, I was experiencing PTSD symptoms, but didn't understand that's what it was. Mm-hmm. I literally thought I was going to die all the time. I thought I was every minute of the day. Mm-hmm. I was checking to see what was happening in my body. Because I thought I was going to die for sure. And so I kept wanting to go to the hospital because I felt like what if I'm, I missed the infection before, I didn't know I had this infection. No one was telling me that I looked sick, you know? And I could have died from that infection. And, so yeah, I kept wanting to go to the hospital to see a doctor, just to make sure I was okay. And. I didn't understand what was happening to me, but at the time [00:21:00] he would tell me I didn't need to go to the doctor, you know, and yell at me that I, nothing was wrong with me, that I was fine telling me I didn't need to go to the doctor, making me feel bad about it. I was struggling to take care of the kids, because I was going through all this and not understanding what was happening. So this is where I really, really started to know that something was wrong, in the marriage because of how he handled this situation. So. Yeah, this is his children that he's talking about Most, you know, normal people. If you're, if you're suffering and it involves your kids or your spouse, you're gonna take them to the hospital. That's, that isn't normal. No. Even when I had the infection in my fever. I had started at home and I was shaking like I was, I couldn't stop. Like I would [00:22:00] shake out of the blue. My body would just, that's how far the infection had progressed. And he still was kind of telling me that I didn't need to go. But thankfully my doctor was like, you can come in tonight if you think you need to. And I was like, yes, I need to. Yes. When can I be over there like yesterday? Yes. So was that the first time that you've experienced abuse by him or were there other stuff on top of the post pregnancy and delivery stuff? There was, I mean, there was stuff here and there definitely like control over money, like making me feel bad about buying groceries like that. I spent too much, when I just, I mean I am very frugal. Like I love finding deals. I love all that. I mean, I am into that. I always have been. I am very particular about what I buy and mm-hmm. And I still, no matter how hard I tried to do a good [00:23:00] job, I would come home and it would not be good enough and it would be that I spent too much money. And so, yeah, it's definitely control stuff. I saw I was happening before, but I kind of took it on as this is something I'm doing wrong. And so it wasn't until the medical stuff happened that I realized. That I started to realize a little bit that maybe it was something else. Yeah. You're not the only one that had that. Mm-hmm. Had that problem with the spending money. I was in charge of getting groceries and buying all the Christmas gifts for his family, and it was always the same thing. You spent too much money and mm-hmm. And you bought too many groceries, like, well, why don't you try and get a full, week budget on a hundred bucks and see how good you do. Exactly. Or you buy all the presents for your family and see how well you do on the budget you gave me. [00:24:00] Yeah. The control, the verbal and emotional abuse. Mm-hmm. It's not just physical folks. Your abuser can make your life a living hell without laying a finger on you. Yes, and I think that's what I'm realizing now is I still have physical, issues related to the abuse that happened when Elijah was born. I have heart palpitations that I believe. Come from a mixture of what happened to me physically, but also what happened to me emotionally, that I felt so abandoned and so, confused during that time because of what was being told to me by, by my husband and. Yeah, and just realizing the extent that the damage goes, it's very different than, I mean, physical abuse and emotional abuse have some similarities, but Yeah. The, depths doesn't change just because we can't see it [00:25:00] on the outside. Exactly. Mm-hmm. When did you decide, enough is enough? I need to get out now. Was there a specific day or an event? Well, there were two, I mean two, it happened twice. So it happened in North Carolina. He was continuing to escalate as far as like telling me he was suicidal, which I believe he is. But he seems to, he uses it in certain ways to get me to stop doing things that he doesn't want me to be doing, like spending time by myself outside of the house or spending time with friends. Um. You know, not being able to have intimacy and things like that. So he uses that as a way to get me to stop. And so that was escalating also. He had started using intimidation, punching walls in the house, that kind of thing. So, and the friend had [00:26:00] just, I had never, no one had ever told me that what was happening was abuse. And I didn't know. I honestly did not know. And someone had just. That who had come from an abusive marriage had pointed out to me that I had told her what was happening at home. And she was like, that is abuse. And I was like, what? Are you serious? Mm-hmm. Like I was in shock that I didn't know that. And I think that was just a wake up call for me. When I have confronted it, he pushed back right against it and wanted me to come back home. He and, I, the kids and I had moved to a different house and, we're trying to figure out what to do and that's when I decided to move closer to my family. And so that was the first time we got back together about nine months after we separated. 'cause I just, I think I. I was struggling physically to [00:27:00] handle everything on my own, plus dealing with my mental health. And it was really hard. And I think I was struggling with how am I going to do this? And I missed having someone to share life with. I missed. And I thought, what if I'm wrong? What if I am, what if I'm wrong? And I'm just as messed up as he is? And, um, which I do have my stuff, but it's different. It's not the same. And so we got back together and then about, I think it was about three years after we got back together, all the same patterns had come back up. Mm-hmm. And it had started transferring over to things happening with the kids that as far as control and just emotionally abusive language towards them. And when I started seeing how it was affecting the kids, that's when I decided. No, I cannot let this continue. Because seeing that affect them, how it could affect them [00:28:00] being exposed to that long term, I can't handle that. So I think the kids have really, really helped me to do things for them and for myself that maybe I wouldn't, it would've taken me longer to do it if it was just for me, I think. So yeah, that's kind of how that happened. Yeah, I didn't have children early in the relationship. My ex didn't want kids right away, but then we were married about five to seven year mark then all of a sudden he decided he wanted to have children. And by that time, I already knew I was trapped in a marriage that was abusive and I did not wanna bring children into this world and subject them to that. Because like you say, it's fun if it's just me, but now I have kids that I am in charge of and you know, it's going to affect them. So I just made the decision and I told him, I'm not having children. Mm-hmm. [00:29:00] Sorry, I already have to deal with everything in the marriage that I didn't have. I wouldn't have had any, anything left. But, you made a lot of big points in that you didn't know that you were abused. And I was the same way. I was abused for 13 years and I used to call up my, one of my closest friends, and I used to cry every time. You know, this man would do something horrible and I would cry, and what am I gonna do? And mm-hmm. And one day, you know, she tells me. I'm tired of you calling me up and telling me all your stories. Every time this man does something to you and you need to get out of there. He's an abusive man and I'm like, but the church won't let me get a divorce. And she said, God is not going to not love you anymore [00:30:00] because you've made the choice to divorce this abusive man. That was the day that I, I woke up and I'm like, this is abuse. Mm-hmm. All this time, that's what this was. Mm-hmm. And I made the choice then and there, I need to make plans to get out. Mm-hmm. So , when you decided to leave the second time, what were the steps that you took to get out? I. Hmm. Let's see. So what was that? Was it similar to the first time or was it different? It was a little bit different. I'm trying to think through it. I was more on my own this time. I didn't like, I didn't have someone, I wasn't seeing a counselor at the time. I wasn't really a part of a group. I think I was the most isolated probably that I have been. [00:31:00] And so I really, I just, I think I talked to my grandma and just telling her what was happening. I also listened to some resources from Leslie Vernick and there was one in particular, I can't even remember what it was called, but it was about. Oh gosh, I can't remember specifically, but it was how a man was treating his wife in the Bible. And I think it was the Levite, maybe the story of the Levite. And when I saw their, just the implications of abuse and the effects and the seriousness of it, and that's not what God wants for me. I think once I saw that. I, that's when it really clicked. And I was also getting solo physically that I knew I had to do something. My body was starting to react, to all of the stress and [00:32:00] abuse. Heart palpitations, just constantly tense, feeling like something's going to happen. And so I think all of those things and seeing the effect on our kids, that's when I decided just to. Let him know that I'm not okay with it. And I'm trying to remember even we had a conversation and I let him know, I think we need to be separated. And at the time he agreed with me that we need to be separated, but he wanted us to stay in relationship still, even though we were separated. But I knew in my head that I was done. But it was good be that because that kind of started the process even though he thought that. You know, in his head he thought we would work it out eventually, I think it started the process and we lived in separate places. And then it just has continued from there with filing divorce. Hmm. So you're still in the middle of the divorce proceedings now, right? Yes. Mm-hmm. What's your [00:33:00] interactions been with him, through this proceedings? It's been. Just on and off communication. He, that's with him. He's not outrightly like, glaringly abusive, especially in text messages. That's never been how he is really, it's more covert. So the communication part, except for about a year ago, we had a situation where he wouldn't leave the house and, that's when I stopped being able to let him be here with the kids. But besides that, the communication has been minimal, thankfully. It's more been through money that the abuse has continued. And also through the legal proceedings, what he's asking for legally feels like abuse also. So yeah, he was like canceling credit cards and stuff on you. Yes, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So it's those like subtle, [00:34:00] under the radar where people won't notice really that the abuse is still happening. Yeah. So you look like the bad guy 'cause you're leaving mm-hmm. Your husband, but he's like, trying to sell the house out from under you and the kids and cutting your credit cards. And it's like, how are you gonna feed the children? Where are they gonna sleep? I mean, these are your children. It's insane. Yeah. Your spouse makes you look like. Or makes you feel like you've lost your mind. Or like you said in the first time you left, well, maybe he's not that bad. Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe it's not him, it's me. No, that's what they do. That's what they do, is they make you question your sanity and the reality of the situation. Mm. And that's still, that is the hardest part for me, especially right now with thinking about having to share my story with the court, with [00:35:00] people maybe who side with Dan. And having him there in front of me as I share what has happened. I'm really struggling even right now with, yeah. Do I know what's real? Can I, can I hold on to that? And. Not get confused. Mm-hmm. So that's how the effects of psychological abuse go so deep. Like even if you know the truth, it can create this pattern in your brain where you start questioning yourself, questioning what you know. And you and I tend to go back to. Seeing it as my fault. So I really have to push back against that and be around people who help me remember the truth and keep telling my, reminding myself of what's happened and this is real. This is not something that I'm making up. So how did you start the healing process? Us? Oh gosh. I mean, I think it's been a constant process of trying to put [00:36:00] myself around people. Like I said, who will tell me the truth and, um, about myself and about the situation and how God sees me. So I went back to counseling. Recently after Mending Arm mending the Soul Group ended. I realized I needed to be around people still, and I needed people to speak that truth. So I went back to counseling and that's helped a lot. Still listening to, voices that remind me. Of how toxic that kind of situation is, and that I don't need to stay in that environment. And also it's just, I think a process of acknowledging how much all of it hurt, acknowledging the damage that was done, and just the reality, letting myself accept the reality of the situation. While also taking care of myself, like mentally, physically, and all of that. So it's definitely, it feels like a full-time, full-time job sometimes just, trying to keep myself going in the right [00:37:00] direction. But I'm definitely, I feel like I'm learning about what I need and, trying to meet those needs the best I can. Would you recommend manning this all to others? What was your experience with the group? Definitely, yes, I would recommend it. Yeah, that was a first for me, being around other women who have been through abuse, and I think that alone is huge. Just being able to hear other people's stories and realizing that the patterns are the same, even though the situations are so different and the effects can be very similar too. And, and also the steps to healing and processing what happened are so good. So it's just that combination of community with people who have been through it, and also the path to working through the, what happened to you. Well, I'm glad that it was so helpful to you. I've definitely seen some changes in you from the beginning when you joined the [00:38:00] group and now. So that, I hope that's an encouragement to you. You seem so more confident and you recognize those red flags. You understand now what he's doing to you when he's talking to you. He is gaslighting you. He is narcissistic. He is being manipulative. You're recognizing those things, whereas you might not have seen those things before. Mm-hmm. And, talking to our listeners that are going through abuse right now, or maybe they just left their abuser, what advice would you give to someone else who's being abused right now? Hmm. I think that, I would say to take care of yourself, and to think about what you really need. That it is not wrong to think about. What you need and where you are at. I feel like a lot of times, especially in [00:39:00] Christian communities, we take on this idea that I think thinking about ourselves and what we need is selfish or wrong, and I feel like that kind of, that mentality set me up to stay in that situation a lot longer, than I probably should have. So yeah, just considering what you really need, and. Getting people around you that will help you decide what steps you need to take, to get into a better position, a better situation where you can have healing, and, and just to yeah, feel better. So I would say, yeah, take care of yourself and get people around you that can support you and help you make a plan. Very good advice. What would you say your relationship with God is like now that you've gone through some of your healing process? Hmm. It's definitely, it's good, but I do, I still [00:40:00] struggle with, Not putting the characteristics. And protecting myself from God, I guess I have a hard time, like not distancing myself, and so it's always reminding myself that he is safe, that he cares about me, that he's leading me through this, and that I can trust him. So it is really good, but it is a constant, a, a journey also reminding myself of the truth over and over so that I can keep coming back to him and not hiding. Oh, that's, that is so true. It is a journey and it's messy Sometimes it's, but God understands he's there and he's gonna be patient and waiting for you while you're still figuring things out and, mm-hmm. Awesome. So like we have a music segment at the end of the episode. I don't suppose you're sing or play an instrument or juggle or anything like that. No. I play the, but I [00:41:00] don't have it. Oh, how about a joke? You got any jokes, kid jokes, cheesy jokes? No. Don't have any jokes? No. Oh, well, no. How about, I know that you have one of these. How about what's a Christian song that really encourages you and that you just go to it whenever you're having a bad day. Oh my gosh. I think I mentioned this one during the group actually. Mm-hmm. I can't remember the title of it, but it's, it's the one, like, he's greater than All My Mistakes. Gosh, I wish I can remember who, oh, I can't remember the name of the band. But anyway, it's something about, greater than all my mistakes, and if you type that in, it should come up. But it's amazing and it just talks about how, it's just such a peaceful song to me and just realizing that he really is, he's greater than all my mistakes. The mistake that I made of being in a relationship with someone that's abusive. Mm-hmm. [00:42:00] Any mistakes I make with the kids, mistakes I make with putting characteristics on God that aren't him, anything that I do, nothing is big enough that is going to change his relationship with me. And that he's always there, waiting for me to, turn and look at him. So, yeah, I love that song. I'll definitely put that in the show notes for people to look that up. 'cause I did listen to it when you mentioned it the first time and it is an awesome song. Yes. But I so appreciate you coming onto the show and sharing your journey with us. You're welcome. Thank you so much for having me. So I hope you really enjoyed Ashley's story today. She had a lot of great nuggets to share with you, and I've heard her story before, of course, in a lot more detail, a lot more gory detail, but you can tell that she is an awesome lady, an [00:43:00] awesome mother who's gone through so much, so many challenges. Yet, the Lord has really blessed her life, blessed her kids. How did you feel about what Ashley said? Can you relate to any of the struggles that she's had that she's continuing to go through? You have a prayer request that you'd like me to bring before the Lord. I have my personal time with the Lord usually at breakfast time, so I'd be honored to pray for you. So until next week. Choose one thing, just once, small thing today to get you closer to your healing goals. Thank you and God bless. Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you. Please hit the subscribe button and tell a friend. You could connect with us at DSW Ministries dot org where you'll find [00:44:00] our blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week.    

Molly and Whitney have crisscrossed the country on countless solo road trips, camping in nearly every state and visiting more national parks, monuments, and coastlines than most of us can name. In this episode, they share unforgettable stories, practical tips, and essential safety advice that kept them going through their adventures. Both are members of the Camp.Homies Collective, and their journeys are a huge source of inspiration. Honestly, I want to be like them when I grow up.

We're back to play another round of Name That Star Wars Sound and this time it's all about the prequels! Listen as we quiz each other with 15 sounds hand picked from just the prequel trilogy! What ones leave us stumped? What ones do we name right away? Listen and find out! So chug some apple juice, listen today and celebrate the love! JOIN THE BLAST POINTS ARMY and SUPPORT BLAST POINTS ON PATREON! NEW ANDOR SEASON 2 EPISODE COMMENTARIES! COMMENTARIES FOR EVERY SKELETON CREW EPISODE! NEW EMPIRE STRIKES BACK COMMENTARY! Theme Music! downloadable tunes from episodes! Extra goodies! and so much MORE! www.patreon.com/blastpoints Blast Points T-SHIRTS are now available! Represent your favorite podcast everywhere you go! Get logo shirts while supplies last! Perfect for conventions, dates, formal events and more! Get them here: www.etsy.com/shop/Gibnerd?section_id=21195481 If you dug the show, please leave BLAST POINTS a review on iTunes, Spotify and share the show with friends! If you leave an iTunes review, we will read it on a future episode! Honestly! Talk to Blast Points on twitter at @blast_points "Like" Blast Points on Facebook Join the Blast Points Super Star Wars Chill Group here www.facebook.com/groups/ BlastPointsGroup/ we are also on Instagram! Wow! www.instagram.com/blastpoints Your hosts are Jason Gibner & Gabe Bott! contact BLAST POINTS at : contact@blastpointspodcast.com May the Force be with you, always! This podcast is not affiliated in any way with Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, The Walt Disney Company, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries.

Join our Patreon to unlock 25+ full-length bonus episodes, ad-free weekly episodes, mp3 downloads of our original songs, exclusive Discord access, and more! You can also support the show by gearing up for fall (we've got beanies, cozy mugs, and sweatshirts!) at bit.ly/lezmerch & picking up your favorite Lez-ssentials songs on Bandcamp. Welcome back to Lez Hang Out, the podcast that would 100% play Pink Pony Club while the boat sinks. This week, Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out with Broadway producer, writer, actor, creator of viral sapphic content, and host of the Sapphic Panic Podcast (and co-host of new podcast,That's So Sapphic), Alexi Melvin (@thealeximelvin), to talk about why James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film Titanic Should've Been Gay.  Honestly, there is shockingly little that needs to be changed for Titanic to be a full-on queer masterpiece. Jack is already so androgynous that he's giving Gentleman Jack and Rose… well, she'd literally rather fling herself into the freezing sea than marry a man. Everything– from the directorial choices made (especially the framing of Jack and Rose's sex scene), the casting decisions (Leonardo DiTWINKrio was truly a bizarre choice for a 90's male romantic lead), and the lesbian savior-complex audacity of Jack sacrificing himself for a woman he kissed for the first time only 6 hours prior– combines to make Titanic a film that truly feels gay. Whether you were a young femme in the 90s feeling seen by Kate WinsLEZ's portrayal of sad-girl Rose or a young androgynous queer feeling inspired by Leo's depiction of Jack and his “Hey Mamas” energy, Titanic had something for everyone.  We talk about the few tweaks we would make to the movie, the added layer of complexity the story gains when viewing Jack as either an androgynous lesbian or a young trans man, the ‘eat the rich' of it all, and why we truly believe both Jack and Rose could've fit on that ‘door' at the end. We know one thing for sure, Titanic Should've Been Gay. Give us your own answers to our Q & Gay on Instagram and follow along on Facebook, TikTok, and BlueSky @lezhangoutpod. Email us @lezhangoutpod@gmail.com. Connect with us individually: Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster). We're heading to France from March 25-31st, 2026, and we want you to come with us! Learn more and secure your spot on our Big Gay Trip to Paris and Bordeaux at bit.ly/lezdofrance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have been teasing something huge on this podcast for a long time and i'm so excited to finally share it with you all.  I'm so damn proud of this episode and it would mean the world to me if you listened to it. Honestly if you share it i'd probably kiss you on the mouth.  The fear of fucking this up has me shaking but that's when you know an idea is truly great so we are going to give this everything we have! Couldn't have done this without so many amazing people and I would run out of characters if I tried to thank everyone but a HUUUUGE shoutout to @themoonyeg @thecomicstripwem and especially @mz_desade and @imnoahbronson for believing in me and giving me a chance all those years ago and to this very day!If you want to be a part of something great please please share this episode and come see the shows!Sept 9th E-ville EmpireSept 10th Primetime Comedy Showcase at the Comic Strip in WEMSept 11th Headlining The Underdog at The Black Dog FreehouseSept 12th Flatter Battles at The Moon!Sept 13th The Asylum, Gen-Pop and Panopticon at The MoonOct 6th MOON FUCKING MONDAY AT THE COMIC STRIP HOLY SHIT!!!

Send us a textSHOP OUR NEW BESTIES and the BOOKS X CROW Merch! | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comUse code “CROWSPEED5” for $5 off one order of $50+ (ends 09/15/2025 11:59pm PST)Holy mother of crow, what just happened?! Honestly, we're not even sure ourselves. We blinked and it was Crowtember! Also known as “September,” we've deemed Crowtember the month of the crow, the gateway to fall, spooky season, and all things wonderful! So what did we do to honor this lovely time of year?! We launched our very first merch line to honor the crows (our pod mascot), and we read some birdish books so we can give you the crow-11 all about them! So stick around if you want all the details on how you can get your hands on our official hoodies, beanies, and more! And discover whether or not these bird shifters are shadow daddy worthy. We decided to read one cringy crow read: Crow by Layla Fae (IYKYK), and one popular Romantasy read: House of Beating Wings by Olivia Wildenstein. And boy howdy did we have a good time. We're bringing you a deep dive that covers everything from a complex fantasy world in the sky with a shadow daddy crow king, to a cursed half man, half crow with an egg-expelling appendage… We can't wait to yap our beaks off with you about both of these books so you can decide if you'll add them to your TBR or not. And don't worry, we'll make sure to answer the question: Are we INTO crows now? (Yes, like that…) And we finish with a good old creature / crow smash or pass.Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)Check out these author interviews? ⬇️Check the official Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of Split or Swallow! Now a Barnes & Noble & Amazon best seller titled: Kiss of the Basilisk!  https://youtu.be/fknhocSNIKM____SHOP OUR NEW BESTIES and the BOOKS X CROW Merch! | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comUse code “CROWSPEED5” for $5 off one order of $50+ (ends 09/15/2025 11:59pm PST)Ashley is Wearing: The Crop Hoodie with BATB Branded Colors | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com/products/cropped-hoodie-besties-anti-social-crow And the Anti Social Social Book Club Beanie | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com/products/anti-social-social-crow-book-club-knit-beanie Liz is Wearing: The Zip Up Hoodie with BATB Branded Colors | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com/products/zip-hoodie-grey-besties-anti-social-crow And the Greyscale Besties and the Books Beanie | * Support the showYouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable!https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358Liz Instagram | TikTok@TheRealLifeVeganWife AshleyInstagram | TikTok@AshleyEllix

Guest Bio: Rachel Britton is a British-born author, speaker, and blogger. Her passion is to help women become comfortable and confident in their conversation with God. Rachel has lived in the United States since 1995. Her career began in newspaper and magazine publishing in London. She worked for BBC Worldwide before moving to the USA. Rachel is a contributing author in a number of traditionally published books, Guidepost publications, and online material with Bible Study Tools. Her most recent book, “Pray Naturally,” released January 7, 2025, with Our Daily Bread Publishing. Rachel is the creator and writer of an Amazon Alexa skill app—“Alexa, say a prayer”—which receives approximately 1,500 requests per day. Rachel holds a master's in religion from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She is Director of reNEW ~ spiritual retreat for writers and speakers held annually in the northeast which she operates through her nonprofit organization, Rachel Britton Ministries. Rachel is married with three young adult children spread over too many time zones. She loves to escape to the mountains of Colorado to write, hike, and ski. She blogs on prayer regularly at her online home, rachelbritton.com.   Show Summary: When you're facing a big challenge or transition in your life, is it hard to pray? Often, we forget about God in the stress and anxiety of whatever life throws at us, but He is right there waiting for you to talk to Him. Rachel Britton felt hopeless when she and her husband moved to the United States from Britain. As she faced the biggest transition of her life, she remembered God and cried out to Him. Now, Rachel encourages women to pray naturally with God through whatever they face. Join hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins as they learn how to pray naturally with Rachel during this God Hears Her conversation.   Notes and Quotes:   “I realized that God had taken me from all the things that distracted me from Him. He moved me across the Atlantic, and it was like He stood in front of me and said, ‘Rachel, would you now take notice of me?' I didn't see it as punishment; I saw it as love. Love that He cared so much about me that He would take me away from the things that kept me from Him.” —Rachel Britton  “God knows what is going on in our minds and our hearts, and He honors that and He hears and He helps us. In those times spent with Him, that's when we grow in our faith, and He grows us so that those fears start to get less.” —Rachel Britton   “He knows what we're thinking anyhow. He knows what's in our hearts anyhow, so we can bring it to Him, however it sounds.” —Rachel Britton  “We have to hold onto those times when God has come through for us. If He's done it before, He'll do it again.” —Rachel Britton  Verses:   Exodus 2 - Moses being hidden as a baby  Hebrews 11:23  Joshua 2 – Rahab hiding the spies   Related Episodes: GHH Ep 6 – How We Hear from God with Eryn and Elisa: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/how-we-hear-from-god/ GHH Ep 86 – When We Pray Like Jesus with Elisa and Eryn: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/when-we-pray-like-jesus/ GHH Ep 99 – Conversations with God with Lori Hatcher: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/conversations-with-god/  Links:  Rachel Britton's Website: https://rachelbritton.com/ Rachel's Book Pray Naturally: https://a.co/d/1PIIxNP Unshakable Moxie BOGO Deal: https://go.odb.org/bogo God Hears Her website: https://go.odb.org/ghh191  Subscribe to the God Hears Her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GodHearsHerODBM Share Your Story:  https://godhearsher.org/share-your-story/ God Hears Her email sign-up: https://go.odb.org/ghh-sign-upsfmc191   

What do you get when you mix the manic comic genius of Michael Keaton, the inimitable dramatic and comedic chops of the great Teri Garr, the legendary deadpan wit of Martin Mull, the wacky unpredictability of Christopher Lloyd, and the ever-reliable smarm of Jeffrey Tambor? Franlky, we wish you got more than Mr. Mom, a movie regarded by many as a modern classic but which left the already very domesticated Paul, Javi, and the always paternal Producer Brad scratching their heads wondering if men in the 80s were simply too brain damaged to drive a grocery store cart. There's a few bright spots, of course, the not-so-hidden connection to Rocky III, the cute kids, and, of course, woobies. But is it enough? Honestly, we decided to watch this instead of Deathstalker because we thought we owed it to you - our listeners - to get out of the sword and sorcery space and talk about a mainstream movie… and in this episode, you get to hear your three hosts realize the depth of their error with hilarious consequences! CURSE YOU LORD MUNKAR! Yeah, come back next week, we're watching Deathstalker.Show Notes:1983 Box OfficeSeptember 2 1983 Weekend Box OfficeJuly 22, 1983 Weekend Box OfficeMr. Mom Box Office ResultsMr. Mom AFI Catalog EntryCole Haddon 2023 interview with producer Lauren Shuler Donner.Follow us!InstagramBlueskyemail: Multiplexoverthruster@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Q&A episode was a little different because instead of gathering listener questions, I turned to my best mate — ChatGPT — to ask me five questions about podcasting. Honestly, I had no idea what was coming, but the questions were spot-on and got me thinking deeply about what works and what doesn't in podcasting.I shared lessons I've learned from years of trial, error, and growth, along with practical advice for podcasters at any stage. What I love about this format is that it forces me to reflect on what I actually believe, and not just what I've read or heard.Key Talking PointsPivoting Your Podcast – When downloads decline and engagement drops, it's time to rethink your format or content.The Social Media Trap – Posting endlessly won't grow your audience; instead, invest in organic marketing or podcast-specific ads.Starting from Scratch – The best advice is simple: just start. Don't wait for the perfect gear or setup.Sponsorship Without Huge Numbers – Small podcasts can still win sponsors by being niche, creative, and packaging their value.Building Listener Loyalty – Make your audience feel like they're part of a club—give them a name and bring them along for the ride.Chapters & Timestamps[00:00] – Introduction & why this episode is different[02:00] – How to know when to pivot your podcast[05:00] – The one thing podcasters waste time on[08:00] – What I'd do differently if starting today[10:00] – How small podcasts can attract sponsors[12:00] – The best way to keep listeners coming backSend us a textBook a Discovery Call with me! Need a stunning new logo for your brand? Or maybe a short animation?Whatever you need, you can find it on Fiverr.I've been using Fiverr for years for everything from ordering YouTube thumbnails, translation services, keyword research, writing SEO articles to Canva designs and more!

Honestly, this midwestern treat sounds absolutely deliciousSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome home Xenomorphs and Lost Boys!  Alien Earth has landed on GCL and its time to lock yourself into the escape hatch and hope you don’t crash too hard! Honestly all of this to say the show is great and if you’re a fan of the IP you’ll enjoy it ok so just watch… This […]

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen—we've officially wrapped up the nearly two-month-long Sizzlin' Summer Showdown!

In the last few years, the End Times has become a hot topic in evangelical circles. Most pastors won't touch this topic with a ten-foot pole while others are interested, albeit with a bit of skepticism. This podcast adheres to the Pretribulational and Premillennial view of the End Times. Our guest authors also hold this theological position but while we might know enough to be dangerous…they are experts. Here they share many reasons as to why Jesus will return soon for His Bride via the Rapture. In this podcast we will cover some of the 100 questions people ask about the End Times. Please watch and learn from these two scholars on the coming events that we will all soon be part of.We, Scott and Gabe, need to know if you guys like the content. Honestly though, every like, subscribe, and follow shows us that our conversations are helping you. We are on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Anchor, and any podcasting platform. Support us on every platform below! #hearthebookpod https://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Illustrated-Guide-Tough-Questions/dp/0736983678Instagram: @hearthebookpodBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearthebookpodYouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC8AAn7YxgYVoWa7RmeojyFQFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hearthebookpod/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hearthebookpodAnchor: https://anchor.fm/hearthebookpodThank you to Brook Sprague and Michael Card for their music in our podcast!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvI-t0MK5kgMJw7REobBCbQSong: The BookID: 362574Writers: Michael CardPublishers: Mole End Music

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Brad and Lesley break down the interview with Dr. Celeste Holbrook, a sex educator and author who helps people move beyond shame and create healthy intimacy. They explore how harmful cultural narratives impact women, why communication matters more than technique, and how to reclaim your sexual choices as your own.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co .And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:How to make your own Pilates sandbag and what size cord works best.The impact of purity culture on women's sexual experiences.Why sex isn't static and how it evolves as you mature.The people-pleasing responses that block real connection.Dr. Celeste's four-part guide to heal any sexual challenges.The importance of prioritizing oneself and going at one's own pace.Episode References/Links:UK Mullet Tour - https://opc.me/ukP.O.T. Chicago 2025 - https://pilates.com/pilates-on-tour-chicagolandCambodia October 2025 Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.comWinter Tour Waitlist - https://opc.me/eventsHow to Make Your Own Pilates Sandbag - https://www.youtube.com/live/tn4yUcEQnnMSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsMissionary Position: A Slightly Irreverent Guide to Sex After Purity Culture by Dr. Celeste Holbrook - https://a.co/d/3UimUKxI Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris - https://a.co/d/38uINCkI Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye Documentary - https://streamable.com/1ldz9cEpisode 202: Jake Kelfer - https://beitpod.com/jakekelferIf you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Brad Crowell 0:00  People who came from the culture that she did, which was like raised in a super, super strict religious home in purity culture, and so when she got married, she, for, like, it wasn't like, you can't just flip a switch, right? So she was like sex is bad, sex is bad, sex is bad, sex is bad. And then she gets married, and all of a sudden, sex is good. Lesley Logan 0:19  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:02  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the freeing convo I had with Dr. Celeste Holbrook in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, feel free to pause this now and then listen to it, and then come back and join us here. I'm gonna tell you right now. We talked about sex, baby. So you're gonna wanna listen to it. I also have her book. I'm so excited about it. We talked about a lot of stuff it. We went all places. Yeah, we didn't really talk about positions or things like that. We just, like talked about the things that people don't talk about.Brad Crowell 1:36  Actually, you know what you talked about more than anything else, was communication.Lesley Logan 1:39  Yeah, oh, yeah, we did. Oh, and, you know, what's really interesting, her book is so timely at the time we're recording this in my fucking Instagram feed, some stupid man decided to talk about stinky coochies. Oh, yeah. And your coochie needs to be Christian if you don't want your husband to cheat on you. The fucking bullshit that people lie to women about. Lie, just bold face fucking lie. Brad Crowell 2:05  There's no such thing as a Christian coochie Go fuck yourself. That is insane. Lesley Logan 2:09  It also, also, also, I don't care what you believe, it is never your fucking fault if someone cheats on you, it's never your fault. It's always about them. There's something going on there. It's not your fault. Period.Brad Crowell 2:24  Yeah, I was incensed after watching that video. And there's a special place in hell for that pastor.Lesley Logan 2:30  Yeah, there really is. And then I just listened to an interview about some girls who were, like, raised in a purity culture, and I forgot, I had forgotten a lot of the shit that I was, like, told and now and then I read, I've been reading her book, and it's like, holy fuck. It's a wonder, it's a wonder women anywhere are having actual sex that's not painful. So anyways, go read her book. Go listen to that episode. We're gonna talk about some good stuff in a second. I promise. I promise. I do think that the world does get better at some point. I do. I do. I have to believe in that. Lesley Logan 3:00  Today is September 4th 2025 and it is National Wildlife Day. And on National Wildlife Day, hold on, I pulled up, oh. Brad Crowell 3:11  America marks National Wildlife day every year. Lesley Logan 3:14  No, no, no. Don't take this away from me. Brad Crowell 3:16  On September 4th. Lesley Logan 3:17  It's an opportunity for everyone to step back, take a deep breath and think about all that surrounds us. It is inspiring to consider preservation and conservation efforts that work to improve in the natural world, there remains so much to learn, as Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "In wildness is the preservation of the world." Okay, but we couldn't agree more, so let's take a closer look at this day. Yeah, go spend some time out in a preserve near you. We have a preserve near us. Brad Crowell 3:50  We do, it's really close. Lesley Logan 3:51  We actually have the wetlands. And then if we go up two hours, is a really cool preserve we can go camping at, people go fishing at, there's a fucking lake. Brad Crowell 3:58  There's one lake right here, like, a couple blocks from us. Lesley Logan 4:01  Oh, there is another preserve. Brad Crowell 4:02  Yeah, like, literally in the city, this preserve. Yeah.Lesley Logan 4:04  Yeah, yeah, yeah. So go find a preserve near you. You know, I know people like to get mad about the coyotes or the mountain lions that live there. They were there first, so take that in. And second, like it's, there's just something like, it's kind of cool that the way this wildlife that we live and go to a zoo. I mean, make sure it's a good one. But like, take it in, take in the wildlife. Because one, it's going away and. Brad Crowell 4:04  I think the zoo would be the opposite of wildlife.Lesley Logan 4:30  Okay, maybe. But I bet you, I bet you, some of them donate to wildlife. Maybe. Brad Crowell 4:35  I'm, you know. Lesley Logan 4:36  Go camping. Brad Crowell 4:36  They can be well intentioned. Lesley Logan 4:38  So what do you want them to do? Go camping? Brad Crowell 4:40  Yeah, go camping. Lesley Logan 4:41  This wasn't very clear. So I guess take a moment to consider how you're going to preserve the wildlife near you and conserve efforts, like your conservation efforts. You know, can you stop putting plastic straws near you know, water, like the ocean and things like that. The turtles are choking, you guys, so. Brad Crowell 5:02  Yeah, let's not choke any turtles. Lesley Logan 5:04  No, it's so sad, it' so sad. I can't watch those things. So anyway.Brad Crowell 5:07  Our neighbor has a tortoise. Lesley Logan 5:08  Yeah, Tortimer. Brad Crowell 5:09  Tortimer the tortoise, the tortoise, Tortimer the tortoise, and he's like, 15 or something.Lesley Logan 5:15  But he's not even a desert tortoise. He's an African, something tortoise but. Brad Crowell 5:19  Yeah, I can remember the name. Lesley Logan 5:20  Speaking of preservation out here in Vegas, So the desert tortoise is about to go extinct. There's actually we're having some huge problems with them, and have enough space for them, because they actually need flat desert land to crawl on. And then, of course, flat desert land is what everone wants to develop because. Lesley Logan 5:42  Was it extinct, or we're just destroying their habitat here? Lesley Logan 5:42  We're destroying their habitat here. Brad Crowell 5:43  Yeah, I'm not sure if this is their only environment. But, but, yeah, like the the Las Vegas Valley, you know, is expanding. They're expecting something like 400,000 people to move here in the next decade. And so they're, they're slapping together.Lesley Logan 5:53  The lack of rain is not deterring anyone so. Brad Crowell 5:55  Well, they're slapping together all these expansions all around the city in, you know. And basically, they're driving out the they're changing the desert landscape, which is driving away the turtles.Lesley Logan 6:03  And the desert tortoise can't live near the mountains because they don't climb rocks. They just walk on the flat desert. Also, also, I learned this fun fact, you like, they have, they have territories, right? Like, you can't have two male tortoises near each other, and they need to have a burrow during the hot part of the day, and if they don't know the area, you just can't pick up a tortoise and, like, move it to another part of the desert. They got to know where to burrow. So anyways, these are important things to know, and so if you live in an area that's got some wildlife, maybe take it upon yourself to find out what's going on, and your local city council meetings, and who's trying to develop those areas, and yell and scream because it's really cathartic, and you can save a wildlife animal near you. We are we've been recently yelling and screaming to keep Las Vegas loud, so downtown loud. So, you know, it's fun. It's fun to be part of things in the community, to, like, take care of other people. Okay, enough about this day. Lesley Logan 6:04  Coming up. Oh, like now we're actually. Brad Crowell 6:33  Yeah, we're literally en route. Lesley Logan 6:51  So we're in the U.K., by the way. Brad Crowell 6:57  We just we just landed. Lesley Logan 7:03  No, we've been here a day. We're in Scotland today. Yep, we are actually at the very top of Scotland. We're as far up as we can go. And because, that's because we're gonna take a little vacation, we're gonna see some interesting Scottish games, and then we're gonna drive all the way down to Essex, where we're teaching for two days The Movement Base. And there might be a couple spots left in the workshops, and then we're going up to Leeds to teach there on the weekend in September. So this is all happening in September, September 8th, 9th and 10th, and then 13th and 14th. Anyways, it's a Tuesday and Wednesday. Brad Crowell 7:33  I don't actually remember the specific dates, but a. Lesley Logan 7:36  And a Saturday and a Sunday and. Brad Crowell 7:38  Go to opc.me/uk for the specifics. Lesley Logan 7:41  Yeah, and don't miss out, because we're not coming back. Okay.Brad Crowell 7:46  Not anytime soon. Last time was two years ago, so yeah, you know, but yeah, we're never gonna be back. Lesley Logan 7:50  No, we'll come back. Then we're gonna go home for two days, and then we're going to go to Pilates on Tour in Chicagoland. Brad Crowell 7:56  Two days? Lesley Logan 7:57  Two weeks. Brad Crowell 7:58  Two weeks. Lesley Logan 7:59  Two weeks. Brad Crowell 7:59  Yeah, I was gonna say. Lesley Logan 7:59  Two weeks. Brad Crowell 7:59  Two weeks, we're home for two weeks. Lesley Logan 8:02  We're home for two weeks, and then we go to Chicagoland, no, just three weeks. Chicagoland. And the time that we're recording this, we heard it was 75% sold out. It's probably changed, but I think there's, I think the early bird ends next week, if there's any room, and then we'll be in Cambodia. And the time you're hearing this, you've got a month, you can still sign up, you can still buy a plane ticket, like there's still time,Brad Crowell 8:24  There's definitely still time. I'm still having conversations with people, and there's there's room, so.Lesley Logan 8:28  crowsnestretreats.comBrad Crowell 8:30  PS, if you have ever wanted to walk around with elephants, we go to an elephant sanctuary at the after the retreat is over, it's an extra curricular activity after that we love to do, and so we always stay an extra day. And we also go to a waterfall, which is super magical. And maybe that's the thing that you're just like, really that excited, you know, that's what you want to do. So I just want to throw those out there that you can join us for those, in addition to the retreat. Go to crowsnestretreats.com crowsnestretreats.com, and come join us.Lesley Logan 9:05  Yeah, and we're as we're, by the time we're recording this, we're also trying to lock in a day of teaching in Singapore. So my Singaporeans, hello, we are coming your way. And then we're gonna go see the botanical garden. So if you wanna walk around the gardens with us, you can. Then, December is our winter tour, and we're getting a ton of people asking us if we're going to Texas, and things like New York, and things like that. Yes, it's in the winter tour. So go to opc.me/events to get on the waitlist for that because if you're on the waitlist, you hear right away. And let me tell you, when we announce our tours, some cities literally sell out, especially on the winter tour. So because we've been doing the winter tour the longest, and people are really excited about it. So, opc.me/events. Okay.Brad Crowell 9:43  You're not wrong. Lesley Logan 9:44  Before we get into. I know, I know. We went to bed after announcing it. Woke up, two cities were sold out.Brad Crowell 9:50  Two cities were sold out in less than 24 hours last year, yeah. Lesley Logan 9:53  Okay, all right, Brad, we have an audience question to answer. Brad Crowell 9:56  Yes, we do. Lesley Logan 9:57  And actually, this is really for you. Brad Crowell 9:59  Oh would you like to read the question? Lesley Logan 10:06  Yes. Brad Crowell 10:06  Okay. Lesley Logan 10:02  @gp_pilates_studio, that's Greenpoint Pilate studio, hi, Allyn, on YouTube asks about How to Make Your Own Pilates Sandbag video. Hey, Brad, what is the diameter, the diameter of the rope and cord, the paracord that we use? What's the diameter of it? Brad Crowell 10:16  Okay. So this was on a video that we made, Lesley and I made called How to Make Your Own Pilates Sandbag, right? And if you're familiar with the sandbag, it's the bar, and then there's the cord, and then there's the weights, and you can twist it back and forth. And so we actually made one our own, and we showed you how to make your own. So if you're interested in that, it's on YouTube. Great question here, Allyn, gp_pilates_studio on YouTube. So, it doesn't matter really what the diameter is. You don't want, like, you know, an inch thick piece of rope that would be just annoying and bulky. But what I used was just like your typical, like, cheapo bought it at the hardware store, nylon cord, you know, I think it was like 10 bucks for 100 meters of it, or something like that, you know, and they wrap it around that little h looking thing, and you just spin it around it, and it's like, you know, I don't know, like, there was no real diameter. It's just the smallest thing.Lesley Logan 11:13  Okay, I found it. I found it. Three-eights of an inch.Brad Crowell 11:16  Yeah, but, but honestly, if you get a quarter of an inch, it's fine, you know, I wouldn't. I probably, like, at a half an inch or an inch thick rope, it would just be annoying because you're twisting it around this, you know, it would, it would become like a spool, and that's just silly. So smaller is fine. The reality is, it just needs to support, you know, a pound or two pounds of weight, you know, so we're not, we're not trying to lift a house here. We're just.Lesley Logan 11:39  I'm pretty sure it's a three-eights of an inch one that looks like what we got. And also it, because I remember, it fits like, right through, if you just drill a hole we didn't get anything fancy.Brad Crowell 11:40  Yeah and I just, yeah, I just took a, you know, a quarter inch drill bit right through the middle, and then I just threaded that through. So as long as you can get the rope through, it's fine. That's really, you know, that all that matters.Lesley Logan 12:00  Yeah, I love it. So you can all make your own sandbag. We did it for the Accessories Deck, which is now shipping worldwide.Brad Crowell 12:07  Yeah. We actually did. We showed you how to build three different pieces of equipment. One was the push up handles. One was the the two by four, and then finally, was this one, this Pilates sandbag. So, yeah, great question. Thanks for that. If you have a question, you can text us at 310-905-5534, or you can submit your question or your win to beitpod.com/questions beitpod.com/questions and we kind of need you to submit y'all so we have some wins to talk about on our Friday pod so let's go. Let's go right now. Pull out your phone, go to beitpod.com/questions beitpod.com/questions. All right, that's enough of that.Lesley Logan 12:50  You know how easy a win is. This is my new win. So, I have been trying to figure I love my I love my red light mask and neck. And when I got them, I was using them really regularly, and we got really busy and and I've everything else, all my other habits were really good, but that one is has just been hard to fit back in. And I saw the dermatologist, and he's like, yeah, my wife uses hers every night. And I said, oh, when? He was like, before bed, and you know, so she washes her face and she use them. I'm like, oh, I can do that. And so I have done it four nights in a row, right before bed. I just put them on my face and I lay there. And you know, what's crazy is, like, I actually am getting some really good, deep sleep, like I'm sleeping really well. And I think it's that there's a time before I fall asleep that I'm just laying there waiting to go to sleep. So that's a win. Brad Crowell 13:35  Like, it's on for like, 10 minutes. Lesley Logan 13:35  Yeah, it goes off on its own. So even if I fell asleep with them, like, I wouldn't want to do that, but I could fall asleep with them laying on my face, and like, you know, yeah. See how easy that was. I just came up with a win on the spot. Lesley Logan 13:41  That's a win on the spot. Lesley Logan 13:43  You can do it too. Brad Crowell 13:46  Yeah, yeah, I love it. Well, stick around. We'll be right back, because we're going to dig into this juicy conversation that we have with Dr. Celeste Holbrook, and also celebratory. It was really awesome. So we'll be right back. Brad Crowell 14:01  Okay, now let's talk about Dr. Celeste Holbrook. PhD, right? Yeah, she's no joke. Dr. Celeste Holbrook is a sex educator with a PhD in health behaviors and a post grad emphasis in sexual behaviors. She helps women and couples overcome challenges, heal from shame, and create better, more fulfilling sex lives. Her new book, Missionary Position: A Slightly Orreverent Guide to Sex After Purity Culture, tackles the complex interaction of sex, religion and personal freedom. Celeste is known for her practical, down to earth approach that makes conversations about sex accessible and empowering and honestly, not awkward. But she's just really good at making it just, it's just a conversation. It doesn't have to be the silly thing. Some, for some reason it's like, it feels like we revert to sixth grade whenever this this conversation comes out, and it's like everyone like, hee-hee-hees in the corner. It's so weird, and it's and you might not be doing it out loud, but you're kind of cringing a little on the inside. She just takes that whole thing away and, like, you know, I mean, it was, it was, she's very matter of fact, matter of factly talking about having dildos in her social media posts, you know, like, oh, okay, yeah, there's that. But, but yeah. I mean, she's, she's not being like, risque or weird about her the conversation. She's specifically serving people who came from the culture that she did, which was, like, raised in a super, super strict religious home in purity culture. And so when she, when she got married, she for, like, it wasn't like, you can't just flip a switch, right? So she was like, sex is bad, sex is bad, sex is bad, sex is bad. And then she gets married, and all of a sudden, sex is good. Like, that's not how it works in the body. And she had to tackle that. Lesley Logan 15:43  Yeah, definitely listen to her first interview on the show, because it actually goes into that if and, and I think it's really interesting. I think, like, even if you weren't raised in a super like, if you, if I, if I say purity culture, and you don't think automatically. Brad Crowell 15:55  That doesn't mean anything to you, right. Lesley Logan 15:55  And you never had a ring on your finger that was turned one different way, and you were, like, betrothed to your father until, until someone's picked for you. Laugh. Had that ring, guys. Brad Crowell 16:07  Not laugh. It's like a, it's like a sardonic shudder. Lesley Logan 16:11  Oh, I know. Because, like, we thought that was normal. Brad Crowell 16:13  Totally thought it was normal. Lesley Logan 16:15  Did you read the book I Kissed Dating Goodbye? Brad Crowell 16:16  Yeah. Oh yeah. Josh, Josh something, right? Lesley Logan 16:17  Yeah. I think he's come out and said everything I taught was wrong. I'm almost positive one of the guys.Lesley Logan 16:19  He got a follow up book and then I think he got, like, ostracized from the churches. Lesley Logan 16:26  Yeah, one, one of the, one of the purity culture dudes, and I think it's kiss dating guy, goodbye guy has come out and said his book was extremely harmful, and he doesn't believe that anymore. Brad Crowell 16:36  Joshua Harris. Lesley Logan 16:37  Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, so thank you, Josh for doing that. But like, for the women who are listening, if you have friends in your life, if you weren't raised like this, who literally were told that like that is the worst thing they could do is to as to at all make a man lust. If you did anything that can make a man lust, you were causing him to go to hell. So you are, like, doing everything you can to, like, not be, not be attractive, and not be feminine, and then you get married, and you're supposed to just be sexy and have sex and, like, make babies. And, you know, Dr. Celeste and many women, they actually go through this painful experience with sex. And maybe you don't have that, but also you don't actually know, and she talks a lot about communication. How do you want to feel like you were never taught that sex could be something that you could enjoy? A lot of women are taught, not taught that you can enjoy sex. Brad Crowell 17:23  I just went down the rabbit hole. He, 20 years after writing the book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris left the church he was pastoring, divorced his wife and made a document, a documentary about the repercussions of the book. Oh, I want to watch the documentary. It's called, I Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Lesley Logan 17:47  Okay, well, we're watching that. That's tonight's show. The it's an eye and it's really interesting, because, like, I had a very interesting childhood where I there was definitely purity culture at the church, at the church camps I went to. My parents tried to do these things, and then also my parents would kick us out of the house so they could have sex. So, like, sex was a conversation that they had. My grandparents would talk about how they had sex a lot. So, like, I It's not like I I lived I knew that married couples had sex, right, so, but it's just the reason that I bring this up is I actually think a lot of women, whoa, you good? Brad Crowell 18:10  Sorry, I found it. Somebody pulled it off of YouTube. He doesn't have the rights to it, and so it was on YouTube for years. I'm still down the rabbit hole, y'all. This is (inaudible) online. I went to his own website, and I found a post, a blog post, from May, so two months ago, saying, I don't know why they pulled it off of YouTube. It used to be here. Here's a link to it. That was on a pirated website. I don't know how long it's going to be available, but you can still watch it. So, very interesting.Lesley Logan 18:54  Love him. Okay, we do need to get back to Dr. Celeste. Brad Crowell 18:54  Sorry, I'm focused. I'm in. Okay. Lesley Logan 18:57  So I, I just, I'm really obsessed with what Dr. Celeste is doing, because I just know too many women who, whether or not you had a ring and you're were married to, like, dating your dad, until you were dating someone else, you were not offered the opportunity to understand that you could feel good during sex. Like, that's just very few people. Some, some people had brilliant mothers who were like hippies and like, told about that that is not, that is not most of my friends' experience. So, so one of the things, so, get her book, okay, you'll get her book. So she said American society tends to view sex in binary extremes, but it's rather a more nuanced middle ground. And we've seen this. You can see this in social media today. Like, people don't think that sex and gender are two different things. They are. Like, so, like what you're what you're attracted to, and like the gender. All these there's there's differences, and it's not so black and white, and everyone wants to make it like this is how it is, where sex is often placed on either end of the spectrum, either don't think about it or don't talk about it until a certain age or a marriage. And then that makes it really difficult. Because you know, most of the things, like, when you're a little kid, everyone asks, like, what do you want to be when you grow up? So you have your whole life to change your mind. You're like, I'm gonna be a judge. I'll be this. And you get to, like, explore and take classes and to do that. And when you're in this country, most people, like, don't do sex, don't have sex, don't get pregnant. And girls are also taught it's your fault if you get pregnant and there's something wrong, like you did something wrong. Yeah, if you get pregnant.Brad Crowell 20:22  Well, your shoulder straps were too skinny, that's why you're pregnant. Lesley Logan 20:26  Yeah. And then all of a sudden, you're married. So now you should know, you should know how to do sex. You should know what, what to do, but no one let you talk about it. No one like, it's just a whole mess. It's a mess. It's a mess. So anyways, I really like, that's why she wrote her book. But she also explained, we are not binary people, as far as what we want to do in our sex life. And she said, like, she advocates living in the glittery middle, like, just like, you know, like, it doesn't have to, like, just because you liked it one way, at some point is like, another way. Brad Crowell 20:54  So, just so that, like, we like, when we say binary, I think what she's what she's saying there is, it's okay for sex to change over time. Because the conversation you were having is like, you know, sex is, is different at different stages of life, right? When you're, you know, in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 70s, like, it changes, right? And so that's I, you know, I think that makes, that makes sense.Lesley Logan 21:21  And she so, she advocates for that glittery middle and, like, also, you know, exploring and, and it's, I think what's interesting is, like, she is so open to, like, helping you figure out what you want. And I have some amazing, interesting friends in this world. I have one friend who, like, has a partner who's a sexual, has a partner that she dates, but they date someone else, and then she prefers to have one other one. And I'm like, like, the 12 year old me is like, oh my god, what the fuck are you doing? Like, that's so weird. And then, like, the person who's like, gone through some work, done a lot of reading, I'm like, that is very fascinating. I don't like looking at my calendar that much, and that sounds like way too many. Brad Crowell 22:03  It's a lot of scheduling. Lesley Logan 22:04  A lot of scheduling. It's also a lot of testing, it's a lot of things. But she looked at me and she's, like, 10 years? Like, are you bored? So like, you know, it's really funny how we all have a different thing and she and Dr. Celeste is just like, advocating for, like, live in your glittery middle, understand that you're what you're gonna want out of your sex life is gonna change, and that's okay, and that's there's nothing wrong with you as it changes. Like, just explore that. And so she basically said you could decide what is best for you, and that right there is like the opposite of what purity culture and dickhead people in this country want you to think. They don't want you to think it's what's best for you. They want you to think it's what's best for the dick headed man they think you should be married to. Anyways.Lesley Logan 22:05  Tell me more about how you feel. Lesley Logan 22:12  Fucking Christian coochie. That's never gonna leave my mind. Lesley Logan 22:36  Yeah. Like, what a woman hater. Gross.Lesley Logan 22:58  That's the interesting thing. Like, I think a lot of, I think a lot of people in that world just don't like women. But it's, anyways.Brad Crowell 23:05  Yeah. Well, I mean, I was gonna say as a comment to that, you know, how do you get to the point, like, the reason I made the comment at the beginning was that it was mostly about communication. Is because, if you have been with someone for a long time, what does it look like to have that conversation of, like, things are changing and shifting in your sex life, you know? How is that? What does that mean? And, like, you know, I'm not talking about like, like, promiscuity. It could be that, you know, but, but, but maybe it's just simple things like, hey, you know what? Like, I want to make it I want to change it up, you know. Like, let's change it up today, you know, whatever, and but the communication is where I think it gets awkward, and hopefully, you know, with your partner, you have the the type of relationship where you can just simply have a conversation about it. Lesley Logan 23:55  Also, I really, am I gonna take away your takeaway talking points? I really loved how she talked about the funny, like the faking the orgasm, is that in your section?Brad Crowell 24:05  My section, no, I was talking about how things changed over time. In fact, I even jumped ahead to it without realizing it myself. Fawning is really interesting, if you're not familiar with the definition. What is fawning?Lesley Logan 24:16  So essentially, like, there's flight, fright, fight, right? And I used to, when I studied biology, it was like, and fuck, like, some people, well, that's like, it's all part of the same part of your brain system. So that's kind of funny, but fawn is like, this, like, people-pleasing, or you've seen it in movies where the guy gets really mad and he hits her, and then she's like, oh, it's okay. Actually, that was my fault. I tripped into you. Like, they do this whole, you know, like, you're okay, everything's like, and acting like, really small and toss out like a little lamb, and then that makes a person, usually a man, like, calm down. Everything's fine. She talked about faking orgasms as a fawning response, as a people-pleasing response, and we talked, oh my, you guys have to listen to this, because she talked about, like, she believes in being honest, but also being kind. And we taught and like. Brad Crowell 25:03  She said there was a difference between honesty and full transparency. She said she doesn't believe in full transparency, but she does believe in honesty, and she said people can use full transparency as honesty and be cutting and hurtful, right? Lesley Logan 25:20  Because, like, because she also has, and this is an interesting thing. If you have been faking orgasms in your entire marriage, it's you can't always just blame your partner, because you never told them what it would take to please you, and so they're just doing what you have responded to in the past, you know? So it's a and I thought was really fascinating. So it's like, yes, be honest, like, hey, I would like to try something different that's no longer working for me. And so then it's not something that you're rejecting the other person or making them feel like shit, and you're also able to then start articulating what you want. And it does take practice. You're right. It's all about communication. It's such you guys have to go listen. If you have, you gotta listen, go, listen. Brad Crowell 26:00  Yeah. And just to wrap that up there, you know, as things change over time, she said, hey, we mature as humans. Why wouldn't our sex life mature too? And it's important to allow our sex life to mature as we mature. It's the most helpful thing that we can do for ourselves. So, you know, I just thought it was really a topic that nobody ever talks about that's really helpful. So, yeah, there's a lot of room to allow ourselves compassion to grow as we grow, right? And then, you know, and that's like.Lesley Logan 26:30  Oh, you guys, I mean, when you get older, when you get older, like, your bones get brittle. So, like, there's going to be some positions that neither person, no matter what your gender is and who you want to have sex with, can do, like, you're gonna have to start doing sideways sex, because, like, you could fucking break your pelvis or a hip. So, like, just start getting.Brad Crowell 26:49  You could break it while fucking is what you meant to say. Lesley Logan 26:52  Yeah, that too. But anyway, so just like, if, if this is a conversation that you are, like, already going, I don't know if I can have this. Read her book, follow her, because the more I do, the more I might able to go, oh, what an interesting thing that I haven't been able to articulate that was really helpful. Thanks so much, you know. So anyways.Brad Crowell 27:13  Yeah, well stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into those Be It Action Items that we have with Dr. Celeste Holbrook. Brad Crowell 27:20  All right. So finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo with Dr. Celeste Holbrook? She said, hey, I've got a four-part guide, and you should use it. And she maps it out in detail in her book, but high level, it's the analyst, the assassin, the healer and the explorer. And I thought, this is kind of cool. And she said, she said, it's like the archetypal woman. So the analyst helps you understand, what are we actually carrying around? Is the are these mental bags full of shame, full of neglect, full of fear, right? And then the assassin is taking what the analyst has found. So this is like a progression, right? So it's not just like you're only stuck in one it seems like this is a progression. So the assassin then is taking what the analyst has found and is just slicing through it, like deconstructing, you know, the, in her case, she's specifically talking about purity culture, and, like, all the baggage that we're saddled with from that kind of a thing. And then after the assassin is the healer who facilitates, like, she helping regenerate ideas about sex through, like, education.Lesley Logan 28:34  Yeah, right. Re-education.Brad Crowell 28:36  Yeah, gentle re-education about what is sex and what's okay. And, you know, like, why do we have this guilt around sex and, like, what, like, why does that even like, there's just a lot of history that blows my mind. Finally, we have the explorer, like, you know where you've kind of, after you've gone through some healing, you're now, like, feeling more confident, more willingness to, you know, be like, explore having sex, right? And you know that could be with your partner, with yourself, or whatever, you know. So, yeah, it's an interesting, like, progression out of.Lesley Logan 29:11  I think it's a cool idea of a process, because it it if you think, oh, my god, I have to figure all this out, or you might hear about the explorer part and be like, what the I you can't even wrap your head around that. It's because you got to go through the process. Brad Crowell 29:23  Yeah, and I think it's great, because it really sets her up. Like, you know, she's she, she jokingly said a lot of my conversations are pretty boring, like, what? Because she's got clients, one-on-one, clients and, and it's not, they're not like, crazy, like, it's, it's not, it's not, like, telling, not story time. She's actually, you know, helping people go through the process that she created here. So it depends on what's, you know, part of the flow that you're in, you know, might just simply be analysis for a while, you know, and coming to terms with it. And then it won't be until you've come to terms with that you can move on to the next phase. And but what's great is that she has a process. And I think that's really cool. Lesley Logan 30:01  Yeah, she also has a couple other things for you, which is something you can repeat. She said to, free to repeat, I prioritize myself by allowing myself to go at my own pace. I prioritize myself by allowing myself to go at my own pace. I think that is so important, no matter what the topic is, no matter what you're trying to be it till you see, like, if you got nothing out of this episode but that affirmation, great. And she also, we've talked about her being like a slow reader and like her writing and all that stuff. And she, she really learned to prioritize herself and appreciate being considerate and slow and thoughtful. Like, that's actually her prioritizing herself by her, not quite I'm a slow reader, but instead going, I am a slow reader, so I am going to be considerate and slow and thoughtful. That's how I do things. Brad Crowell 30:47  Yeah and give myself the time and space to do that. Lesley Logan 30:49  I thought that was so cool. Like, what a, what an amazing way to prioritize yourself is to, like, do the things the way you you need to do them. Brad Crowell 31:00  Yeah and that's like, you know, across any element of life, it's not just, you know, around sex, so I think that's great.Lesley Logan 31:06  And then finally, she said, and this is for your sexual life, she said, where the goal for sexual choice is to be your decision, and not one manipulated by society or cultural values or religious values, and I think that is so important, because even if you aren't someone who is religious, but maybe your culture had a different kind of pressure, or a different way of seeing your body, or maybe you feel a different way with society. Your sexual life is your and choices are your decision, and not wanting to be manipulated by anybody else. So I think that's so important. I just fucking love her. I wish she lived closer. I want to have coffee with her all the time. Brad Crowell 31:43  Yeah, she was a lot of fun to listen to. And also her story about how her book came to be, what a roller coaster. That was, how cool that, you know, that you were a part of it. I think that's pretty neat. Lesley Logan 31:53  Honestly, honestly, like, this is like, you know, like, everything happens for a reason, like how we interviewed him two years ago. Jake. And I forget how Jake got to me. I actually. Brad Crowell 32:05  I think he was connected through. Lesley Logan 32:07  Somebody told no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He's a Christian. Lori Harder friend, person, so somebody sent Jake to me. And then. Brad Crowell 32:16  Jake Kelfer. Lesley Logan 32:17  Yeah, and then, and then I watch Celeste stuff, but sometimes she ends up not in my feed because of algorithms. And that day, I just happened to not only watch, but like, actually turn, like, read the whole thing. And I was like, what's going on? I tap through. I watched every story, and I was and I was just like, call me, I got, so but, like, it's just like.Brad Crowell 32:36  Jake. Jake was interviewed on episode 202. Lesley Logan 32:38  But this is how you, you can't this is something for me too, we can't worry, oh my god, what if I missed out on this? Because, like I had I was meant to watch her stories on that day, like I was meant to, because it could have been so easy for me to not pick up my phone that day and not watch them. There was a reason why I opened my phone up and I watched her stories. I do not watch that many people's stories, and it was because I was supposed to see them and introduce her to Jake. That was my whole goal. That was, like, the universe working for her. Universe was like, okay, Celeste, we're going to make sure Lesley sees it, because Lesley knows Jake, and you need to know Jake. Boom, it's done. And, like, she had to write the book. I love it. I love it. I love you, Dr. Celeste Holbrook, I love the book. You guys, go get it. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 33:22  And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 33:23  Thank you so much for being you. Now. Go share this with a friend who needs to hear it, and go get her book. And go leave us a review, because we really appreciate that. And go be it till you see it.Brad Crowell 33:34  Yeah. And just one last time. Her book is called Missionary Position: A Slightly Irreverent Guide to Sex After Purity Culture. Lesley Logan 33:41  I love it so much. I love it so much. Brad Crowell 33:44  Bye for now.Lesley Logan 33:46  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 34:28  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 34:33  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 34:38  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 34:44  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 34:48  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

You're listening to Burnt Toast! Today, my guest is Mara Gordon, MD.Dr. Mara is a family physician on the faculty of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, as well as a writer, journalist and contributor to NPR. She also writes the newsletter Your Doctor Friend by Mara Gordon about her efforts to make medicine more fat friendly.Dr. Mara is back today with Part 2 of our conversation about weight, health, perimenopause and menopause! As we discussed last time, finding menopause advice that doesn't come with a side of diet culture is really difficult. Dr Mara is here to help, and she will not sell you a supplement sign or make you wear a weighted vest.This episode is free but if you value this conversation, please consider supporting our work with a paid subscription. Burnt Toast is 100% reader- and listener-supported. We literally can't do this without you.PS. You can always listen to this pod right here in your email, where you'll also receive full transcripts (edited and condensed for clarity). But please also follow us in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and/or Pocket Casts! And if you enjoy today's conversation, please tap the heart on this post — likes are one of the biggest drivers of traffic from Substack's Notes, so that's a super easy, free way to support the show!And don't miss these:Episode 209 TranscriptVirginiaSo today we're going to move away from the weight stuff a little bit, into some of the other the wide constellation of things that can happen in menopause and perimenopause. Before we get into some nitty gritty stuff, I want to do Laurie's question about hormone replacement therapy, since that is still one of those topics that people are like, Is it good? Is it bad? I don't know.So Laurie asked: Is there a reason why a doctor would not want to prescribe hormone replacement therapy? My doctor seems more willing to treat individual symptoms instead of using HRT. Is that maybe because I'm still getting my period?MaraI love this question. Now my professor hat can nerd out about interpretation of scientific research! So first, I'll just briefly say, Laurie, no big deal that you said HRT. But just so everyone's aware, the preferred term is menopausal hormone therapy, MHT, or just hormone therapy, and it's not a huge deal. But I think the North American Menopause Society now uses “menopausal hormone therapy.” The thinking is, hormones don't necessarily need to be replaced. It comes back to that idea of, menopause is a natural part of life, and so the idea that they would need to be replaced is not totally accurate. VirginiaWe're not trying to get you out of menopause, right? The goal isn't to push you back into some pre-menopausal hormonal state. MaraBut again, not a big deal. You'll see HRT still used, and a lot of doctors still use that term. So I graduated from medical school in 2015 and I remember one of the first times that a patient asked me about using menopausal hormone therapy, I was terrified. And I was still in training, so luckily, I had a mentor who guided me through it. But I had absorbed this very clear message from medical school, which is that menopausal hormone therapy will cause heart disease, cause pulmonary emboli, which are blood clots in the lungs, and cause breast cancer.And I was like, “Ahhh! I'm gonna cause harm to my patients. This is scary.” I had also learned that hot flashes–they weren't life threatening. So a patient could just use a fan and she'd be fine, right? She didn't need medicine for it.VirginiaCool.MaraI think the dismissal of symptoms here is just straight up misogyny. That message of, oh, you should just live with this You're tough, you're a woman, you can do it. This is just the next stage of it. Is just misogyny, right?But the fear of using menopausal hormone therapy has a specific historical context. There was a major study called the Women's Health Initiative, and it was a randomized control trial, which is the gold standard in medical research. People were given estrogen and progestin to treat menopausal symptoms or they were given a placebo, and they didn't know which pill they took. But WHI was actually halted early because they found an increased risk of breast cancer. This was on the front page of The New York Times. It was a really, really big deal. That was 2002 or 2003. So even 15 years later, when I was starting out as a doctor, I was still absorbing its message. And I think a lot of doctors who are still in practice have just deeply absorbed this message.But there's a lot to consider here. The first issue is in the way that information about the Women's Health Initiative was communicated. Nerd out with me for a second here: There is a big difference between absolute risk and relative risk. And this is a really subtle issue that's often communicated poorly in the media.So I looked it up in the initial paper that came out of the Women's Health Initiative. There was a relative risk of 26 percent of invasive breast cancer, right? So that meant that the people who got the estrogen and progestin, as opposed to a placebo, had a relative increased risk of 26 percent compared to the placebo arm.VirginiaWhich sounds scary,MaraSounds terrifying, right? But the absolute risk is the risk in comparison to one another. And they found that if you're a patient taking the estrogen/progestin, your absolute risk was 8 people out of 10,000 women a year would get invasive breast cancer. So it's very, very small.And this is an issue I see in medical journalism all the time. We talk about relative risk, like your risk compared to another group, but the absolute risk remains extremely low.And just to round it out: I looked all this up about cardiovascular events too. Things like a heart attack, a stroke. So the absolute risk was 19. So there were 19 cases of a cardiovascular event out of 10,000 women in a year. People just freaked out about this because of the way that it was covered in the media. VirginiaI was fresh out of college, doing women's health journalism at the time. So I fully own having been part of that problem. We definitely reported on the relative risk, not the absolute risk. And I don't understand why. I look back and I'm like, what were we all doing? We ended up taking this medication away from millions of women who could really benefit from it.MaraI found a paper that showed between 2002 and 2009 prescriptions for menopausal hormone therapy declined by more than 60 percent. VirginiaI'm not surprised. MaraAnd then even up until the time I started my training, right in 2015, we're just seeing a huge decline in hormone therapy prescriptions.One other thing that's also super important to acknowledge about the Women's Health Initiative is that they enrolled women over 60, which is not really representative of women who want or need hormone therapy. So the average age of menopause is 51 and the vast majority of women who are experiencing symptoms that would respond well to hormone therapy are much younger. We're talking here mostly about hot flashes. Which we call vasomotor symptoms of menopause, but it's basically hot flashes. Women dealing with this are much younger, right? So they're approaching menopause, late 40s, and right after the menopausal transition, early 50s, and then they don't necessarily need it anymore, after their symptoms have improved.VirginiaAnd it will also be true that with women in their 60s, you're going to see more incidence of cancer and heart disease in that age group than in women in their 40s anyway, right? MaraRightVirginiaSo even the 19 cases, the eight cases—they were looking at a higher risk population in general. MaraYeah. And so there have been all these subsequent analyses, which is why now we're seeing menopausal hormone therapy sort of on the upswing. There's a lot of increased interest in it. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends it, the North American Menopause Society, the British Menopause Society; here's a full run-down. It's not that everybody needs it, and we'll get to that in a second, but it is a totally safe and appropriate treatment for—specifically and most importantly—for vasomotor symptoms of menopause. Like hot flashes. There's been all these further analyses of the Women's Health Initiative data and and then from other studies, too. And basically, it shows that when the hormone therapy is initiated before age 60, or within 10 years of menopause, there's a reduced risk of heart disease and reduced mortality.VirginiaWow! MaraSo the timing matters. Isn't that so interesting? The timing matters.Also, the route of administration matters. So what that means in English is that an estrogen patch seems to have a lower risk of blood clots. So one of those fears of the, you know, initial Women's Health Initiative data was that you might have an increased risk of blood clots. But it's something about the way that the estrogen is metabolized. It's not metabolized through the liver when it's absorbed through the skin, and something about that process seems to decrease the risk of blood clots.So that's why your doctor, if you're interested in menopausal hormone therapy, might recommend an estrogen patch rather than a pill.VirginiaGot it. MaraThere's a lot of ambiguity in all of this data, because, you know, we're talking about just huge numbers of people, and it's hard to sort of isolate variables when you're studying just like massive cohorts of people and trying to understand what you know, what factors affect your risk for which diseases. It's not clear that taking hormones prevents heart disease. And that's one of the big claims I see with menopause influencers, that every single person needs this.The data don't support it at this point in time, and the major menopause organizations do not recommend it as a universal preventative treatment for everybody. But it seems like there might be some sort of association that may become clearer as research continues. That said, now it seems like the pendulum is swinging in the opposite direction. I learned, “be afraid of menopausal hormone treatment.” And now all these menopause influencers are saying everyone should be on hormone therapy.I don't know the answer. And so the way that I try to parse through all of this noise is, you know, go to trusted sources, right? So I stick to society guidelines, like the North American menopause society, the British menopause society, they're run by world experts in menopause.VirginiaOkay, so we don't need to be terrified of hormone therapy, and you can be on it if you're still getting your period right? Just to finish Laurie's question.MaraIf you're still getting a period regularly, you're more in perimenopause than past the menopausal transition. And we will often use contraception to help and that you can have a lot of the same benefits from using contraception in that stage. It's also useful just because unintended pregnancy still can be totally a thing in your 40s. But yes, you can absolutely use traditional regimens of menopausal hormone therapy while you're still getting a period too. Just know it won't prevent pregnancy. VirginiaSince we talked a little bit about hot flashes, I'm gonna jump to Judy's question so we can kind of round that piece out: One of the things I am really struggling with is the way I have lost all ability to regulate temperature. I am boiling hot almost all the time, and the slightest thing makes me break out into a full sweat, which makes me not want to move at all.My doctor has not been super helpful in navigating this. What can I do to mitigate this issue? If anything, it is so very hard for me not to blame the size of my body for this, since the correlation seems so clear, smaller body less sweating, larger body sweating all the dang time.MaraJudy, I empathize first of all. Just one caveat I can't really give medical advice to Judy. There are a lot of things that could be going on, and it's really important that you see a doctor and get a full history and physical exam. But I will say that this is one of the things that menopausal hormone therapy is extremely helpful for, is hot flashes.VirginiaThat was my first thought! MaraThere are a lot of influencers who really overstate the benefits of hormone therapy, right? Hormone therapy is not really going to cause significant weight loss or prevent weight gain. It's not totally clear that it helps with mood symptoms or even sleep is a little more ambiguous. But the one thing it really works for is hot flashes. So that would be my thought: Start there. VirginiaAnd on the feeling like you want to blame your body for it: I don't know if Judy identifies as fat, but as someone who identifies as fat, I often feel like I'm sweatier now than when I was thinner. I run warmer. All my skinny friends will be bundled up in coats, and I still won't be wearing one in October. I do notice that. And I think that this is a situation where that is, even if those two things correlate— you're larger and you're sweatier—is that worth putting yourself through the hell of weight loss? You may decide yes, it is, if hormone therapy doesn't work for you.But that's one of those times where I bring it back to “What would actually make my daily life miserable?” I can drink water, I can be in AC, I'm gonna find a link to this nighttime cooling bed thing that my friend Claire Zulkey really loves. MaraI've heard of those!VirginiaI think there are options to mitigate your suffering with this. Medicine is definitely an option. Before you go to “okay, my body size has to be the thing that changes.”MaraI totally agree. I just deal with this all the time where people tell me in my clinic that they want to lose weight. And when I sort of gently ask, what are you hoping to achieve? What are your goals? They're often things that can be achieved through other means. Like, people say my clothes don't fit, right? And most of my patients are low-income, right? I'm not trying to be flippant about the idea that everyone can just go and purchase a new, you know, multi $1,000 wardrobe at the drop of a hat. But it is possible to get new clothes in affordable ways. Don't torture yourself with clothes that don't fit because you feel like weight gain is a moral failing. And I think that there are things that we can do to help keep us at a comfortable temperature, right wear clothes that feel, you know, that feel good. Air conditioning is an amazing modern invention. And, you know, cool beverages, ice cream. VirginiaPopsicle O'Clock is very important in my summer right now, very important. MaraWait, what's a popsicle clock?VirginiaOh, Popsicle O'Clock. It's just the time of day where you eat popsicles. It could be 9am it could be 4pm just whenever I feel like we need to add popsicles to a situation.MaraI think we all need more popsicles in our life, that is absolutely for sure.So I think what I'm hearing from Judy's question is once again, shame about body size, and also this myopic zooming in on weight loss as the only possible solution. Which I blame doctors for in many ways! Some people do benefit from weight loss, right? I'm not opposed to the idea that anybody would ever want to lose weight. I don't think that that's a betrayal of fat solidarity, necessarily. But that there are other things you can do just to make your life feel better in the meantime, or even if you choose to never pursue weight loss. There are things you can do to feel better, and we shouldn't deprive ourselves of those things.VirginiaAnd you don't know that it is the weight gain. It could be age and hormones, and those coincided with the weight gain for you personally. But there are lots of thin women getting hot flashes all the time too.Okay, this next question is from Michaela: I am super curious about the connection between perimenopause, menopause and mental health symptoms, specifically, an uptick in anxiety and depression. Is this a thing?We also got many questions about whether perimenopause and menopause exacerbate ADHD symptoms. MaraSo this is a question I get a lot from my patients, and I've seen a lot of discourse about online. And the short answer is: There is probably a connection between the hormonal changes of perimenopause and the menopausal transition and mental health. Do we understand it? No. So I mean, with ADHD specifically, I will say: This is really not my area of expertise. It's a very complex mental health condition, and our medical understanding of it is really rapidly evolving. I have many patients who have a diagnosis of ADHD but I'm typically not the one who diagnoses them. That being said: Estrogen affects neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are implicated in ADHD. Declining estrogen does seem to affect dopamine, in particular, which is implicated in ADHD. And anecdotally, I've had many of my patients say that they feel like their ability to focus and sustain attention decreases. And they experience brain fog as they enter perimenopause and menopause. So it's there's probably something going on, and a lot of researchers are really actively studying it, but we don't know yet.VirginiaDo we know if this is something that hormone therapy can help with?MaraSo I think the answer is, I don't know.VirginiaWhat about anxiety and depression?MaraI don't think the data are there, right? Hormone therapy is usually not considered a first line treatment for the mental health conditions that are often associated with the menopausal transition. But we have great medicines for those conditions. We have good treatments for ADHD, we have good treatments for anxiety and depression. And sometimes during the menopausal transition, patients might need an increase of those treatments. And that could mean going back into therapy, if you've been out of therapy, increasing your medications or restarting a med that you may have stopped years ago. Those are all totally valid approaches during this phase.And I guess what I'd say, is that it's okay to trust your body. And if you notice changes in your mental health associated with perimenopause or menopause itself, ask about it. Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself. And while hormone therapy doesn't look like it is an effective treatment specifically for those symptoms, there are other treatments, and you should feel empowered to ask about them.VirginiaThe next question goes back to some of the diet and exercise stuff we've touched on. This person writes: Since recently reaching menopause, my cholesterol has become high. I understand there is a proven link between menopause and increased cholesterol, and that weight is part of the picture. I'm trying to lower my cholesterol with focus on nutrition and exercise. But it is f*****g with my head because it feels like a very restrictive diet. I'd love any thoughts on the menopause cholesterol connection and keeping cholesterol low with nutrition and exercise without falling into the abyss of obsessing about how many almonds I've eaten.MaraOh, that is such a good question!VirginiaThe almond of it all. MaraAlmonds are really good in some scenarios, but also just like, kind of a sad snack. I always think about President Obama eating those, like, eight almonds, or whatever.VirginiaIt turns out that was a joke and he wasn't doing that. But just the fact that everybody assumed he would says a lot! MaraThat is hilarious, and I didn't know! And it just shows how with information online, the initial story sticks. Like to this day, 10 years later, I still thought that Barack Obama ate eight almonds as his indulgent midnight snack every single night. I hope the man is eating some ice cream and living his best life. Okay, so there is absolutely a link between menopause and elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. But even within the term cholesterol, there are different types. I wouldn't really say to a patient, “Your cholesterol is high.” One thing you might hear is “your LDL cholesterol is high,” which is known popularly as, the “bad” cholesterol. Which, again, moral language alert. But LDL cholesterol is a proxy for risk of cardiovascular disease. I will say it's not a great one; it's kind of a blunt instrument. We measure and we treat it, because we don't have other great ways of predicting cardiovascular risk. But it is not the full portrait, although it's certainly a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. And the transition of menopause seems to impact LDL, cholesterol, other biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, and increases your risk for cardiovascular disease.And what's interesting–I think we talked about this a little bit already, is that this happens, this this risk happens independent of normal aging.So, for example, women who go through menopause early start developing this increased risk earlier than women who go through menopause slightly later. And overall, we see that women develop cardiovascular disease, at rates lower than men, and at later in life than men. And there's a hypothesis that this has to do with menopause, right? That there's a protective effect of estrogen, but then when your estrogen starts to decline in menopause, it puts women at an increased risk compared to where they were pre-menopause.There's also some data to suggest that the severity of menopause symptoms—particularly vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes or sleep disturbances—may indicate risk for developing cardiovascular disease. So this is not to scare everyone, but it's good to have knowledge. If you're having really severe hot flashes, it may indicate that you are at slightly higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease than somebody who is not. The intention of having this knowledge is not to make you feel shame, and not to berate you for your belly fat or whatever. It's to have knowledge so that you can help mitigate risk factors in ways that feel aligned with your values and ways that feel aligned with the way that you want to pursue health in your life.And so I would approach this reader's or this listener's question with smy same approach to all of my patients questions. “I have hypertension, does that mean I need to lose weight?” “I have diabetes, does that mean I need to lose weight?” The answer is that we have many treatments that can help you address these concerns independent of weight loss. But this is not to say that you cannot pursue weight loss too, right? And if using a GLP-1 agonist to reduce your visceral adiposity is aligned with your values, and you can tolerate the side effects, and you feel good about it, and it's covered by your insurance….that's totally a reasonable approach. But it's not the only one. So I think what I'm hearing from this patient is the menopause flavor of what I do every single day in my work as a size inclusive doctor. Which is: How can we disentangle weight stigma and body shame from these questions of how to lead a healthy life? And the idea of giving you more information, I hope, is not to shame you or make you feel guilt for the relationship between body size and risk of cardiovascular disease, but instead, to give you information that might help you take proactive care of your body, right?And proactive care might mean committing to an exercise routine. Proactive care might mean taking a statin. A statin is a very common cholesterol medicine like Lipitor. It might mean getting your blood pressure under control and taking an antihypertensive.VirginiaI also want to say on cholesterol, specifically, I did a piece that I'll link to digging into the connection between nutrition and cholesterol. And the data is not as strong as I think a lot of doctors are telling folks.And I think the benefit of making dietary changes—the amount it could lower cholesterol—was not huge. It was like three points or six points or something in one of the studies we looked at. So if it's making you crazy to count almonds, it's possible that medication might be a more health promoting strategy for you. Because it will be less stressful and it will have a bigger benefit on your cholesterol than just trying to control it through diet and exercise.MaraYeah, I totally agree. I think there's a really strong genetic component that we haven't fully understood and medication is a totally reasonable approach and very safe approach. Honestly, statins are pretty benign medications. They're pretty inexpensive, pretty minimal side effects, which is not to say– nobody's paying me from the statin companies, I swear to God!–but yeah, like they're, they're pretty benign as medications go. And I think it's a totally reasonable way to approach this issue.VirginiaI just think it's one of those times where this is shame coming in, where it's like, “You should be able to fix this with how you eat and exercise, and so you don't get the medication unless you fail at that!” This is a framing that I've encountered from doctors. But what if we gave the medication, what if we also consider diet and exercise, but don't make that a pass/fail situation in order to earn the medication? MaraYeah, that's really interesting.And even the language you're using Virginia is what we use in the medical record, and I've tried to stop it. But the way we're taught to describe patients, is “patient failed XYZ treatment,” right? And I feel like we're both at once, overly invested in pharmaceutical treatments, right and underinvested. They're a very useful tool. And we moralize it, both pro and con? Sometimes, like, we moralize in favor of it. So if your BMI is 26 or above, you need to be on a GLP one agonist, which is just false, right?But on the other hand, I think we often underutilize medications because there's this sense that you're getting at —that you have to exhaust all of your like willpower options first, and it's somehow failing to use a med. And that is really false too. They're really useful tools. Science is really useful, and we shouldn't feel ashamed to use it.VirginiaAll right. And our last question, I like because it just will give us a chance to kind of sum up some key points: As a post menopausal woman, I feel like I'm swimming in information, and I'm overwhelmed by it all. What are Dr Gordon's top three pieces of advice out of all of the WHO meaning, if women at this time only did these three things, it would make the biggest difference, and then they just had it. You know, is, does it need to be different for perimenopause versus post menopause? Or maybe not.So what are your top three? Top three tips for surviving this life stage?MaraOh, my God, if only I knew! I'm flattered that you're asking, and I will do my best to answer, but I don't think there's a right answer at all.So I've thought about a couple things. I will say that, you know, longevity and wellness and health span is extremely complicated, but it's also kind of simple, right?So sometimes the advice that we've just heard over and over again is actually really, really good, right? So, sleep. Are we sleeping enough?Staying engaged with social relationships, that seems to be extremely important for longevity. And it's kind of amazing, actually. When they do these long-term studies on people who are thriving into old age, like they have really strong relationships. And that is so important.Moving our bodies and it does not need to be punishing. Workouts can be gardening. I know Virginia, I love receiving your gardening content online. Gardening is an amazing form of exercise, and can be very life affirming, and does not need to feel like punishment. Just getting up, moving our bodies, sleeping enough, maintaining relationships, cultivating a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives. It's actually been really studied right, that people who have a sense of meaning and have a sense of purpose in their lives tend to live longer and live longer, healthier lives.So all of this is to say that like it's complicated, but sometimes it's not. And there are a million people on the Internet who want to sell you a miracle drug, a miracle supplement, a miracle weighted vest, whatever. But sometimes simple, Simple is good. Easier said than done, right?VirginiaYeah, but start simple. That's wonderful.MaraCan I ask? Virginia, what would your advice be? VirginiaI love the three areas you hit on: Sleep, social relations and exercise or moving your body. None of those are about weight loss or dieting. I think that's really helpful for us to keep in mind that the things that might protect our health the most can also be very joyful as well. The idea that doing things that makes you happy and reduce your stress can be health-promoting is great. And I think that's something especially in midlife. We are all incredibly busy. We're holding a lot of things together. A lot of us are caregivers, maybe sandwich generation caregivers. So prioritizing your own joy in that feels really wonderful.ButterVirginiaAll right, so speaking of joy, let's do some Butter! Dr. Mara, what do you have forus?MaraI have a Philadelphia-specific one, but hopefully it can be extrapolated to our listeners in different locations. So I have recently been really craving soft serve ice cream. And so I googled best soft serve in Philadelphia, and I found this Vietnamese coffee shop called Càphê Roasters, which is in North Philly. In a neighborhood called Kensington. And it has condensed milk soft serve ice cream. So good.And so I recently, I had to give a lecture at a medical school in the north part of the city early in the morning. It was like, 8am and I was like, “Oh, I'm never up in this neighborhood. I gotta get over there.” And I went after I gave my lecture, and I bought myself ice cream at 10:30 in the morning. And I ate it in my car, and it was so good. Condensed milk. So good. But soft serve in general, is my Butter. But for those of you in Philly, go to Càphê Roasters in Kensington and get the condensed milk. It is chef's kiss, delicious.VirginiaAmazing. I'm gonna double your Butter and say ice cream in general is my Butter right now. We have a spare fridge freezer that I have just been loading up with all of the popsicles to get us through summer. But also: Ice cream dates. Something that comes up a lot for me as a co-parent is figuring out how to have one on one time with my kids. Since we have joint custody, they move as a package. So I get kid-free time, which is wonderful, but when they're with me, it's just me. So one thing I've been figuring out is pockets of time when I can take one kid out for ice cream. It's usually when a sibling is at another activity, and so we have an hour to kill, and often we would just like, wait for the activity, or go home and come back, and then you're just driving.And now I'm like, No, that will be our ice cream break!MaraI love that.VirginiaSo one kid's at the library doing her book trivia team stuff, and the other kid and I are getting ice cream while we wait for her. And it's great one on one time with kids. Obviously, the ice cream is delicious. The other thing I've realized, especially if you have younger kids who are still building restaurant skills, ice cream is a great practice run at being a person in a restaurant, which is really hard for kids understandably. It is one food thing that they're excited to go do. And you do have to sit and practice eating it somewhat neatly. There's a high mess potential. My pro-move for that is, always have wipes in your car, bring a pack of wipes in. MaraI love that, and it's so intentional about sort of creating traditions with kids. That feels really special. But I will say I had my ice cream solo, and that was also really good solo ice cream too.The Burnt Toast Podcast is produced and hosted by Virginia Sole-Smith (follow me on Instagram) and Corinne Fay, who runs @SellTradePlus, and Big Undies.The Burnt Toast logo is by Deanna Lowe.Our theme music is by Farideh.Tommy Harron is our audio engineer.Thanks for listening and for supporting anti-diet, body liberation journalism! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 262: I Honestly Don't Even Know Where to Begin Today by Craig Johnson

Livia answers a listener question about how to get rid of headaches, tinnitus, and dizziness in anorexia recovery. Want more? Find my books, courses, and coaching programs at livlabelfree.com Episode transcript: Hello my friends, well today is another Q&A episode and today's question comes from jellyfish1093 on YouTube and they asked if I could do an episode on physical and mental symptoms no one talks about when in anorexia. And obviously there are an infinite number of things no one talks about – or rather, not enough people are talking about – when it comes to eating disorders, especially when said eating disorders intertwine with autism and LGBTQ+ identity and chronic illness and all the other things that well, no one talks about! And by this point, I do hope you know that a huge goal of mine with this podcast and with my books and my courses is to shed light on these underserved topics because they're things I wish I had known during my own recovery. They're the things my family wished they'd known because they would have been better able to support me. They're things that all healthcare professionals SHOULD know so that they can help individuals unleash their full potential rather than trying to treat a “disorder” that's merely a manifestation of, again, everything no one talks about. Anyways, all that being said, because we've of course gotta have some direction, I replied to jellyfish1093 asking if they could elaborate on what stage of recovery they're in and specifically what symptoms they wanted me to talk about. And here's what they replied: “I'm currently in quasi recovery. My weight is very low and I am still exercising every day and struggling immensely. I am eating 4 meals a day but have been experiencing headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, and other symptoms like brain fog, extreme anxiety and depression. I also have Autism. Just looking to find hope that if I can fully recover that these symptoms can go away. For 4 years I have been trying to find out why these symptoms are happening but now I am wondering if they are all related to anorexia? Just trying to find hope. Thank you.” Well we've got a lot to get into and I am super excited to get into it because, as you may have guessed, I did some research (which basically means I went into multiple research rabbit holes, a very autistic trait, I might add) and I paired my findings with my own lived experience and those of my clients to now bring you this podcast! So buckle up because I'm going to take you on a journey to what I've learned so that hopefully, jellyfish1093, this gives you hope, and to anyone else with similar experiences, I hope this gives YOU hope as well. So without further ado, let's dive in! Alright so we need to establish the facts first. Based on what jellyfish1093 (I freaking love saying that username so thank you for gifting me this opportunity to have a laugh), we're going to establish as a fact that you are malnourished. Your weight is low, you're engaging in exercise that you probably shouldn't be, and you're not eating enough. So, you're in a state of energy deficit. Quasi recovery aside, the fact is that your body is depleted. And the fact that I'm really hammering this down right now is because when the body is in a state of energy deficit, nothing can function correctly. And I mean nothing. Because the truth is that the human body is nothing more than a living organism that uses energy and requires that energy to be replenished. And if that energy replenishment – AKA eating and drinking – is hard for you, trust me, I am right there with ya my friend. The amount of times that I have wished that I could photosynthesize, the amount of times I have wished this body didn't even have needs. The amount of times I have wished I didn't have to drink or eat or sleep or shower or clean or whatever it is that we have to do on a daily basis just because we have bodies…my god, it's fucking exhausting. But all those feelings aside, the bottom line is that we do have bodies. And these bodies do have needs. So what happens when we don't give our body what it needs? What happens is that the body goes into energy conservation mode. It does everything humanly possible (no pun intended) to not use up its limited resources. Now, I'm not going to elaborate on the science behind this too deeply because I literally wrote an entire book called How to Beat Extreme Hunger explaining energy deficit and how this leads to energy debt and why extreme hunger is your body's attempt at getting you back into homeostasis, and of course, in that book I also share my lived experience around all my recovery fears including mental hunger just being a bad habit, that I would become addicted to food and develop binge eating disorder if I gave into my extreme hunger, and of course, I share how to make peace with weight gain because I'm autistic and philosophical and the whole “oh just love your body and appreciate what it can do for you” NEVER resonated with me because to be honest my friends, I still feel hella trapped in this body. I mean for real, it's too freaking constraining and demanding. But we're not gonna go there right now because we were gonna talk about headaches and dizziness and tinnitus and all the things jellyfish1093 has asked about. But yeah, shameless plug for all my books right now because they're awesome and I worked really hard on them and you can find them all at livlabelfreebooks.com or on Amazon. But now back to the episode and why it's so important to understand that energy deficit AKA restriction causes the body to try and conserve energy is that this energy conservation causes all kinds of symptoms that, to put it bluntly, fucking suck. You weaken your digestive system which means that when you start eating again in recovery you'll feel really sick and bloated. You starve your brain which means that there will be imbalances in ALL the neurotransmitters, so hello anxiety and depression. And if you compound energy deficit with being autistic, which I'm just gonna go off on a limb here and say you probably feel permanently burnt out just trying to navigate a world not built for you, well when you take all these factors into account, well no wonder you're in so much pain all the time. But here is the plot twist: You're not broken. You don't need to be fixed. What you need is to create safety within yourself and your environment. But that's of course just the overarching message of all of this. Because essentially, the trauma caused by being autistic in a non-accommodating world compounded with the trauma of an eating disorder, while ironically being the ED being a trauma response in and of itself, well all of this just creates a never-ending spiral of fight-or-flight mode, which is incredibly energetically demanding, and thus not sustainable. So how does all of this connect to anorexia symptoms, specifically headaches and tinnitus? Well, there are a lot of different kinds of headaches, but for me personally, my headaches were always tension headaches. This might sound kinda weird, but I felt my headaches from the front of my head all the way down to my lower back and this is because I carry so much stress with me all the time, and honestly, I still do. But when you are malnourished, your body is way more fragile so everything you experience is going to be experienced on infinitely high volume. This is why we have zero flexibility when we have eating disorders. The body and brain simply do not have enough energy to consider other options. So hello black and white thinking and what is often termed as “rigid” thinking. Now of course there's nuance to this because autistic people often already have difficulty with change. So again, add malnutrition to that, and you've practically just turned that autism dial up a few notches. This is also why many people who are not autistic can actually display autistic traits during active eating disorders. But again, that's a whole nother topic which you can learn more about in my Autistically ED-Free Academy at livlabelfree.com/group or you can book a 1-1 coaching session with me at livlabelfree.com/coaching if you'd like to work with me privately. So, jellyfish1093 and anyone else listening, I don't know what kinds of headaches you're experiencing or if there's anything that makes them worse or better, but what I do know is that restriction is fueling your fight-or-flight response, which scientifically speaking can cause headaches! Why? Well, your body perceives restriction, so energy deficit, as a famine. When you're not eating enough, your nervous system believes there aren't enough resources. I mean, why else would you be starving yourself? As I'm sure I don't have to tell you, a lack of resources is one of the greatest threats to human survival! But because your body is designed to do everything in its power to ensure your survival, it's going to activate that fight-or-flight mode so you can fight or flee whatever is causing you to be malnourished. Of course, your nervous system that obviously doesn't have a logical thinking organ cannot know that you're not actually in a famine environment, and it doesn't know that you're purposely restricting for other reasons, including fear of weight gain, autistic masking, and all the other things I talk about on this podcast and in my books and courses. Now, why is this relevant? Because when you're in a permanent state of fight-or-flight mode, your body is literally tensing up ALL the time! Your neck muscles, your shoulder muscles, your scalp muscles, everything is constantly clenched and ready for battle. And, well, can you guess what happens when those muscles stay contracted for weeks, months, perhaps even years? Hello tension headaches! Of course, tension headaches aren't the only type of headaches that restriction causes. Now, let's talk about what happens when your brain is literally running on empty. As I've talked about before on this podcast, your brain requires glucose – so, sugar! – to function. This is why during extreme hunger, we crave so much sugar. We're not becoming “addicted to sugar,” we're not developing binge eating disorder, our brain is literally screaming for us to help it heal! But because restriction depletes your brain of the glucose it needs to function, you experience not only headaches caused by blood sugar spikes and crashes, but you experience that brain fog, anxiety, depression, and other mental health struggles jellyfish1093 mentioned. So you may be wondering, how the heck does this blood sugar stuff work? Well, when you're engaging with an eating disorder, your blood sugar is basically on a constant roller coaster ride because energy deficit makes it harder for the body to properly regulate blood sugar. Why? Because regulating blood sugar costs energy, and well, you don't have enough of that, remember?! Your liver, which normally stores glucose and releases it when needed, doesn't have enough reserves to keep your levels stable. So even if you do eat something, your blood sugar might spike too high and then crash even harder, creating this vicious cycle of glucose instability that leaves your brain in constant distress. And then there's electrolyte imbalances. When you're malnourished, your sodium, potassium, and magnesium levels get thrown off. These minerals fuel the electrical system of your body – they're what allow your nerves to send signals properly. So when those levels are imbalanced, which they absolutely will be during restriction, your nervous system starts misfiring. And where do you feel that neurological chaos? Yep, in your head! So moral of the headache story before we move onto tinnitus is that yes, absolutely anorexia can cause headaches and they're probably not some mysterious separate condition that you need to worry about on top of everything else you're already dealing with. Your headaches are your body's completely predictable response to being in energy deficit – whether that's from your nervous system being stuck in fight-or-flight mode, your brain running on fumes, or your electrical system going haywire from electrolyte imbalances. The really important thing I want you to hear, jellyfish1093, is that these headaches aren't permanent. They're not a sign that you've broken your body beyond repair. They're actually proof that your body is still fighting for you! When you give your body consistent, adequate nutrition – which is probably more than just four meals a day and probably less exercise and yes, weight gain – these systems can and do heal. Your nervous system can calm down, your blood sugar can stabilize, and your electrolytes can rebalance. It takes time, and to be honest, it often gets worse before it gets better. This is where coaching can be so helpful because you have someone who's been there supporting you every step of the way! So if you are interested in working with me, do schedule a discovery session because I would love to meet you and create your freedom plan. And now, onto tinnitus! So jellyfish1093 I'm actually so happy you mentioned this because I used to have really bad tinnitus during my anorexia and in quasi recovery and I had never even connected the dots to malnutrition until your comment, so thank you for enlightening me! And before we get into the science behind how malnutrition can cause tinnitus, it's worth saying what tinnitus is because it can kinda sound like a fancy word! So tinnitus is a condition where a person perceives ringing, buzzing, hissing, or other noises in their ears, even when there is no external sound source. It can be caused by several factors, including aging, ear infections, and can be a side effect of certain medications. But what's not talked about ANYWHERE is how tinnitus can be caused by anorexia! But here comes Reddit to the rescue! Yep, that's right. As I was doing my research for this episode, I googled “tinnitus and anorexia,” and the top hit was a Reddit post! Which is saying a lot about there not being information on this connection. Anyways, maybe you already saw this Reddit post in your own research, jellyfish1093, but I want to read it aloud just in case it's helpful and because it of course provides another lived experience story about how eating enough truly is the only way to heal yourself! So the post is in the subreddit /tinnitus and it's titled “For those with malnutrition/eating disorders…” and here's what the OP writes: “Hey, I just wanted to share that my intense and persistent tinnitus was resolved through recovery from my eating disorder (anorexia). I thought I was getting enough nutrition, however, I was not. Also, you cannot simply take enough vitamins/supplements. I was attempting to do that but it didn't make up for the food I was supposed to be ingesting. The tinnitus for me was like the sound of white noise, particularly in one ear. Machine sounds, such as the low hum of a refrigerator in a store could further intensify it, and I had been to a great ENT doctor that ruled out anything structure-wise on their end. I did not connect the dots, that tinnitus could be caused by malnutrition…but I am SO glad to be free from it. I want you to be free from it too. So I figured I'd share what helped me.” Honestly, this is why I love Reddit. The amount of validation I have felt on there is kind of unmatched. But because I want this podcast to be unmatched as well, I'm gonna give you more than lived experience and hope because I also want to explain WHY tinnitus is a symptom of anorexia. And here's what I discovered: First off, remember those electrolyte imbalances we just talked about with headaches? Well, your inner ear is incredibly sensitive to changes in fluid balance. When your sodium, potassium, and magnesium levels are all over the place, it messes with the fluid in your inner ear. This can create pressure changes and affect how sound waves are processed, which your brain might interpret as ringing or buzzing. But there's also a blood flow component. When you're malnourished, your blood pressure often drops because you're dehydrated and your blood volume is low. But then sometimes your body tries to compensate and your blood pressure spikes. These blood pressure fluctuations affect circulation to your inner ear, and poor blood flow to those tiny, delicate structures can absolutely cause tinnitus. And remember how we talked about your brain being starved of glucose? Well, your auditory system requires a ton of energy to function properly. When your brain doesn't have enough fuel, it can start misfiring, and sometimes that misfiring gets interpreted as sound when there isn't any. It's like your brain is so desperate for stimulation that it starts creating its own – which honestly makes so much sense for those of us with neurodivergent brains that are already seeking stimulation all the freaking time! To bring this full circle with that chronic fight-or-flight state I keep coming back to, sympathetic nervous system activation makes your brain hypervigilant to everything, including sounds that would normally be filtered out. And if you're autistic, you already know how overwhelming auditory processing can be even when we do feel regulated. So imagine how much worse that gets when malnutrition has your nervous system completely dysregulated. Now before we wrap up here, what's worth emphasizing is that none of this is happening in isolation. It's probably not just one thing causing your tinnitus. The mechanisms I just described – so your inner ear fluid being off, your blood flow being chaotic, your brain misfiring from lack of fuel, and your nervous system being hypervigilant – this is all happening simultaneously. This same concoction of mechanisms is likely what's causing your dizziness as well. Your vestibular system, which is a sense that plays a crucial role in balance and spatial orientation – lives right there in your inner ear alongside your hearing. So when malnutrition messes with your inner ear fluid and blood flow, it's not just affecting how you hear, but it's also going to affect your sense of balance and where you are in space. Add in those blood pressure fluctuations and blood sugar crashes we talked about, well, you guessed it, hi there dizziness! So I know this is a lot, but jellyfish1093, you did say in your original comment that you were looking for hope, so that's exactly what I want to leave you with. Your body is so wise, wiser than our mind could ever be. Your body knows exactly what it needs, and it is doing everything in its power to support you and your healing. All the symptoms you're experiencing – the headaches, tinnitus, dizziness, brain fog, anxiety, depression, and I'm sure so much more – these aren't actually separate parts that need individual targeting to heal. In reality, these are all your body's way of saying “Hey, I need consistent fuel to function properly.” And I can promise you that when you give your body what it actually needs, it will take all that energy and utilize it to fully recover. Of course, if you want my help on that journey, you can schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching or enroll in my extreme hunger course or join me and other neurodivergent aliens in the existential autistic membership! You can find all the different ways to work with me on my website livlabelfree.com. I hope to chat with you in real-time, and otherwise, I'll talk to you in the next episode. Bye bye for now!

We know employers want creative thinkers. We know creative thinking is necessary to solve the problems we see everywhere in our world. We know we want our students to learn to be more creative.  But what does that mean exactly? Where does the science of creativity meet the cultural definition we all build for ourselves just by swimming in the 21st century stream? My guest today is Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle. Let me share her bio with you: "With more than 25 years as a scientist studying creativity, Zorana brings insights into the nature of the creative process, from the first decision to engage with new ideas to its culmination in creative performances and products. She is a scientist at Yale University, author, and speaker. Zorana's work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, ArtNet, US News, Education Week, Science Daily, El Pais, and others, and she is a regular contributor to Psychology Today and Creativity Post.” Today, we're talking about how science defines creativity, and how research shows us we can guide our students - and ourselves - to develop more creative confidence. You'll learn what's important in designing your space, launching and building creative units,  speaking with students about the hurdles that get in their path, and assessing creative work in a way that's meaningful for student development along the way, not just at the end. Honestly, I started Zorana's book, The Creativity Choice, searching for everything I could find to help me understand classroom creativity better. But I finished with fresh ideas not only for constructing curriculum and classroom spaces, but also for how I tackle projects, run my company, and talk to my own children about their ideas. Explore Zorana's Website: https://www.zorana-ivcevic-pringle.com/ Zorana's Substack: https://creativitydecision.substack.com/

In Philippians 4:4, Paul encourages us to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” But what does that really mean when life is full of stress, setbacks, and struggles? Whitney Hopler explores the difference between happiness and true joy, showing us that rejoicing in the Lord is possible even in life’s hardest moments. Drawing from Paul’s prison writings and personal reflections, this devotional reminds us that joy is not based on circumstances—it’s rooted in God’s unchanging presence and love. ✨ Highlights Why joy and happiness are not the same—and why joy lasts How to rejoice in the Lord even during trials and stress Paul’s example of choosing joy while imprisoned for his faith Practical ways to cultivate daily joy, like gratitude and noticing God’s wonder A reminder that joy isn’t the absence of trouble, but the presence of God

The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit wasn't just a meeting; it was the unveiling of a strategy. Hosted by Xi Jinping, the summit served as a calculated demonstration of Sino-Russian convening power. More importantly, it marked a concrete effort to operationalize an alternative, multipolar system designed explicitly to bypass Western economic and technological architectures.We just witnessed a significant inflection point in the global strategic competition. The rhetoric in Tianjin was overtly adversarial, with Xi Jinping denouncing "bullying behavior" and a "Cold War mentality." But beyond the rhetoric, the summit launched China's Global Governance Initiative (GGI), formalized commitments to building parallel financial infrastructure, and featured a strategically significant—and complex—détente between China and India.To break down the implications of this pivotal gathering, SCSP's President and CEO Ylli Bajraktari sat down with colleagues David Lin (China/East Asia/Tech), Joe Wang (Russia/Europe), and Sameer Lalwani (U.S.-India Defense) for an immediate assessment.The Propaganda Coup and Autocratic Convening PowerThe immediate takeaway from the summit was the sheer spectacle. Xi positioned himself at the center of the largest gathering in the organization's history, flanked by Vladimir Putin and, significantly, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The timing was deliberate. As David Lin noted, it was a "big week for Xi." The SCO meeting was strategically sandwiched between the first-ever public meeting of Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Xi, and a massive World War II anniversary parade in Beijing featuring thousands of troops and military hardware."It's a huge propaganda win for Beijing," Lin observed. "It gives Xi an opportunity to promote itself as being this global convener," while simultaneously pushing a tech-focused agenda.For Vladimir Putin, the summit was essential for mitigating diplomatic isolation and promoting the SCO as an alternative to NATO."Look at the past couple of weeks of Putin... he's going to be riding high right now," said Joe Wang. While few concrete deals may have materialized immediately that changed the dynamics in Ukraine, the optics were invaluable. "Being seen with President Xi, being seen with Modi... it's like Russia's back. For him, it's a great PR coup."The Architecture of a New Techno-Economic OrderThe summit demonstrated that the SCO is evolving from a regional security forum into the primary vehicle for the PRC to consolidate a bloc resistant to U.S. influence. We are witnessing the acceleration of a bifurcated world, characterized not just by differing political ideologies, but by competing technological ecosystems and financial systems.1. The Export of Digital AuthoritarianismXi formally introduced the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). While promoting "sovereign equality," the GGI is, in practice, a strategic blueprint to legitimize digital sovereignty—the right of states to control domestic information ecosystems, data flows, and technological infrastructure without adherence to democratic norms.The SCO's endorsement provides an institutional foundation for the PRC to export its model of techno-authoritarian control. This isn't just theoretical."At the SCO in particular, China was trying to push a lot of its techno-political agenda," David Lin emphasized. This included announcements that Beijing wants to set up S&T cooperation centers, an “AI application cooperation center,” launch joint solar and wind projects, and push Beidou, its alternative to GPS, across the SCO member states. Taken together, this could directly challenge the open, interoperable architecture championed by the U.S. and its allies, moving toward a fractured, PRC-controlled digital ecosystem across Eurasia.2. Accelerating Financial De-CouplingThe most concrete outcome was the political decision to fast-track the establishment of an SCO Development Bank, seeded with significant Chinese capital. This mechanism, coupled with agreements to expand the use of local currencies for intra-SCO trade, is explicitly designed to circumvent the SWIFT system and erode the efficacy of U.S. financial sanctions.This coordinated effort directly challenges the foundation of U.S. economic statecraft by building a resilient, alternative financial architecture among major energy producers (Russia, Iran) and the world's largest manufacturer (China).The India Factor: A Strategic RecalibrationThe most significant geopolitical development, and the one that caused the most consternation in Washington, was the visible rapprochement between Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—Modi's first visit to China in seven years."For a lot of US-India relationship watchers, Prime Minister Modi's visit to Beijing and attending this meeting came as a big surprise. It was a shock," Ylli Bajraktari noted.How should the U.S. interpret this move by a critical Quad partner?"Honestly, I think this was inevitable in some ways. India has been rebalancing," explained Sameer Lalwani. India has always professed itself to be a multi-aligned country, but recent U.S. actions also played a significant role. "The elephant in the room is, the United States has been pushing India around a little bit more... in terms of tariffs, additional tariffs because of Russian oil."Lalwani argued that India was "demonstrating they had some options." However, this does not signal a fundamental shift. "It shouldn't be lost on us that before India went to this, they stopped in Japan first." Furthermore, Modi notably absented himself from the military parade, signaling nuance in his engagement—he would participate in the SCO, but not the military spectacle.The underlying strategic realities also remain unchanged."India has a border with China that's still disputed, and China continues to coerce India... [and] China armed, trained and wired the weapons that Pakistan used to fight India" in a recent conflict. — Sameer Lalwani"I don't think that's forgotten for India," Lalwani added. The U.S.-India defense relationship remains a strong ballast, pointing to ongoing joint exercises (like Yudh Abhyas currently underway in Alaska) and India's reliance on U.S. platforms for maritime reconnaissance.The Limits of the Axis (And Why We Can't Ignore It)While the summit projected unity, the SCSP analysts urged a nuanced view of the underlying relationships."It is important to remember that a lot of this is perhaps only skin deep," David Lin cautioned, pointing to the recent history of violent border clashes between China and India, and the tight spot Beijing was put in by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Yet, dismissing the SCO would be a strategic error. The organization has evolved significantly."I remember I was in grad school when [the SCO] first came up... we all kind of jokingly just laughed it off," Joe Wang recalled. "Fast forward 15, 20 years and see where it is now... Things don't just happen overnight."While the "bromance between Putin and Xi" is undeniable, the integration is not comparable to U.S. alliances like NATO or the U.S.-Japan relationship. "There's still a level of distrust that I think we need to be mindful about," Wang noted.The trap is assuming this alignment is already solidified, while simultaneously failing to plan for the contingency that it might be. "If you're in the US government, you don't have the luxury of not taking a lot of these statements at face value," Wang said. "We need to plan ahead."The U.S. Response: Competing in the Gray ZoneThe 2025 SCO Summit confirms that the organization is the leading edge of China's campaign to fracture the global order. How should the United States respond?1. Offer a Compelling Alternative Tech Stack. "One of the lowest hanging fruit things the U.S. should do is show that there is an alternative to this," David Lin argued. As the SCO bloc develops internal capacities and indigenous technology standards, the U.S. must demonstrate there is a viable, democratic alternative to the "China tech stack" that Beijing is actively exporting.2. Master the Game of Global Diplomacy. The U.S. must regain its strategic agility and relearn how to operate in a complex world. "After the Cold War, one of the things that America stopped doing well was play the game of global diplomacy," Joe Wang argued. The U.S. has often viewed the world in black-and-white terms, assuming its preeminence was undisputed."We've lost that strategic foresight and ability to be nimble and operate in this sort of gray zone... We need to see the world for being the gray zone that it is." — Joe WangThis means avoiding the trap of reacting to events like Modi's visit by assuming allegiances have permanently shifted—"Oh my God, Modi is in China. Therefore it must mean that he's now on their side"—while still applying pressure and offering incentives to keep partners aligned.3. Double Down on Real Alliances. The U.S. must emphasize the depth of its own partnerships, which Lin noted "runs so much deeper" than the transactional relationships within the SCO.For India specifically, Sameer Lalwani urged action over reaction. "I don't think there's any need to overreact to cheap talk." Instead, the U.S. bureaucracy needs to move faster on concrete deliverables, and Congress should confirm key diplomatic nominees. "When India says it wants to buy Javelin missiles and it's ready to do so, I don't want that to get stalled in a process when we need the political wins now."The competition is no longer just between the U.S. and China; it is between the U.S.-led democratic order and a sophisticated, resource-rich, PRC-led coalition. The Tianjin Summit is a clear signal that this coalition is moving from rhetoric to action. The U.S. must do the same. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit scsp222.substack.com

Greta Thunberg is back and the only thing worth talking about is her new hairstyle. The United Kingdom is having an immigration problem. No, not just Muslims. Hollywood types. Honestly, we're not sure which is worse. This weekend, a number of CDC employees resigned in protest. We see this as an absolute win. Not so great; their next stop is probably the board of directors for a big pharma company.GUEST: Josh FirestineLink to today's sources: https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/sources-september-2-2025Buy the OG Mug Club Mug on Crowder Shop now! https://crowdershop.com/products/og-mug-club-mugLet my sponsor American Financing help you regain control of your finances. Go to https://americanfinancing.net/crowder or call 800-974-6500. NMLS 182334, http://nmlsconsumeraccess.org/DOWNLOAD THE RUMBLE APP TODAY: https://rumble.com/our-appsJoin Rumble Premium to watch this show every day! http://louderwithcrowder.com/PremiumGet your favorite LWC gear: https://crowdershop.com/Bite-Sized Content: https://rumble.com/c/CrowderBitsSubscribe to my podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/louder-with-crowder/FOLLOW ME: Website: https://louderwithcrowder.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/scrowder Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/louderwithcrowder Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevencrowderofficialMusic by @Pogo

Today I'm unpacking the viral teen drama The Summer I Turned Pretty — but from a Christian perspective. Let's be honest, the show is EVERYWHERE. From team debates (Conrad vs. Jeremiah) to dreamy beach scenes, it's got everyone hooked… but is it actually healthy for us to watch? I get super real about what the show glamorizes — from toxic love triangles to pre-marital sex — and why it's so easy to get caught up in fictional love stories. I also talk about emotional purity and how women especially can fall into fantasy traps that pull us away from truth.

Honestly, Nassourdine Imavov is pretty legit. He's 16-4 (1) overall, riding a three-fight win streak and heads into Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event against Caio Borralho fresh off a February victory over Israel Adesanya. He was the UFC's No. 1 middleweight contender until voters recently had to make room for Dricus Du Plessis. So, why does nobody seem to know (or care) who he is? Good news for Imavov: if he beats Borralho this weekend, he'll likely be one of only two men in line for a shot at newly crowned champ Khamzat Chimaev. Would a highlight-reel finish in Paris finally be enough to make fans remember his name? Also on this episode: you guys go hard on Luke Rockhold for getting folded up like a lawn chair by Darren Till, the Bigi Boy wins Dirty Boxing's pizza box-ass belt and Jon Jones is [checks notes] legally vindicated! For now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 453 - The Story of RETURN OF THE JEDI Record 1983's Story of Return of the Jedi record is an audio 45 minute version of ROTJ and somehow before recording this episode has never been heard by either of us! So we're doing what we do and listening to this wild masterpiece while stopping along the way to discuss all the greatness, madness and interesting choices made along the way! Play this episode backwards, listen today and celebrate the love! JOIN THE BLAST POINTS ARMY and SUPPORT BLAST POINTS ON PATREON! NEW ANDOR SEASON 2 EPISODE COMMENTARIES! COMMENTARIES FOR EVERY SKELETON CREW EPISODE! NEW EMPIRE STRIKES BACK COMMENTARY! Theme Music! downloadable tunes from episodes! Extra goodies! and so much MORE! www.patreon.com/blastpoints Blast Points T-SHIRTS are now available! Represent your favorite podcast everywhere you go! Get logo shirts while supplies last! Perfect for conventions, dates, formal events and more! Get them here: www.etsy.com/shop/Gibnerd?section_id=21195481 If you dug the show, please leave BLAST POINTS a review on iTunes, Spotify and share the show with friends! If you leave an iTunes review, we will read it on a future episode! Honestly! Talk to Blast Points on twitter at @blast_points "Like" Blast Points on Facebook Join the Blast Points Super Star Wars Chill Group here www.facebook.com/groups/ BlastPointsGroup/ we are also on Instagram! Wow! www.instagram.com/blastpoints Your hosts are Jason Gibner & Gabe Bott! contact BLAST POINTS at : contact@blastpointspodcast.com May the Force be with you, always! This podcast is not affiliated in any way with Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, The Walt Disney Company, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries.

Title: Life's Best Moments Are Earned Not Given with Celina Eklund Summary: Seth Bradley shares his unique journey from being adopted and raised in a blue-collar family in West Virginia to pivoting through medical school, business school, and law school before discovering his true calling in entrepreneurship and real estate investing. He explains how a mindset shift, exposure to high-level deals as a big law attorney, and a relentless work ethic led him to launch multiple businesses and build true freedom. The episode explores his beliefs around grit, personal development, hiring values-based teams, and designing a life around ownership instead of employment. Links to Watch and Subscribe: https://youtu.be/2Gcx4Ix8-zo Bullet Point Highlights: Adopted from Korea, raised in West Virginia by a coal miner and teacher. Went from med school to law school before finding alignment in entrepreneurship. Realized in big law he wanted to be the dealmaker, not just the attorney. Now runs 7+ businesses including RaiseLaw, gyms, and startups. Works 12-hour days by choice — building freedom, not trading time for money. Core values: Accountability, Resilience, Transparency, Intelligence, Consistency, Awareness (ARTICA). Married to Allison — also from WV, they now run gyms together in SoCal. Major mindset shift came from Rich Dad Poor Dad in 2013. Believes most avoid hard things because they've never seen the reward on the other side. Emphasizes hiring based on culture and values over just skills. Stays grounded through personal development and emotional regulation. Focused on building legacy, not just income — ownership > employment. Transcript: Seth Bradley (00:00.462) Welcome back to Revenue from Retention, the show where we dive into the stories behind success, the mindset, the pivots, and the purpose-driven decisions that create powerful transformations. Today's guest has a story that is inspiring, as it is also uncommon. Seth Bradley was born in West Virginia and adopted at birth and has been defying the odds ever since. He walked the path from medical school to law school only to realize that neither were truly aligned with his purpose.   After years of grinding, Seth made a bold leap into real estate entrepreneurship and never look back. Today, he's a thriving investor and a sought out after mentor, also soon to be father and the host of Passive Income Attorney Podcasts, where he teaches other high achievers how to break free from the golden handcuffs and build true freedom through passive income. This episode, we're going to dive into reinvention, identity and finding courage to live life on your own terms. So welcome to the show, Seth. So good to have you.   Oh, so good to be here, Selena. Thank you so much for having me on. Really appreciate it.   I love people with, I don't know if I've ever interviewed anybody that has like medical and law background per se. So it's neat to be able to like have, I love people that have so many, so much on their resume and it's like so colorful because you have so many experiences. So glad to have you here, but I ask everybody the same question before we dive into the podcast and I'm going to ask you the same. Why do feel like people should listen to your story? There's millions of podcasts out there. Why do you feel like people should listen to you?   Sure. You know, I believe that my story resonates with a lot of people. I like to frame it and I like to call it the blue-collar mindset. know, trading time for money, right? We've all heard that. We've all kind of been through that at some point in our lives, at least most of us. You know, getting caught up in comfort and lacking, you know, just lacking that knowledge of what's possible and like what's out there. And that's kind of how I grew up. Just a small twig, I was actually born in Korea.   Celina Eklund (01:56.652) And then I got adopted in West Virginia. So I was there for about three months and maybe I made my way over to West Virginia via plane when I was three months old. But growing up in West Virginia, great place, beautiful place, not a lot of diversity, but also growing up with my parents who are incredible people, I love them so much and they were instrumental in making me who that I am today.   But that being said, they're just, you know, I was never exposed to entrepreneurship and real estate and just the, you know, these bigger concepts, right? Of like private equity and owning companies and raising capital. Like none of those things were ever even in my atmosphere ever until I got really to really until I got to business school and law school. So, you know, that blue collar mindset or, you know, just get the best job that you can possibly get and getting caught up in just   living that life and getting comfortable with it and not knowing what's possible that's out there, I think it's a relatable story.   That's cool. did, how did you, what was the thing that got you into education, into school first? Because like my family, my dad is like, no, we're all 25 plus years retired in the military. You're gonna join the military. And then my mom is like, you're gonna go to school. And I didn't really wanna go to school, but then somebody, there was one person, it was the one person that changed my life forever that told me about sales and entrepreneurship. Like I'll never forget that light bulb moment of like, oh, interesting. So like, did you have that?   Like that person that had the conversation with you or a professor that talked to you that brought you into like, you know, like going to school. What did that look like?   Celina Eklund (03:34.766) Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, having that blue collar mindset, my dad's a retired coal miner, my mom's a retired school teacher. And they had that mindset like you need to go to college, get an education. And that's just the best thing that you can do for yourself. I'm still kind of of that generation, right? But and school was always really easy for me. I'll say that. So it was really easy for me. So and I never had like a passion for anything in particular. So I just kind of looked at like, what's the best   job that I can get. And to me when I was younger, that was becoming a doctor. So that's why I went kind of that med school route first before realizing that wasn't for me. And then that's when I went to this school and then law school and all that. And my parents were encouraging of all these things and they're actually very understanding of when I kept changing between the schools because I was still on at least, you know, that educational path, still higher education and striving towards. Yeah, curious. Yeah, striving towards something.   So I was always just kind of put in that again that kind of narrow mindset where that's the only path I knew I didn't know about entrepreneurship or didn't think it was like a possibility for me and for my life.   That's cool. I am. Do you have any other brothers or sisters? Are you the only one?   I do, have an older sister.   Seth Bradley (04:53.27) And what's the age gap difference between you two?   About seven years. Okay. She's not adopted, so she's biological.   on the issue living california with where you guys are at   No, she's in Charleston, South Carolina. That's cool. Do you go up?   Celina Eklund (05:14.328) Have not.   I don't, you know, I've talked to other adoptees in the past and that's always one of the core things. They all want to go and figure out where they're from and they feel like they're kind of missing something. I think that my parents did such a great job and loved me so much and I felt that throughout the process that I just never felt the need to kind of go outside of that. They were always just my parents and that's it. I didn't feel the need to find anything else.   Yeah, to like hunt back. My boyfriend, he doesn't know his dad. I think his dad left when he was like three or four years old, really young age. And so I've asked him this before too, like, do you think your dad will ever find you? And he's like, you know, if he finds me, great, but like, I'm not out there like actively searching into that. So, that's cool. It's neat to hear from, I don't know too many people that have been adopted like so young, so early. So it's good that you have that. And then also you have really good   your parents are like a form of mentorship and, you know, have been very supportive. So that's cool that you're able to carry it on. yeah, so let's talk a little bit about like entrepreneurship. And when we were, before we got on this podcast, we talked a lot about like, you know, leadership and the importance of like building people. So did you, when you met your wife, did I know that she is a big part in like business with you too? Like, did you find her through business or how did that whole thing happen?   Yeah, it's really interesting because she's also from West Virginia, but we didn't meet until we were actually in San Diego. So I moved to LA first in 2009 and then made my way down to San Diego for law school. And then she came out later and we met through a mutual friend who's also from West Virginia. So like West Virginia was the, you know, the commonality between us. So pretty awesome that we met each other, you 2000 miles away in San Diego.   Seth Bradley (07:10.722) Wow, that's neat. so like, how did you guys both realize, we like business and we want to like do this together?   Yeah, I mean it took a while, right? So I ended up graduating from law school and we moved back across the country together back to West Virginia because at the time that was the best big law firm job that I could get. It was back home because I had some pull there. So she followed me back to West Virginia begrudgingly. She didn't want to do that, but she did. So God bless her. And then we ended up going to North Carolina for a little bit and then trying to find a way back out to California.   But at the same time, I was actually working for Big Law Firms at the time. again, entrepreneurship wasn't really on the table at that point in time. It was still, hey, let's just keep slaving away here, grinding, trying to work a way up to partner at the Big Law Firms. And she had actually went back to school for her second degree in interior design and started.   You guys are smart. Both of you are just geniuses. Holy cow.   Well, I don't know about that. Honestly, like nowadays, if somebody asked me, should they be going to college? I would have to have a deeper conversation with that person, right? Like it depends on what they're going to get into.   Seth Bradley (08:19.97) Yeah, you're it's just crazy because times have changed so much like back then like you needed a degree to do anything and now it's more of like people are looking for like experience.   Yep, 100%.   Like if I, you know, if I'm looking to, you know, if I own a restaurant and I'm looking to hire like a bartender, like I don't care if you went to school for four years to get a science degree. I'm like, how many cocktails have you made? Do you know how to make a spicy margarita and a regular margarita? Like, do you know what ingredients are in it? You know, so it's kind of like, it's, it's insane to see like how things have changed over, over time.   Totally, It used to be like a minimum, right? Like you had to get a four-year degree no matter what you're doing. It doesn't matter. Like get a degree in communications or general studies or whatever, but you have to get a degree to kind of get to that next level or to get a good job. But it's just not like that anymore unless there's like a very specific skill set that you have to have a degree for. I don't believe in that system and that's coming from a guy who went to school for 11 years, which is insane to say out loud.   But if you're not going to school to be a doctor, to be a lawyer, to be a dentist, to be an engineer, things like that where you have to have a degree for it, it probably doesn't make sense.   Seth Bradley (09:38.274) Yeah, I, it's funny that you said, you said just a little bit ago, you said that you're just kind of grinding and grinding, grinding, keep on going. And you know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but you don't see like the light yet and what, what that looks like. And, it's, it's funny how like when your intentions are in the right place and your heart is in the right place and you want to, you know, give back to other people and you're a good human being, like those things naturally, you know, come like they unfold.   for one another and that's neat that you guys have that vision of just like, put in the hard work right now. That way we can have the fruits for our kids later. And I think that that's where like a lot of people get caught up or give up is like, the result isn't tomorrow. And I'm sure that you see that with investing too. Like I can't just pick up my phone and be like, okay, here's a million dollars in my bank account. Like there's strategy that's involved, right? Like there's thought and processes and it.   Like you have to build certain things and go certain avenues. So with you guys like getting into investing now, what are some of like the bigger projects that you guys are working on or what it is that you focus on?   Yeah, I was gonna say before I get into that, mean, it does come down to relationships and networking and things like that where you just, you have to get out there and meet the right people and get exposed to the right people. I think that that's really key. I mean, I know for me, working in those big law firms, I was actually doing what I do now on the business side. I was representing clients to do what I do now on the business side. So they were buying large real estate projects. They were raising capital.   to buy huge apartment buildings and to buy companies and things like that. But it was funny because when you're in the weeds, you don't really think about you on that side of the table. You're always just like kind of in it and you're like, all right, well, my job is this small part, which is being the attorney on the job. But then later, like you have to take a step back and say, wait a minute, like I know all these things and I would actually be really good at this. Why wouldn't I want to be on the business side? And that's kind of the light bulb moment for me was just seeing   Celina Eklund (11:38.766) take a step back and say, maybe I don't want to just be a vendor. Maybe I actually want to be that person that's buying businesses, that's operating large apartment complexes, that's doing, that's raising capital, doing those things. And I think it's funny, especially for attorneys, because that's just one example of a person that's in the weeds there every single day, but perhaps they don't necessarily own any real estate, even though they're a real estate attorney, or they've never raised capital before, even though they're a securities attorney.   Things like that. Another common example is like real estate agents, right? There's so many real estate agents out there. many. You know, they're supposed to be professionals. It's like, well, if you ask them, like, how much real estate do you own? You know, maybe they own their own house, but they don't own any rental properties. Most of them, I should say, don't own many rental properties. They're not actually in that business, which is wild because they would probably be really good at it if they could kind of take a step back and say,   Yeah, maybe I should get into this bit, the business side, not just the vendor side.   Yeah, it's so true. Find somebody that has been where it is that you want to go. It's kind of like, it's kind of like if you want to get like, like body modifications, right? So like Botox or like, you know, you want to get what's what's in for hair right now, hair extensions, right? Like you're not going to go to a hair salon and the freaking chick doesn't   have hair extensions in right or like the lady that you're go get Botox from like she doesn't even have Botox and you can clearly tell like she's not taking good care of her skin it's like okay wait what like I want to make sure like whoever I'm working with like they have that that track record.   Celina Eklund (13:17.662) You gotta be careful with that talking about education, right? So it's it's awesome that there's all this alternative education out there with coaching and mentoring and YouTube University and Master, I like to call these folks mastermind scholars sometimes it's like, know, make sure that you are buying from the right people people that are doing what they said that they are doing and teaching what they what you want to learn, right? Like they're not just they're not just educators. They've actually done what you want to do.   It's really important and they're continuing to do that. Like they were successful at it and they were good enough that, you know, hey, I want to teach other people, but at the same time, that's my core business. My core business is what I'm teaching, not the education side because there's just a lot of people out there that you can waste a lot of money with. So that's kind of the downside to that.   That's true. like what is your, also talked about like the reason why we love entrepreneurship so much is because it gives you the ability to have freedom. You can go take a trip to Disney world with your family for three days, or you can, you know, fly wherever it is that you want to go because you're not working in the business. You're working on the business and you have other people that are helping run it too. So what is like that? I have a lot of people that are going to be listening to this that are   you know, wanting to get maybe out of their nine to five, or if they work a corporate job and they kind of like want to transition. like, what is your day to day look like for you? Like what does an average Monday through Friday look like for you? And like, what does that schedule, you know, represent you? How does it look like?   Yeah, I might be scaring some of your listeners away by telling them this, but my day is long. I have seven businesses that I run, at least seven, some people might say more than that. So I get up around six o'clock and I start working almost immediately. I used to have kind of this long, drawn out morning routine, but I'm kind of the Alex Hormozi cult now where it's like, how quickly can you get dialed in? And for me, I just grab a cup of coffee, I sit down, I put some headphones on and I get going.   Celina Eklund (15:17.31) So I can get in that zone pretty quickly. But I'm working long hours. I mean, if I'm in the office and not traveling and not speaking at conferences and doing those sorts of things, I'm working six to at least six o'clock, like 12 hours straight. I might take 30 minutes off for a quick lunch, that sort of thing. And then I'll go get my workout. And it's six thirty across the street at one of my gyms. So it's long. It's very long. But alluding to what you said to earlier, if something did come up,   or if I did want to go on a vacation or take 30 days off, things like that that you might not have the flexibility or freedom to do with a W-2, you can. So I am choosing to work 12 hour days because I'm putting that time in for myself because I can see the vision for myself, my family, and my businesses. And it's different. It's different when you're putting that time in for the things that you believe in and the things that are important for you.   as opposed to working at W2 where all you're doing is counting the seconds as they're ticking down so you can clock out. And you're working for somebody else's dream. It's totally different. 12 hours working for myself versus nine hours working for somebody else is totally different. Totally different.   Do you, this is a side note, do you play the guitar? There's a guitar, I know people can't see this, they're only gonna hear it, but do you play music?   I used to. don't have as much time anymore, but I grew up playing guitar all the way through college and that sort of thing, but not so much anymore. But I do want to get back into it one day.   Seth Bradley (16:54.146) Do you think that music has helped fuel your creativity and keep your brain fresh?   I think it always does. I think it always does. think that that's a completely different side of your brain that you can stimulate and I should probably get back into it because of that. I think it just kind of unlocks things for you.   Yeah, it's a, I'm reading this book right now. Well, it's like probably my third time reading it. He's one of my favorite authors, Seth Godin. He wrote the book, Lynchpin. He has a couple of different books. Have you heard of him before? for sure.   Marketing marketing king   my gosh, he's just, he's incredible. But I read different things and he talks about how to like not fit the mold, the purple cow, be the purple cow, not the black and white cow. And so like, I think like music is something that kind of helps fuel that creativity. But why, why do you feel like you love the grit so much? Like you don't have to work 12 hours every single day. You don't have to get up at six if you want to get up at, you know, 12 o'clock in the afternoon, you can, but what makes you so addicted to the grit and the hard work? Why do you like that? Cause most people   Seth Bradley (17:57.068) want to run away from the stuff that's hard. They're not trying to put themselves in the tough stuff, which is rare. And I feel like that's how I found you is because I love tough stuff. Especially being a female, I love it when people tell me, you can't do that. And I'm a woman. So the odds are even smaller. like, hell yeah. Like that, like I'm all in. how do you, like, why are you so obsessed with business and wanting to grow so much?   Yeah, I mean, think there's a couple things. think number one, I just enjoy building. So like I enjoy being a builder and building businesses and learning about new things. I have a hard time saying no. Like I've gotten better at it and I think I'm actually pretty good at it now, but it took me a long time to get there. It probably got me to this maximum capacity before I started saying no, because I just love like diving into new businesses and learning about new things and   and ways to make money and build businesses and help people. But that's number one. I think that I just genuinely enjoy that. So I try to fill my day up with that. Now, sometimes you do get bogged down with some of the smaller things that you don't want to do, but try to avoid that as much as possible and still dedicate as much time to your highest and best and most fun, enjoyable use as possible. And number two, I think that a lot of folks   avoid the hard because they haven't been rewarded for doing it. I think that people that have been successful have seen that the hard stuff is the best stuff. Meaning like once you've gotten through that hard place and you just kept pushing and pushing and pushing and you had that breakthrough and you saw it and you were like, that's it. That's it. Like that's where I need to get. So when you see it again, when you see it get hard, you realize that's what you want. Right. That's when you realize   I just got to keep pushing and pushing and pushing and eventually I'll break through again. Whereas other people may have in the past ran up against something hard and said this is too hard and kind of pulled back. So they weren't, didn't get to see that, you know, that reward.   Seth Bradley (20:06.702) How long have you been into the self-development space? Have you always been there? like personal, I should say personal development. Have you always been there? Is it something new or do you?   Yeah, I would say it actually started with maybe around 2013 when I got my first big law firm job and I realized once again that that wasn't necessarily what I wanted to do. So I started kind of looking around and learning about real estate and I read Rich Dad Poor Dad. That was kind of a game changer, which it is for a lot of people just with like mindset. So I would say that that book, even though it's not necessarily a lot of personal development there, but it is a mindset shift.   And that was probably the one that kind of got me going and got me to start reading more books and start thinking about things differently.   He lives here in Arizona. We've ran into him a couple of times. Yeah, he lives here in Scottsdale. or like going to the mall or restaurant like every now and then somebody in our company will come across him and he's a great guy. We have his book around our shelves too as well. Yeah, I wish I found self-development when I was like 18. I'm like, where was this? My brother is, there's a big age gap difference between the two of us, but he just turned 17 in January.   and he's been into self-development because of me since he was 15 years old. And, you know, I just want him to be so much further ahead when he's like 20, you know, and 21 and like he's making good decisions for himself. think that's so important. So I even watched like really old videos of like Tony Robbins. Love Tony Robbins. And it's neat to watch like his evolution from when he first started with the big baggy suits and he was doing, you know, one-off seminars.   Seth Bradley (21:52.31) you know, way back in the day. And then now, like, I mean, he's at a point where he's starting to retire because his vocal cords are going out, kids are getting older. And it's neat to watch him grow because he, you know, if like he can do it, there's no difference between me and him. Like, I, the only difference between him and me is like, he just wanted it more than I wanted it. And he made it happen faster, you know, so.   You're doing that for your brother. I mean because that's again It's all about like exposure, right? Like the sooner that you're exposed to that or the sooner like you meet that person even if it's a sibling or whoever it is, right? That gives you at least that exposure. Maybe sometimes you Resist it like you might not want it at the time But at least it's kind of in your mind and then later when you're ready You know you you have that at least that idea and inclination in your mind So just being exposed to different ideas and networking with the right people   makes a huge difference. The earlier that it can happen, the better.   Yeah, I think that's when like the ego has to be put aside. Like you gotta, you gotta set the ego down. You know, you don't know it all and that's okay. And I think for men, maybe it's a little bit more difficult because guys want to act like, you know, they, they know everything. Women are like, no, what are all my resources? Like, I'm going to read all these baby books. Like I'm going to start, you know, watching YouTube videos on how to properly, you know,   do something for their baby like me. I've got a ton of women around me and I have like, don't have kids yet, but I'm just like, I tossed out our candles because the flame from the candles isn't good for your insides. So we got like this freaking new scent thing. We got rid of the microwave cause I'm like a little nervous of radiation for my baby. know, like I'm just like kind of like immersing myself, emerging myself like into the whole process of like becoming a mom. But that's like the cool stuff with, with resources, but that takes the ego to like put aside, you know.   Celina Eklund (23:38.078) I agree. I think you're onto something there. I remember being in my 20s and I thought I knew everything and I never ask questions, which is sad to even say now. I wouldn't ask questions. I'd be like, I'll figure it out. I don't care. I'm not going to give you anything. It's crazy how not humble I was. I was really just like, I know everything and if I don't, I'll figure it out. I don't need help. And nowadays, I'm totally different mindset now.   I'm gonna share.   Seth Bradley (24:08.354) I'm going to share my screen with you. And even though the people on the other side, they can't see this, we'll just kind of like walk through it. But I look at this chart every single day actually, and it talks about power and force. like whenever I'm in a situation or having a conversation with somebody, I'm like always trying to check what my level is. And so I'm just kind of walking through it because other people can't see this. So they're just hearing it.   At the bottom of this chart, it's like bright red. And then at the top, it slowly starts to go into it, like a yellow, a green, a blue, and a purple. And at the very bottom, it talks about shame, guilt. And that's how you're operating at a level 125, desire, anger, pride, 175. And then you slowly move up the chart. And as you get into the blues and the purple, you operate out of love and joy and peace and enlightenment. So you either have power or you have force that's coming out of your system.   And I'm just always trying to think like, how can I always operate at this violet purple? Because if I'm that way towards somebody, like they're going to have that reciprocity towards me versus like operating out of anxiety. And I think it comes to like emotional maturity. I think emotional maturity is really like a big part of this, but I wanted to share this with you because I thought that I look   at it every do you use that? Do you kind of look at this every day and then just kind of stop and take a moment and just kind of where you're at?   If I need like a reset, you know, if something bad happened or something that was unexpected or, you know, I'll give you like an example. Like my, text my dad on Saturday and I'm like, Hey, this is the venue where we're having our wedding at. You know, this is what's happening in March. And he just hasn't texted me back at all, you know? And I'm just like, I just think to myself, like you're my dad. You're also important part because you're supposed to be here at this wedding coming up and I haven't gotten a text back. immediately, I mean, I'm over here like boiling in like,   Seth Bradley (26:01.652) shame and anger and I'm pissed off. And so like whenever I like lose that edge, I check myself and I'm like, okay, how do we go back over here? Maybe, you know, back to enlightenment, powerful inspiration.   you know, maybe he's on a trip right now and he doesn't have phone service or signal or, you know, maybe I just need to have more compassion for his situation. My stepmom got diagnosed with cancer last year. Who knows? Maybe it came back again. They're at the hospital. Like, you just kind of don't know what other people are going through on the other side. So I just like check myself on this list. And if I'm not, if I don't see the chart, I kind of take like a mental note of like, you know, hey, let's go back up to the top. It's okay. And everything's all figure audible.   I that. like my thing. So I just kind of wanted to like share that, but I'll text it to you after this so you can have it.   Sure, yeah, I appreciate that. That's awesome. That's awesome.   That's a, that's important to me. And I noticed another thing. I love watching people's patterns. That's what I'm, I am really, really good at is like studying people because you obviously have information and you want to take it from the people who have it to the people who need it too. So how have you learned to be like so coachable and open-minded? Like I can tell that there, you have a certain level where you can put your ego aside. And you know, I think that that's kind of like why we're on this podcast too, as well.   Seth Bradley (27:23.852) you have a certain level of like open mindedness. Is your wife somebody that like grounds you with that to be that way or is that something that's always been in   She definitely helps, that's for sure. I would say it definitely hasn't always been in me. Like I said, I think that I was not humble enough in my 20s to be able to accept coaching and mentoring and advice. I wasn't as open as I used to be. I think it probably took a little bit of spinning around, meaning going to medical school and   dropping out and then going to business school and like, isn't good enough and then going to law school and I was like, okay, this is cool, but going to get in a great job and then realizing like, this isn't what I want to do either. I think it took a lot of that like kind of spinning around where it's like, hey buddy, maybe you don't know it all. Right. And then you had to have a little bit of self had to have a little bit of self reflection and say, all right, what, what am I missing here? And just be a lot more open to mentorship and coaching and   and people just that are, you know, that are, have the experience that you want to have and to have more life experiences and have done the things that you want to do already. And once you kind of open yourself up to that and realize like, man, this is a shortcut right here. Like this is the shortcut. You know, I think again, it comes with experience and exposure and results.   That's cool. So you and your wife now you guys have two gyms and you're opening up a third one soon in Southern California What's next up for you guys? What is a what's a thing that's up and coming? have the third gym You're gonna have a family soon, too So do you are you guys like building out like another team for your third location? Or what is what is like the next like six months to a year look like for you guys?   Celina Eklund (29:14.54) We are, we are. So I've been kind of kicked out of the partnership for the gyms, so to speak, at least on paper, just because she wants to just, you know, it's her baby. So she wants to run with it, which is great. Even though I'm still doing the same stuff that I was doing before, I'm just not going to get paid for it. All good. No worries there, but we'll get it. I know, I know. So helping her get that launched, hopefully before the end of the year. And same thing with the family starting before the end of the year as well. So they'll   still loves you, don't worry.   Celina Eklund (29:43.97) be going about at the same time, it looks like. And then, you know, with my other businesses just really growing my own boutique law firm and my startups as well. So a lot of, a lot of irons in the fire right now to keep going.   Do you guys have our culture where I'm at, like hiring is really important, the way that we bring on people. So do you guys have like a specific way of how you find your people, how to find the right people, like retaining employees? Because I mean, I feel like there's a lot of people that just kind of, you know, they're in it for like the paycheck, they're there for six months and then they're bouncing. So like, do you guys have a specific process of what you're doing for your upcoming third location?   Yeah, I mean, think you get better at it as you go, right? Like trial and error, figure out who, know, personality wise will work. I think you've really got to stick to who's going to fit in with your culture and your values and things like that. I mean, for instance, like we really value accountability and transparency and consistency. Awareness is another big one, right? So like making sure that the people that you hire on your team also value those same things. And if they don't.   it's probably not going to work out in the long run. So it's really important that culturally, that your values align. So that's the important thing. And we do certain things like we don't even hire out of the gate necessarily full time. It's, you're on a 90 day probationary period. We like to call it so that, hey, we have this exit. And especially in California, we've got to spell these things out very clearly with everyone.   I think you just get better at it and we've gotten a lot better at keeping employees and retention.   Seth Bradley (31:30.52) Yeah, that's important. We, we always talk about having like an unrecruitable team, you know, like no matter what, if somebody came over here and tried to pay me a million dollars, like I wouldn't do it because this is my family and we've gone through the tough stuff. And if you can go through the hard stuff, like you can go through the easy stuff together. hiring, like we, whenever we go to hire too, we always meet the spouse, the kids, the whole family, because it's like the, the, person's going to be working there for 10 hours out of the day or eight hours out of the day. Like we want to ensure that the spouse knows that   they're at work working hard. And also like you don't want to treat it like it's they're just paying for a paycheck. Like this is a family, like we're doing life together. Like you made a commitment to work here. Like I'm going to make a commitment to making sure that we're increasing your bonuses or your salary or you you're upping the standard of the company. So that's super cool. I love that. Yeah.   What's a so so you guys have that that's coming up you're going to be starting a family that's so exciting What a what a good time in life for everything to be coming through together I'm I can't wait to to see your guys's baby on Instagram and and you know like Watch your baby start doing pull-ups in the gym. You know, yeah   Yeah. He's so cute. That's super exciting. Yeah, super excited.   And as we wrap up here, is there anything else that you'd like to leave off with or any other message that you'd like to put out for anybody that's listening to this too?   Celina Eklund (32:54.572) Yeah, I mean, I would just say like stick with it, right? Like figure out where I'm trying to think what the best word would be. I don't like to say where your passion is, but figure out where you can where you can harness your energy and focus it somewhere and then stick it out and really push through. Like I said earlier, the hard when it gets hard, that's when you you don't stop. That's not when you pull back. That's when you push harder and you push through and there will be a breakthrough.   but you just gotta keep going.   yeah love that you are your new life is on the other side of you being uncomfortable have to go through that that uncomfortable face that's awesome well if i have somebody that's actually looking for a job or wanting to come to your heart of your team you know cuz i do have people out in southern california that are always like looking for new opportunities and also want to work with like like-minded people you know so   Somebody is looking for an opportunity like I'm not going to send him to Joe Schmo or have him go Google something right like I would love for them to be work directly with you. So what's the best way and point of contact that we can that anybody can get a hold of you?   Yeah, you can go to SethBradleyESQ.com, so like Esquire, S-SethBradleyESQ.com. That will be set up for you to kind of tell me where you, what your interest is with me and then we can kind of point you in the right direction. I do have a number of businesses, so that site is kind of set up to guide you to the right resource.   Seth Bradley (34:22.542) Awesome. Well, thank you, Seth, so much for being here. And next time on our next podcast where we shatter limiting beliefs. Thanks for being here, Seth.   Thanks, Elena. Really appreciate it.   Links from the Show and Guest Info and Links: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ7TLuEz93X/   Celina Eklund's Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celina-eklund/ https://www.instagram.com/celina.eklund/ https://x.com/AiryJane1 https://www.youtube.com/@CelinaEklund/featured https://www.facebook.com/CelinaEklundd https://www.threads.com/@celina.eklund   Seth Bradley's Links: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethbradleyesq/ https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley/ https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradleyesq https://medium.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq?lang=en

It's Mighty Monday and Ryan is here to help us chat about the 1996 classic sports movie, Space Jam. ABOUT SPACE JAM:In a desperate attempt to win a basketball match and earn their freedom, the Looney Tunes seek the aid of retired basketball champion, Michael Jordan.AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR SPACE JAM:November 15, 1996 | TheatersCAST & CREW OF SPACE JAM:Michael Jordan as HimselfBilly West as Bugs BunnyWayne Knight as Stan PodolakBill Murray as HimselfLarry Bird as HimselfCharles Barkley as HimselfPatrick Ewing as HimselfMuggsy Bogues as HimselfLarry Johnson as HimselfShawn Bradley as HimselfBRAN'S SPACE JAM SYNOPSIS:Little Michael Jordan is up late, playing basketball outside. His dad tells him to keep shooting until he misses. Michael says he wants to play ball at North Carolina. As he runs toward the hoop and jumps, the scene transitions to adult MJ jumping, leading into a 5+ minute highlight reel of Jordan clips. Honestly, it could've been an hour longer and I still would've been in.Michael then retires from basketball, and we transition to outer space. We're dropped onto Moron Mountain, a struggling amusement park. Its owner, Mr. Swackhammer, decides the best course of action is to kidnap the Looney Tunes to be the park's new attraction. His little henchmen head to Earth to hold the Tunes hostage, but Bugs Bunny convinces them to allow the Tunes to defend themselves, challenging them to a basketball game since the aliens are so small.After seeing a documentary about basketball and learning there are professionals, the aliens travel to Earth and steal the talents of Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues. Using this talent, they transform into giant, baller versions of themselves known as the Monstars.When the Looney Tunes see how big the Monstars are, they realize they need help. They need the greatest to ever do it: Michael Jordan.They track MJ down at the golf course and literally pull him through a hole. Honestly, MJ handles it surprisingly well and he's in.Back on Earth, the real NBA players discover they've lost their ability to play, leading the league to suspend the season until they figure out what's happening.It's time for the big game, and the Monstars dominate the first half. The Tune Squad is devastated.During halftime, MJ's assistant Stan (who showed up earlier in the movie) learns how the Monstars stole the players' talent. This discourages the Tunes even more—until Bugs pulls out MJ's “secret stuff,” which is just water, but convinces the squad to believe in themselves.MJ raises the stakes with Swackhammer, as only he would: if the Tune Squad wins, the Monstars return the stolen talent. If the Monstars win, Jordan will spend the rest of his life as Moron Mountain's newest attraction.The Tunes fight back, but with only ten seconds left, they're down to four players. Luckily, Bill Murray shows up to even things out.In the final moments, Jordan talks to Bugs, uses cartoon physics, stretches his arm across the court, and slam-dunks for the win.After Swackhammer berates the Monstars, Jordan helps them realize they only served him because they were small. Fed up, the Monstars stuff Swackhammer into a missile and launch him to the moon. They then relinquish the stolen talent and decide to stay with the Tunes.Meanwhile, Jordan and Stan return to Earth, restoring the NBA stars' abilities. Their encouragement convinces Jordan to return to the league—and the rest is history.

Ladies (and gents!), if the word dominance makes your thighs clench a little, then you're about to LOVE this episode