Podcasts about companies

Chris Lindstrom is joined by Chef Tim Cashette of Avvino, Frenchman Street, La Bola, and The Duke Event Space. Tim shares insights about the evolution of Avvino since his last appearance on the show and opening 3 different concepts inside the Mercantile on Main. He also discusses the challenges and rewards of running a restaurant in a fluctuating economy and the importance of a dedicated team.Companies mentioned in this episode:@Avvino - La Bola (@labolarochester) - Frenchman Street (@frenchmanstreetroc) - The Duke Event Space (@thedukeroc) - Seasons Noodle (@seasonsnoodle.mercantile.roc) - Arbor Venues (@arborvenues)Mentioned in this episode:Joe Bean RoastersJoe Bean Coffee - Coffee that lifts everyone. https://shop.joebeanroasters.com

Companies like FORT Robotics have developed a deep expertise in safety when it comes to artificial intelligence.

"If my top talent walked out tomorrow, or AI shook things up overnight, would I still know how to win with people ?"This is the question Kate and I discuss - the urgent need to rewire work and change the way we view talent, skills and the workplace. One of the shifts is moving from viewing individuals as mere “employees” to recognising them as “contributors.” This change fosters a sense of agency within any organizational system.The topic of agency highlights a crucial shift: workers have agency to choose and the long time loyalty contracts are gone. People, particularly the younger generations now prioritize health benefits, time off, and flexible working over pay raises. This signifies a deeper desire for lifestyle integration and genuine care from employers. It's about feeling valued for one's skills from day one, having a voice, and ensuring long-term employability, especially with AI on the horizon. If our identity is tied to what we know, how do we adapt when AI “knows more”?Historically, the more people got used to new tech, the less anxious they became. But with AI, it's the opposite! The closer people get, the more nervous they feel. This isn't just about understanding the tech; it's about our identity and status tied to what we know versus what we're willing to learn. This paradox calls for a fundamental shift: from being “know-it-alls” to “learn-it-alls.” Leaders must foster environments where learning and adaptability are paramount, rather than relying solely on existing expertise.If you had the opportunity to redesign work in this department how would you do it differently ? The insights you'll get from this episode are : - It is people, not technology, who breathe life into businesses and keep them competitive; the pressure businesses are under puts a premium on talent and GenAI is increasing the gap between average and high-performing employees.- Hiring, development and promotion must be right for a business to unlock opportunities, but workers have more options than ever before - Gen Z feel work is broken and the lift provided by augmented AI does not fix what is broken.- The proximity paradox, i.e. the nearer people get to AI, the more nervous they are about it, is the opposite of past experiences with tech – if people are worried about losing their jobs and using AI, they will not innovate and look forward.- This paradox is also a human paradox – GenAI provides no reassurance as it is always changing and learning, which is at odds with a system that values knowing over learning: know-it-all v learn-it-all is a threat to identity and status.- Companies must care about guiding employees so that they stay relevant, and managers must have honest conversations with employees about how AI will change their jobs – this may well involve not having all the answers.- The employee turnover rate is driven by the labour market and HR must know what the company's reputation is externally to prevent the top talent from leaving in a flexible and fluid talent supply – motivation is key here.- More agility in the workforce requires intentional work redesign - fixed v flex v fully flow roles - to solve real human problems and supply gaps through e.g. offshoring, right-shoring, making use of global capacity centres.- Leaders must be able to work across temporal, digital, cultural and behavioural boundaries, and across generations, i.e. manage paradox, sense markets and people, have a global mindset, and embrace DE&I.- Upskilling is crucial, as skills are the real

Africa Melane speaks to Nomvuyiso Batyi is CEO of the Association of Comms & Technology (ACT), an industry body that represents South Africa’s six largest telecommunications operators. They discuss the implications of National Minister Solly Malatsi taking steps to make access to South Africa easier for companies like Starlink who want to bypass current regulations requiring equity to be given to historically disadvantaged groups. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nintendo has been a cultural phenomenon in Japan for decades, and today, that influence is global, powered by franchises like Pokémon, Mario and Zelda. But after hitting highs in August, Nintendo shares have pulled back as investors weigh a potential memory and chip-cost squeeze that could pressure Switch 2 margins. Join Dan Koh and Ryan Huang on Companies to Watch as they unpack the latest headlines behind the US$14 billion market value drop, the key growth drivers still supporting the Switch 2 cycle, and what investors should look out for ahead of Nintendo’s next results update.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Jose Fernandez — former Head of Global Sales Development at Google and now CEO of Easy Comp — breaks down how compensation must evolve when companies shift from traditional SaaS licensing to consumption-based models. Drawing from his experience at Google Ads, one of the most successful consumption engines in business history, Jose lays out the structural advantages of consumption models and how GTM, onboarding, forecasting, and comp plans must align to unlock growth.John McMahon and John Kaplan then expand on how consumption changes seller behavior, deal sizing, renewal dynamics, forecast accuracy, and quota mechanics. This is a must-listen for revenue leaders, sellers, and anyone navigating the industry-wide shift toward usage-based pricing.KEY TAKEAWAYS[00:00:46] Companies transitioning to consumption models often copy SaaS licensing structures instead of designing comp that amplifies consumption-driven advantages.[00:01:34] Three core advantages of consumption models: lower barrier to entry, value-aligned spend increases, and product-led expansion.[00:03:07] Aligning GTM roles — new business, onboarding, and account management — enables scale and fairness in comp.[00:03:57] Forecasting in consumption models becomes an analytical discipline, requiring predictive models rather than rep intuition.[00:05:00] High-quality customer fit at acquisition can result in massive upside — one rep earned huge commission from a $15M three-month advertiser.[00:07:02] In consumption, churn can happen in a week — sellers must ensure rapid value realization, not just contract signing.[00:08:00] Sellers often intentionally downsize initial deals to ensure burn-down and protect compensation.[00:08:59] PLG and sales-assisted models blend; comp must account for small initial usage that grows rapidly.[00:09:48] Companies balance advance payments to reps with clawbacks to protect against churn.[00:10:10] Smart sellers can land small, prove value, and convert usage to multi-year, high-value commitments.QUOTES[00:01:10] “Companies take too much inspiration from the old model instead of designing comp that amplifies the advantages of consumption.”[00:01:56] “Customer spend is directly proportional to the value they get — and their understanding of that value.”[00:02:19] “If you have an amazing product, some of that growth is going to be product-led, regardless of the sales team.”[00:03:57] “Forecasting in a consumption model is an analytical exercise — not something you ask an account executive to guess.”[00:07:54] “In consumption, a customer can use it for a week, turn it off like a light switch, and move on.”[00:08:38] “PLG might start with $500 on a credit card and scale into a major enterprise deal.”[00:09:28] “Sometimes comp gives future credit for usage trajectory — but companies will claw it back if churn happens.”[00:10:33] “There's a lot of gold in this full episode — make sure you check it out.”Listen to the full conversation through the link below.https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/driving-sales-behavior-with-effective-compensation-plans-with-jose-fernandezEnjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox:https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0Check out John McMahon's book here:Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4Check out Force Management's Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discover how AI-powered lead generation is transforming the way Texas industrial companies find and connect with decision-makers. Learn about real-time data enrichment, personalized outreach, and scalable automation that frees your sales team to focus on closing deals. nerDigital AI City: Toronto Address: 4610 Dufferin St Website: https://nerdigital.ai/

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file. - Arab Israeli Peace and New Visions for Gaza feat. Dana El Kurd - Oops All Gambling, Political Betting Joins the News - Natalism feat. Andrew - The Insurrectionist Running to Replace Nancy Mace - Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #45 You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! http://apple.co/coolerzone Sources/Links: Arab Israeli Peace and New Visions for Gaza feat. Dana El Kurd Bad Cousins - https://badcousins.show/ GREAT Trust Plan - https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/f86dd56a-de7f-4943-af4a-84819111b727.pdf A Plan to Rebuild Gaza Lists Nearly 30 Companies. Many Say They’re Not Involved - https://www.wired.com/story/a-plan-to-rebuild-gaza-lists-nearly-30-companies-many-say-theyre-not-involved/ Paradox of Peace - https://academic.oup.com/isagsq/article/3/3/ksad042/7280243 Oops All Gambling, Political Betting Joins the News https://news.kalshi.com/p/kalshi-cnn-prediction-market-partnership https://www.businessinsider.com/kalshi-cnbc-deal-cnn-data-integration-partnership-2025-12 https://x.com/Kalshi/status/1996233186251075862?s=20 https://illinoislawreview.org/wp-content/ilr-content/articles/2008/3/Cherry.pdf https://www.axios.com/2025/11/20/time-galactic-prediction-market https://dune.com/datadashboards/prediction-markets https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/behnamstatement051024 https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/02/business/appeals-court-allows-kalshi-election-betting/index.html https://www.datawallet.com/crypto/polymarket-restricted-countries https://www.gameshub.com/news/news/are-the-walls-closing-in-on-polymarket-after-latest-european-ban-2837953/ https://www.dlnews.com/articles/regulation/polymarket-banned-romania-for-operating-without-a-licence/ https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/08/18/114882-polymarket-banned-in-australian-amid-crackdown-on-illegal-betting-election-wagering-concerns https://dune.com/rchen8/polymarket https://blog.uma.xyz/articles/unpacking-polymarkets-meteoric-rise-in-numbers https://www.marketwatch.com/story/polymarket-authorized-for-u-s-return-days-after-donald-trump-jr-joins-as-advisor-c3c8b348 https://truthpredict.net/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/boazsobrado/2025/12/04/alleged-insider-nets-1-million-on-polymarket-in-24-hours/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcPwUiMPj6w https://news.kalshi.com/p/zohran-mamdani-cites-kalshi-election-odds https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/tennessee-us-house-7-special-election-polls-2025.html https://www.natesilver.net/p/sbsq-26-do-prediction-markets-make https://www.axios.com/2024/07/16/nate-silver-polymarket https://www.legalsportsreport.com/sports-betting-states/ https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/23501236/supreme-court-strikes-federal-law-prohibiting-sports-gambling https://x.com/Polymarket/status/1996978855538823522?s=20 Natalism feat. Andrew https://iep.utm.edu/anti-natalism/ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/11/what-is-pronatalism-right-wing-republican https://www.npr.org/2025/04/30/nx-s1-5382208/whats-behind-the-pronatalist-movement-to-boost-the-birth-rate https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40660745/ The Insurrectionist Running to Replace Nancy Mace https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/south-carolina-man-sentenced-assaulting-law-enforcement-during-jan-6-capitol-breach-0https://www.postandcourier.com/beaufort-county/politics/tyler-dykes-campaign-sc1-congress/article_c255115c-45cf-430e-b4a4-160a322631e1.htmlhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67681795/united-states-v-dykes/ https://atlantaantifa.org/2023/04/19/inside-southern-sons-active-club-part-i/https://atlantaantifa.org/2023/04/19/inside-southern-sons-active-club-part-ii/ Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #45 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/10/2025-22461/agency-information-collection-activities-revision-arrival-and-departure-record-form-i-94-and#page-57209 https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/09/politics/georgia-democrat-eric-gisler https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5641420-democrats-gain-momentum-miami/?utm_social_handle_id=1917731&utm_social_post_id=619113438 https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/12/supreme-court-allows-texas-to-use-redistricting-map-challenged-as-racially-discriminatory/ https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/man-charged-planting-explosive-devices-outside-rnc-and-dnc-january-5-2021 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/pipe-bomb-suspect-told-fbi-believed-2020-election-conspiracy-theories-rcna247544 https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7869373/1/Return-to-Sunny-TownSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crypto News: THE OCC granted conditional approval for trust bank charters to Ripple, BitGo, Fidelity DigitalAssets, Paxos, and Circle. Wrapped XRP is coming to Solana for DeFi.Brought to you by

Branding For Pest Control Companies.Podcast Season 4, Episode 38: Branding, TOMA, UVP, and Truck Wrap Marketing for Pest ControlIn this episode, we break down why branding is one of the most profitable “unsexy” investments a pest control company can make. We cover the real meaning of Top-of-Mind Awareness (TOMA)—becoming the first company people think of when pests show up—and how consistent visuals, messaging, and customer experience create trust before the phone ever rings.We also walk through how to define a meaningful Unique Value Proposition (UVP) that's more than a catchy slogan, plus why truck wraps are one of the best local marketing assets: they turn every route into a mobile billboard and reinforce credibility in the neighborhoods you serve.What you'll learn:What branding really is (and why it impacts revenue)How TOMA makes you the “default choice” in your marketThe key ingredients of a strong UVP—and how to write yoursWhy truck wraps generate massive local exposureSimple wrap design rules that boost recall and leadsA 30-day action plan to tighten your brand and increase conversionsIf you want more calls, more trust, and fewer price shoppers—this episode is your blueprint.Connect with UsPlease review us at Rhino Pest Control Marketing and interact with us to let us know how we can improve in 2026.Casey Lewis

In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks to licensed professional counsellor, teen therapist, author and mom Katie K. May about teen mental health.Drawing from her own experience as a former “teen on fire” and her clinical work with adolescents and families, May unpacks emotional dysregulation, self-harm, and the powerful role validation plays in strengthening parent-teen relationships. She discusses helping parents better understand big emotions, identifying when typical teen behaviour signals deeper concern, and responding in ways that de-escalate conflict rather than intensify it.May also explains why self-harm is often used as a coping strategy, how parents can regulate their own emotional responses during difficult moments, and practical steps to rebuild trust and connection with a disengaged teen.Takeaways: Navigating the complexities of hormonal changes during adolescence requires open communication and understanding. The importance of validation in a teen's emotional health cannot be overstated; it's essential for fostering independence. Social media can amplify feelings of bullying and anxiety in teens, making emotional support crucial. Parents need to recognize the signs of self-destructive behavior early to provide timely intervention and support. Establishing a functional emotional system in the family is key to managing discipline and emotional health effectively. Building a foundation of consent and mutual respect in relationships can help combat the pressures of social media. Companies mentioned in this episode: Creative Healing Teen Support Centers This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience.You'll learn the latest on topics like managing bullying, consent, fostering healthy relationships, and the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical health.Links referenced in this episode:whereparentstalk.com

Credit Card Interest Rate Caps Would Harm Low-Income Borrowers: Colleague Veronique de Rugy criticizes proposals by Senators Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent, arguing price controls will force companies to reduce risk, ultimately denying credit to the low-income borrowers the bill aims to protect SP 1954.

James I, American Colonies, and Tobacco Revenue: Colleague Clare Jackson discusses James I's oversight of American colonies like Jamestown, using chartered companies for deniability against Spanish claims, noting his initial opposition to tobacco before accepting its revenue and describing his fluctuating relationship with Parliament regarding funding and military action. MAY 1952

AI investments? Everywhere. AI training? .......

Support the show

Jodi Daniels is the Founder and CEO of Red Clover Advisors, a boutique data privacy consultancy and one of the few certified Women's Business Enterprises focused solely on privacy. She is a Certified Informational Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) with over 20 years of experience helping a range of businesses — from solopreneurs to multinational companies — in privacy, marketing, strategy, and finance roles. She has worked with numerous companies throughout her corporate career, including Deloitte, The Home Depot, Cox Enterprises, Bank of America, and many more. Jodi is also a national keynote speaker, a member of the Forbes Business Council, and co-host of the She Said Privacy/He Said Security podcast. In this episode… AI is moving faster than most businesses can keep up, and the rush to adopt new tools often hides the very real risks lurking underneath. Companies are plugging sensitive data into platforms they barely understand, assuming privacy will simply take care of itself. But what happens when the tools meant to make our lives easier open the door to entirely new vulnerabilities? According to Jodi Daniels, a longtime authority on digital privacy, the risks aren't theoretical — they're already happening. She explains that privacy challenges usually emerge when companies collect or use data in ways people never expected. Jodi emphasizes that the real issue isn't just technology; it's whether companies are thoughtful about how data is collected, shared, and protected. Her core message is clear: in an AI-driven world, responsible data practices aren't optional — they're a competitive and ethical necessity. Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, as John Corcoran interviews Jodi Daniels, Founder and CEO of Red Clover Advisors, to discuss managing privacy risks in the age of AI. They talk about the evolution of data regulation, how businesses can avoid common privacy missteps, and what companies should know before using AI tools. Jodi also provides insights on evaluating software vendors and protecting sensitive information.

In this episode, Adam Daigle, Business Editor of The Acadiana Advocate, returns to break down Lafayette and Acadiana's top five business stories of 2025. With years of experience tracking economic trends, major developments, and the people shaping our community, Adam offers an inside look at what's driving growth—and what challenges remain. From the long-awaited arrival of Trader Joe's to manufacturing growth, real estate trends, and the future of North Lafayette, this conversation is packed with insight. A Post-Covid Economy: Stabilizing but Still Shifting Adam notes that Acadiana has mostly returned to pre-pandemic normalcy, but some sectors continue to adjust: Restaurants: Sales are outpacing inflation overall, but performance is uneven. High-traffic corridors like Kaliste Saloom are thriving, while many locally-owned restaurants still struggle with tight margins, rising costs, and increased competition. Retail: Still strong—people are spending, and parish retail sales continue to grow. Manufacturing: One of the region's most promising economic bright spots. Well-paying jobs, steady growth, and diversification beyond oil and gas continue to strengthen the sector. Manufacturing Momentum—Even After Setbacks While Acadiana added thousands of manufacturing jobs since 2020, the closure of SafeSource Direct was a painful blow. The PPE manufacturer, built during the pandemic, couldn't compete with ultra-low-cost Chinese imports. The result: 700 local jobs lost, many held by women and graduates of drug court programs. Even so, Adam emphasizes that manufacturing remains a major growth engine. Companies continue to diversify away from oil and gas, and Louisiana's industrial corridor—from I-49 to Hwy 90—remains active and expanding. Real Estate & Housing Trends Adam continues to follow Lafayette's housing market closely: Higher-end homes that once sat on the market are now moving again. Sales volume is rising month-to-month. Rental demand remains extremely high, driven by population growth and a historic low in first-time homebuyers (just 21% nationally, with the average of a first-time homebuyer being 40 years of age nationally). Lafayette continues to see brisk apartment construction to meet demand. The market is tight—but not dangerously overbuilt. Adam Daigle's Top Five Business Stories of 2025 1. Trader Joe's Is (Finally) Coming to Lafayette The biggest story of the year: Trader Joe's is officially in the works for the corner of Bluebird Drive and Camellia Blvd. in Lafayette. Because the company is notoriously secretive, even the appearance of a permit created excitement. The land deal is expected to be finalized soon, with construction likely leading to an opening in late 2026 or early 2027. Fun fact: Lafayette will become one of only three cities in the U. S. that have both a Buc-ee's and a Trader Joe's. 2. Northgate Mall Sold to Local Investor Jacoby Landry North Lafayette's aging Northgate Mall has new life ahead. Entrepreneur Jacoby Landry purchased the property with a long-term vision for transforming the site—not simply filling it with retail, but creating a mixed-use redevelopment with potential for office, residential, and community uses. Jacoby is rebranding Northgate Mall as “The Hub,” inspired by Lafayette's nickname, Hub City, and the I-10/I-49 cloverleaf, which will be reflected in its new logo. The redevelopment will focus on mixed-use commerce, green spaces, and lighting to ensure safety and create a welcoming atmosphere. Years of deferred maintenance mean slow, steady work ahead, but the project is finally backed by a local owner committed to revitalization. The first major opening recently announced is Xtreme Health Club, a full-service fitness facility taking over the former Planet Fitness space. Owned and operated by Jacoby Landry’s sister, Rachel McCorvey, the facility will feature a nutritionist, weight management services, Botox, IV drips, sauna, hot tub, salt room, cold plunge, a health bar, and two indoor pickleball courts. Pilates and boxing fitness will also be offered, bringing Red's Health Club-like amenities to North Lafayette on a smaller, community-focused scale. It's expected to open in early 2026. 3. Buc-ee's Delayed… Again The massive travel center planned for I-10 is still happening, but Buc-ee's has pushed back construction. The company is re-evaluating store designs nationwide, impacting multiple projects—not just Lafayette's. The new projected opening is 2028. Even with delays, the development will be a major economic catalyst, generating hundreds of jobs and significant sales-tax revenue. 4. SafeSource Direct Closure One of the biggest economic losses of the year was the shutdown of SafeSource Direct's facilities in Broussard and Lafayette Parish. Global PPE competition, especially from China, made U.S. glove manufacturing unsustainable. Key impacts: 700 local jobs lost Loss of a major employer of graduates from local drug court programs Decrease in regional PPE manufacturing capacity 5. The Passing of Red Lerille Lafayette lost an icon with the death of Red Lerille, founder of Red Lerille's Health & Racquet Club and beloved community figure. Adam reflected on: Red's unmatched work ethic His legacy as Mr. America in his youth His lifelong devotion to improving Lafayette The enormous public response to stories about him Red's influence on local fitness, business, and civic life is irreplaceable. Yet, his family follows in his loving footsteps and Red Lerille’s Health Club will remain a bedrock of our local fitness community. Community Leaders to Watch: Mandi Mitchell of LEDA Adam highlights Mandi Mitchell, CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, as one of the region's most impactful leaders. “She’s got an incredible background working as an Assistant Secretary with the Louisiana Economic Development. It was a great grab to get her back here in Lafayette.” Her accomplishments include: Reviving the long-stalled Buc-ee's project Supporting the Northgate Mall redevelopment and mentoring owner Jacoby Landry to achieve great success Recruiting new business and manufacturing opportunities Expanding LEDA's role into urban planning and talent development Empowering local entrepreneurs through mentorship programs Mandi Mitchell’s philosophy that has inspired Adam Daigle and his favorite quote of the year: “If you want to change Lafayette, you have to build the people here to do it. The cavalry's not coming.” What's Ahead for 2026 Adam anticipates several big developments in the coming year: • Major Youngsville Mega-Development A massive mixed-use expansion planned south of Chemin Metairie—bigger than Sugar Mill Pond. • Continued Manufacturing Expansion Projects like First Solar's facility in New Iberia and partnerships with companies such as Noble Plastics will bring hundreds of new jobs and long-term growth. • New Downtown Hotel An 84-room boutique hotel breaking ground at the former Don's Seafood site—adding much-needed lodging to downtown Lafayette. • Drone Technology Hub Two drone companies, DMR Technologies and Drone Institute, LLC, are moving into the former Reptile Tannery Facility which was originally the L. A. Frey Meat packing plant building at 105 Dorset Avenue, positioning Lafayette as a future leader in drone manufacturing, training, and emergency-response tech. • Proposed Indoor Sports Complex A public–private partnership near the Cajundome and Cajun Field could bring a regional-scale sports facility to Lafayette, boosting tourism and event hosting. Restaurant Closures & Market Saturation Lafayette continues to lose 20–30 restaurants per year—a typical number, but Adam notes rising oversaturation and operating costs. Fast-casual and takeout remain strong, but dine-in restaurants face higher risk and shrinking margins. Even kitchen-ready restaurant spaces are sitting vacant longer than usual. Pinhook Road & Redevelopment Questions Despite frequent headlines about dilapidated hotels and blighted property, Adam does not expect major redevelopment along Pinhook Road in the short term. LCG is focusing instead on stabilizing the city's expanding “empty urban core,” particularly the Evangeline Thruway and Johnson Street corridor near UL Where to Read More from Adam Adam continues to document Acadiana's economic story through: The Acadiana Advocate The Advocate Business Newsletter Regular digital reporting at theadvocate.com You can subscribe to the Acadiana Advocate either digitally and/or print editions here. Adam Daigle’s work combines hard data with human stories—spotlighting the entrepreneurs, workers, and leaders shaping Lafayette's future. We thank him and the Acadiana Advocate for our valued partnership. Each Monday morning, the Business online newsletter shares Discover Lafayette’s latest podcast news.

Companies love to talk about AI transformation. They've created policies, distributed tools, checked boxes. But behind closed doors, overwhelmed employees are phoning it in with AI slop, leaders can't tell the difference, and the workforce is too exhausted to learn anything new. That's not transformation. That's theater. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle welcomes back Anne Green, CEO of G&S Integrated Marketing Communications Group and host of the Building Brand Gravity podcast. Anne brings a rare perspective—she's orchestrated one of the industry's most successful agency transformations while navigating this AI identity crisis firsthand. Having built Cooper Katz from startup to acquisition, then taken the helm at G&S and expanded it through strategic acquisitions, she's seen transformation from every angle. Anne and Dan cut through the AI hype to examine what's really stalling adoption: a workforce stretched too thin to experiment, psychological bandwidth at zero, and the uncomfortable reality that AI doesn't automatically make anyone smarter—we have to fight for it. They explore why agencies may be better positioned to crack this code, what the dot-com bubble can teach us about today's AI valuations, and why the talent pipeline conversation keeps shifting from entry-level to mid-level to senior without anyone knowing who's actually at risk. Listen in and hear about... Why AI acts like a "personality intensifier"—making good workers better and mediocre workers worse The workforce conundrum: people too overwhelmed to upskill, yet facing existential pressure to adapt What agencies are doing differently that corporate teams are missing Why "showing your work" on AI builds trust while hiding it destroys it Anne's mantra for surviving this moment: "Hold less tightly. Unclench." Notable Quotes from Anne Green: "The biggest thing is from the upskilling side, this is a very complex people transformation moment. And we are really crap in this society at upskilling people. We're not good at it." [00:11:32 – 00:11:49] "AI doesn't automatically augment our intelligence. We have to fight for it and we have to build it and we have to embrace it. But it is a journey." [00:18:49 – 00:19:02] "There is, especially at this moment, a beauty of the beginner's mind, that person who's coming in with curiosity and freshness..." [00:57:00 – 00:57:40] "Hold less tightly, unclench the hands and open up the palms. That's the last thing I'd offer, folks. Hold less tightly." [01:04:38 – 01:04:47] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Anne Green G&S Integrated Marketing Communications | gscommunications.com Building Brand Gravity Podcast | Apple Podcasts Anne Green | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00:00 AI Transformation Hype and Restrictive Corporate Policies0:06:43 Corporate Struggles with AI Adoption and Change Management0:12:26 Bubble vs. Real Change—Comparing Dot-Com Era to AI Revolution0:19:04 AI-Augmented Skills—Best and Worst Amplified0:25:56 Human/Machine Symbiosis: How AI Changes Us0:30:01 Freedom to Innovate: Builders, Use Cases, and Organizational Constraints0:35:10 Overworked Workforce, Layoffs, and AI's Impact on Talent Strategy0:42:11 Talent Displacement, Business Model Evolution, and Pipeline Changes0:48:25 Rethinking Comms Career Tracks with AI Integration0:54:02 Entry-Level Realities: Training, Context, and Curiosity1:01:16 Importance of In-Person Collaboration in the Age of AI1:04:00 Leading Through Change—Kindness, Grace, and Adaptability1:05:48 Wrap-Up, Final Thoughts, and Podcast Promotion (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ninjago is moving fast into its 15-year celebration with a set inspired by its legacy. LEGO Party! is on the same track, and the Star Trek sticker is fixed! Or wait, was it? That and more on this week's Bricking LEGO News!FOLLOW my YouTube channel: Back 2 BrickSet Review: 75381 DroidekaRebrickable Review: The Haunted House by Castor Troy Store2X Insiders PointsSeasonal setsNinjago The Old TownTreasure Quest!Ninjago Build-a-MinifigureDesigner Seminar setNinajo Fortnite... no thanksLargest LEGO mosaic ever!Ideas Love BirdsBrick Masters StudioLEGO Party! 25% offZuru fails in courtLEGO Party! 1.3.0 updateLEGO is buying a vacuum company?3D printing seminar keynote speakersMicro Ninjago firesaleStar Trek Sticker fixed... NOTUnizing store has some challengesThank you, Patrons! - Bellefonte Bricks Studio, Jimmy Tucker, David, Paul Snellen, Lee Jackson, Pop's Block Shop, Steve Miles, David Support the showSee some of the designs I've built - REBRICKABLE.COMHead over to Back2brick.com for links to the latest LEGO set discounts!Support the podcast through our affiliate links AND join the Back 2 Brick Patreon!Have a question? Want to be a guest? Send me a message!backtobrick@gmail.comBack 2 Brick Podcast is not an affiliate nor endorsed by the LEGO Group.LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group of Companies. ©2025 The LEGO Group.

Three companies have been fined a total of $345,000 for their part in a landslip that swamped a Queenstown cemetery and forced dozens of nearby residents to evacuate their homes during the region's wettest day in decades. Skyline Enterprises, which owns the gondola, along with contractors Naylor Love Central Otago and Wilsons Contractors, were charged with breaching the Resource Management Act by Queenstown-Lakes District Council. Reporter Adam Burns was at the sentencing and spoke to Lisa Owen.

【欢迎订阅】 每天早上5:30，准时更新。【阅读原文】标题：Colleges Are Preparing to SelfLobotomize.The skills that students will need in an age of automation are precisely those that are eroded by inserting AI into the educational process.正文：Colleges are now scrambling to do too much. Over the summer, Ohio State University announced a new initiative promising to “embed AI education into the core of every undergraduate curriculum, equipping students with the ability to not only use AI tools, but to understand, question and innovate with them—no matter their major.” Administrators understandably want to “future proof” their graduates at a time when the workforce is rapidly transforming. But such policies represent a dangerously hasty and uninformed response to the technology. Based on the available evidence, the skills that future graduates will most need in the AI era—creative thinking, the capacity to learn new things, flexible modes of analysis—are precisely those that are likely to be eroded by inserting AI into the educational process.知识点：scramble to do sth phr. /ˈskræmbl tuː/to hurry or compete with others to do something. 争先恐后地做；匆忙应对e.g. Companies are scrambling to adapt to the new market regulations. 公司们正争先恐后地适应新的市场法规。获取外刊的完整原文以及精讲笔记，请关注微信公众号「早安英文」，回复“外刊”即可。更多有意思的英语干货等着你！ 【节目介绍】 《早安英文-每日外刊精读》，带你精读最新外刊，了解国际最热事件：分析语法结构，拆解长难句，最接地气的翻译，还有重点词汇讲解。所有选题均来自于《经济学人》《纽约时报》《华尔街日报》《华盛顿邮报》《大西洋月刊》《科学杂志》《国家地理》等国际一线外刊。【适合谁听】1、关注时事热点新闻，想要学习最新最潮流英文表达的英文学习者2、任何想通过地道英文提高听、说、读、写能力的英文学习者3、想快速掌握表达，有出国学习和旅游计划的英语爱好者4、参加各类英语考试的应试者（如大学英语四六级、托福雅思、考研等）【你将获得】 1、超过1000篇外刊精读课程，拓展丰富语言表达和文化背景2、逐词、逐句精确讲解，系统掌握英语词汇、听力、阅读和语法3、每期内附学习笔记，包含全文注释、长难句解析、疑难语法点等，帮助扫除阅读障碍。

Avoiding simple mistakes with the IC-DISC can mean the difference between maximizing tax benefits and leaving money on the table. In this episode of The IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Brian Schwam, National Managing Director of International Tax Services at WTP Advisors, to talk about the most common IC-DISC misconceptions that trip up practitioners and the underutilized opportunities many businesses are missing. Brian walks through the critical timing rules that confuse even experienced CPAs, including the 60-day and 90-day payment requirements that many practitioners misapply. He explains how the reasonable estimate safe harbor actually works and why paying the minimum amount can accidentally cap your commission at twice that figure. We cover the ordering rules for distributions, the often-misunderstood $10 million threshold, and why the transactional calculation method isn't nearly as impossible as people think. Brian also clarifies that IC-DISC dividends are subject to the net investment income tax, despite what some practitioners might believe. The conversation shifts to creative structures most companies never consider. Brian explains how multiple DISCs can fund executive bonuses at qualified dividend rates instead of ordinary income rates, saving both employment taxes and up to 17% in federal tax for recipients. He describes evergreen dividend resolutions that eliminate the stress of year-end cash movements and shared-DISC structures that make the strategy economical for smaller exporters with under $3 million in sales. These approaches work for both flow-through entities and C corporations looking to avoid double taxation. After more than three decades in international tax, Brian brings clarity to a strategy that looks deceptively simple on paper but contains hidden complexity at every turn. This episode delivers practical guidance you can use immediately, whether you're a practitioner helping clients or a business owner evaluating your own structure.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Paying the minimum 50% under the 60-day rule accidentally caps your total IC-DISC commission at twice that amount, limiting flexibility. Companies with export sales over $10 million can still use an IC-DISC—the cap only limits income deferral, not eligibility. Multiple DISCs can fund executive bonuses at qualified dividend rates, saving up to 17% in federal tax versus ordinary income. The transactional calculation method isn't impossible—most companies in 2025 can pull the data needed to maximize their IC-DISC benefit. Evergreen dividend resolutions eliminate 60-day and 90-day payment stress by automatically distributing commission rights on December 31st each year. Shared DISC structures let exporters with under $3 million in sales split compliance costs while each partner keeps their full tax benefit.   Contact Details LinkedIn - Brian Schwam (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-schwam-b6026a3/) LINKSShow Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance Brian SchwamAbout Brian TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dave: Hi Brian Welcome to the podcast. Brian: Hi Dave. Thanks for having me. Excited to be here. Dave: Yeah, my pleasure. So quick intro, Brian is, what's your title with WTP? Brian: National Director of National Managing Director of International Tax Services, which encompasses export incentives as well as more general international tax consulting. Okay, Dave: And that's at WTP advisors? Brian: Correct. Dave: And you and WTP advisors are founding members of the IC-DISC Alliance along with my firm and myself. Brian: That is correct. Dave: And so are you brand new to this international tax business? Did you pick it up last year or something? Brian: That's funny. I don't think I look like I picked it up last year. I've been been full-time international tax since 1992IC, and prior to that I spent a few years as a generalist, which I think makes me a better international tax person, but it's been a few years, been around the block a few times. Dave: Well, I think it makes you better. I always introduce you as the IC-DISC guru. Now that Neil Block has retired, I think you can now take over the mantle of godfather of the IC-DISC, Brian: Right? Or the step godfather. I don't know if anyone can ever replace Neil. He had a lot of knowledge, has a lot of knowledge in this area and a lot of experience, and I'm just kind of flattered to be compared to him. Dave: Well, Neil was, I think my inaugural or second guest, and I think he's only been on the podcast once. So I think you're trumping Neil with this either your second or third visit. Brian: I think it's the third visit. And Neil's retired and joined the Good Life and I'm not, so that's probably why I've beaten them as far as number of appearances. Dave: There you go. Well, today I want to talk about IC-DISC. I want to talk about misconceptions and maybe underutilized opportunities. So the IC-DISC is straightforward as can be cut and dried. Anybody can prepare the return, anybody can do the calculation. Easy peasy. There's nothing to your toe on. Is that accurate? Brian: That's far from accurate. Okay. Strength. Yeah. A lot of practitioners think that is the case, but I've seen more than a handful of IC-DISC returns and IC-DISC calculations done by generalists that definitely have a flare for not knowing what they're doing or not understanding the rules. And for a six page tax return that looks very straightforward. You'd be surprised how many of them are completely incorrect. Dave: Yeah, it's kind of deceiving, right? Because even the instructions for the return are only a handful of pages, right? Like six or eight pages. Brian: And then there's a couple of lists of codes and things that make 'em a little longer. But yeah, there's not much to it. But I mean, initially there are some statutory and regulatory things that have to be done, have to be done the correct way, and the rules are very draconian. If you don't do it the correct way, there's really no way to remedy the fact that you set up, you just deal with the consequences of having a disqualified IC-DISC, which means you've lost your IC-DISC benefits prospectively and you set up a new one or you forego the benefits No in between, really? Dave: Yeah. Brian: So some of these misconceptions that I've run into could lead to a IC-DISC being disqualified. Dave: So what's the first one that comes to mind? Brian: The first one that comes to mind really for me in practice is how does the 60 day rule and the 90 day rule work, this has to do with when do I have to move money to the IC-DISC? And some people don't understand it and they do things that make it not a problem. Other people do things, they don't understand it and it becomes a problem. So the 60 day rule basically says you must fund a reasonable estimate of the IC-DISC commission to the IC-DISC within 60 days after the end of the IC-DISCs year. It sounds very straightforward, but some people ignore that rule and some think they have to pay it all before the end of the year, but they don't have a 60 day window after the end of the year to accrue that IC-DISC commission and pay a portion of it. The other thing I see people do with the 60 day rules, they don't have all the information. They estimate a number. They say, oh, let's say the commission's going to be a thousand dollars and they pay $500 to the IC-DISC by the end of the 60th day. Well, what have they just done? Well, the 60 day rule says, yeah, you have to pay a reasonable estimate in the regulation. There's a safe harbor that says a reasonable estimate is at least 50% of the final IC-DISC commission. So by moving the least amount of money possible, they then limit their potential IC-DISC commission to two times that number. So rather than saying, oh, I think my IC-DISC commission's going to be a thousand and I'll pay 800 so that I have flexibility to go up to 1,600, they pay 500 and it can never be more than a thousand because there's a lot of information that's going to come out after the end of the year that's going to affect taxable income. And they generally don't know those things within the first 60 days after year. Dave: And what about for, I think this is for accrual basis taxpayers or accrual basis related suppliers. What about if it's a cash basis related supplier? Brian: Well, if it's a cash basis related supplier, now we're outside the DIS rules, but we're in the tax accounting. And in order to get a deduction, the payment does need to be made before the end of the year. If the payment is made after the end of the year, within that 60 day window, you've now pushed the deduction to the subsequent year, which really most people wouldn't be happy with. They want the production in the year that the exports arise, not in the subsequent year. So the other rule having to do with the moving of the cash is the 90 day rule, which says that you have to pay the IC-DISC any remaining commission within 90 days after the commission has been finalized. Well, finalized really means when did I file my IC-DISC return? And so it's an original return. It can be filed as late as eight and a half months after the end of the year. So you really have 11 and a half months from the end of the year to pay the remaining amount. So if we assume calendar year, that's a September 15th filing and a December 15th funding deadline for the remaining commission. I see a lot of practitioners out there that think the 90 days ends on the filing of the IC-DISC return, not starts on the filing of the IC-DISC return. So then they rush to pay that money and then they think they have a problem if they haven't paid it by the time they file. So I mean, there's no harm in paying it early, but that's not how the rule works. And then if someone's determining and amending a IC-DISC return and they owe more funds to the IC-DISC, they have 90 days. So when they file that IC-DISC return, amended IC-DISC return to make that extra payment to the, now, the other misconception is, well, what happens if my 60 day payment was greater than the final commission? I overestimated. So then the 90 day rule says if the IC-DISC received too much under the 60 day rule, it has 90 days that same 90 day window to pay back the overage back to the related supporter. So most people don't understand those rules and they do things that either potentially cause a problem or they create a lot of self-induced anxiety. They think they have to do something sooner than they have to do it. Dave: And speaking of the due date, if somebody wants to file their IC-DISC return in September, do they have to file an extension like to do their corporate return by March 15th? Brian: Nope. That is no, eight and a half months is the due date. There's no extension for a IC-DISC return. That is just the due date. Dave: And then what about if somebody wants to electronically file the IC-DISC return? How does that work? It doesn't. Okay. Brian: And why is that? Dave: Can't you electronically file Brian: Everything? Unfortunately not the IC-DISC, the 1120 IC IC-DISC is still a return that requires a paper filing. And sometimes clients don't realize that and they forget to file. And the good news is there's only a hundred dollars penalty for a late filing. But the bad news is if you keep continually don't file the IRS could. They could terminate your IC-DISC election. But yeah, there's no electronic filing. And then there's, there's another form. You also can't electronically file that relates to the IC-DISC, that it's the form 84 0 4, which relates to an interest charge that a taxpayer who owns a IC-DISC may have to pay if income is deferred to the IC-DISC and not distributed out as a qualified dividend to that shareholder. There's a lot of misconception around that form. And the first misconception is sometimes they think the IC-DISC needs to file that form and pay the interest. That is not true. That is not true. And so many times I'm asked to file that and I'm like, I can't file it. I can't prepare it. I don't know the information that goes on. And it's based on the shareholder or the disk. And if the shareholder is S corporation or a partnership, it's not based on that entity, it's based on its shareholders or partners. And there could be multiple 84 oh fours filed. And then oftentimes there's a surprise like, oh, I have to pay interest. I didn't know I had to pay interest. Well, it is called an IC IC-DISC, and the IC stands for interest charge. So that should not come as a surprise, but it often does. Dave: Okay. Wow, Brian: Go ahead. Yeah, so we're still on moving cash around. So there's also timing of when the shareholder of a picks up dividend income. So a lot of people think that if they pay the IC-DISC within that 60 day window after the end of the year and pay the dividend in the same 60 day window, somehow the dividend is recorded as though it happened on December 31st, and there's no deferral of the income in the IC-DISC. That's just flat out wrong. A dividend is taxable when it's declared, and most likely it's not going to be declared as of the end of the year. Dave: So that's like a miss application of the age old matching principle in accounting? Brian: Yes. Yes, definitely. Or a misapplication of someone thinking they have a evergreen dividend resolution, which I won't get into at the moment, but it's something that is used to accelerate dividends so that they do match the deduction of a IC-DISC. And you can't just match it because you have to match it because there's some reason to match it or there's action that's taken that would cause it to be matched. Dave: And I've heard some professionals maintain that because they're basically accelerating the dividend income to the current year, thereby bypassing the inherent deferral. That's okay, because why did the IRS care if they got paid a year early? Do you think that's, what's your opinion of that? Brian: I think that's a nice practical approach to that issue. I use it myself. I don't think that the IRS would audit a taxpayer and say, oh, by the way, you picked up that dividend too early. I'm going to write you a refund check. Dave: Yeah. Brian: Plus interest, I don't think, Dave: Now what if there was an audit though, and you had an issue where the audit period it covered had a mismatch so that if there was a year that you say it was the 2022 tax year and the dividend income should have been recognized in 2023, but they recognized it in 2022, and then let's just say they did an audit from of 2023 in isolation, and then let's say in 2023, the client didn't use the IC-DISC or had a much smaller commission amount, could the IRS potentially say, we don't care about 2022. In 2023, you should have recognized the dividend income. Brian: They they certainly could. And then they'd say, well, 2022 is closed. We can't adjust that. So it's always better to not fall into that fact pattern, but it happens. Definitely happens. Dave: So it Brian: Sounds like the good news is there's not a lot of IC-DISC audits that go, Dave: Yeah. So you're saying it sounds like when in doubt, just follow the rules, it sounds like. Brian: Yeah. Dave: When Brian: In doubt follow the rules, don't make up your own rules, for Dave: Sure. Yeah. Well, and I think part of the problem is people may not be aware of the rules. Brian: They're not, and then they just fill in the blank. Their brain fills in the blank with what they think makes sense. Dave: Yeah, because a lot of be a lot of differences between the IC-DISC and say an S corp, right? Like the election to be treated as an S corp does not have the same deadline urgency as the election be treated as a IC-DISC. Is that correct? Brian: I'm not a hundred percent sure, but there might, yeah, I am a hundred percent sure. Because if you miss the deadline for the S selection, there's automatic relief available for the S selection to be made late. There is no automatic relief available for a IC-DISC election. Either you've met the requirement to file it within the first 60 days of the corporation its existence, or you haven't. Now, there are exceptions, and we have written some private letter ruling requests in the past to get be granted relief for missing that 90 day window, but that's an extensive Dave: Miss. Yeah, understood. And then some other, Brian: And you may not know for two years whether you're going to get the relief or Dave: Yeah, I know I've had CPAs tell me that they frequently will just include the form 25 53 S corp election with the filing of the initial S corp return. Brian: That's allowed. And that's allowed, Dave: Yeah. Obviously you can't do that with the IC-DISC return. Brian: No, no. So then on the topic dividends, there's also some misunderstanding or misconception of whether a dividend from a IC-DISC is subject to the net investment income tax, the 3.8%. Dave: Oh, yes. I've heard people take that position that it's not subject to. What are your thoughts? Brian: Well, my thoughts are that many years ago, like 11 years ago, the IRS came out and said, it's definitely subject to the commission IC-DISC paying a dividend. That dividend is definitely subject to the net investment income tax. So I personally don't get involved in individual returns, so I don't know what people are doing, but if I'm ever asked, that's what I'll tell somebody. And I say, you can take whatever position you're comfortable taking, but this is the position I know the IRS would take. Dave: Okay, that makes sense. What other pitfalls do you see or misconceptions Brian: People have? So when I see IC-DISC, there's a $10 million, let's call the $10 million deferral cap with regard to a IC-DISC. And what that means is any IC-DISC commission related to export sales made by the related supplier, which are greater than 10 million above that $10 million threshold, create what's called a deemed dividend. You're not allowed to defer any of that income in the IC-DISC. Well, in practice or in the real world, people think, oh, I can't have more than 10 million of export sales. If I go over 10 million, I can't use the disk. That's clearly not true. I have clients that have seen clients that have billions of dollars of export sales. They just have a very large deep dividend that goes along with the IC IC-DISC commission. There is no limitation on the amount of export sales, the limitations on how much of the income you can defer the IC-DISC if you have more than 10 million of export suit. Dave: Okay. Brian: I've also seen related to that issues where someone's exporting military property. So military property, half of the income is a deemed dividend automatic under the rules. And then I've seen where they then add, and let's say the sales were over 10 million, they've added, they made an additive, they took half of the commission on the military property, and they said, oh, my sales are more than 10 million. I have additional deemed dividend as well. That's not how it works. The way it works is you compute your deemed dividend on the sales in excess of 10 million, and then from that you subtract the deemed dividend related to the military property. And so the most your deemed dividend can be is related to that $10 million cap. Dave: Okay. Yeah, I was less familiar with the military aspect of it. I don't think any of my clients are exporting military property. Brian: That's just an example. I mean, there's other things that give rise to deemed dividends as well. For example, one way you can defer income in a IC-DISC is to loan the money back to the related supplier. Under a producer loan arrangement, there's very specific facts that support the ability to use a producer loan. But then each year, the interest that's earned on that producer loan is a deemed dividend. Dave: Oh, sure. Brian: Whether it's paid or not. So whether the interest is paid, and then when the dividend is actually paid, it's not taxable because we've got a lot of ordering rules in the IC-DISC about when things get paid out and how they get paid out, and I don't have all day, but that's another area where I think there's a lot of misunderstanding. Dave: Okay. Brian: Oh, well, so I can focus on one small part of that is the IC-DISC in year one has the income of a hundred. In first quarter of year two, they pay out the 100 to the IC-DISC and the DIS pays the dividend. And in year two, it earns $300, and that gets paid in year three. Well, I hear all the time, well, I don't have any income deferred to the DIS because I earned the a hundred dollars in year one, I paid it in year two, and I paid the dividend in year two, and then I had income for year two of $300 that I paid in year three. Well, it doesn't work that way. In the DIS world or in the tax world in general, current earnings are always considered to be distributed first. So that a hundred dollars that gets paid out in year two is really coming from the year two earnings. And the year one earnings are still sitting in the deferred, thus giving rise to the interest charge that someone thinks they're avoiding. Dave: Okay. Brian: So there's some misconception about how that works. Dave: So I have one I just thought of, and I've heard this is the one, the misconception I've probably heard the most. Under no circumstances can the IC-DISC commission create a loss at the related supplier level? No matter how you do the calculation, it's Brian: Impossible. That's a big misconception. Dave: Yeah, Brian: There's no rule. There is no rule like that. Okay. So the rule is actually applied at the level in which you're computing the IC-DISC commission. So if you have exports with a profit, but overall your company has a loss, you can still compute a IC-DISC commission on those export sales because they have profit. Now, you can't cause the profit on the export sales themselves to become a loss. So let's say your export sales are making 2% bottom line, but overall, your company loses 3% bottom line. Some people will think, I can't get a IC-DISC commission. I have a loss. That's not true. You can claim a IC-DISC commission, but it cannot be more than 2% of the export profit because then makes the profit on the export zero, but it can't go below zero. Dave: And that's if you're using what we would call the standard or simple calculation. Brian: That's the simple calculation. Now, if you're doing something more detailed and you're calculating a IC-DISC commission on a product or product line or a transaction, you apply that no loss rule at that level. So you can have a number of transactions that are profitable, you can have a number of transactions that are not profitable, and then different rules apply. There's really people think, oh, there's two methods to compute a IC-DISC commission. That's probably another big misconception. There's really 18 methods to compute a IC-DISC commission, and you can choose one that allows you to get a commission but doesn't create a loss, and in some cases does actually allow you to create a loss. Dave: And is that methodology difference? I can't think of the technical accounting term, like where if you change your inventory method, you have to notify the IRS or you make an accounting change. This isn't like that, right? You don't have to each year notify the IRS. We used the 4% method last year, we're using the 50% this year, or we're doing other methodology. Correct. Brian: So you technically notify them by checking various boxes on the IC-DISC return, but it's not like a change in the accounting method where you have to apply for a change and have it approved or have an automatic change. This is considered a change in facts. And however your facts bear out, you can claim whatever commission you're allowed to claim. Dave: Now, when you do that transactional calculation, another misconception I hear is that it's just impossible because there's all this data that the company doesn't have, and it's so complicated to do it that just nobody has the ability to do it. Nobody can do it. Nobody wants to do it. Talk to me about that. Is the data really impossible to get from the clients? There no client that can provide any data that can be used. Brian: There may be handful that can't, but by and large, most companies have the ability in 2025 to obtain that data. When the rules were written in 1972, I'd say it was probably flipped where only a handful could probably get that information. And the vast majority of companies would never be able to get that information. But somebody wrote the regs that way back in the early seventies, and with the idea that you could get transactional information and compute the dis commission transactionally as opposed to at a higher level where everything's grouped together or a simple calculation. But in 2025, it's very, I have a hard time determining conceiving of a company that can't get some information pulled together. And that's the other, there's a related misconception. Oh, I have to tie out every dollar of my cost of good sold before I can tell you I have cost of good sold data for a transaction. Well, that's just not true because in the real world, companies make journal entries adjusting the cost of good sold. They don't do it at a transactional level. There's other things that schedule M'S on a tax return that affect cost of good sold. And so no, you don't have to nub that out to the last dollar to say, I have transactional data. You have to be able to identify what you can and what you can't identify gets allocated or apportioned across all the transactions. And if you think about it, if you say, I can't get anything, you're really apportioning all of the costs over everything anyway. That's the ultimate in apportionment. There's not even any allocation. You're just saying, oh, every one of my transactions has the same margin as a result, which is really factually never the case. Dave: Well, and I just thought of another one, and this isn't maybe a misconception as much as it is a misinterpretation. I can't tell you how many IC-DISCs I see that the related supplier is a flow through entity, yet they have the individuals own the IC-DISC. Have you seen this before? Brian: I've seen it. And sometimes they think that's the way it had to be. Sometimes they hadn't really thought of. It depends how they're using it. But the real downside to that is the IC-DISC commission reduces the income of the flow through entity, thus reducing the basis they have in their shares of that flow through entity. And then the dividend gets paid to the individual and there's no basis increase the dividend income. And unless they contribute the funds back to the business, they're eroding away their basis stock, which ultimately will result in a higher gain if they ever sell their business. Dave: When the ownership of the IC-DISC matches the ownership of the related supplier. Can you think of a scenario where it is actually beneficial for the individual shareholders to the IC-DISC instead of the related supplier? Brian: Yes. There are situations depending on where this shareholder lives. So let's say the shareholder lives in, say the company is operating in a state with a state income tax, but the shareholder lives in a state that doesn't have a state income tax. It's possible to get that dividend to the shareholder tax free, where maybe if it went through the S corporation or the partnership, it would not be tax free. Dave: I see. And you're talking about tax free at the state level? Brian: Yes. Federally, I don't really see in a regular IC-DISC that's just been used to pay dividends to the owners of the supplier. I don't see, unless it's a C corporation, in that case, you don't want the IC-DISC owned by the C corp, but if it's a flow through entity, you generally get the same tax answer, whether it's owned directly by the flow through entity or directly by the shareholders. Dave: Okay. Oh, I just thought of another misconception. It's funny, when we started this column, I only had a handful of misconceptions. But the more we talk, the more we think of. So here's another one. Say you have a flow through as the related supplier yet for whatever reason, you want the IC-DISC to be owned by the individual shareholders. Well, I've been told several times that the ownership of the IC-DISC must match the ownership of the related supplier. There is no option to do otherwise. Is that accurate? Brian: That's a fairly strong statement. So the answer to that is no, it's not absolutely not required. Now, if the shareholders are related to one enough FAMILIALLY related, and there appears to be donative intent. So if mom and dad own a company and set up a IC-DISC and transfer it to the kids, there is some old IRS guidance out there that says, Hey, when a IC-DISC commission's paid to that IC-DISC, mom and dad are making a gift to kids. So that's a pattern you want to avoid, which is pretty easy to avoid, frankly. Dave: And you would avoid that by just setting up a new IC-DISC that the children would Brian: Set up initially and not get transferred by Dave: To the right and where the kids are making the capital contribution to Bible stock and Brian: Right. Exactly. But that's the one little gray area. Otherwise, there are some people out there that set up a IC-DISC to fund bonuses for executives. And we've kind of transitioned here away from misconceptions to underutilized opportunities because really that's an opportunity where you can use a IC-DISC to fund bonus payments to key executives and owners, or not owners, and it doesn't save the company any money, but it certainly saves the recipients a good amount of tax because if they get bonuses, they're paying tax, whatever their ordinary rate is, let's just say 37%, where plus there's payroll tax of 3.8%, whereas if it's funded through a IC-DISC, they pay tax at the qualified dividend rate plus the 3.8%. So it's a 17% rate differential on that type of income between the wages and the qualified dividend for the recipient. Dave: And I guess it would also save the employer portion of the employment taxes as well, right? Brian: Well, it saves the employee and the employer, but it's replaced by the Obamacare net investment income tax. So they're both 3.8%. Dave: But if you had a simple example where an employee had a base salary of a hundred thousand dollars and they had a $20,000 bonus that was paid through the IC-DISC, that would've been subject to Brian: Fica. I'm thinking about people that are making more than Dave: Understood, Brian: But you can save FICA tax as well, Dave: And the Brian: Employer and the Dave: Employee, and that's kind of what I was thinking of. And even when they get above that limit, there's still the 1.45% that I think has no cap. Brian: Right. But again, that's the employer portion. Then there's the employee portion together that's 3.80, Dave: Right, which is the, Brian: So you've got the Obamacare tax. Gotcha. Dave: Well, that reminds me of another misconception that you had alluded to, and that is that a related supplier can only have one IC-DISC affiliated with it. Is that true? Brian: That is not true. Related supplier could have a thousand IC-DISCs if it wanted to. Dave: In fact, that option you mentioned of the employee owned IC-DISC, I usually see that as that being an additional IC-DISC kind of in addition to the primary IC-DISC. Is that usually how you see it? Brian: I see that way as well. Yeah, for sure. Or I see IC-DISC A is going to fund bonuses for the C level executives, and then IC-DISC B is going to fund bonuses for middle management. And so middle management IC-DISC has a targeted amount, and the upper level IC-DISC may not have a targeted amount. It might just be unlimited. Dave: Now, the drawback is if you have multiple disk, the combined commission amount for all of them cannot exceed what it would've been if you had just one IC-DISC. Right. It's not a mechanism to create larger combined Brian: That definitely can't, doesn't work. Yeah, it definitely would. But yeah, you can definitely set up different structures to fund bonuses for different people, or if it's a C corporation, and we don't see a lot of C corporations with IC-DISCs. But if you're a closely held C corporation, you can have a shareholder owned IC-DISC, and if you're in the habit of paying dividends, you can pay commissions to a DIS instead of paying those dividends, Dave: Avoiding the double taxation in Brian: The corporate layer. Exactly. So that's an underutilized opportunity in my opinion, because there's got to be more closely held C corps out there than the amount that are using IC-DISCs. Dave: And I guess another one, we touched on this earlier, but the evergreen dividend resolution, what's this all about? Why is this an opportunity? What are the benefits of Brian: It? So the evergreen dividend resolution basically says the IC-DISC is going to distribute, its right to receive a commission each year on the last day of its year. So that accelerates the dividend into the same year as the commission expense. That alleviates the need to move money under the 60 day rule and 90 day rule. There's no reason to move the money if you're not trying to qualify a receivable. That's what those rules relate to, whether you're as receivable as qualified or not. So that's a benefit. It also can guard against the law change where the rate on the dividend income would go up in the subsequent year. You can avoid that. But a lot of practitioners treat their IC-DISC like they have an evergreen, but they don't actually have it. And that's a problem in my mind. But if you have it, it just makes everything a lot easier. You don't have to try to figure something out by the end of February. You figure it out once and you just treat it like it all happened at the end of the year. And I know that that works because I had a client years ago that was in tax court in the great state of Texas. The issue came up. I wrote up a brief for the client, and the tax court accepted the evergreen as a viable dividend resolution Dave: Because in a way, didn't the tax court almost defer that to the state rules? Brian: Well, they just fall under. So you can have a dividend, you can create a dividend under state corporate law just by writing a resolution, but you have to have the income to support the dividend, to have a dividend for tax purposes. So if you have the resolution that says, I'm declaring a dividend on December 31st every year, then based on facts, you either do have a dividend or you don't for tax purposes depending on how much income you have. So it just falls back on that probably one other underutilized Dave: Opportunity. Well, Brian, before you move, I just wanted to talk about the evergreen, I guess is the biggest drawback that the taxpayer would miss out on the deferral. Brian: That's one of the drawbacks. The other drawback has to do with the interplay between all of this and this 4 61 L limitation, which limits how much of a flow through loss a taxpayer can deduct in a year. So you could have a situation where the IC-DISC dividend on a transaction by transaction basis becomes so large, the commission becomes so large, it creates a loss and the flow through entity, the shareholder can only deduct a certain amount of that loss, but they would have to potentially pick up all the dividend income Dave: And then Brian: Deduct that loss at a later point in time. Now, personally, I'm still getting a permanent rate benefit out of it. So if I'm not going to sit on this loss for years and years, I think it's okay. But if I'm going to sit on that loss year after year after year and not utilize it, then I don't want to be picking up those dividends that I can't utilize the losses. So it just requires some additional coordination between the CPA and us and the client to determine exactly what the right commission should be. Dave: Okay. So you're about to, Brian: And that's another misconception. Dave: Yeah, go ahead. Brian: Yeah, like, oh, my commission has to either be whatever I compute or zero can't be anywhere in between. That's a misconception because I can target an amount, and as long as my IC-DISC commission agreement gives the related supplier the unilateral power to include or not include a IC-DISC export sale in the IC-DISC calculation, I can pick and choose whatever number I want that to be so that I don't have a 4 61 L problem, or I don't have the number be bigger than I can utilize. In other words. Dave: And that's because the IRS does not require you to capture every export sale. So that's basically limit the IC-DISC commission to a specific amount and back into which of the export sales you'll basically exclude from the calculation. Brian: Right? Right. Exactly. Exactly. But again, also we like to see that supported in the IC-DISC commission agreement. And then the last underutilized opportunity has to do with G there. Having a IC-DISC does have some cost. So if I don't have at these 3 million of export sales, it might be questionable whether I can really benefit economically benefit from a IC-DISC. When I look at the cost and the benefit, well, there are structures out there that we'll call a shared ING IC-DISC where partner like small exporter can invest in a partnership. That partnership owns a IC-DISC. Maybe there's five or six investors in the partnership. They're all unrelated. They all have, let's call it a million dollars of export sales. And on a standalone basis, there'd be too much cost for setting up the disk compliance to offset the tax benefits, but it'd be greater than the tax benefits. But if I can use a shared disk, then I only have to share a portion of the cost, the annual cost of the IC-DISC, but I still get my tax benefit. And really what happens with the other partners? So the partnership owns the IC-DISC. The IC-DISC earns that commission from the related supplier, then the IC-DISC pays all of its dividends to that partnership, and the partnership can then allocate the dividends back to the individual exporters based on their contribution. So it's a way for smaller companies to still get a tax benefit out of it. And I seen very few of these out there. So there's got to be thousands of companies that export that just don't export enough to have their own IC-DISC. Dave: Yeah, yeah. No, that's an interesting opportunity. And I agree based on my experience. I mean, I've talked to so many people in the past, or I did talk to so many people who exported $2 million or less, and I'd have to say to them, it's probably not worth the time and the cost because there's time on their end and then there's hard cost to have the work done. Brian: Yeah. I've had the same conversation countless times with companies as well. It's really something that both exporters and their CPAs should be aware of because the CPAs are in the best position to know that their clients are doing some level of export. Dave: And I just thought of another misconception, and that is that the virtually from the day after the IC-DISC rules were enacted, prognosticators started saying that the IC-DISC is going away. It's just going to be a short-lived thing. And even in the two decades I've been involved in IC-DISC work, I've heard this from so many tax practitioners, oh yeah, this thing's going away anyway, why bother? Brian: Yeah. Well, it really, for it to go away would fly right in the face of current policy in the administration. So I don't think it's going away anytime soon. Some of the benefits have been whittled away over time with some of the other provisions that are coming into play, but it's really not going to get repealed anytime soon. Certainly not in the next four years after that, who knows. But certainly it's good for the next four years. But it's funny, in 2003 with the Bush tax cuts, they brought in this concept of qualified dividend income, which really revitalized the use of the IC-DISC for a lot of pass through businesses. One of the big four firms said, oh, it's going to be a technical correction, and the qualified dividends are not going to include the dis dividends. Well, here it is 22 years later, I'm still waiting for that technical correction out of Congress, but I guarantee you that they've advised their clients to use the IC-DISC, even though they were out there saying, oh, no, no, no, no, no. This is an error. It's going to go away. Dave: Well, I had this conversation, I think it was in 2009. I think the preferential dividend rate was IC-DISCussed going away at the end of 2010. If I have my time horizon. And I remember it was late summer of I believe oh nine, talked to the potential client, they connected me to the CPA, and this was the international tax partner of a top 50 CPA firm. And she said to me, quote, I think you're being reckless even bringing this idea up to my client. I said, why is that? She said, are you not aware of house resolution such and such that hadn't been passed, but the resolution was going to ever go away? And she said, if this is passed, then this will not be usable beyond the 2010 tax share. And she said, we think it's reckless and not even sure why you'd want to bother with it if you can only at max use it for a year and four months. And I remembered saying, I appreciate that. You may not think it's worth it, but I wonder if the client, when he does the ROI calculations, if they might think it's worth it. Because even if they only used it for a year and a half, it still might be worth the cost to set it up, the compliance cost and the cost to shut it down. Brian: That whole analysis took place in 2007, 2010, 2012. I remember, I'm not proud of this, staying up late on New Year's night of 2013, so I could watch Congress vote because they let the qualified dividend rate lapse and then they had to reenact it the next day. And they did it on January 1st, and I sat in front of the TV watching. I was fairly invested in whether they were going to vote for it Dave: Or not. Yeah. Well, I think that's appropriate. You're a little bit like the soup Nazi from Seinfeld. He is got such passion for his customers. Brian: There you go. Yeah, I definitely am passionate about what I do because I love what I do. I couldn't imagine not doing it. Dave: Yeah, I find the same. Brian: And I love helping taxpayers legitimately reduce their tax burden. Dave: Well, and the clients that we help tend to be entrepreneurial type companies, they're not Fortune 500. And I've seen where this can legitimately make a difference in freeing up cash to buy more equipment, hire more people. It's quite a stimulus. Brian: Also not a misconception is Fortune 500 companies can't use a IC-DISC. It's really for private companies. Dave: Yeah. Brian: It's not something that you'll see a lot of or any private public companies utilize. Dave: Okay. Well boy, we've covered a lot. Anything left to cover? Any other misconceptions or opportunities you can think of? Brian: Nothing that I don't think we've IC-DISCussed. Dave: Okay. Well, I have one final kind of fun question. So with the benefit of hindsight, if you could go back in time and give advice to, say your 25-year-old self, what advice might you give to yourself? Brian: It's going to be completely non-tax related. Dave: That's okay. Brian: If you tear a ligament to your knee, get it repaired. I did that and I didn't get it repaired. And ultimately I got a new knee, which works just as well as the original with a lot more probably pain in the interim. Dave: Gotcha. Okay. Well that's good advice. So the takeaway, if you're 25 years old and you have a ligament tear, don't wait 30 years to get it fixed Brian: Or to not get it fixed at all and just get an artificial knee. Dave: Yeah. Understood. Well, Brian, thank you so much. This was really fun. I mean fun by a couple of IC-DISC nerds. I guess not everybody would consider this conversation fun, but I thought it was a lot of fun and I appreciate the expertise that you bring to this matter. Brian: I appreciate the opportunity to be here and chat with you about it. And maybe in the future there'll be some more topics we can talk about. Dave: Yep. I would enjoy that. We should make it an annual tradition. Brian: That sounds like a good idea. Dave: Alright. Hey, have a great day, Brian. Brian: You too, David. Dave: There we have it. Another great episode. Thanks for listening in. If you want to continue the conversation, go to ic IC-DISC show.com. That's IC dash D-C-S-H-O w.com. And we have additional information on the podcast archived episodes as well as a button to be a guest. So if you'd like to be a guest, go select that and fill out the information and we'd love to have you on the show. So it we'll be back next time with another episode of the IC-DISC Show. Special Guest: Brian Schwam.

Wasif Latif, Co-Founder, President & Chief Investment Officer at Sarmaya Partners, stops by the Energy News Beat and Energy Impacts Podcasts - With Stu Turley, and David Blackmon for an in-depth look at the global oil and gas financial markets. 1. The performance and investment strategy of the Sarmaya Partners ETF called "Lens". Wasif Latif, the co-founder and CIO of Sarmaya Partners, discusses how the Lens ETF has performed very well since its launch, up over 50%, by investing in stocks and commodities related to the "return to tangibles" investment theme.2. The outlook for the energy and commodities markets, including oil, natural gas, copper, and precious metals like gold and silver. Latif believes there is a looming supply deficit in these commodities due to underinvestment, which will lead to higher prices in the coming years.3. The challenges and limitations of the renewable energy transition, particularly the reliance on technologies like lithium-ion batteries that have significant constraints. Latif argues the transition to renewable energy will take much longer than commonly projected.4. The geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions impacting energy and commodity markets, such as the recent incidents involving tankers and oil platforms. Latif discusses how these short-term events are often "noise" that don't change the underlying supply and demand fundamentals.5. The broader macroeconomic and policy environment, including high inflation, rising interest rates, and increased government intervention, which Latif believes will be favorable for tangible assets and commodities over the long term.00:00 Intro Return to Tangibles01:11 ETF LENS is by Sarmaya Partners03:35 Is the world oversupplied with oil06:10 Geopolitical Risk to Oil07:09 Shale Boom and Break-even for Oil10:06 Companies looking for exploration locations11:38 Policy impacting prices16:58 Market Cycles20:21 Markets like Copper23:42 Global Markets and deindustrialization27:15 Grid complexities of AC vs DC28:56 Renewables impact on Energy37:30 Investing and day trading 41:45 Recycling and Copper48:20 Nuclear and AIFollow Wasif on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/wasiflatif/Check out https://sarmayapartners.com/Check out the Substack: https://sarmayakar.substack.com/Check everything David Blackmon on Blackmon.substack.com

Antony Slumbers is a global keynote speaker on AI in real estate and pioneering voice behind 'Space as a Service.' He explores how different tiers of office buildings are evolving to meet human- and task-centric work needs. Drawing on deep experience as a Proptech entrepreneur, Antony discusses how AI and digital tools are transforming static real estate assets into dynamic environments supporting workers cognitive capacity, productivity, and wellbeing. He shares how shifting real estate models—from bonds to service-based businesses—is essential to attract people back to the office, enhance productivity, and support hybrid and flexible work strategies.     TAKEAWAYS   Chapter 1 - From Art to Real Estate Innovation   [01:26] Antony studies history and art history which sharpens his eye for aesthetics. [02:01] Antony starts work at an art gallery then enters real estate unexpectedly through an client. [03:27] An epiphany that the internet has great potential for real estate coordination. [03:57] Antony starts coding then build a web agency focused on serving commercial real estate. [04:56] A partnership with British Land to develop digital property management tools. Chapter 2 - Reframing Real Estate: Space as a Service   [06:01] Antony coins "Space as a Service" to reframe office thinking and real estate mindsets. [06:56] Real estate starts shifting from bond-based investments to human experience businesses. [08:26] Buildings must support focus, collaboration, and task-based work types. [09:13] Pure Adam Smith - productivity depends on environments that support individual output.   [10:30] Office buildings must attract people. They have purpose, but they're no longer needed. [12:30] Hybrid working existed pre-COVID, but the pandemic proved remote work works.   [13:20] Most corporations continue to mismanage hybrid work having had years to improve. [13:51] Only top-tier offices and flex space providers now fit workers needs and desires. [14:40] A significant portion of office spaces today are functionally obsolete. [16:23] Flex offices fit needs well but are expensive to operate based on high expectations.   Chapter 3 - Technology, AI, and Smart Environments   [17:40] Predictive AI can be used at once but needs much data, now possible within building environments. [19:22] Generative AI is a thinking partner to enhance any language, code and audio task. [21:04] Antony's six PropTech pillars include sustainability, wellbeing, technology and flexibility. [24:45] Smart buildings must adjust to maintain cognitive performance levels. [25:40] Top tier offices will start guaranteeing environmental conditions to support performance.   [27:16] AI enables mass personalization based on user behaviour patterns. [28:13] Next step: buildings respond to what users plan to do. [29:58] Trust is critical for personalized data-driven space services. [32:19] Personas help anonymise data for tailored building experiences. [32:36] Antony disagrees with surveillance and advocates for trust-based data sharing. Chapter 4 - Connection, Community, and Purposeful Space   [34:09] Individual top-tier buildings will draw tenants by enabling industry-specific performance. [34:56] Buildings as a connector, matchmaking tenants for networking and collaboration. [36:19] AI can suggest connections through apps or curated events such as lunch and learns. [40:51] Construction City example shows design drives chance interactions and community. Chapter 5 - Workforce Strategy and AI Readiness   [42:49] Many employers aren't honest about why they are using AI and the workforce impact. [43:42] Fewer people may be needed as each person become much more productive with AI. [44:10] Companies must redeploy talent instead of cutting staff. [45:45] Some use AI to grow; others shrink workforce. [48:11] Small firms can become agile with AI-powered super teams. [50:22] AI fluency matters—employees not engaging with AI risk falling behind. [52:01] Everyone must upskill individually to stay competitive. IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Gather data and talent inputs to analyse and discover how your offices can be designed to actively support your teams' office-based work.       RESOURCES   Antony Slumbers on LinkedIn Antony's website        QUOTES   "You've got to make a building that people really, really want to go to because they don't need it anymore."   "Generative AI is really good for mass personalization because it can understand data and break it down at a very granular level."   "Real estate was going to move from being about a bond to a business."   "Health and wellbeing doesn't just happen in a building. You are controlling the environmental conditions in which someone works."   "You are paying someone a hell of a lot of money to be there, so if their cognitive capabilities are downgraded 10%, you are actually costing yourself money."   "We will start to get to that base level—perfect conditions for whatever it is you need to do at the time."

We start today with a look at the potential megamergers in Hollywood as the battle to take over Warner Brothers Discovery (US:WBD) comes to a head. Both Netflix and Paramount Skydance have made big bids for Warner Bros this month. Who will prevail? Will politics have the final say? Will competition regulators? Julian Hofmann is here to discuss.Then our cover feature this week is all about the driverless car revolution. Long-promised, long-awaited in some quarters, is the big sea change in transportation finally here? As self-driving vehicles prepare to take to the streets of the UK, Michael Fahy will examine the prospects for the sector and for traditional automakers.Last but not least we look at housebuilder Berkeley (BKG). The housebuilder reported half-year figures earlier this week, Hugh Moorhead is here to talk through the implications of the Budget and the outlook for higher-end London housing.Timestamps:0:56 Warner Bros bidding war15:33 Self-driving cars29:30 Berkeley resultsBidding war breaks out for Warner BrosHow to profit from self-driving carsResilient Berkeley Group looks undervalued Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday marked the opening of an institution of learning that aims to upskill over 100,000 delivery workers. China's first "rider academy" was launched in Guangdong province, in a move that reflects the authorities' push to support the expanding courier workforce.周四，一个旨在提升10万余名配送员技能的教育机构正式揭牌。中国首家“骑手学院”在广东成立，体现出政府对不断壮大的快递与配送群体的支持力度。Jointly established by the Guangdong provincial education authority and e-commerce giant JD, the Modern Grassroots Workers Academy, widely referred to as the "rider academy", was inaugurated at Guangzhou Polytechnic University, marking China's first dedicated vocational education platform for full-time delivery personnel.由广东省教育部门与电商巨头京东联合共建的“现代基层劳动者学院”（广称为“骑手学院”）在广州科技职业技术大学揭牌，成为国内首个面向专职配送人员的职业教育平台。Lin Rupeng, director of the Guangdong Department of Education, said the academy reflects Guangdong's push to link education and talent chains more closely with the province's industrial and innovation needs, while building stronger safeguards for workers in emerging forms of employment and empowering them for future changes in the job market.广东省教育厅厅长林如鹏表示，学院体现了广东将教育链、人才链与产业链、创新链深度融合的努力，同时为新就业形态劳动者提供更完善保障，帮助其适应未来就业市场变化。"Through the enabling power of education, we are opening a new pathway for the career development of delivery riders, and by bringing universities and enterprises together, we are creating a more dynamic model of industry-education integration," he said.他说：“通过教育赋能，我们为外卖骑手开辟职业发展新通道；通过高校与企业协同，我们正在打造更加活跃的产教融合模式。”According to Feng Lei, a senior executive with JD, the academy will rely on university facilities, training centers and teaching staff across Guangdong, with Guangzhou Polytechnic University serving as the core base and several other colleges running satellite training points. Over the next three years, it will train more than 100,000 full-time riders and frontline couriers whom JD employs in the province.京东高管冯蕾介绍称，学院将依托广东多所高校的设施、培训中心和师资力量，以广州科技职业技术大学为核心基地，并在多所院校设置培训点。未来三年，学院将在广东培训超过10万名京东全职骑手与一线配送员工。The curriculum is designed to be practical and closely aligned with industry needs and development. Riders will access courses including food safety, mental well-being and English. To prepare for emerging delivery technologies, a training base for drone operators and related high-tech roles will be established, and qualified riders could be channeled into positions such as warehouse supervisors or drone pilots.课程设计强调实用性，与行业需求高度契合。骑手将学习食品安全、心理健康、英语等课程。为应对配送科技发展，学院还将建设无人机操作等高技术岗位的培训基地，合格学员将有机会转岗为仓储主管或无人机驾驶员。Guo Shuzhao, a JD rider, said the courses are closely aligned with their day-to-day work, covering not only operational skills but also safety regulations and service standards.京东骑手郭树钊表示，课程内容与日常工作高度相关，不仅涵盖操作技能，还包括安全规范和服务标准。"By completing the training to get certificates, our opportunities for career advancement will increase significantly," he said.他说：“完成培训并取得证书后，我们的晋升机会会明显增加。”The initiative comes as delivery riders, couriers, online shop owners, livestream sellers and ride-hailing drivers, classified in China as new forms of employment, become increasingly central to urban life. There are already 84 million workers nationwide engaged in such employment, data from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions showed.该举措出台之际，随着外卖骑手、快递员、网店经营者、直播带货者、网约车司机等新就业形态劳动者在城市生活中日益重要，全国已有8400万劳动者从事相关工作（全国总工会数据）。The size of this workforce and the volatility it faces have prompted several provinces to introduce structured training programs. Jiangsu launched a three-year action plan in October to expand skills training for people in these new forms of employment, covering smart-device use, labor rights and e-commerce entrepreneurship.由于这一庞大群体面临就业波动，多地已出台系统培训计划。例如江苏省今年10月启动三年行动方案，涵盖智能设备使用、劳动权益、电子商务创业等内容。The launch of the rider academy also comes amid rapid advances in automated delivery. Companies such as Meituan have expanded drone routes in major cities like Shenzhen in Guangdong, while completing more than 520,000 orders nationwide by early 2025, data from Meituan showed.骑手学院的成立，也正值自动化配送迅速发展之际。美团等企业已在深圳等城市扩大无人机配送航线，截至2025年初已完成52万余单（美团数据）。While drones and robots may reduce labor costs, Feng Lei from JD said that drones and related delivery equipment and technologies will not completely substitute for delivery personnel.尽管无人机和机器人有助于降低成本，但冯蕾表示，它们不会完全取代配送人员。She said emerging technologies "raise the skill requirements rather than eliminate the need for riders". Delivery personnel increasingly need to operate intelligent order systems and collaborate with drones and robots to complete deliveries, she said.她指出，新技术“提升了岗位技能要求，而非消灭岗位本身”。骑手未来需要操作智能派单系统，并与无人机、机器人协同完成配送。Feng Lipan, an e-commerce associate professor at South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, said the new academy is precisely intended to prepare riders for that transition.华南理工大学电子商务系副教授冯立攀表示，新学院正是为骑手应对这一转型而设。"It will reshape the public's stereotypical perception of the delivery rider profession, transforming it into a skilled occupation recognized for both mental agility and technical expertise," he said.他说：“这将重塑公众对配送职业的刻板印象，使其成为兼具思维敏捷与技术能力的技能型岗位。”industry-education integration产教融合emerging forms of employment新就业形态automated delivery自动化配送workforce volatility就业波动

2025 has been an above-average year for stocks. And over 300 publicly-traded companies have increased in value by 100% or more. This has our team asking the question: Which of these upward moves are legit and which could be doomed to revert back in 2026? This episode features discussions on energy, technology, real estate, and more. And our analysts aren't in perfect agreement on the outlook for these stocks in the coming year. Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Jon Quast discuss: -Solar energy and nuclear energy. -Quantum computing and AI trends. -A real estate meme stock. -Stocks on our radar. Companies discussed: LMND, MU, NXT, OPEN, QBTS, OKLO, EME, DIS, MELI Host: Tyler Crowe Guests: Matt Frankel, Jon Quast Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We're committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two separate groups of researchers have independently confirmed that Nanotyrannus is its own genus and not just a juvenile T. rex. Plus a new Nanotyrannus species and another new tyrannosauroid and tyrannosaur injuries.For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Calamosaurus, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Calamosaurus-Episode-554/Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.Dinosaur of the day Calamosaurus, a small theropod that's been mixed up with lots of other theropods.In dinosaur news this week:A new complete Nanotyrannus skeleton confirms that it deserves its own genus and is not just a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rexA close analysis of the small throat (hyoid) bone from the Nanotyrannus holotype confirms it was nearly full-sizedReview of the taxonomic history of NanotyrannusThere's a new Late Cretaceous tyrannosauroid, Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, related to the fluffy YutyrannusScotty the T. rex appears to have blood vessel structures in a rib showing how it healed. (in the fun fact)Companies are claiming to make luxury fashion items out of T. rex leather but that's not currently possible. (in the fun fact) Happy 12 days of Patreon! For a very limited time you can get 20% off an annual membership by paying annually with promo code "12DAYS". Go to Patreon.com/iknowdino to sign up and help us keep creating I Know Dino for another year!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of You Can overcome Anything! Podcast Show, CesarRespino.com brings to you a special guest by the name of Ephraim Ebstein.Ephraim Ebstein is a $30M entrepreneur, IT strategist, and AI integrator who helps business leaders transform tech headaches into growth engines. As the founder and CEO of FIT Solutions, Ephraim built two national companies from the ground up and now advises organizations on scaling smarter, deploying AI to boost performance, and avoiding costly cybersecurity mistakes. Known for breaking down complex systems into clear, actionable strategies, Ephraim delivers real-world insights that drive results—whether you're navigating digital transformation, building a high-performing culture, or protecting your business in today's threat landscape.Ephriam Ebstein message to you is:"Your biggest challenges can be your greatest opportunities—if you face them head-on."I want listeners to walk away knowing that obstacles aren't stop signs; they're signals to innovate, adapt, and push forward. With the right mindset and strategy, you can turn even the toughest situations into the foundation for your next breakthrough.To Connect with Ephraim Ebstein go to: on Instagram @kingspear and on LinkedIn under Ephraim EbsteinTo Connect with CesarRespino go to:

Greg Coleman's career took a turn that almost no one expects. After helping build a venture-backed tech company and appearing on Shark Tank, he shifted into a world most founders overlook: government contracting. In this conversation, Greg explains how startups, consultants, and small businesses can position themselves to work with federal agencies, navigate complex programs like SBIR and OTAs, and understand what it actually takes to break into the government market.Greg spent years inside the Department of Defense innovation ecosystem, where he evaluated early-stage technologies, managed prototype programs, and worked directly with founders trying to sell to the government. Today he advises companies on how to approach the federal market, avoid common mistakes, and build real opportunities inside agencies.If you're exploring government contracting for the first time, wondering how companies get funding, or trying to understand what separates successful federal vendors from everyone else, this interview gives you a clear, realistic starting point.Chapters00:00 – Greg's background and early Air Force career02:15 – Flying high-level government officials and global missions04:05 – Launching a startup and appearing on Shark Tank07:10 – Entering the government innovation ecosystem (DIU, NSIN)13:45 – How SBIR and STTR really work for small businesses18:20 – OTAs and how companies move from prototype to production25:10 – Examples of emerging tech companies building for the government31:20 – The hardest challenge: crossing the “valley of death”35:00 – Greg's advisory work helping companies approach the federal market38:30 – Greg's thoughts on the GovClose Certification ProgramWork With GregGreg advises early-stage and growth-stage companies (Pre-Seed through Series B) on entering the federal market, building repeatable sales strategies, and navigating SBIR, OTA, and prototype pathways.Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorycoleman/Become a Certified Government Contracting ProfessionalLearn federal sales, pipeline building, and modern acquisition strategies inside the GovClose Certification Program:https://govclose.comHire a GovClose-Trained ConsultantCompanies can get matched with trained federal sales consultants here:https://match.govclose.com

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, LG or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.Devin: What is your superpower?Justin: What I try to do is…bring that authenticity to our clients in everything that we do.Success in crowdfunding isn't just about having a great product or service—it's about building a community that rallies behind your mission. This idea was central to my conversation with Justin Starbird, CEO of The Aebli Group, in today's episode. Justin highlighted that the real “silver bullet” for a successful crowdfunding campaign is the strength of an engaged community.“From our experience, a lot of times that secret weapon…is the community that they have amassed around their mission,” Justin explained. He emphasized that mission-driven companies often have an edge because their stories resonate deeply with their supporters, creating a foundation for passionate engagement.Justin shared how his team works with companies to authentically communicate their vision and values in ways that connect with people. “It's really important to be able to tell a story that's compelling, that's authentic, that's true to who they are,” he said.Justin and his team recently worked with Organic Transit, a company bringing back its innovative solar-electric bicycle, the ELF. The company's founder, Rob Cotter, turned to crowdfunding after a challenging bankruptcy. With The Aebli Group's help, Organic Transit is now raising funds on Wefunder to scale its ELF 3.0—a modernized, Eco-friendly version of its original product. Justin noted that the campaign's success is rooted in the loyal community Organic Transit had already built, which helped them pre-sell over 800 vehicles and log 10 million miles.Through storytelling, community engagement, and a focus on authenticity, Justin and his team enable mission-driven companies to thrive. “At the end of the day, it's still the mission, the vision, the goal of the company, and their authenticity,” he said.By building campaigns that connect with communities, Justin and The Aebli Group are transforming crowdfunding into a powerful tool for both raising capital and creating meaningful change.tl;dr:Today's episode explores how mission-driven storytelling creates community engagement for crowdfunding success.Guest Justin Starbird shares insights on building authentic marketing campaigns that resonate with investors.Justin describes working with Organic Transit to revive its solar-electric bicycle, the ELF 3.0.The Aebli Group uses authenticity to help startups foster trust and build meaningful connections.Justin's superpower, authenticity, is key to creating campaigns that leave lasting impacts.How to Develop Authenticity As a SuperpowerJustin's superpower is authenticity. He described it as being unafraid to share hard truths with clients and always striving to leave things better than he found them. “What I try to do is…bring that authenticity to our clients in everything that we do,” he explained. Justin emphasized that authenticity fosters trust, builds communities, and ensures long-term success for businesses.Justin shared a personal analogy to explain his approach to authenticity. He recalled hiring a yard-cleaning service and finding a Coke can left in the brush after they finished. Though small, the oversight eroded his confidence in the team's attention to detail. That lesson shaped Justin's ethos at The Aebli Group: always go the extra mile. By doing the “small things” right, like addressing potential blind spots, his team ensures their campaigns resonate with clients and communities.Tips for Developing Authenticity as a Strength:Be Vulnerable: Acknowledge weaknesses and lean into them to foster genuine connections.Address Blind Spots: Identify potential risks or challenges and confront them openly.Focus on Community: Build trust by staying true to your values and mission.Always Go the Extra Mile: Pay attention to small details that demonstrate care and commitment.By following Justin's example and advice, you can make authenticity a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileJustin Starbird (he/him):CEO and Founder, The Aebli Group (pronounced ABE-Lee)About The Aebli Group: At The Aebli Group (TAG), we help innovators, founders, and established companies plan, execute, and optimize crowdfunding campaigns that build community, humanize your brand, and drive sustainable growth. Crowdfunding campaigns require a unique blend of strategy, storytelling, and platform knowledge. Companies choose us because we:Have deep experience navigating crowdfunding platforms and have led multiple successful campaigns by understanding how to leverage each platform's unique audience and dynamics Combine marketing strategy with human-centered engagementHelp clients avoid pitfalls while maximizing funding potentialTurn campaigns into long-term growth engines, not just one-off eventsOur clients have successfully raised millions of dollars, validated new products, generated media coverage, and built lasting communities.Website: aebligroup.comCompany Facebook Page: facebook.com/AebliGroupBiographical Information: Justin Starbird is the CEO and Founder of The Aebli Group (pronounced Abe-Lee), a full-service marketing agency focused on assisting founders in the crowdfunding space. Additionally, TAG is an experienced B2B marketing agency that specializes in the medical device, medical technology, and manufacturing industries. He has built his company into an industry leader by focusing on the details that help push clients to the next level. Most recently, Justin and the TAG Team launched the TAG Awards. The inaugural TAG Awards will spotlight the MedTech and Healthcare sectors, underscoring The Aebli Group's long-standing commitment to driving success in these essential industries. With advancements in medical technology and healthcare delivery shaping the future of patient care, this focused awards program aims to honor the companies, products, and leaders redefining the standards of excellence in these fields.Justin is also dedicated to his community and has been recognized with the prestigious “Spirit of America” and “Local Hero” awards for his volunteerism and philanthropy. Today, Justin lives in Maine with his loving wife, two beautiful daughters, and two dogs.LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/justinstarbirdPersonal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/justin.starbirdSupport Our SponsorsOur generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today's advertisers include FundingHope, and BabyQuip. Learn more about advertising with us here.Max-Impact Members(We're grateful for every one of these community champions who make this work possible.)Brian Christie, Brainsy | Cameron Neil, Lend For Good | Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Hiten Sonpal, RISE Robotics | John Berlet, CORE Tax Deeds, LLC. | Justin Starbird, The Aebli Group | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Mark Grimes, Networked Enterprise Development | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Mike Green, Envirosult | Dr. Nicole Paulk, Siren Biotechnology | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name HereUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.Superpowers for Good Live Pitch, December 11, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern / 5:00 PM Pacific, will bring together four mission-driven founders—Fran Maier (BabyQuip), Farooq Zama (CureValue), Andrei Evulet (Jetoptera), and Erin Martin (Pump For Joy)—as they present their companies live to a national audience on e360tv, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Hosted by Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., this special broadcast showcases entrepreneurs raising capital to solve real-world problems across family travel, healthcare access, disaster response aviation, and maternal health. Viewers are encouraged to watch the live pitches and then continue the experience by joining the Private Investor Session immediately following the broadcast, where attendees can engage directly with founders, ask deeper questions, and explore their active investment offerings in a focused, off-air environment. Whether you are an active investor or simply interested in the future of mission-driven innovation, this event offers a rare opportunity to witness purpose-driven companies in action and connect with them directly after the show.Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on December 16, 2025, at 1:30 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.SuperCrowdHour, December 17, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern, will feature Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., leading a session on “Designing a Winning Marketing Strategy for Your Investment Offering.” Drawing on his deep experience in impact crowdfunding and investment storytelling, Devin will break down the essential elements of building a marketing strategy that attracts, engages, and converts potential investors. Participants will learn how to identify and reach the right audience, craft messages that build trust, and develop a promotional plan that supports sustained momentum throughout a raise. Whether you're preparing for your first regulated investment crowdfunding campaign or looking to strengthen an ongoing one, this SuperCrowdHour will provide the insights and practical frameworks you need to elevate your offering and boost investor participation.SuperGreen Live, January 22–24, 2026, livestreaming globally. Organized by Green2Gold and The Super Crowd, Inc., this three-day event will spotlight the intersection of impact crowdfunding, sustainable innovation, and climate solutions. Featuring expert-led panels, interactive workshops, and live pitch sessions, SuperGreen Live brings together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and activists to explore how capital and climate action can work hand in hand. With global livestreaming, VIP networking opportunities, and exclusive content, this event will empower participants to turn bold ideas into real impact. Don't miss your chance to join tens of thousands of changemakers at the largest virtual sustainability event of the year.Community Event CalendarSuccessful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.CfPA President-elect's Vision for 2026 with Brian Belley, December 17 at 2:00 PM ET – reserve your spot now!If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 10,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Ever wondered how to transform a simple service business into a thriving design-build company? In this episode, Amy Hayes shares her remarkable 9-year journey from painting cabinets as a mother-daughter summer project to scaling three successful companies, including her $3.5M design-build firm. Her story proves that with determination and the right mindset, you can build something extraordinary without formal industry experience.What You'll LearnHow to transition from a service-based business to a design-build modelWhy niching down can accelerate your growth and profitabilityHow to build and lead an all-female team in a male-dominated industryStrategies for solving the proposal problem in design-build businessesThe importance of finding resources and support systems in the contracting worldTime Stamps00:45 - Episode & Guest Intro01:11 - About Bloom: The Business Overview02:33 - Women-Owned and Operated06:15 - Starting with Cabinet Painting10:21 - Challenges and Growth in Cabinet Painting22:02 - Transition to Design-Build31:56 - Monetizing the Business32:28 - Exploring the Venue as a Lead Generator34:13 - Addressing the Proposal Problem35:04 - Challenges in Pricing and Communication39:54 - Lessons Learned and Future StrategiesSnippets from the Episode"I think I had a pivotal moment there, saying, 'Am I really gonna let this stop something that is moving forward because of this one man and how he treated me?' And I decided, no, I'm not."- Amy Hayes"You have to invest in your business in order to grow it. It was just a really good time for us to do that."- Amy Hayes"A phrase that we used a lot, we would say we were building the plane as we're flying it, because that's what it felt like."- Amy Hayes"Find your resources, find your support... Don't be afraid to ask for help."- Amy HayesKey TakeawaysStart where you are with what you haveFocus on serving clients exceptionally well before worrying about pricingLearn to price appropriately by seeking industry guidanceSet clear budget expectations early in client relationshipsFind peer support even among competitorsSurround yourself with people who complement your weaknessesResources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock CallBuild a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GrowthKits⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need Help with podcast production? We recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Amy HayesBloom KitchensBloom Painting CompanyLinkedinMore from Martin Holland⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from The Cash Flow ContractorSubscribe to our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow On Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

What's the current state of play in the world of networking? This week, Technology Now returns to HPE Discover Barcelona for a discussion with Rami Rahim, President and General Manager, HPE Networking. We ask why networking is so important, how it is possible to keep the world connected, and explore what networking will look like going into the future.This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week, hosts Michael Bird and Sam Jarrell look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations. This episode is available in both video and audio formats.About Rami Rahim: https://www.hpe.com/uk/en/leadership-bios/rami-rahim.html

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong discuss the important questions for the Fed heading into the final months of Jerome Powell's tenure. The Fed will help drive a 10% gain for stocks in 2026, says one of Wall Street's most accurate forecasters, Tom Lee. Is the affordability crisis overblown? The rising prices of beef have Chuck worried. Are movie theaters soon to be a relic? 

Fewer companies offering drug plans.  Price increases coming in 2026, max $50/year.  2027: May not have any drug plans.  Government subsidies going away, Insurance companies may have to subsidize. Medicare Supplement Plan price increases.

Paul has trouble with his hearing and shares a story about earwax.  Which companies are selling Medicare Advantage plans?  Kaiser Workers on strike.  New prescription drug website: TrumpRX.com.  GoodRx and generic drugs.  Real life couple suffers from health issues.  

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy is amazed by how many families are involved in the auto business. That includes families who control Ford, BMW, VW and other companies.

Hey Hustlers! In this episode, I'm diving into the jaw-dropping revelations from the Diddy documentary. We'll explore the manipulative tactics and eye-opening moments businesses use to create aspiration within us. Plus, I'm sharing some business tips to streamline your communication to make your life easier. Tap in!00:00:00 - Introduction and Pop Culture00:01:00 - Diddy Documentary Revelations00:03:00 - Business Tips of the Week00:05:00 - The Power of Moments in Business

Inflation is a brutal, immediate pressure point on corporate finance, forcing CFOs and analysts to completely overhaul their operating models. In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we break down how inflation erodes profit margins, manage debt structures, and the radical countermeasures companies employ to maintain financial resilience.The Dual Attack on the Income StatementInflation hits corporate profits from multiple angles, magnifying instability in the supply chain and labor markets:Gross Margin Erosion: Driven by surging input costs (materials, components, logistics). Companies with long, complex supply chains saw freight costs spike by as much as five times during the 2021-2023 surge.Wage Inflation: A tight labor market forces labor-intensive businesses (retail, hospitality) to increase wages, often outpacing revenue growth and becoming the number one variable cost driver.Operating Expense (OpEx) Creep: Rising costs for utilities, commercial rent, insurance, and IT services further compress the overall operating margin.Structural Impact on the Balance SheetPersistent inflation triggers central bank rate hikes, making the cost of capital structural and damaging long-term valuation:WACC Escalation: Higher interest rates raise the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), instantly reducing the Net Present Value (NPV) of future projects and shrinking the list of profitable opportunities.Variable Debt Risk: Companies caught with large amounts of variable rate debt face an exploding interest expense, which can quickly become the single largest line item on the income statement.Working Capital Discipline: Cash loses purchasing power daily. Finance teams must use strict working capital discipline (accelerating AR, optimizing inventory) as an inflation insulator to preserve purchasing power.The Strategic Countermeasures PlaybookThe corporate response to inflation is a mix of strategic offense and defense tailored to the industry:Offense (Pricing Power): Utilizing Strategic Staging of price hikes, adjusting package sizes (shrinkflation), and introducing premium tiers to shift focus to perceived value.Defense (Resilience): Forging tighter partnerships with procurement to negotiate long-term contracts and implementing Supply Chain Resiliency by nearshoring production or building inventory buffers.Financial Hedging: Proactively managing debt by shifting from variable-rate to fixed-rate debt and deploying Dynamic Pricing algorithms that adjust prices daily based on real-time cost and demand inputs.Key Takeaway for Finance Leaders:Inflation is a powerful forcing function that pushes finance teams out of the accounting chair and into the cockpit as strategic operators. True success requires financial agility and the ability to adapt radically.

In this episode of the TriMetric Roadmap Podcast, Scott and Jeff sit down with Mahesh M. Thakur, CEO of Decisive AI, to discuss how business owners can move from AI hype to AI results. Mahesh—one of the world's few Master Certified Stakeholder-Centered Coaches (MCC) and a former executive at Microsoft, Amazon, Intuit, and GoDaddy—shares how leaders can align their teams on a “True North,” integrate AI intelligently, and transform culture, execution, and bottom-line growth. You'll hear how 92% of AI investments currently fail, what separates the 8% that succeed, and how smaller companies can use AI to level the playing field with billion-dollar enterprises. ---- About Mahesh M. Thakur Mahesh M. Thakur is the Founder and CEO of Decisive AI, where he helps CEOs and leadership teams align on their True North and turn AI into ROI™. A former executive at Microsoft, Amazon, Intuit, and GoDaddy, Mahesh is among the world's top 0.1% of Master Certified Stakeholder-Centered Coaches (MCC). He's advised leaders at JPMorgan Chase, Meta, Google, Walmart, PayPal, and John Deere, helping them achieve measurable transformations—from doubling growth rates to cutting decision cycles by 40%. Connect: LinkedIn | Instagram | X (Twitter) ---- 1. What does “AI to ROI” mean? AI to ROI™ is Mahesh's framework for turning artificial intelligence investments into tangible business outcomes—revenue growth, cost savings, and cultural transformation. It blends technology strategy with human alignment. 2. Why do 90% of AI projects fail? Most fail because they lack a clear framework, leadership alignment, or measurable objectives. Companies often jump in due to FOMO, invest heavily, and never achieve integration or adoption that creates ROI. 3. Who should be investing in AI? Every business—from tech firms to law practices to construction companies—can benefit from AI. It's no longer limited to Big Tech; mid-market companies ($10M–$100M) can now compete on equal footing using accessible tools. 4. What is a “Test + Learn™” culture? It's a structured approach that allows organizations to experiment rapidly, measure outcomes, and scale only what works—turning innovation into a repeatable discipline. 5. How can small and mid-sized companies use AI effectively? Start by identifying one or two workflows where automation saves time or improves customer outcomes. Build simple pilots, collect data, and align leadership around shared metrics before scaling. 6. What is the “True North” concept in leadership? True North represents the organization's unifying direction—its mission, values, and goals. Mahesh helps CEOs and teams align on this so that AI and strategy serve the same purpose. 7. How does AI connect to leadership and faith? Mahesh believes great leaders must balance faith and data. Without alignment, AI becomes fear-driven. True mastery integrates wisdom, courage, and belief that technology should serve humanity, not replace it. 8. What's next for Decisive AI and Business Freedom Advisors? Scott and Mahesh announced upcoming collaborations to help business owners design both a Business Roadmap and an AI Roadmap for 2026. Follow BusinessFreedomAdvisors.com for updates. ----- Links & Resources Watch Full Episode on Fathom Connect with Mahesh on LinkedIn Learn More About Business Freedom Advisors Follow Scott Landis on LinkedIn Subscribe to the TriMetric Roadmap Podcast

In this episode of the Develop Yourself Podcast, I talk with three email and growth experts about something most developers overlook: email as a serious  money maker.I'm joined by:Mike, founder of Seventh Sense, an AI-powered email timing platformBoris, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Educative, one of the largest developer learning platformsDoug, CEO of Optimize 3.0, a HubSpot Diamond Partner agencyWe dig into:How AI is reshaping email marketingWhy email is still the most reliable channel you can ownThe biggest email marketing mistakes that founders and developers makeWhat it actually takes to build a product that sells—not just one that worksAnd real advice for developers who want to turn skills into a business

This week, David returns to one of his favorite flexible formats: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue. In this tenth volume, he brings back a few personal lifehacks, peeves, and perks from past episodes; introduces a new financial holiday—“National Share Day”—imagining a country where every American becomes an owner; borrows a passage from his free downloadable book chapter to explore how AI may (or may not) fit into Rule Breaker investing; and closes with a blue reflection on the rise and fall of Bed Bath & Beyond—and asks, was this the very first stock The Motley Fool ever shorted? Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue—only on this week's Rule Breaker Investing! Companies mentioned: BBBY Sign up for The Motley Fool's Breakfast News here: www.fool.com/breakfastnews Order David's Rule Breaker Investing book here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1804091219/ Host: David GardnerProducer: Bart Shannon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keith Grossman, President at MoonPay, joined me to discuss how the firm is unlocking crypto access for both retail and institutional users.Topics: - MoonPay's crypto payment solutions - MoonPay Mastercard and Pump Fun integrations - TradFi Crypto Adoption- Web2 and tech companies transitioning to Web3 - Future of crypto payments - Tokenization of assets and human behaviorBrought to you by

Here is a FAQ Video on the Courses: https://youtu.be/0F7imrzjXWs Here is a deep dive into which course is best for you: https://youtu.be/JM_jgS8M-iU https://www.b2bRevenue.com - Get Your Free E-Book on How Companies make Decisions. FAQ: 1 YEAR ACCESS, PAY MONTHLY OR ANNUALLY NOT A SUBSCRIPTION OFFICE HOURS EVERY  OTHER WEEK VIA ZOOM. 1 HOUR GROUP Q&A. UNLIMITED 1-ON-1'S  ARE FREE AS LONG AS THEY CAN BE SHARED IN THE COURSE. 1-ON-1 ARE FULL ACCESS ON DAY ONE - NOTHING IS GATED OR TIME RELEASED. ALL CONTENT IS VIDEO BASED AND SELF PACED I RECOMMEND TAKE COURSE ONCE WITHOUT NOTES OR APPLYING IT SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE FIRST. THEN TAKE AND APPLY IT STEP BY STEP. YOU START WHEN YOU WANT AND GO AS FAST OR SLOW AS NEEDED.   Email me additional questions: briangburns@me.com     — SAMPLE EMAIL TO EXPENSE THE COURSE MGR,   I have been listening to the brutal truth about sales podcast for X months and it speaks to the issues we face.   They currently offer a course that includes video instruction, group Q&A and One-on-One coaching. I'm committed to my own personal development and would like your help in expensing the course.   It would pay for itself if I closed only one new deal of $X value.   Please let me know by Friday if I can move forward with this 1 year course.   Thanks, ME Here are some student interviews from the courses:      ———————————————————————————————————— Audible 30 day Free Trial: http://www.audibletrial.com/BrutalTruth

Join the club⁠rightbrainresetters.comIn this episode, Stephen Martin discusses four key predictions for 2026 that will significantly impact individuals with dyslexia and ADHD. He emphasizes the role of AI as a supportive tool for execution, the rise of visual thinking in mainstream work, the shift towards valuing creativity and problem-solving over traditional job roles, and the increasing importance of emotional wellbeing as a skill. Martin encourages listeners to embrace these changes and leverage their unique strengths in a rapidly evolving world.Takeaways2026 will be a transformative year for dyslexics and ADHD minds.AI will serve as a powerful execution tool for creative ideas.Visual thinking will become a mainstream skill in the workplace.The economy will favor creators and problem solvers over traditional workers.Emotional wellbeing will be essential for managing anxiety and stress.Dyslexics can leverage AI to enhance their productivity and creativity.More entrepreneurs will emerge from neurodiverse backgrounds.Companies will increasingly seek neurodiverse talent.Managing one's own emotional health will be crucial in the future.The world will continue to evolve, requiring adaptability and resilience.Dyslexia, ADHD, AI, emotional wellbeing, visual thinking, predictions, 2026, neurodiversity, entrepreneurship, creativity, adults with dyslexia, support for adults.Get 20% off your first orderhttps://addednutrition.comIf you want to find out more visit:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠truthaboutdyslexia.comJoin our Facebook Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/groups/adultdyslexia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#328: The build versus buy decision isn't as binary as most companies think. Every technology choice involves elements of both - you might use Linux (buy) but still configure and customize it extensively (build). The real question isn't whether to build or buy, but finding the right balance between the two approaches based on your company's resources, size, and unique requirements. Companies often fall into the trap of thinking their processes are so unique that existing solutions won't work, leading to unnecessary custom development. This "not invented here" syndrome is particularly common in large enterprises that mistake their size for complexity. In reality, most businesses face challenges that have already been solved by others. The key is recognizing when you truly need a custom solution versus when you can adapt existing tools. The decision becomes more nuanced when considering factors like maintenance costs, compliance requirements, and long-term sustainability. Building internally requires ongoing resources for updates, security patches, and knowledge retention within your team. Meanwhile, buying from vendors shifts much of this burden but introduces dependencies and integration challenges. The conversation features insights from Alex Gusev from Uploadcare, along with perspectives from hosts Darin and Viktor on navigating these complex technology decisions.   Alex's contact information:  X: https://x.com/alxgsv LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alxgsv/   YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/devopsparadox   Review the podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://www.devopsparadox.com/review-podcast/   Slack: https://www.devopsparadox.com/slack/   Connect with us at: https://www.devopsparadox.com/contact/

Rare-earth elements help power our everyday electrical devices, and that's because most batteries are made with minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite. As of now, China has the largest reserve of these minerals. But some mining companies are eyeing the deep sea's floor, says Marketplace contributor Dan Ackerman, because such rare earths form organically way down there. Plus, the ethical concerns that come with this deep-sea mining.Here's everything we talked about today:“Companies are betting on deep sea mining for critical minerals” from Marketplace Tech“New policies may part the waters for ocean mining” from Marketplace Morning Report“In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the US and China emerges” from The Guardian“Trump's New Executive Order Promotes Deep Sea Mining in US and International Waters While Bypassing International Law” from Inside Climate News

My guest this week is Gavin Baker. Gavin is the managing partner and CIO of Atreides Management, and he has been on the show many times before.  I will never forget when I first met Gavin in 2017. I find his interest in markets, his curiosity about the world to be as infectious as any investor that I've ever come across. He's encyclopedic on what is going on in the world of technology today, and I've had the good fortune to host him every year or two on this podcast. Gavin began covering Nvidia as an investor more than two decades ago, giving him a rare perspective on how the company – and the entire semiconductor ecosystem – has evolved. A lot has changed since our last conversation a year ago, making this the perfect time to revisit the topic. In this conversation, we talk about everything that interests Gavin – Nvidia's GPUs, Google's TPUs, the changing AI landscape, the math and business models around AI companies and everything in between. We also discussed the idea of data centers in space, which he communicates with his usual passion and logic. In closing, at the end of this conversation, because I've asked him my traditional closing question before, I asked him a different question, which led to a discussion of his entire investing origin story that I had never heard before. Because Gavin is one of the most passionate thinkers and investors that I know, these conversations are always amongst my most favorite. I hope you enjoy this latest in the series of discussions with Gavin Baker. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. ----- This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AlphaSense⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alpha-Sense.com/Invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:04:00) Meet Gavin Baker (00:06:00) Understanding Gemini 3  (00:09:05) Scaling Laws for Pre-Training (00:12:12) Google v. Nvidia (00:16:52) Google as  Lowest Cost Producer of Tokens (00:28:05)  AI Can Automate Anything that can be Verified (00:34:30) The AI Bear Case: Edge AI (00:37:18) Going from Intelligence to Usefulness (00:43:44) AI Adoption in Fortune 500 Companies (00:48:58) Frontier Models and Industry Dynamics (00:56:40) China's Mistake and Blackwell's Geopolitical Leverage (00:57:50) OpenAI's Code Red (01:00:46) Data Centers in Space (01:07:13) Cycles in AI (01:11:10) Power as a Bottleneck (01:14:17) AI Native Entrepreneurs (01:16:21) Semiconductor VC (01:20:41) The Mistake the SaaS Industry is Making (01:26:50) Series of Bubbles (01:28:56) Whatever AI Needs, It Gets (01:29:57) Investing is the Search for Truth (01:31:24) Gavin's Investing Origin Story

Rare-earth elements help power our everyday electrical devices, and that's because most batteries are made with minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite. As of now, China has the largest reserve of these minerals. But some mining companies are eyeing the deep sea's floor, says Marketplace contributor Dan Ackerman, because such rare earths form organically way down there. Plus, the ethical concerns that come with this deep-sea mining.Here's everything we talked about today:“Companies are betting on deep sea mining for critical minerals” from Marketplace Tech“New policies may part the waters for ocean mining” from Marketplace Morning Report“In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the US and China emerges” from The Guardian“Trump's New Executive Order Promotes Deep Sea Mining in US and International Waters While Bypassing International Law” from Inside Climate News

We review the results from SentinelOne (S) and Snowflake (SNOW) and predict which stock is more likely to record profits first. We also take a critics-eye view of the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal amid Paramount's hostile counter offer. Rick Munarriz, Sanmeet Deo, and Tim Beyers: - Review last week's results from SentinelOne and Snowflake. - Predict which of the two will reach GAAP profitability first. - Give a critics choice take on the Netflix-Warner Bros deal, including some thoughts on Paramount's just-launched hostile takeover. Companies discussed: S, SNOW, NFLX, WBD, PSKY Host: Tim Beyers Guests: Rick Munarriz, Sanmeet Deo Producer: Anand Chokkavelu Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We're committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices