Podcasts about iconic

Episode 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms proves this isn't just another Westeros spin-off — it's something smaller, sweeter, and way more effective. On this episode of Thumb War, we dig into why Dunk & Egg's chemistry is the secret sauce of the series, how seeing Westeros from ground level changes everything, and why this show works even if you don't know every sigil, house, or rebellion. It's funny, heartfelt, efficient storytelling — and it might be HBO's most quietly confident fantasy series in years. Subscribe for weekly movie & TV deep dives. Also available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. Ad-free episodes + bonus content on Patreon: http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Full episode on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Email us: ThumbWarPod@gmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We start with new details on the latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files released today. Nationwide demonstrations against ICE patrols are underway, as we follow updates on two journalists taken into custody. The federal government may be barreling toward a brief shutdown over the weekend. Parts of the US are bracing for another round of snow and freezing temperatures. Plus, sad news about a legendary actress who brought some of the most memorable moms to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's Just the Tip, Kim is taking you along on a bucket list experience The Blue Lagoon in Iceland! This world-renowned steamy turquoise spa experience is as amazing as it looks. In this episode, we bust a few mistruths and share the full experience to get you excited to visit yourself!You can book the same ⁠Combo Blue Lagoon & Transfer ticket on Viator⁠ that we used.Since you are going to The Blue Lagoon, you'll want to check out our ⁠Sky Lagoon⁠, ⁠Winter Iceland Trip⁠ and ⁠Summer Iceland Trip⁠ episodes too and our ⁠Iceland Itinerary⁠ too!Find great flight deals to Iceland by signing up for ⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠⁠ and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Shop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trip Itineraries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon Storefront⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and contact us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠travelsquadpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Rick Rizzs, Seattle Mariners iconic and legendary announcer, joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about his retirement announcement for after the 2026 season ends and why now, his plans for the year ahead, Dave Niehaus, last season, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leah Georgantas took over a struggling multi-brand fashion boutique with no business experience, lost most of her suppliers overnight, then rebuilt it into one of Australia's most recognisable fashion brands by posting relentlessly on social media. In this interview, the founder of Girls With Gems breaks down how raw,unfiltered content, six to nine posts per day, and authentic storytelling helped her scale through Covid, build a cult-like community, and launch a private label brand that now drives half the company's revenue. What you'll learn in this interview: • How posting 6–9 times per day built a loyal ecommerce community • Why relatable content outperformed polished fashion campaigns • How Girls With Gems scaled through Covid while others stalled • The exact mindset shift that unlocked sustainable social growth • Why Leah refuses to participate in Black Friday promotions • How Sneaky Link grew into 50% of total revenue • The risks and rewards of launching a private label brand • How to manage burnout while scaling a fast-growing business • Why authenticity compounds faster than performance marketing • How to build brand narratives without oversharing online By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to grow an ecommerce brand through storytelling, community, and relentless execution — without copying competitors or waiting for the perfect strategy. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH LIA GEORGANTIS Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/liagirlswithgems/ GWG Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/girlswithgems/ Website→ https://www.girlswithgems.com/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast⁠

Are you the world's best kept secret? Ready to stop playing small and step into your iconic era as a creative founder?In this episode, I'm sharing my ICONIC framework for building a founder-led brand that people remember, trust, and buy from. We're talking about Identity, Conviction, Orientation, Narrative, Influence, and Cultural Imprint, and how these six pillars work with the 4V Frequency (Vision, Voice, Visibility, Vibration) to help you play a bigger game.I'm getting real about why founder-led brands are the future, how to know when you're ready for deeper mentorship, and what it really takes to step out from behind your work and become the front-facing leader of your brand.If you've been craving community, seeking a mentor, or feeling called to expand your container and build something iconic, this episode is for you.In this episode, you'll learn:[00:00] Why founder-led brands are changing the game for creative entrepreneurs[09:53] The power of influence and magnetic presence (and how icons create it naturally)[11:26] What it means to leave a cultural imprint and build a lasting legacy[18:43] Three signs you're ready to be known for a body of work (not just another content creator)[26:42] The real reason people are afraid to invest in themselves (and how to move through resistance)[30:15] Why sustainable visibility matters more than viral momentsHere are the resources mentioned in the show:Apply for Iconic MastermindJoin The LaunchpadAre you enjoying the podcast? We'd be so grateful if you gave us a rating and review! Your 5 star ratings help us reach more businesses like yours and allows us to continue to deliver valuable content every single week. Click here to review the show on Apple podcast or your favorite platformSelect “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”Share your favorite insights and inspirationsIf you haven't done so yet, make sure that you subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and on Apple Podcast for special bonus content you won't get elsewhere.xo, Tracy MatthewsFollow on Social:Follow @Flourish_Thrive on InstagramFollow @iamtracymatthews  InstagramFollow Flourish & Thrive Facebook

In this episode, we talk about why personal style is not superficial — it's spiritual. Your clothes are energy. Your colors are signals. And the way you dress often reveals whether you're still protecting an old version of yourself… or stepping into your next era of abundance. In this episode, we explore: What the Year of the Snake has been teaching us about shedding, truth, and quiet endings The bold, visible, magnetic energy of the Fire Horse — and why hiding no longer works How relationships can subtly mute self-expression (without us even realizing it) Why personal style is often the first place we hide — and the first place we reclaim power A real-life moment that reminded me how embodiment changes how the world responds to you The difference between dressing to belong vs. dressing to lead Why abundance, confidence, and visibility are deeply connected to how you show up visually A practical takeaway you can apply immediately: I walk you through a simple but powerful style activation ritual — from creating a style vision board, identifying the colors you're craving, discovering your color season, and choosing one bold piece that stretches you into the woman you're becoming. Because this glow-up isn't about trends. It's about permission. And Fire Horse energy rewards women who are willing to be seen. If you've felt the urge to shed an old skin… If you know you're not meant to blend in anymore… This episode is your invitation to step fully into your iconic era. Ready to go deeper? This is the work we do inside Shine Online — learning how to communicate with clarity, build confidence through visibility, and turn your voice into authority and income without burning out. January enrollment is closing, and when you join this month, you'll also receive my Pinterest Masterclass for free — a powerful tool for long-term visibility that compounds over time.

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) was an American pulp writer best known as the creator of Conan the Barbarian, a character that helped define the sword-and-sorcery genre. Writing primarily in the 1920s and 1930s, Howard published extensively in pulp magazines like Weird Tales, producing not only fantasy but also horror, historical adventure, and boxing stories with … Continue reading Episode 493: Iconic Pulp Writer Robert E. Howard

The Challenger exploded 40 years ago this week. Here's how it changed space travel forever. Plus, an expert discusses when humans will be on Mars, and Chad Hartman discusses most iconic TV moments, including The Challenger.

The Challenger exploded 40 years ago this week. Here's how it changed space travel forever. Plus, an expert discusses when humans will be on Mars, and Chad Hartman discusses most iconic TV moments, including The Challenger.

The Challenger exploded 40 years ago this week. Here's how it changed space travel forever. Plus, an expert discusses when humans will be on Mars, and Chad Hartman discusses most iconic TV moments, including The Challenger.

The Challenger exploded 40 years ago this week. Here's how it changed space travel forever. Plus, an expert discusses when humans will be on Mars, and Chad Hartman discusses most iconic TV moments, including The Challenger.

Join Buzz Knight on Takin’ A Walk for an inspiring replay conversation with Grammy-nominated bluegrass virtuoso Sierra Hull, one of the most accomplished mandolin players of her generation. From performing at the Grand Ole Opry at age 10 to earning critical acclaim as a singer-songwriter and instrumentalist, Sierra shares her remarkable journey through the world of acoustic music. In this compelling episode, Sierra Hull discusses her early start in bluegrass music, growing up immersed in traditional Appalachian sounds, and how she developed her distinctive mandolin style that blends technical mastery with emotional depth. She reflects on her experiences working with legendary producer Alison Krauss, the creative process behind her acclaimed albums including “Weighted Mind” and “25 Trips,” and what it means to honor bluegrass tradition while pushing the genre forward. Sierra Hull opens up about navigating the music industry as a young female instrumentalist, the mentors who shaped her career, her approach to songwriting that connects personal storytelling with universal themes, and the evolution of contemporary bluegrass music. She also shares insights into her work as an educator at Berklee College of Music, passing on her knowledge to the next generation of acoustic musicians. Whether you’re a bluegrass enthusiast, mandolin player, aspiring musician, or music history lover, this episode offers valuable insights into artistic development, staying true to your roots while innovating, and building a sustainable career in acoustic music. Sierra Hull’s story exemplifies dedication, talent, and the timeless power of bluegrass music. Subscribe to Takin’ A Walk with Buzz Knight for more in-depth conversations with legendary musicians, Grammy winners, and music industry icons who share the stories behind the songs that shaped our lives. Like this show, share with your friends and leave a review here. Review #knight #walk #best musician interview podcast #Sierra Hull interview #inspiring music interview Support the show: https://takinawalk.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support the show: https://takinawalk.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've spent any time researching Ireland trips online, you may have noticed a strange pattern: different companies, different websites… and yet the itineraries feel almost identical. There's a reason for that, and it goes back much further than modern travel trends. Why Ireland itineraries follow the same routes Ireland's most familiar travel routes weren't designed with today's vacation style in mind. They were created as efficient ways to move people through the country using the transportation that already existed. In the early 1900s, Ireland didn't yet have a tourism industry as we know it today. What it did have was rail, and soon after, bus travel. By the 1930s, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) began offering some of Ireland's first organized touring routes. These weren't built around lingering in places or slow travel. They were logistical solutions. The main questions were practical: How do you move people efficiently? How do you show them the country using existing infrastructure? How do you make it work for the greatest number of travelers? Those early routes worked remarkably well – and that's part of the problem. How early transport shaped today's “must-see” stops Once those touring routes were established, certain places naturally became regular stops. Not always because they were the only places worth seeing, but because they fit neatly along the route. Take the journey between the Cliffs of Moher and Killarney. Adare sits conveniently along that path, making it an easy place to pause. Over time, it became known as one of Ireland's prettiest villages – a reputation reinforced by decades of repeat visits. Dublin and Galway evolved into touring hubs for similar reasons. They were connected by rail as early as the mid-19th century, later by bus, making them logical anchor points for traveling west and then looping back again. Some places were already well known long before organized tours existed: The Cliffs of Moher had been a beauty spot since the 1830s, when Cornelius O'Brien built his tower and hosted social gatherings on the cliffs. Ladies View in Killarney gained fame after Queen Victoria's 1861 visit, when her ladies-in-waiting admired the sweeping view over the lakes. None of these locations became popular by accident. But once they were woven into early touring routes, they stayed there — reused, repeated, and passed down generation after generation. How those routes shaped what Ireland is “known for” As those early itineraries became the template, they influenced far more than bus tours. The places along those routes became the Ireland that was photographed, written about, and shared around the world. Over time, they shifted from being convenient stops to being seen as the definitive Ireland experience. They became: The “must-see” locations The places travelers felt they had to visit to say they'd really been to Ireland That's why, even today, most visitors still follow the same general framework – the same bones that were laid down nearly a century ago. Seeing Ireland differently without missing the magic That doesn't mean the well-known sights aren't worth visiting. They absolutely are. The Cliffs of Moher, Killarney National Park, Galway, and Dublin are popular for good reason. But after years of traveling Ireland and planning trips for others, one thing becomes clear: there are many places across the country where travelers can have very similar experiences without the crowds, the constant packing and unpacking, or the feeling of racing the clock. The best Ireland vacations usually include a mix: Iconic locations that live up to their reputation Lesser-visited places that offer space, depth, and a more relaxed pace Planning an Ireland trip that feels intentional Rather than starting with “Where does everyone go?”, a more satisfying approach begins with how you want to experience Ireland. That's the idea behind the Ireland Travel Compass — a planning system built around a five-step process that helps travelers design trips that are truly their own. Instead of inheriting an old touring route, the focus shifts to: Smaller regions Less driving Deeper experiences More time actually enjoying where you are The Compass includes a detailed planning map with more than 300 points across Ireland, featuring: Castles you can visit — and castles you can stay in Historic sites and heritage experiences Accommodations, dining, and tour recommendations Activities ranging from history and culture to animal encounters Every recommendation is based on firsthand travel experience and years of working directly with families and independent travelers. It's especially helpful for travelers who don't want to see everything in one trip — and understand that Ireland is best explored over multiple visits. If an Ireland vacation that feels thoughtful instead of rushed sounds appealing, the Ireland Travel Compass offers a way to step outside the inherited routes and create something that fits you. Traveling in Ireland podcast episode 323 The post Why So Many Ireland Itineraries Look the Same (and How to Plan One That Doesn't) appeared first on Ireland Family Vacations.

This week we have the large and in charge, chunky yet funky, ICONIC... Latrice Royale on the pod! We talk all the drama from episode 4. Looks, fights, faints, and more! Full interview with Latrice is available on our Patreon ❤️ patreon.com/trinitythetuck Trinity's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trinitythetuck/ Trinity's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@trinitythetok Shontelle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shontellesparkles/ Shontelle's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shontellesparkles Shontelle's Wigs: https://www.instagram.com/glitterbombwigs/ Latrice's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latriceroyale/ Latrice's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latriceroyaleinc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Grammy-nominated sister duo Larkin Poe join Buzz Knight on Takin’ A Walk for an unforgettable conversation about their journey from bluegrass roots to becoming one of rock music’s most electrifying acts. Rebecca and Megan Lovell share the inspiring story behind their unique blend of Southern rock, blues, and roots music that has earned them multiple Grammy nominations and a devoted global following. In this candid interview, the Lovell sisters open up about their creative process, the evolution of their signature sound, and what it takes to thrive as independent artists in today’s music industry. From their early days performing bluegrass to crafting powerful rock anthems, Larkin Poe discusses the pivotal moments that shaped their career and the deep family bonds that fuel their musical partnership. Buzz and the sisters explore their approach to guitar-driven rock, their commitment to authentic storytelling through song, and how they’ve built a sustainable career while maintaining complete artistic control. They share insights about their acclaimed albums, the inspiration behind their most powerful tracks, and their experiences performing at major festivals and venues worldwide. This episode offers rare perspective on what it means to be Grammy-nominated independent artists navigating the modern music landscape, the importance of staying true to your artistic vision, and how dedication to craft can lead to both critical acclaim and commercial success. Larkin Poe’s story serves as inspiration for musicians and music lovers alike, demonstrating how talent, hard work, and sisterhood can create something truly special in rock and roll. Like the show? Leave us a review here. Review #bestmusicinterviewpodcast #soulfulsoundsinterview #bestmusichistorypodcast Support the show: https://takinawalk.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support the show: https://takinawalk.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the real problem isn't that you're not doing enough… but that you've been doing too much in survival mode?In this powerful conversation, Jaime sits down with leadership coach and mental wellness advocate Jackie Roby to unpack what's really happening beneath the surface for high-achieving women who look wildly successful on paper but feel emotionally exhausted behind the scenes.Jackie shares why worry is “just fantasizing about what you don't want,” how anxiety can drown out intuition, and why so many women are taught to perform excellence instead of actually living it. Together, they explore the invisible mental load women carry, the pressure to assimilate in male-dominated spaces, and what it truly means to lead from calm, confidence, and authenticity.If you've ever felt like you're holding your life together with emotional duct tape, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why chronic worry keeps high-achieving women stuck in survival modeThe difference between intuition and anxiety (and how to tell which voice you're hearing)How “performing excellence” leads to burnout and disconnectionSubtle signs a leader is operating from overwhelm instead of strategyPractical tools to calm your nervous system in real timeHow mindfulness can shorten emotional recovery from weeks to hoursWhy being “basic” is the fastest way to lose your power and presenceLearn more about Jackie Roby

In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Pimpin Ken, a former high-level pimp from Chicago and Milwaukee, breaks down the psychology, power dynamics, and realities of the pimping game during its peak in the 1970s–1990s. Ken speaks candidly about how he entered the life as a teenager, the culture of pimping that existed at the time, and how manipulation, control, and desensitization became central to survival. He explains the difference between street-level track work and higher-end strip club and VIP hustles, detailing how money was really made — and why most people misunderstand the game entirely. This interview also dives deep into: -The psychology behind control, power, and influence -How pimping was normalized in certain eras and communities -The role of trauma, abandonment, and emotional conditioning -Why he avoided violence and relied on manipulation instead -The evolution from street hustling to sophisticated financial setups -His thoughts on relationships, marriage, masculinity, and power -How prison, reading, and reflection changed his perspective This is not a glamorization — it's a firsthand account of a brutal system, told by someone who lived it and survived it. Support Ken Books: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/PimpinKen7?srsltid=AfmBOoocrftoIFbUynb_2YpRlVnI7TyfLbkZk6L55Hq6d821w17fi1K5 Audio Book: https://www.audible.com/pd/Pimpology-Audiobook/B0196WKYU8?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp Hip Hop Fraternity: https://www.pimpinken.net/ This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: The Wellness Company! Power up with RECHARGE! Click https://twc.health/connect and use code CONNECT for 10% Off + Free Shipping on every order

Adam kicks off this episode of Backroads & Bonfires talking about his adventures at the Downtown Sioux Falls Burger Battle! The boys discuss the absurdity of The Dodgers and MLB contracts. Adam begins a segment of Where Are They Now that derails into discussing today's movie & podcast climate. Burk's perfect song. In the meat, Mm!, the boys reminisce on the era that was MTV. Adam starts with some MTV fun facts and moments before the guys rank their top 5 favorite MTV music videos from the glory days. The 90s quick hitter takes us back to Woodstock 99 and the most iconic music entrance to ever exist. 

On this episode, we went full nostalgia mode. We broke down our Top 5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games from the '80s and '90s, went head-to-head choosing between some of the most iconic NBA Champion jerseys, and reminisced about mixed CDs—from the playlists to the artwork that made them personal.We took a trip back to movie theaters the way they used to be, talked quarter machines and the toys we couldn't stop chasing, and answered some absolutely legendary calls on the Super Retro Hotline.Plus, Discord drops, Retro Card of the Week, and Fit Check were all fire per the usual. If you love throwback culture, this one's for you.Today's episode was brought to you by Salty Water. Hydrate Your Inner Warrior! Support our sponsors:IG: https://www.instagram.com/drinksaltywater/Buy: https://tinyurl.com/4c4kz9ceWebsite: https://drinksaltywater.com/⸻Subscribe to our Spotify for early access: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/superretro/subscribe ⸻Discord: https://discord.gg/superretro⸻Master list on our NES collection: https://superretropod.com/nes-game-list-super-retro/⸻Join our channel for early access: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMP4yO-dFGayGUkT_MVYrhQ/joinEmail: SuperRetroPod@gmail.comAll things Super Retro: https://linktr.ee/superretroInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/superretropodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@superretropod

Welcome to PGX: Raw & RealPGX: Raw & Real is simple. I sit with people who've lived through something and/or made it big, and I try to understand what it did to them.Sometimes it gets deep, sometimes it gets weird, sometimes we end up laughing at stories that should've gone very differently — just like how real conversations go.This isn't meant to be inspiration or a template for life (for that, you can check out PGX Ideas).This space is different. It's their story, as they experienced it.In this episode, I spoke to Sanjay Mishra — Indian ActorTimestamps:00:00 - Welcome to Raw & Real03:10 - Delhi's pollution 07:45 - TV dramas, police corruption & dialogues 16:00 - Copy-paste formula of Bollywood24:00 - Bollywood copies hollywood? 32:10 - Movie Recommendations by Sanjay33:50 - Vadh 239:20 - Power of Cinema52:30 - Sanjay gets emotional while talking about his father1:10:45 - food stories / cheap thrills / simple pleasures 1:16:25 - Are we forgetting our culture?1:25:00 - What works in India?Enjoy.— Prakhar

93.7 KISS Country personality Jody Jo is a fixture on Central Valley radio. She jumped on The CGP this week to talk about her career (you won't believe when she first hit the airwaves!), the relationship between artists, stations and record labels, and expectations of fans at her live remotes. The Christopher Gabriel Program ----------------------------------------------------------- Please Like, Comment and Follow 'The Christopher Gabriel Program' on all platforms: The Christopher Gabriel Program is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. --- The Christopher Gabriel Program | Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | --- Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An auction house in New York is marking the United States' 250th birthday by selling items that trace the nation’s history. Among those is a rare 1776 broadside printing of the Declaration of Independence produced in New Hampshire by printer Robert Luist Fowle, estimated at $3 million to $5 million. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this podcast, Jonathan and Gary sit down with Rob Goldstein, a legend in the gaming industry. Goldstein shares his remarkable journey of over 30 years, primarily with the Sands Group, starting from an unexpected childhood experience that led him to a career in gaming and hospitality. He discusses his East Coast beginnings, his father's gambling habits, and his transition from law school to the forefront of the gaming industry. The conversation highlights Goldstein's instrumental role in the development of Las Vegas, including significant milestones like collaborating with Sheldon Adelson on the creation of the Venetian and Palazzo, the value of themes in hotels, outsourcing food and beverage operations, and non-gaming revenue. Goldstein also speaks about his future plans as he looks forward to new ventures after announcing his departure from Sands.

For the last eight years, I've publicly shared my conviction around “relaxation” building into the next functional CPG frontier, due to the growing consumer demand from today's overstimulated (especially younger) generations for products that enhance mental wellness, support relaxation and stress relief, and enable alcohol moderation. Also, during that same timeframe…I've highlighted only one single brand (repeatedly) which I believed could become the “Red Bull of Relaxation,” effectively pioneering a category counterbalancing the $26 billion U.S. energy drinks market built on stimulation. “Take a Recess.” And it might be corny to make this comparison but hearing that Recess brand tagline was like a Jerry McGuire “you had me at hello” moment. Regardless, it became super apparent to me that founder (Ben Witte) truly understood Recess would only have a chance at becoming the definitive household name in modern relaxation if the selling formula started with emotion. Obviously, there's A LOT of other internal/external business dynamics ultimately at play…and the Recess story hasn't been without twists, turns, and challenges, but recently it's entering a fundamentally new chapter. So, I was honored when (right after) its $30 million Series B fundraising (and associated leadership hiring) news was released…I got a text message from Ben Witte asking if I'd be interested in hosting himself and Kyle Thomas for their first official recorded Co-CEO fireside chat together. As you'd imagine, in an effort to best help them share the nuanced business story of how Recess is scaling into the next iconic modern beverage company…it required a wide-reaching strategic conversation, but one that undoubtedly will provide insightful nuggets across every corner of the CPG industry.

Hour 2 of Jake & Ben on January 22, 2026 Utah Mammoth Analyst Nick Olczyk joined Jake & Ben to talk about last night's Utah Mammoth win that was one for the ages.  Buffalo Bills Owner Terry Pegula is blaming a bad draft pick on the coach he just fired, rather than the GM who made the pick.  Ex-Michigan Head Coach Sherrone Moore appeared in court today

In this episode of the Cardone Zone, Grant Cardone sits down with two powerhouse entrepreneurs from very different worlds: Jimmy John, founder of the iconic sandwich empire, and business legend Martha Stewart. Together, they break down what it takes to build brands that endure—speed, consistency, discipline, and relentless execution. Jimmy John shares how focus, simplicity, and operational intensity helped him scale one of the most recognizable food brands in America. Martha Stewart brings decades of experience in media, lifestyle, and entrepreneurship, offering insights into brand longevity, reinvention, and staying relevant through changing markets. From fast-growth entrepreneurship to legacy brand building, this episode delivers practical lessons on scaling, reputation, and sustaining success over time. Follow us on all our social platforms and visit GrantCardone.com for event dates, business resources, and upcoming opportunities.

What a movie! Dave was joined by Actress Mischa Barton to chat about her upcoming stage production of ‘Double Indemnity' which is coming to the Gaiety Theatre in March.

AP's Marissa Duhaney reports on the sale of an iconic hotdog brand.

HE BEAT HIS A** WITH A MAGAZINE!! The Bourne Supremacy Full Movie Reaction Watch Along:   / thereelrejects   Visit https://huel.com/rejects to get 15% off your order The Bourne Identity (2002) Reaction:    • THE BOURNE IDENTITY (2002) REACTION– THIS ...   THE RIP (2025) Movie Reaction:    • THE RIP (2025) MOVIE REACTION – AFFLECK VS...   Gift Someone (Or Yourself) An RR Tee! https://shorturl.at/hekk2 With Matt Damon back in Netflix's The Rip, Greg, Aaron, & Jon CONTINUE their Bourne Marathon giving their Bourne Supremacy Reaction, Recap, Breakdown, Commentary, Analysis & Spoiler Review! Greg Alba, Aaron Alexander, & Jon Maturan react to The Bourne Supremacy (2004), the intense, propulsive sequel that redefined modern action thrillers under the direction of Paul Greengrass (United 93, Captain Phillips). Building on the grounded realism of The Bourne Identity, this chapter pushes Jason Bourne deeper into paranoia, grief, and relentless pursuit as his past refuses to stay buried. The film follows Jason Bourne (Matt Damon – The Martian, Good Will Hunting) as he's pulled back into the world of covert assassinations after being framed for a CIA operation gone wrong. Haunted by guilt and determined to uncover the truth, Bourne becomes both hunter and hunted across Europe. Key figures in the conspiracy include Pamela Landy (Joan Allen – The Contender, Pleasantville), a sharp CIA deputy director trying to untangle Bourne from the agency's darkest secrets, and Kirill (Karl Urban – The Boys, Dredd), a ruthless assassin whose pursuit leads to some of the franchise's most visceral confrontations. Iconic moments from the film include the explosive Moscow car chase, often cited as one of the greatest chase sequences ever filmed; Bourne's brutal apartment fight with Kirill; the tense Berlin sequences; and the emotionally devastating revelation involving Marie (Franka Potente – Run Lola Run, The Conjuring 2). With its handheld cinematography, pounding urgency, and morally complex storytelling, The Bourne Supremacy elevated the franchise into a defining force of 2000s action cinema. Follow Aaron On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaaronalexander/?hl=en Follow Jon Maturan: https://www.instagram.com/jonmaturan/?hl=en Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this listener-commissioned bonus episode, we break down the internet's favorite hockey romance through a gymnastics lens — rivalry, pressure, secrecy, slow burns, and why elite athletes are like this. It's an adult conversation with minor spoilers, wheeze giggles, and Oscar's for butt. Commissioned by Karla. This is her fault. Thank you, Alyssa for proving our point with her Ilya speech. UP NEXT Fantasy Gymnastics podcast every Wednesday College & Cocktails : Sunday Jan 25th, 12:00 PT after UCLA at Michigan State (FOX) 2026 Cocktail and Mocktail menu here Add exclusive Club Content like College & Cocktails to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). SUPPORT OUR WORK Club Gym Nerd: Join Here Fantasy: GymCastic 2026 College Fantasy Game now open. Never too late to join! Merch: Shop Now Newsletters The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim Resistance Resources CHAPTERS 00:00 – Kentucky Gymnastics Recreates the Heated Rivalry Pump-Up Speech 00:00:17 – Welcome to GymCastic (Bonus Episode) 00:00:45 – You Don't Need to Know This Show (We'll Explain Everything) 00:01:04 – Adult Conversation Warning (Minor Spoilers) 00:01:38 – What Is Heated Rivalry? 00:03:05 – Hockey the Way Jade Carey's Floor Is Choreography 00:04:40 – Why Are We Doing a Podcast About This? 00:06:10 – The Books: Game Changers Series by Rachel Reid 00:07:05 – Why People Are Obsessed With This Show 00:10:00 – Secret Romance, Gay Panic, and Years of Tension 00:13:25 – The Stairs Scene, Chirping, and Competitive Flirting 00:17:05 – Gay and Bi Representation That Feels Real 00:20:20 – From Coco Gauff to SNL to Massive Fan Edits 00:25:40 – Casting Heated Rivalry for Gymnastics 00:29:30 – Greatest of All Time Criteria (Hot, Dominant, Iconic) 00:33:40 – If Not Russian, then who?  00:37:10 – Why a Lesbian Version Wouldn't Work (Sue Bird Was Right) 00:40:20 – Khorkina for Maximum Chaos Casting 00:43:30 – Why Sports Movies Are Never Realistic (And That's Fine) 00:46:40 – The Gym Mom vs Kip's Dad: Loyalty and Support 00:49:50 – Secret Relationships vs The Closet 00:53:10 – Panic, Fear, and Being Recognized 00:56:10 – Complications of Secret Hookups (Spring Break Story) 00:59:50 – Sub Dom Dynamics in Elite Sports 01:06:40 – Is This a Turning Point for Sports Fan Fic Smut?  

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Tom Donaldson, Senior Vice President and Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group, live from CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Tom introduces LEGO SmartPlay at CES 2026, a new platform powered by LEGO SMART Brick technology that allows LEGO creations to respond to how they are played with, all through interactive LEGO play without screens. The conversation explores LEGO System in Play innovation, long-cycle R&D product development, and how creativity and AI leadership shape the future of play.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Tom Donaldson on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at suzy@suzy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12pm hour of The K&C Masterpiece!

Restaurant accolades like Michelin stars and James Beard awards are nice, but no one knows Philly like Philly. On Feb. 1, a restaurant will be crowned with the "Icon Award" at The Tasties, the homegrown culinary award ceremony that celebrates the best of our city's food and drink industry. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Eli Kulp, host of The CHEF Radio and Delicious City Philly podcasts, partner at High Street Hospitality Group, and one of the creators of The Tasties. They dish about what it takes to be an iconic restaurant in Philadelphia, the surprising names that didn't make the cut, and the immersive experiences that will raise the bar for the second Tasties awards ceremony and afterparty next month.  Get Philly news & events in your inbox with our newsletter: Hey Philly Call or text us: 215-259-8170 We're also on Instagram: @citycastphilly You can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Philly Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Advertise on the podcast or in the newsletter: citycast.fm/advertise

TV herstorian Cynthia Bemis Abrams spotlights Regina Jones, a pioneering media entrepreneur who made history as the first Black woman to publish nationally with a focus on soul music. In this episode, Cynthia is joined by Alissa Shapiro, executive producer of Who in the Hell is Regina Jones?, a documentary that explores Jones' impact and SOUL Newspaper, and premieres on Weigel Broadcasting's Dabl TV, Story TV, and Start TV in February 2026 for Black History Month.   Together, they discuss: The founding and cultural legacy of SOUL Newspaper How Jones uilized print media to amplify Black voices in music Her role as a trailblazer in Black women's media history Why SOUL Newspaper deserves a place in American pop culture canon The significance of airing this acclaimed documentary on cable today Shapiro also shares behind-the-scenes insights into producing the documentary, which blends decades of preservation work, journalism, and archival research into a powerful portrait of Jones' life and survival.   References: SOUL Newspaper https://www.soulpublications.co/ Who the Hell is Regina Jones? https://whoisreginafilm.com/   Related Episodes About Documentaries: 11.3 – TV Cooking Show Pioneer Julia Child feat. Julie Cohen https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/tv-cooking-show-pioneer-julia-child-feat-julie-cohen 11.1 – SNL's Gilda Radner: A Life Celebrated in Film https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/snls-gilda-radner-a-life-celebrated-in-film Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Advanced TV Herstory ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com Email - advancedtvherstory@gmail.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social Production Video - Nivia Lopez - https://nivialopez.com/ Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/  

What if the reason you're not standing out isn't because you're not good enough… but because you're still playing at “visible” instead of iconic? In this episode of The Next Level Life Podcast, Christine sits down with Jen Szpigiel — Founder of Becoming Iconic and Founder + Editor in Chief of Iconic Magazine — for a powerful conversation on what it really takes to build a brand that's remembered, respected, and impossible to ignore. Jen shares the behind-the-scenes of building a multi-seven figure business, mentoring thousands of women worldwide, and creating a globally recognised media powerhouse… all while navigating one of the biggest curveballs an online entrepreneur can face: losing her social media presence. This isn't a conversation about chasing followers or trying to “hack” visibility. It's about identity. Leadership. Resilience. And the internal standard required to become the woman who leads at the level she's called to. If you're an established business owner who knows you're meant for more — more impact, more recognition, more legacy — this episode will land deep. In this episode, we cover: ✨ What it actually means to become iconic (and why it's an identity, not a branding strategy) ✨ How Jen turned a major setback into a powerful reinvention after losing her social media ✨ Why building a business on borrowed platforms is risky — and what to do instead ✨ How Jen built Iconic Magazine into a global media brand (often described as “Forbes meets Vogue”) ✨ The role of leadership, conviction, and standards in scaling to your next level ✨ How to position yourself as the go-to in your industry without performing or people-pleasing ✨ What it takes to build a brand with legacy energy (and not just short-term hype) Jen is the Founder of Becoming Iconic and the Founder and Editor in Chief of Iconic Magazine as well as a mom of four. Jen has helped thousands of women worldwide build successful businesses, resulting in over $100 million in sales through her full service brand that incorporates mentorship and done-for-you creative services. Renowned for her innovative approach to business and her impeccable leadership, her consulting and mentorship consistently generate waitlists. In 2022, after losing her social media, Jen launched Iconic Magazine alongside her top 100 podcast, the Iconic Podcast. This bold move transformed into a globally recognized media powerhouse. Often described as Forbes meets Vogue, the magazine has garnered over ten million impressions and reached 48+ countries. Now an established media company, Iconic Magazine provides a triple-threat PR opportunity for visionary women looking to be seen, heard and remembered. Connect with Jen: www.becomingiconic.co www.instagram.com/becomingiconic www.instagram.com/iconicmagazine__ WORK WITH CHRISTINE: Buy my new book: Turn Impostor Syndrome Into Your Superpower Download: Consistent $10K Month Method Connect with Christine on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/christinecorcoran_coach/ Book a Discovery Call with Christine here Join the waitlist for the next round of Unstoppable Sales HERE Join the waitlist for the next round of NEXT LEVEL Mastermind HERE Christine's website https://christinecorcoran.com.au/

Iconic kids' TV presenter talks to Al about the power of benches, conversation and his bum mould. Find Dadsnet on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheDadsnet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Dadsnet community to have your say: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/298654160327022⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Becca Worgan is back on the pod — World's Strongest Natural Woman (2023), now fully qualified physio, coach, business builder… and still the kind of woman who'll casually admit she needs hypnotherapy to deadlift again. (Relatable. Terrifying. Iconic.)This episode is a proper catch-up: injury reality checks, the difference between “sending it” and being reckless, why strength training is basically adult life insurance, and how your brain can literally create pain before you even touch the bar.Timestamps (5–8)0:00 – Becca's back: natural Worlds winner, and the 2024 comp chaos that nearly broke her 1:10 – Pulling out of Worlds: “I'm not enjoying this… so why am I here?” 4:10 – “Fun comps” vs “I'm here to win”: how the competitive fire comes back without self-destruction 6:10 – The sport is growing fast: bigger athlete pools, higher standards, harder pathway 8:05 – The weird culture around being natural (and why it shouldn't be “uncool” to be clean) 15:10 – Strength training for normal women: mood, bones, confidence, daily-life strength (yes, even for picking up chunky babies) 22:35 – Fear in lifting: learning how to fail safely + Becca's deadlift panic spiral 24:55 – Hypnotherapy: the brain pain loop, rewiring fear, and why it actually worked 41:20 – Boundaries + people pleasing: “If I don't enjoy it, why am I doing it?” 46:05 – New priorities at 30: athlete identity takes a back seat to business, family, and sanity 58:10 – Becca's message to women: it's never too late to start — and you're not going to get bulky (she's tried)Key takeawaysQuitting isn't weakness. Sometimes pulling out is the most elite decision you can make.“Not enjoying it” is data. If your body and brain are screaming, maybe stop calling it discipline and start calling it a warning light.Strength training isn't a “gym girl” hobby — it's basic life maintenance. Better mood, stronger bones, more confidence, more independence.Your brain can create pain before the lift even happens. Fear + previous injury = your nervous system pre-loading the panic.Learning to fail safely reduces fear fast. Confidence isn't “I'll never fail.” It's “I know what to do if I do.”Boundaries are built through regret (unfortunately). Becca's learning to say no before she burns herself into the ground.You're not too late. The only “too late” is waiting until life forces you to start. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CHANDLER & MONICA'S RELATIONSHIP HEATS UP AS ROSS GRIEVES & PHOEBE HAS TRIPLETS!! Friends Season 5 Full Episode Reaction Watch Along   / thereelrejects   Visit https://huel.com/rejects to get 15% off your order Gift Someone (Or Yourself) An RR Tee! https://shorturl.at/hekk2 After Season 4's harrowing "Take thee, Rachel" moment, Aaron & Johnald are BACK for their first installment of their Friends Season 5 Reaction, Recap, Commentary, & Review!! Aaron Alexander & John Humphrey react to Episodes 1–6 of FRIENDS Season 5, the immediate aftermath of the iconic London wedding cliffhanger and the beginning of one of the show's most beloved eras. These episodes kick off with big emotional fallout, escalating romantic tension, and a string of classic sitcom misunderstandings that push the group into hilarious new territory. This stretch includes Episode 1, “The One After Ross Says Rachel,” dealing with the shocking consequences of Ross's wedding mishap; Episode 2, “The One with All the Kissing,” where secrets ripple through the group; Episode 3, “The One Hundredth,” a milestone episode centered on Phoebe's labor; Episode 4, “The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS,” featuring quirky guest appearances and emotional bonding; Episode 5, “The One with the Kips,” which turns romantic tension into full-blown chaos; and Episode 6, “The One with the Yeti,” exploring jealousy, insecurity, and some very cold relationship moments. Iconic moments from these episodes include Ross facing the fallout of his wedding, Phoebe giving birth to triplets, the secret romance that begins to quietly change the group forever, and escalating jealousy that fuels some of the season's funniest and most heartfelt scenes. This run marks a tonal shift for FRIENDS, blending broader comedy with deeper long-term storytelling. Follow Aaron On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaaronalexander/?hl=en Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we wandered through a grab-bag of games, music, and reading before settling into a long-overdue cultural reckoning with This Is Spinal Tap. We talked Sonic games and cursed Sonic-sonas, gacha updates that somehow turn into cyberpunk motorbike fantasies, cheerful amnesia manga, extreme metal singles that absolutely rip, and a handful of games that ranged from surprisingly delightful to instantly forgettable. But the heart of the episode was finally sitting down with Spinal Tap itself—an enormously influential mockumentary that, forty years on, felt quieter, subtler, and stranger than its reputation. We landed somewhere between “mid” and “actually pretty good,” unpacking where it still works, where it shows its age, and why its legacy looms so much larger than the movie itself.  Episode NotesWhat We've Been IntoGamesEden dives into Sonic Forces, embracing the chaos of creating a cursed Sonic-sona (a dog with a grapple gun).A return to Wuthering Waves with the 3.0 update: underground cyberpunk cities, summonable motorcycles, and Sega crossover bike liveries.Peter spends real time with the Playdate handheld and unexpectedly loves Dig Dig Dino—dogs, dinosaurs, and eldritch horror.Mixed feelings on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: clunky combat, nonstop chatter, and controller prompts that can't decide what console they're on.Dispatch lands as enjoyable but oddly forgettable—pure popcorn gaming that evaporates once it's done.ReadingCheerful Amnesia delivers wholesome, funny yuri romance built on anime-logic memory loss.A shout-out to Adachi and Shimamura short stories, still reigning supreme.Peter continues through The Dark Forest, the second book in Remembrance of Earth's Past, digging into Wallfacers, Wallbreakers, and long-term cosmic dread.MusicNew doom EP from The Eternal—short, tight, and surprisingly restrained.Reliance by Soen: less adventurous, more consistent, and maybe better for it.Absolute hype for Archspire's new single “Limb of Leviticus”—blisteringly fast with just enough groove to breathe.Main Topic: This Is Spinal TapPrompted by renewed discussion of Rob Reiner and his legacy, we finally sat down with his directorial debut.Initial reaction: not nearly as laugh-out-loud funny as its reputation suggests.Over time, appreciation grew for:Its subtlety and deadpan delivery.The improvised dialogue paired with surprisingly tight plotting and long-payoff jokes.Iconic moments (“these go to eleven,” the cocoon stage prop, mysteriously exploding drummers).Nigel Tufnel emerges as the emotional and comedic core, hinting at the future of Christopher Guest's mockumentary career.We talked about how much of Spinal Tap's impact comes from being first—laying the groundwork for an entire genre that others would later perfect.Final verdict: historically essential, quietly funny, better on reflection than on first watch—and a reminder that movies used to trust audiences more.Big Picture TakeawaysCultural influence doesn't always match immediate enjoyment.Subtlety and restraint are skills we've mostly lost in modern filmmaking.Maybe we should make smaller, cheaper movies again—and let weird ideas breathe.

Charles may be King of England, but who is the King or Queen of royal fashion? How do Royals choose what they wear day-to-day?What is the most iconic Royal fashion moment ever?And just how influential was Princess Diana as a style icon?On Talking Royals this week, Charlene White is joined by Royal Editor Chris Ship, Royal Expert Lizzie Robinson, and Omi from fashion label Vin + Omi.The fashion brand has created pioneering fabrics and clothing from waste from the King's royal estate.He tells us how the King loved their work so much that he would send boxes of his weeds to them during lockdown!The panel shares their favourite royal fashion moments - from Charles in pink to Kate's stunning coronation dress, and of course Diana's 'athleisure' look.Meanwhile, as workers prepare Marsh Farm, the rumoured next home for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, when will he move out of Windsor and into Sandringham?On Thursday, the Prince of Wales traded in his suit for a flat cap and made his way to Herefordshire to raise awareness of rural mental health as patron of We Are Farming Minds.Plus, did you catch the Duchess of Edinburgh's personal essay in the Daily Telegraph?Sophie is royal patron of Plan International and wrote to mark and raise awareness of 1000 days of war in Sudan.

Even before he was “DJ Conner,” Michael Fishman was a working-class kid raised by, as he puts it, 'a farm girl from Virginia and an immigrant father'. That blue-collar pride still defines and inspires him today in the important work he's doing within the mental health space.In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Michael takes us back to the moment his life changed forever: the Roseanne audition. While dozens of kids were asked to tell a joke, he was the only one who actually did, and that single moment opened the door to one of television's most iconic families.Michael reflects on his relationship with Roseanne Barr as one rooted in mutual support, advocacy, and honesty. He opens up about the infamous National Anthem moment and the dark turning point that followed, when he (along with the entire cast) began receiving death threats, which unfortunately continue to this day. With tactical training and a sober understanding of celebrity risk, Michael explains why public life can feel like living under a magnifying glass and how quickly admiration can escalate into rage and danger.Michael describes himself as a “young witness” on a highly volatile set, inconspicuous because of his age, yet uniquely positioned to observe the power of a woman who was unafraid to say the hard thing, be a lightning rod, and push conversations forward long before it was fashionable to do so (stay 'til the end for a round of Roseanne 'Guest Star Roulette' where Michael fondly recalls a memorable appearances, by before-they-were-famous stars!)Today, Michael calls himself a “kindness assassin.” His brand is authenticity, no filters, no fake persona, no algorithm-chasing, and he has intentionally built online spaces where people can breathe, be vulnerable, share and heal in community away from the constant churn of politics and vitriol.He speaks candidly about navigating relationships with people whose views differ from his own, including Roseanne, and why he believes compassion does not require agreement. His message is simple but urgent: find commonality, keep loving the person, and remember that meaningful change often comes from those willing to absorb the lightning.From his child actor start to his director turn on the Roseanne reboot, to his life philosophies on trauma, mental health, and resilience, Michael leaves us with one powerful truth: You are not your scars. You get to define you.In current media -- Fritz: Danny Collins, recently added to Netflix libraryWeezy: Netflix original film, Jay KellyPath Points of Interest:Michael Fishman WikipediaMichael Fishman IMDBMichael Fishman TiktokMichael Fishman on InstagramMichael Fishman on FacebookThe Safe Space CollectiveMclusive Media Production CompanyDanny Collins Jay Kelly

It's 2026 and we're kicking off New Year, New You with zero delusion and a lot of honesty.  LaLa turned 40 on Christmas and officially became an adult. Her birthday gifts included panties, bras, cozy socks, mittens, and an emerald bracelet. Practical. Iconic.  Shawna? She got a meat tenderizer, a cheese grater, and an ongoing three-week now stomach situation. Doctors keep telling her to “just go to the ER,” which feels super helpful when they're just going to say to follow up with GI and she could leave with the flu, super flu, COVID, or pneumonia instead.  We get into milestone birthdays, questionable gifts, medical burnout, and why January makes everyone feel like they're already failing. From resolution culture versus real life to redefining success as sustainability, this episode is about lowering the bar, listening to your body, and surviving the new year without losing your mind.

What if the sixth album is where artists finally step into their truest selves? We kick off season six by chasing that idea across genres and decades, building a mix from Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Kendrick Lamar, Prince, Beyoncé, The Beatles, Jay-Z, John Mayer, The National, Michael Jackson, Foo Fighters, and A Tribe Called Quest. The pattern that emerges is hard to ignore: at album six, craft meets courage, and the results can be seismic.We start with contrasts—Radiohead's brooding There, There and the stark intimacy of Springsteen's Nebraska—spotlighting how restraint can be as bold as maximalism. Kendrick's TV Off punches at the attention economy while delivering meme-worthy flair; Prince's Purple Rain towers as a career-defining epic that still feels alive. We trace personal and cultural stakes in Beyoncé's Formation, then pivot to The Beatles' Michelle to show how Rubber Soul reshaped their sound with subtle, melodic confidence.The timeline gets playful when Jay-Z's '03 Bonnie & Clyde foreshadows what Lemonade would later complicate. We celebrate narrative craft in John Mayer's Walt Grace, sit with The National's vulnerable “45%er” admission, and marvel at Thriller's near-greatest-hits density anchored by Billie Jean. Foo Fighters' The Pretender turns sixth-album freedom into kinetic fuel, and A Tribe Called Quest's We the People closes with legacy, politics, and gratitude—proof that a final statement can still move the culture forward.https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/sam-2026-6th-album-mix/pl.u-1LX0auZaGX7V1. There, There - Radiohead2. Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen3. tv off - Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay4. Purple Rain - Prince5. Formation - Beyonce6. Michelle - The Beatles7. '03 Bonnie & Clyde - Jay-Z featuring Beyonce8. Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967 - John Mayer9. I Need My Girl - The National10. Thriller - Michael Jackson11. The Pretender - Foo Fighters12. We The People.... - A Tribe Called Quest Support the showVisit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

“Living for the STREEP” Series: We are here to celebrate the career of Mary Louise Streep….now known to most as Meryl Streep who has become widely known by critics, film-lovers, and audiences as likely our GREATEST LIVING ACTRESS.  Ever since her earlier breakout roles in the late 1970's in films such as The Deer Hunter, and Kramer Vs. Kramer, she has carved out a filmography filled with brilliant performances in memorable films spanning a variety of genres including biopics, thrillers, family dramas, AND comedies.  During this time, she has also earned a STAGGERING TWENTY-ONE Oscar nominations including THREE wins.  Over the next several months, I will be revisiting one notable Streep film each month – each highlighting a different type of performance – culminating with the May 1 release of the long-awaited sequel featuring one of her more ICONIC roles as Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada 2.The late, great Oscar-winning filmmaker Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Silkwood, Working Girl) directed this biting comedic drama about Diane, an actress Diane (Meryl Streep) struggling with drug addication and her complicated relationship with her mother (Shirley MacClaine) who was also a famous performer.  Also written by the late, great Carrie Fisher (Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally) who was adapting her own semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, this story delves mostly into Diane's frought (and often comedic) misadventures following her recent treatment at a drug clinic including her on-set struggles, her romantic life, and her attempts to carve out a new career for herself.  This quotable gem featured a stacked supporting cast including Dennis Quaid, Annette Bening, Oliver Platt, Richard Dreyfuss, and the late, great Gene Hackman. Host: Geoff GershonEdited By Ella GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us a textSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

Trash Tuesday LIVE! January 28th at the Comedy Store. Tickets on sale now! https://www.showclix.com/event/trash-tuesday-2026-january Andrea Jin and Rudy Jules are here in the New Year. We dive into childhood trauma, Andrea getting passed at The Comedy Store, Filipino funerals, and brand-new Titanic intel you definitely weren’t taught in school. Plus, we test our sanity in our very first Trash Tuesday game of Guess Who featuring some ICONIC characters. BTS, BONUS CONTENT AND MORE! Only on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TrashTuesdayPodcast Thank you to out sponsors: Thank you Better Help! www.BetterHelp.com/TRASHTUESDAY Thank you bilt! www.joinbilt.com/TRASHTUESDAY Thank you Hers! www.forhers.com/TRASHTUESDAY *Listen to Esther's New Solo Pod!* https://www.esthersgrouptherapy.substack.com *Visit Ebb Ocean Club & Holiday Shop* https://www.ebboceanclub.com/ for Khalyla’s reef safe and biodegradable hair products! FOLLOW TRASH ON SOCIALS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itstrashtuesday Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itstrashtuesday MORE ESTHER:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@esthermonster Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esthermonster/ MORE KHALYLA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khalamityk/ Tigerbelly Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCIyIoM_Nd8HtY19fuR_ov2A PRODUCTION:Studio Ten42: https://www.instagram.com/studioten42/ Guy Robinson: https://www.instagram.com/grobfps/ Arielle Jade (Editor): https://www.instagram.com/jade.rabbit.cce/ Elisa Hernandez Kohler: https://www.instagram.com/ellie.lianna/ Megan Clements: https://www.instagram.com/egggymeg/

How can you build iconic characters that your readers want to keep coming back to? How can you be the kind of creator that readers trust, even without social media? With Claire Taylor In the intro, Dan Brown talks writing and publishing [Tetragrammaton]; Design Rules That Make or Break a Book [Self-Publishing Advice]; Amazon's DRM change [Kindlepreneur]; Show me the money [Rachael Herron]; AI bible translation [Wycliffe, Pope Leo tweet]. Plus, Business for Authors 24 Jan webinar, and Bones of the Deep. Today's show is sponsored by Bookfunnel, the essential tool for your author business. Whether it's delivering your reader magnet, sending out advanced copies of your book, handing out ebooks at a conference, or fulfilling your digital sales to readers, BookFunnel does it all. Check it out at bookfunnel.com/thecreativepenn This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Claire Taylor is a humour and mystery author, the owner of FFS Media, and a certified Enneagram coach. She teaches authors to write stronger stories and build sustainable careers at LiberatedWriter.com, and her book is Write Iconic Characters: Unlocking the Core Motivations that Fuel Unforgettable Stories. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why Claire left social media and how she still markets her books and services What the Enneagram is and how core fears and desires shape character motivation Using Enneagram types (including Wednesday Addams as an example) to write iconic characters Creating rich conflict and relationships by pairing different Enneagram types on the page Coping with rapid change, AI, and fear in the author community in 2026 Building a trustworthy, human author brand through honesty, transparency, and vulnerability You can find Claire at LiberatedWriter.com, FFS.media, or on Substack as The Liberated Writer. Transcript of the interview with Claire Taylor Joanna: Claire Taylor is a humour and mystery author, the owner of FFS Media, and a certified Enneagram coach. She teaches authors to write stronger stories and build sustainable careers at LiberatedWriter.com, and her book is Write Iconic Characters: Unlocking the Core Motivations that Fuel Unforgettable Stories. So, welcome back to the show, Claire. Claire: Thank you so much for having me back. I'm excited to be here. Joanna: It's great to have you back on the show. It was March 2024 when you were last on, so almost two years now as this goes out. Give us a bit of an update. How has your writing craft and your author business changed in that time? Claire: One of the things I've been focusing on with my own fiction craft is deconstructing the rules of how a story “should” be. That's been a sort of hobby focus of mine. All the story structure books aren't law, right? That's why there are so many of them. They're all suggestions, frameworks. They're all trying to quantify humans' innate ability to understand a story. So I'm trying to remember more that I already know what a story is, deep down. My job as an author is to keep the reader's attention from start to finish and leave them feeling the way I hope they'll feel at the end. That's been my focus on the craft side. On the author business side, I've made some big shifts. I left social media earlier this year, and I've been looking more towards one-on-one coaching and networking. I did a craft-based Kickstarter, and I'd been focusing a lot on “career, career, career”—very business-minded—and now I'm creating more content again, especially around using the Enneagram for writing craft. So there's been a lot of transition since 2024 for me. Joanna: I think it's so important—and obviously we're going to get into your book in more detail—but I do think it's important for people to hear about our pivots and transitions. I haven't spoken to you for a while, but I actually started a master's degree a few months back. I'm doing a full-time master's alongside everything else I do. So I've kind of put down book writing for the moment, and I'm doing essay writing and academic writing instead. It's quite different, as you can imagine. It sounds like what you're doing is different too. One thing I know will have perked up people's ears is: “I left social media.” Tell us a bit more about that. Claire: This was a move that I could feel coming for a while. I didn't like what social media did to my attention. Even when I wasn't on it, there was almost a hangover from having been on it. My attention didn't feel as sharp and focused as it used to be, back before social media became what it is now. So I started asking myself some questions: What is lost if I leave? What is gained if I leave? And what is social media actually doing for me today? Because sometimes we hold on to what it used to do for us, and we keep trying to squeeze more and more of that out of it. But it has changed so much. There are almost no places with sufficient organic reach anymore. It's all pay-to-play, and the cost of pay-to-play keeps going up. I looked at the numbers for my business. My Kickstarter was a great place to analyse that because they track so many traffic sources so clearly. I could see exactly how much I was getting from social media when I advertised and promoted my projects there. Then I asked: can I let that go in order to get my attention back and make my life feel more settled? And I decided: yes, I can. That's worth more to me. Joanna: There are some things money can't buy. Sometimes it really isn't about the money. I like your question: what is lost and what is gained? You also said it's all pay-to-play and there's no organic reach. I do think there is some organic reach for some people who don't pay, but those people are very good at playing the game of whatever the platform wants. So, TikTok for example—you might not have to pay money yet, but you do have to play their game. You have to pay with your time instead of money. I agree with you. I don't think there's anywhere you can literally just post something and know it will reliably reach the people who follow you. Claire: Right. Exactly. TikTok currently, if you really play the game, will sometimes “pick” you, right? But that “pick me” energy is not really my jam. And we can see the trend—this “organic” thing doesn't last. It's organic for now. You can play the game for now, but TikTok would be crazy not to change things so they make more money. So eventually everything becomes pay-to-play. TikTok is fun, but for me it's addictive. I took it off my phone years ago because I would do the infinite scroll. There's so much candy there. Then I'd wake up the next morning and notice my mood just wasn't where I wanted it to be. My energy was low. I really saw a correlation between how much I scrolled and how flat I felt afterwards. So I realised: I'm not the person to pay-to-play or to play the game here. I'm not even convinced that the pay-to-play on certain social media networks is being tracked in a reliable, accountable way anymore. Who is holding them accountable for those numbers? You can sort of see correlation in your sales, but still, I just became more and more sceptical. In the end, it just wasn't for me. My life is so much better on a daily basis without it. That's definitely a decision I have not regretted for a second. Joanna: I'm sorry to keep on about this, but I think this is great because this is going out in January 2026, and there will be lots of people examining their relationship with social media. It's one of those things we all examine every year, pretty much. The other thing I'd add is that you are a very self-aware person. You spend a lot of time thinking about these things and noticing your own behaviour and energy. Stopping and thinking is such an important part of it. But let's tackle the big question: one of the reasons people don't want to come off social media is that they're afraid they don't know how else to market. How are you marketing if you're not using social media? Claire: I didn't leave social media overnight. Over time, I've been adjusting and transitioning, preparing my business and myself mentally and emotionally for probably about a year. I still market to my email list. That has always been important to my business. I've also started a Substack that fits how my brain works. Substack is interesting. Some people might consider it a form of social media—it has that new reading feed—but it feels much more like blogging to me. It's blogging where you can be discovered, which is lovely. I've been doing more long-form content there. You get access to all the emails of your subscribers, which is crucial to me. I don't want to build on something I can't take with me. So I've been doing more long-form content, and that seems to keep my core audience with me. I've got plenty of people subscribed; people continue to come back, work with me, and tell their friends. Word of mouth has always been the way my business markets best, because it's hard to describe the benefits of what I do in a quick, catchy way. It needs context. So I'm leaning even more on that. Then I'm also shifting my fiction book selling more local. Joanna: In person? Claire: Yes. In person and local. Networking and just telling more people that I'm an author. Connecting more deeply with my existing email lists and communities and selling that way. Joanna: I think at the end of the day it does come back to the email list. I think this is one of the benefits of selling direct to people through Shopify or Payhip or whatever, or locally, because you can build your email list. Every person you bring into your own ecosystem, you get their data and you can stay in touch. Whereas all the things we did for years to get people to go to Amazon, we didn't get their emails and details. It's so interesting where we are right now in the author business. Okay, we'll come back to some of these things, but let's get into the book and what you do. Obviously what underpins the book is the Enneagram. Just remind us what the Enneagram is, why you incorporate it into so much of your work, and why you find it resonates so much. Claire: The Enneagram is a framework that describes patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions that tend to arise from nine different core motivations. Those core motivations are made up of a fear–desire pair. So, for instance, there's the fear of lacking worth and the desire to be worthy. That pair is the Type Three core motivation. If you're a Type Three, sometimes called “The Achiever,” that's your fundamental driver. What we fear and desire above all the other fears and desires determines where our attention goes. And attention is something authors benefit greatly from understanding. We have to keep people's attention, so we want to understand our own attention and how to cultivate it. The things our attention goes to build our understanding of ourselves and the world. Being intentional about that, and paying attention to what your characters pay attention to—and what your readers are paying attention to—is hugely beneficial. It can give you a real leg up. That's why I focus on the Enneagram. I find it very useful at that core level. You can build a lot of other things on top of it with your characters: their backstory, personal histories, little quirks—all of that can be built off the Enneagram foundation. Why I like the Enneagram more than other frameworks like MBTI or the Big Five is that it not only shows us how our fears are confining us—that's really what it's charting—but it also shows us a path towards liberation from those fears. That's where the Enneagram really shines: the growth path, the freedom from the confines of our own personality. It offers that to anyone who wants to study and discover it. A lot of the authors I work with say things like, “I'm just so sick of my own stuff.” And I get it. We all get sick of running into the same patterns over and over again. We can get sick of our personality! The Enneagram is a really good tool for figuring out what's going on and how to try something new, because often we can't even see that there are other options. We have this particular lens we're looking through. That's why I like to play with it, and why I find it so useful. Joanna: That's really interesting. It sounds like you have a lot of mature authors—and when I say “mature,” I mean authors with a lot of books under their belt, not necessarily age. There are different problems at different stages of the author career, and the problem you just described—“I'm getting sick of my stuff”—sounds like a mature author issue. What are some of the other issues you see in the community that are quite common amongst indie authors? Claire: One that comes up a lot, especially early on, is: “Am I doing this right?” That's a big question. People say, “I don't know if I'm doing this right. I'm going to mess it up. This person told me this was the way to do things, but I don't think I can do it this way. Am I doomed?” That's the fear. A lot of what I help people with is seeing that there isn't a single “right” way to do this. There's a way that's going to feel more aligned to you, and there are millions of ways to approach an author career because we're all constructing it as we go. You were there in the early days. We were all just making this up as we went along. Joanna: Exactly. There was a time when ebooks were PDFs, there wasn't even a Kindle, and there was no iPhone. We were literally just making it up. Claire: Right. Exactly. That spirit of “we're all making it up” is important. Some of us have come up with frameworks that work for us, and then we tell other people about them—“Here's a process; try this process”—but that doesn't mean it's the process. Understanding what motivates you—those core motivations—helps you see where you're going to bump into advice that's not right for you, and how to start making decisions that fit your attention, your life, your desires in this author role. Early on we do a lot of that work. Then there are the authors who started a while ago and have a bunch of books. They hit a point where they say, “I've changed so much since I started writing. I need to figure out how to adjust my career.” Joanna: Tell us more about that, because I think that's you and me. How do we deal with that? Claire: Well, crying helps. Joanna: That is true! There's always a bit of crying involved in reinvention. From my perspective, my brand has always been built around me. People are still here—I know some people listening who have been with the podcast since I started it in 2009—and I've always been me. Even though I've done loads of different things and changed along the way, at heart I'm still me. I'm really glad I built a personal brand around who I am, rather than around one genre or a single topic. How about you? How do you see it? Claire: I'm the same. I just can't stick with something that doesn't feel right for me anymore. I'll start to rebel against it. There's also that “good girl” part of me that wants to do things the way they're supposed to be done and keep everybody happy. I have to keep an eye on her, because she'll default to “this is the way it should be done,” and then I end up constricted. As we advance through our careers, positioning around what motivates us and what we love, and allowing ourselves to understand that it's okay to change—even though it's painful—is crucial. It's actually destructive not to change over time. We end up forfeiting so many things that make life worth living if we don't allow ourselves to grow and change. We end up in this tiny box. People sometimes say the Enneagram is very restrictive. “It's only nine types, you're putting me in a box.” It's like: no. These are the boxes we've put ourselves in. Then we use the Enneagram to figure out how to get out of the box. As we start to see the box we've put ourselves in with our personality—“that's me, that's not me”—we realise how much movement we actually have, how many options we have, while still being ourselves. Joanna: So many options. This kind of brings us into your book, because part of the personal brand thing is being real and having different facets. Your book is Write Iconic Characters, and presumably these are characters that people want to read more about. It uses the Enneagram to construct these better characters. So first up— What's your definition of an iconic character, as opposed to any old character? And how can we use the Enneagram to construct one? Claire: An iconic character, in my imagination, is one that really sticks with us after we've finished the story. They become a reference point. We'll say, “This person is kind of like that character,” or “This situation feels like that character would handle it this way.” It could be our friends, our enemies, someone we meet on the bus—whoever it is might remind us of this character. So they really get lodged in our psyche. An iconic character feels true to some fundamental part of the human condition, even if they're not strictly human. So, all the alien romance people listening, don't worry—you're still in! These characters take on a life of their own. With an iconic character, we may hear them talking to us after the book is done, because we've tapped into that essential part of them. They can become almost archetypal—something we go back to over and over again in our minds, both as writers and as readers. Joanna: How can we use the Enneagram to construct an iconic character? I'm asking this as a discovery writer who struggles to construct anything beforehand. It's more that I write stuff and then something emerges. But I have definitely not had a hit series with an iconic character, so I'm willing to give your approach a try. Claire: It works with whatever your process is. If you're a discovery writer, start with that spark of a character in your head. If there's a character who's just a glimmer—maybe you know a few things about them—just keep writing. At some point you'll probably recognise, “Okay, it's time to go deeper in understanding this character and create a cohesive thread to pull all of this together.” That's where the Enneagram becomes useful. You can put on your armchair psychologist hat and ask: which of the nine core fears seems like it might be driving the parts of their personality that are emerging? Thankfully, we intuitively recognise the nine types. When we start gathering bits for a new character, we tend to pull from essentially the same constellation of personality, even if we don't realise it. For instance, you might say, “This character is bold and adventurous,” and that's all you know. You're probably not going to also add, “and they're incredibly shy,” because “bold and adventurous” plus “incredibly shy” doesn't really fit our intuitive understanding of people. We know that instinctively. So, you've got “bold and adventurous.” You write that to a certain point, and then you get to a place where you think, “I don't really know them deeply.” That's when you can go back to the nine core fears and start ruling some out quite quickly. In the book, I have descriptions for each of them. You can read the character descriptions, read about the motivations, and start to say, “It's definitely not these five types. I can rule those out.” If they're bold and adventurous, maybe the core fear is being trapped in deprivation and pain, or being harmed and controlled. Those correspond to Type Seven (“The Enthusiast”) and Type Eight (“The Challenger”), respectively. So you might say, “Okay, maybe they're a Seven or an Eight.” From there, if you can pin down a type, you can read more about it and get ideas. You can understand the next big decision point. If they're a Type Seven, what's going to motivate them? They'll do whatever keeps them from being trapped in pain and deprivation, and they'll be seeking satisfaction or new experiences in some way, because that's the core desire that goes with that fear. So now, you're asking: “How do I get them to get on the spaceship and leave Earth?” Well, you could offer them some adventure, because they're bold and adventurous. I have a character who's a Seven, and she gets on a spaceship and takes off because her boyfriend just proposed—and the idea of being trapped in marriage feels like: “Nope. Whatever is on this spaceship, I'm out of here.” You can play with that once you identify a type. You can go as deep with that type as you want, or you can just work with the core fear and the basic desire. There's no “better or worse”—it's whatever you feel comfortable with and whatever you need for the story. Joanna: In the book, you go into all the Enneagram types in detail, but you also have a specific example: Wednesday Addams. She's one of my favourites. People listening have either seen the current series or they have something in mind from the old-school Addams Family. Can you talk about [Wednesday Addams] as an example? Claire: Doing those deep dives was some of the most fun research for this book. I told my husband, John, “Don't bother me. I need to sit and binge-watch Wednesday again—with my notebook this time.” Online, people were guessing: “Oh, she's maybe this type, maybe that type.” As soon as I started watching properly with the Enneagram in mind, I thought: “Oh, this is a Type Eight, this is the Challenger.” One of the first things we hear from her is that she considers emotions to be weakness. Immediately, you can cross out a bunch of types from that. When we're looking at weak/strong language—that lens of “strength” versus “weakness”—we tend to look towards Eights, because they often sort the world in those terms. They're concerned about being harmed or controlled, so they feel they need to be strong and powerful. That gave me a strong hint in that direction. If we look at the inciting incident—which is a great place to identify what really triggers a character, because it has to be powerful enough to launch the story—Wednesday finds her little brother Pugsley stuffed in a locker. She says, “Who did this?” because she believes she's the only one who gets to bully him. That's a very stereotypical Type Eight thing. The unhealthy Eight can dip into being a bit of a bully because they're focused on power and power dynamics. But the Eight also says, “These are my people. I protect them. If you're one of my people, you're under my protection.” So there's that protection/control paradox. Then she goes and—spoiler—throws a bag of piranhas into the pool to attack the boys who hurt him. That's like: okay, this is probably an Eight. Then she has control wrested from her when she's sent to the new school. That's a big trigger for an Eight: to not have autonomy, to not have control. She acts out pretty much immediately, tries to push people away, and establishes dominance. One of the first things she does is challenge the popular girl to a fencing match. That's very Eight behaviour: “I'm going to go in, figure out where I sit in this power structure, and try to get into a position of power straight away.” That's how the story starts, and in the book I go into a lot more analysis. At one point she's attacked by this mysterious thing and is narrowly saved from a monster. Her reaction afterwards is: “I would have rather saved myself.” That's another strong Eight moment. The Eight does not like to be saved by anyone else. It's: “No, I wanted to be strong enough to do that.” Her story arc is also very Eight-flavoured: she starts off walled-off, “I can do it myself,” which can sometimes look like the self-sufficiency of the Five, but for her it's about always being in a power position and in control of herself. She has to learn to rely more on other people if she wants to protect the people she cares about. Protecting the innocent and protecting “her people” is a big priority for the Eight. Joanna: Let's say we've identified our main character and protagonist. One of the important things in any book, especially in a series, is conflict—both internal and external. Can we use the Enneagram to work out what would be the best other character, or characters, to give us more conflict? Claire: The character dynamics are complex, and all types are going to have both commonalities and conflict between them. That works really well for fiction. But depending on how much conflict you need, there are certain type pairings that are especially good for it. If you have a protagonist who's an Eight, they're going to generate conflict everywhere because it doesn't really bother them. They're okay wading into conflict. If you ask an Eight, “Do you like conflict?” they'll often say, “Well, sometimes it's not great,” but to everyone else it looks like they come in like a wrecking ball. The Eight tends to go for what they want. They don't see the point in waiting. They think, “I want it, I'm going to go and get it.” That makes them feel strong and powerful. So it's easy to create external and internal conflict with an Eight and other types. But the nature of the conflict is going to be different depending on who you pair them with. Let's say you have this Eight and you pair them with a Type One, “The Reformer,” whose core fear is being bad or corrupt, and who wants to be good and have integrity. The Reformer wants morality. They can get a little preachy; they can become a bit of a zealot when they're more unhealthy. A One and an Eight will have a very particular kind of conflict because the One says, “Let's do what's right,” and the Eight says, “Let's do what gets me what I want and puts me in the power position.” They may absolutely get along if they're taking on injustice. Ones and Eights will team up if they both see the same thing as unjust. They'll both take it on together. But then they may reach a point in the story where the choice is between doing the thing that is “right”—maybe self-sacrificing or moral—versus doing the thing that will exact retribution or secure a power-up. That's where the conflict between a One and an Eight shows up. You can grab any two types and they'll have unique conflict. I'm actually working on a project on Kickstarter that's all about character dynamics and relationships—Write Iconic Relationships is the next project—and I go deeper into this there. Joanna: I was wondering about that, because I did a day-thing recently with colour palettes and interior design—which is not usually my thing—so I was really challenging myself. We did this colour wheel, and they were talking about how the opposite colour on the wheel is the one that goes with it in an interesting way. I thought— Maybe there's something in the Enneagram where it's like a wheel, and the type opposite is the one that clashes or fits in a certain way. Is that a thing? Claire: There is a lot of that kind of contrast. The Enneagram is usually depicted in a circle, one through nine, and there are strong contrasts between types that are right next to each other, as well as interesting lines that connect them. For example, we've been talking about the Eight, and right next to Eight is Nine, “The Peacemaker.” Eights and Nines can look like opposites in certain ways. The Nine is conflict-avoidant, and the Eight tends to think you get what you want by pushing into conflict if necessary. Then you've got Four, “The Individualist,” which is very emotional, artistic, heart-centred, and Five, “The Investigator,” which you're familiar with—very head-centred and analytical, thinking-based. The Four and the Five can clash a bit: the head and the heart. So, yes, there are interesting contrasts right next to each other on the wheel. Each type also has its own conflict style. We're going into the weeds a bit here, but it's fascinating to play with. There's one conflict style—the avoidant conflict style, sometimes called the “positive outlook” group—and it's actually hard to get those types into an enemies-to-lovers romance because they don't really want to be enemies. That's Types Two, Seven, and Nine. So depending on the trope you're writing, some type pairings are more frictional than others. There are all these different dynamics you can explore, and I can't wait to dig into them more for everyone in the relationships book. Joanna: The Enneagram is just one of many tools people can use to figure out themselves as well as their characters. Maybe that's something people want to look at this year. You've got this book, you've got other resources that go into it, and there's also a lot of information out there if people want to explore it more deeply. Let's pull back out to the bigger picture, because as this goes out in January 2026, I think there is a real fear of change in the community right now. Is that something you've seen? What are your thoughts for authors on how they can navigate the year ahead? Claire: Yes, there has been a lot of fear. The rate of change of things online has felt very rapid. The rate of change in the broader world—politically, socially—has also felt scary to a lot of people. It can be really helpful to look at your own personal life and anchor yourself in what hasn't changed and what feels universal. From there you can start to say, “Okay, I can do this. I'm safe enough to be creative. I can find creative ways to work within this new environment.” You can choose to engage with AI. You can choose to opt out. It's totally your choice, and there is no inherent virtue in either one. I think that's important to say. Sometimes people who are anti-AI—not just uninterested but actively antagonistic—go after people who like it. And sometimes people who like AI can be antagonistic towards people who don't want to use it. But actually, you get to choose what you're comfortable with. One of the things I see emerging for authors in 2026, regardless of what tools you're using or how you feel about them, is this question of trustworthiness. I think there's a big need for that. With the increased number of images and videos that are AI-generated—which a lot of people who've been on the internet for a while can still recognise as AI and say, “Yeah, that's AI”—but that may not be obvious for long. Right now some of us can tell, but a lot of people can't, and that's only going to get murkier. There's a rising mistrust of our own senses online lately. We're starting to wonder, “Can I believe what I'm seeing and hearing?” And I think that sense of mistrust will increase. As an author in that environment, it's really worth focusing on: how do I build trust with my readers? That doesn't mean you never use AI. It might simply mean you disclose, to whatever extent feels right for you, how you use it. There are things like authenticity, honesty, vulnerability, humility, integrity, transparency, reliability—all of those are ingredients in this recipe of trustworthiness that we need to look at for ourselves. If there's one piece of hard inner work authors can do for 2026, I think it's asking: “Where have I not been trustworthy to my readers?” Then taking that hard, sometimes painful look at what comes up, and asking how you can adjust. What do you need to change? What new practices do you need to create that will increase trustworthiness? I really think that's the thing that's starting to erode online. If you can work on it now, you can hold onto your readers through whatever comes next. Joanna: What's one concrete thing people could do in that direction [to increase trustworthiness]? Claire: I would say disclosing if you use AI is a really good start—or at least disclosing how you use it specifically. I know that can lead to drama when you do it because people have strong opinions, but trustworthiness comes at the cost of courage and honesty. Transparency is another ingredient we could all use more of. If transparency around AI is a hard “absolutely not” for you—if you're thinking, “Nope, Claire, you can get lost with that”—then authenticity is another route. Let your messy self be visible, because people still want some human in the mix. Being authentically messy and vulnerable with your audience helps. If you can't be reliable and put the book out on time, at least share what's going on in your life. Staying connected in that way builds trust. Readers will think, “Okay, I see why you didn't hit that deadline.” But if you're always promising books—“It's going to be out on this day,” and then, “Oh, I had to push it back,” and that happens again and again—that does erode the trustworthiness of your brand. So, looking at those things and asking, “How am I cultivating trust, and how am I breaking it?” is hard work. There are definitely ways I look at my own business and think, “That's not a very trustworthy thing I'm doing.” Then I need to sit down, get real with myself, and see how I can improve that. Joanna: Always improving is good. Coming back to the personal brand piece, and to being vulnerable and putting ourselves out there: you and I have both got used to that over years of doing it and practising. There are people listening who have never put their photo online, or their voice online, or done a video. They might not use their photo on the back of their book or on their website. They might use an avatar. They might use a pen name. They might be afraid of having anything about themselves online. That's where I think there is a concern, because as much as I love a lot of the AI stuff, I don't love the idea of everything being hidden behind anonymous pen names and faceless brands. As you said, being vulnerable in some way and being recognisably human really matters. I'd say: double down on being human. I think that's really important. Do you have any words of courage for people who feel, “I just can't. I don't want to put myself out there”? Claire: There are definitely legitimate reasons some people wouldn't want to be visible. There are safety reasons, cultural reasons, family reasons—all sorts of factors. There are also a lot of authors who simply haven't practised the muscle of vulnerability. You build that muscle a little bit at a time. It does open you up to criticism, and some people are just not at a phase of life where they can cope with that. That's okay. If fear is the main reason—if you're hiding because you're scared of being judged—I do encourage you to step out, gently. This may be my personal soapbox, but I don't think life is meant to be spent hiding. Things may happen. Not everyone will like you. That's part of being alive. When you invite in hiding, it doesn't just stay in one corner. That constricted feeling tends to spread into other areas of your life. A lot of the time, people I work with don't want to disclose their pen names because they're worried their parents won't approve, and then we have to unpack that. You don't have to do what your parents want you to do. You're an adult now, right? If the issue is, “They'll cut me out of the will,” we can talk about that too. That's a deeper, more practical conversation. But if it's just that they won't approve, you have more freedom than you think. You also don't have to plaster your picture everywhere. Even if you're not comfortable showing your face, you can still communicate who you are and what matters to you in other ways—through your stories, through your email list, through how you talk to readers. Let your authentic self be expressed in some way. It's scary, but the reward is freedom. Joanna: Absolutely. Lots to explore in 2026. Tell people where they can find you and your books and everything you do online. Claire: LiberatedWriter.com is where all of my stuff lives, except my fiction, which I don't think people here are necessarily as interested in. If you do want to find my fiction, FFS Media is where that lives. Then I'm on Substack as well. I write long pieces there. If you want to subscribe, it's The Liberated Writer on Substack. Joanna: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Claire. That was great. Claire: Thanks so much for having me.The post Leaving Social Media, Writing Iconic Characters, and Building Trust With Claire Taylor first appeared on The Creative Penn.

In the final hour, Leila Rahimi, Marshall Harris and Mark Grote were joined by Dan Wiederer of The Athletic to break down the Bears' thrilling 31-27 win against the rival Packers on Saturday in the wild-card round. Later, Rahimi, Harris and Grote fired up the Meatball Machine to hear reaction from Score listeners during and after the Bears' comeback victory against the Packers.

Leila Rahimi, Marshall Harris and Mark Grote were joined by Dan Wiederer of The Athletic to break down the Bears' thrilling 31-27 win against the rival Packers on Saturday in the wild-card round.