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Michael Smith—Managing Partner and Founder, Emerald Advisors Michael Smith shares how a client-first philosophy, niche specialization, and independence helped Emerald Advisors grow from $385mm to more than $1B in assets. In Summary What happens when an advisor builds a business around client service rather than operational efficiency? Jason Diamond speaks with Michael Smith, Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, about the path from a successful Merrill practice to an independent RIA that has grown from approximately $385mm to more than $1B in assets. Along the way, Michael shares the story of being told he was “overservicing” clients, why that moment became a catalyst for independence, and how a highly specialized service model fueled the firm's growth. Drawing on lessons from a 24-year Navy career, Michael offers a perspective on leadership, specialization, client care, and what it takes to build a durable business in today's wealth management landscape. The Storyline Growth is often viewed as the result of marketing, referrals, acquisitions, or scale. Michael Smith sees it differently. After building a successful practice at Merrill, Michael found himself at odds with the constraints of the traditional wirehouse model. What ultimately stood out wasn't compensation, technology, or platform capabilities. It was a philosophical difference around client service. When he was told he was spending too much time helping clients navigate tax planning, equity compensation, and other financial decisions outside the traditional scope of investment management, he began to question whether the model aligned with the way he wanted to serve families. That realization eventually led him to launch Emerald Advisors in late 2019. The firm started with roughly 85 clients and approximately $385mm in assets. Today, Emerald serves more than 225 families and oversees more than $1B in assets. Throughout the conversation, Michael reflects on the lessons learned from building an independent firm, developing a niche around concentrated stock positions and executive compensation, navigating custodial and technology decisions, and creating a culture rooted in accountability and service. Underlying it all is a simple belief: when firms become highly intentional about who they serve and how they serve them, growth often becomes the outcome rather than the objective. Topics Covered Merrill breakaways and independence Client service as a growth driver Building an RIA RIA growth and scalability Organic growth strategies Concentrated stock positions and equity compensation planning Ideal client personas and niche specialization Schwab and Fidelity custody relationships Advisor succession and enterprise value Navy leadership principles in wealth management The rise of mega RIAs Advisor technology and infrastructure > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why did being accused of “overservicing” clients become a turning point? (08:15)Michael explains how a conversation with management revealed a deeper misalignment between his client-service philosophy and the wirehouse model. What does client service look like beyond portfolio management? (11:30)The discussion explores how tax planning, equity compensation guidance, and proactive coordination can deepen client relationships. Why can specialization accelerate growth? (15:45)Michael shares why serving a defined niche often creates stronger referrals, greater expertise, and clearer positioning. How has the RIA landscape evolved since 2019? (20:30)Michael reflects on the rise of mega RIAs, changing technology capabilities, and why he believes independent firms still have significant advantages. What role do custodians really play in an independent business? (23:15)Michael discusses his experience working with Schwab and Fidelity and why he views custodians as strategic partners rather than competitors. Is the wirehouse model still the right fit for some advisors? (26:45)The conversation challenges the assumption that independence is the best path for everyone and explores the realities of running a business. Does reaching $1 billion in assets actually change anything? (32:45)Michael offers a practical perspective on growth, success, and why asset milestones can be misleading. What can advisors learn from the “steamboat” philosophy? (37:15)Drawing on his Navy experience, Michael shares a leadership framework that continues to shape how he approaches business building and decision-making. Key Takeaways Exceptional client service can become a meaningful competitive advantage when it extends beyond investment management. Independence gave Michael the flexibility to build a service model that aligned with his philosophy rather than adapting his philosophy to fit the platform. Developing a niche around executive compensation and concentrated stock positions helped accelerate Emerald's growth. The ability to make technology, custodial, and operational decisions quickly remains a significant advantage for independent firms. Not every advisor should be independent. Running a business requires a different set of skills and responsibilities than serving clients alone. Growth milestones are useful, but they do not define success. Michael believes success existed long before Emerald reached $1 billion in assets. High-performing teams with a clear client focus often find that growth becomes a natural byproduct of execution. https://youtu.be/RjzsMcC2DnY Quotable Moments “I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing.” “Servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today.” “If you serve a niche and you're very good at that niche, that word gets around.” “Growth becomes the outcome.” FAQs Can an advisor really “over-service” clients? The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Does specialization still matter in a relationship business? Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. What actually changes when an advisor becomes independent? Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. Is full independence the right path for every advisor? No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. How should advisors think about the $1 billion milestone? Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. What role does an ideal client persona play in growth? Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. How can advisors balance growth with client service? One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. Related Resources The Transitioning Advisor's Lament: Things I Wish I Knew Before Freedom vs. Familiarity: Is it Worth Disrupting Comfort for Something That Might Be Better? IBD vs. RIA Revisited: Two Independent Pathways for Advisors to Consider Advisor Transition Report 2026 Guest Bio Michael Smith, CPWA® is the Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, an independent wealth management firm overseeing more than $1 billion in assets for affluent families, executives, and business owners with complex planning needs. Mike entered the wealth management industry in 2005 after a distinguished 24-year career in the United States Navy, where he served both as an enlisted sailor in the Submarine Force and later as a Limited Duty Officer aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and on major staffs around the world. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and an MBA with dual emphases in Finance & Accounting and International Business. Throughout his career, Mike has been known for his commitment to comprehensive planning, helping clients navigate complex issues involving concentrated stock positions, executive compensation, tax strategy, estate planning, philanthropy, and multi-generational wealth transfer. His client-first approach and passion for education have helped Emerald Advisors grow from a startup firm in 2019 to a nationally recognized RIA serving more than 225 families. Outside of the office, Mike is an avid ultrarunner, golfer, lifelong learner, and dedicated advocate for children’s health initiatives. He is a current member of the Legacy Council at Seattle Children’s Hospital and has served in leadership and board roles supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, the ALS Association, and the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center. He is also the proud father of Kat Smith. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think a team needs to have a specialization to be competitive these days or do you think it’s okay just to be like, “My job is to be the best advisor and I want to service assets wherever those assets may come from?” Michael Smith: Another great observation. I’m going to address the niche first and foremost. I think, and I talked to R.J. Shook’s staff just recently, and having a niche gives you a specialization and it also accelerates your growth factor. If you serve a niche and you’re very good at that niche, then that word gets around. If you’re a jack of all trades, you can do lots of things but I don’t think you’re focused and you’re not hitting the right numbers that I like to see. And I think that would be my theme is the niche allows you to focus on a very specific type of ideal client, that’s a Schwab thing where you have an ideal client persona and our firm has an ideal client persona. As far as having the equity comp, I absolutely was one of the teams at Merrill Lynch that was equity compensation designated, I managed a couple of plans. My exposure to that, Jason, I haven’t thought about this in a very long time, came from UBS where I had team members that were colleagues that were associated with the Nextel Sprint plan. And I always thought that you’re taking care of the top executives but, really, my background being in the military was how do we take care of the troops, the troops, I call them sailors, and how do we educate those sailors. And one of the things I’ve always said in my entire career in the military and I still say to this day is 50% of every bonus or a promotion or something like that should go to long-term savings. So, I use that same mentality with RSUs, with stock options, with bonuses. Set that aside, let that grow because you’re not used to spending it and you will learn to spend what you make. Jason Diamond: I think that’s a great reason, it’s super smart and I love your explanation, it was a very simplistic way. Honestly, even I hadn’t thought about that around your niche, I think, becomes almost like a force multiplier for your own growth because it’s much easier to become the guy in X, Y, Z vertical than to be the guy in every financial advisor of America, across America. Let me ask you a follow-up question, you mentioned the ideal client persona. I spend a lot of time at our firm thinking about this as well, what does your ideal client persona look like. How do you think about an opportunity though that differs from that persona? So, it’s great. Obviously, everybody, it’s easy, you get somebody who’s your perfect prospect, they walk in the front door, sign me up. But when you get something that’s not down the fairway for you, is it just I evaluate it on a one-off basis or are you super disciplined to that approach because it’s who your firm is? Michael Smith: I truly haven’t given that a whole lot of thought but I will tell you how I would handle that because I am handling it with some one-offs. I like the opportunity because you’re stretching your brain in that you’re thinking about how somebody else is reacting so you’d never know. So, I like it from a learning perspective but I also know it comes with a lot of other baggage, I’ll call it baggage, because, all of a sudden, they want to short the market, they want to go long-short strategies. So, all of a sudden, they’re not in our niche and, all of a sudden, they’re taking a lot of time, they’re draining our time so I think you got to be very careful about what you wish for. And there’s a lot of great advisors out there that will walk circles around these topics that I’m like, “Okay, I would rather refer somebody so they get the right experience than give them the wrong experience.” Jason Diamond: I absolutely love that answer. The bow you just put on it, I think, is the appropriate way in my mind to put a bow. At the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather service somebody more optimally even if you don’t believe it’s yourself, I agree with that. I want to ask you one more point on the client service piece. I was playing around on your website and, on your service model, you have health as a component of the client experience of your diagram. Why do you think health matters in a financial context? Michael Smith: I always believed in a healthy mind and a healthy body will bring so much joy to you and I think health is just part of your persona. If you don’t take care of yourself and your body and your mind, then it doesn’t matter what I do, I think you got to start with health. So, I’m very big on the executive physicals, I routinely require all of our staff to have an annual physical. And, again, they’re young people but you got to have these annual … I live and breathe going to see a doctor every year to do my annual physical, not because I think I’m pretty good health, I still run, I do a lot of things but I think your life starts with being healthy. Jason Diamond: Yeah, it’s refreshing to hear that, no doubt. It’s funny to think about but 2019 is a long time ago now and, in RIA world, I almost think of it like dog years. You’ve been around the block now for a little while so I’m curious how have you seen this space change since you launched in 2019? Michael Smith: In 2019, I didn’t know what I was doing, I could barely get out a wet paper bag but I do think it’s changed dramatically. I would say the biggest thing I’ve seen in just the six and a half, almost seven years is the rise of the mega RIAs and how they’re going to shape the industry. Everyone talked about fee compression at Merrill Lynch. When I was at Merrill, we talked about fee compression, then they talked about robo-advisors and now they’re talking about artificial intelligence replacing advisors, I don’t believe that and I don’t think that’s going to happen in the RIA space. What I see the RIA space maturing is into these very big mega firms as well as these independent RIAs like myself that serve a very niche market where we can walk in our lane. The ability to transact today is so much easier as an RIA than it was at a wirehouse as well because we have instant access to technology. My military background, my Navy background says make a decision right, wrong or different, if you don’t like it afterwards or you get new data, course change. So, in our industry, we can change on a notice. I hired a tech firm last year, I didn’t like the experience nine months into it, guess what, they’re not coming back. So, I can do that but you can’t do that at the bigger firms and even the bigger mega firms would have a hard time navigating a change just like that on a dime. Jason Diamond: You bring up an interesting point. To the extent you face competition, do you find yourself competing more against traditional wirehouse type firms or RIAs like yourself, mega caps RIAs? Are your clients attuned to any of this? Michael Smith: That’s an observation I haven’t thought of either there, Jason. I would say I don’t feel that I have a … I know there’s competition out there but we have a growth issue more than we have anything else so I don’t … I can’t take on the clients that want to become my clients so I’m not competing with people too much. Jason Diamond: A capacity issue, you mean? Michael Smith: Yeah, I have a capacity issue. Jason Diamond: I think you’re not alone in that. How can I even think about competition and the like when … A lot of advisors would probably say that. I want to talk more about the capacity situation but, before I do, let’s talk a little more about the RIA setup. Who do you custody with, remind us, and why or how did you arrive at that decision? Michael Smith: Yeah. So, when I launched, I went with Schwab, Schwab is a phenomenal partner, they helped me get a lot of stuff done, I couldn’t have done it without Schwab. During the pandemic, I realized that I should probably … So, remember, during the pandemic, we had a lot of issues with the banking industry, it was almost like a financial crisis but in a very compressed time. So, during the COVID, I decided to add Fidelity as another custodian so now I have two custodians and I opened accounts on both sides of the house but I like the custodians that are there to help you, they’re very good at what they do. I don’t even consider them a competitor and they aren’t competitors, they have their own branch so I don’t consider them competitors, I think they’re my partners and both Charles Schwab and Fidelity are good partners. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s the healthy way to look at the custody relationship. That’s a very common approach, I think, is launching with one custodian and then adding a secondary custodian or a tertiary custodian down the line for one reason or another so I appreciate you sharing that because we get those types of nuts and bolts questions a lot so I figured I’d ask you. One last question on the setup and then we’ll shift gears. Has anything been a negative? So, you talked about leaving Mother Merrill behind and, Mother Merrill, we use it facetiously but obviously it implies a degree of comfort and the homeland so I’m curious if you miss anything. Michael Smith: I miss the camaraderie of being with a bunch of other folks. I mentioned this when I first launched, I mentioned it year over year with my team, the one thing that we miss as an RIA and, again, Dynasty has their benefits as well and the mega RIAs have their benefits but, if you’re a true independent like myself, we get to go to conferences that we want to and that’s a timing issue, really, a time constraint. But one thing Merrill and Morgan, JPMorgan, and the other big wirehouses have as well as the megas, they have the ability to put conferences together for their advisors or their administrators and have this education. That’s the one thing that, I think, would evolve in the RIA industry in the future as well. They’re not my competitors, they’re my business colleagues. And if we think of them as competitors, and a lot of people do because I don’t want to share my client information or what I do with my competitor because they may steal them, if you’re that insecure, then you’re probably not the right advisor in the first place. Jason Diamond: I don’t disagree with that. It’s interesting too, I hear two common answers to that question, not about Merrill but just about somebody who’s broken away, what do you miss about the captive firm world. Either on this podcast or just in conversations with advisors, brand comes up a lot and then the point you just raised. I’ll even hear like, “Hey, forget the conferences and the trainings, just being able to have an office where I’ve got eight other advisors on a row for me, it’s a little bit of a different setup than in the independent space,” and I think that’s just a reality of you take the good with the bad. And for other advisors, by the way, one of the things I want to ask you about to this point is do you believe that there are advisors that are just better served in the W2 traditional firm world or do you think that every advisor should be looking at the RIA space? Michael Smith: I think that wirehouse serves a great purpose and- Jason Diamond: Okay, me too. Michael Smith: … there’s a lot of great people that are great advisors in that wirehouse, they need the structure. What I hadn’t alluded to is, and I mentioned this to a former manager from Merrill Lynch of mine just recently, actually, I was like, “I don’t think advisors realize what it takes to run a business.” I’m not trying to sugarcoat it, running an RIA is hard work, it takes a lot of your time day in and day out to run a business as well as taking care of and servicing your clients so I do think the wirehouse venue is the right way to go. And, Jason, I want to go back to one other thing about your identity. I launched as the Smith Group because that’s what I was known at Merrill Lynch. Within three or four months, I changed that name to a firm because I did not want to be associated with it. So, when you’re at one of the wirehouses, you’re known as your team name or something of that sort, I didn’t want to be known as that, I wanted to be known as Emerald Advisors not the Smith Group because, all of a sudden, you have a single point of failure. So, brand identity, it’s not so unique inside the wirehouse because it’s a team name versus Merrill or Morgan Stanley or something like that. Jason Diamond: It’s a good segue because I’ll tell you where my mind goes when you bring that up. My mind goes is you’re smart in a way that you might not even realize or maybe you do realize which is that, if and when it ever comes time to sell this business, it is probably more valuable without your name attached to it or maybe not. But in some way, shape or form, as an RIA, you have an obligation to be thinking about that or it’s probably on your radar, maybe not an obligation. Have you given an ounce of thought to M&A either acquiring businesses, growing in that way or, ultimately, when you succeed out of this business and what the RIA space enables you to do? Michael Smith: To answer that question, yes. Everyone’s thinking about merger and acquisition, I think about succession planning from day one. I actually thought about I’m a big team person, I come from the submarine force where everyone is a key player on a submarine, every single person has a job and responsibility on a nuclear submarine. So, inside the financial services industry, I know Merrill Lynch was very big on teaming, I understand Morgan Stanley is as well because teaming gives them a breadth of responsibility where the responsibilities are shared. So, mergers and acquisitions or selling my business, I think, if you’re not thinking about that … And I’m not thinking about selling my business because that’s a distraction to me. If I needed the money, then I would’ve went to a wirehouse and that’s okay, you monetize your life’s work. Today, I’m all about what’s right for the client, what’s right for my team and what’s right for where I want to be in the next 10 to 20 years. So, I am growing, I do want to grow, I’m looking at opening offices in probably three locations in the next 24 months or so. Jason Diamond: Well, that’s what I was going to say, plenty of advisors I think would say the same, I have a lot of runway. But what about the other side of this equation which is you’ve had tremendous organic growth, you’ve tripled your client base, you’ve more than tripled the asset base, have you thought about acquisition as a mean to jet fuel the inorganic growth side of things? Michael Smith: I have but not in the typical sense that you’re looking at as buying a book of business. I want to partner with like-minded advisors that share that common thread of taking care of clients where you can serve as their trusted counsel and sit in the meetings with their attorneys and sit in the meetings with the accountants and give them sage counsel that you can only do because you’ve been with the family for 20 years. You know this family and that, not always, but I think that’s missed a lot in other firms. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s fair. I just thought of something else that you brought up. You brought Dynasty so I’m going to ask … I’m going to pull on this thread. That implies to me that you’re at least loosely aware of the supportive independence models that are out there yet you chose a very independent, autonomous path, why? Michael Smith: Because I didn’t know what I was doing. Jason Diamond: Fair. Michael Smith: Let’s be honest, I like Dynasty, I talked with Dynasty when I left. I talked to them all, I talked to Rockefeller, I talked to Morgan, I talked to Dynasty and then, when push came to shove, I wanted to be Mike Smith and launch my own firm and learn. And I will tell you, you learn drinking through a fire hose and we did that, we learned, I know the mistakes. What I didn’t want to do is just go to someplace where this is the stuff you’re going to have to use. So, I think Dynasty is a great launching platform, I think there’s other ones out there that are similar to Dynasty or the Rockefellers or the Morgans, it’s truly what you’re trying to achieve in life. What do you want for you and your clients and I always put my clients before me because I’ve always had this lifelong thing of, you do the right thing, you’re going to get taken care of. Jason Diamond: Yeah. And that’s a very common analysis, by the way, and it’s very common too for big advisors like yourself to say I did my homework across all of those different categories. I looked at the traditional wirehouses and regional firms and boutique firms, I looked at the independent broker dealers, I looked at the support platforms and the aggregators and the roll-ups and here’s ultimately what I landed on and why. Did you always know that though or was that something that it took you a diligence process to figure out? There was plenty of advisors, by the way, who come to us and they’re like, “I knew for the last five years that I was sitting there I was launching an RIA someday.” Michael Smith: Yeah. I did not know that and, to be honest with you, hindsight, I think one of those partners probably could have made me a little bit better at first because then I could have focused on clients versus focusing on, hey, how to open a business, who’s your technology … We talked about custodians and some other things but we didn’t talk about technology, how do you go find that technology. Where’s your email address come from? Who’s your chief compliance officer? When it resides on you, you got to look in the mirror. So, I think those parties out there that provide that for brand-new advisors launching could be very beneficial. I had in my mind what I needed to do and I knew I’m very frugal so mine boiled down to how much money I wanted to spend, to be honest with you. Jason Diamond: I think it is a cost benefit analysis, it is. It’s absolutely … Because if you list the functions of a support platform on paper and you showed it to somebody who didn’t know the industry, they would say, “Why on earth wouldn’t you do this? They’re taking off your plate compliance and tech and custody and the like,” and the answer is because there’s a cost associated with it and plenty of advisors decide what you decide, I wanted … Or I just wanted a greater degree of autonomy and freedom, to your point, the name on the door piece, I wanted this to be mine. Michael Smith: And, Jason, I think it also goes to the uncertainty. I had never done anything since Navy, financial advising and then launching. So, for me, I was launching with four employees I had to take care of and here I was going to hire a third party that I was going to have to spend X amount on and I didn’t even know what my income was going to be. That’s different if you’re a multi-billion dollar FA coming out of a wirehouse, the monetary dynamics are different. Jason Diamond: Agreed. Okay, here’s a good one for you. We get this concept from advisors, from firms, from private equity that a billion dollars in assets is like this magic number in our industry. Do you feel like anything’s changed now that you’re at a billion and what’s the next chapter for Emerald Advisors? Is it just continuing on this steady trajectory and serving clients and trust that everything else comes with that? Michael Smith: I go back and forth on a billion, everyone thinks that’s the right number, the biggest number that you need but I think it’s just an arbitrary numbers because it didn’t define who I was. And a lot of people define success at a billion, they define success that you’re a successful firm at a billion. I think I was a successful firm at 300 million, I was a successful financial advisor with 20 clients in 2005. I would say a billion is a multiplier, what I would tell new advisors out there today is gather assets. The more assets you have, the more revenue you generate. The more revenue you generate, the more money you can put in your pocket which means the longer you can stay in the industry. The problem with the industry is an attrition problem, not anything else. So, assets just give us the ability to have revenue which gives us the ability to grow. Jason Diamond: And is that the plan? Keep adding assets, keep growing one client at a time with the focus though, obviously, on what makes you which is a very client-centric service model. Michael Smith: Correct. There’s a lot of things I want to do in the next couple of years and expanding our footprint is our biggest one with the right partners and then just keep adding. I have a business development officer that I’m probably offer a job to here pretty soon and things are going well. Jason Diamond: Yeah, that’s great. You mentioned the tech stack and the other components of the business and I hear you on the frugal cost-benefit analysis. But who did you turn to for some of those early decisions, was it Schwab primarily who helped hold your hand through that? Michael Smith: Schwab was very good at helping me identify the tech stack at first and the tech stack is actually the one consistent, there’s a lot of things I’ve been consistent on but tech is one that I’ve stayed with them. I launched with RightSize, now they’re Advisory, they’re very good, they do the right job for us and I’m big on cybersecurity. So, tech was helpful from Schwab, Schwab helped us with that. Jason Diamond: So, we spoke a little bit about your naval experience but, I’m curious, can you tell us how has your naval experience shaped your perception or your experience in wealth management? Michael Smith: My Navy path was a lot different than many officers. I served 12 years as an enlisted person before I got my direct commission as a Mustang officer, typically called limited duty officers or loud, dumb and obnoxious as I like to say. But that experience gave me a unique perspective because I was able to be the enlisted side and officer which are the workers and then the management side so I had both experiences which was unique. When I was commissioned, Admiral Jerry Ellis, a submarine admiral that commissioned me, heard this lesson to the podium, he was just talking about me in this point but he said, “There are three kinds of people in every organization. You have rowboat people who need to be pushed, you have sailboat people who move whenever the conditions are favorable and then there’s steamboat people, they move continuously through calm or storm.” And he said, “This is Ensign Michael Smith,” he said, “Make your course.” And that’s always stood with me because you do have those three types of people in life. You got people that are just … They’re robo people, they go until they get tired. You got sailboat people that go wherever the wind blows them and then you got steamboat people that chart their own course. I would say for advisors out there make your course or just be happy with what you’re doing. But for some of us hard chargers, I think that analogy has stayed with me my entire career. Jason Diamond: It’s fantastic. I love the analogy, great naval tie in also. Thanks for sharing that. We got time for one more question. You have a fascinating background, a fascinating path to the industry, obviously, an incredibly disciplined approach around client service, any parting thoughts, words of wisdom especially as it relates to growth? That’s what strikes me most about your story is the growth that your move unlocked and that’s what every advisor who listens to our show is looking for. Michael Smith: I’m going to give another plug to Schwab on this. We actually were fortunate and I got their consulting group to come in right afterwards and I’m a big believer in having offsite. So, I’ve had an offsite, two offsites a year for my team and it’s the entire team unlike the wirehouses where you don’t take your admins and stuff like that. I take my entire team to an offsite and we group up on what we’re trying to achieve and have goals and objectives for the year. Schwab allowed us to use their consultants and we came up with our ideal client persona. Teams or firms that have this model become high performing. When you become high performing, growth becomes the outcome. I couldn’t do anything but grow. Jason, I couldn’t not grow because I had this ideal client persona, I knew how I was going to do it, it was measurable. So, growth becomes the outcome and, if you hold people responsible, then we’re all going to grow together and it’s a fun outcome. Jason Diamond: Fantastic, it’s a great place to end. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us, I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for Emerald, this has been a lot of fun. Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much. I appreciate everything you do for the industry as well. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibility seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firms or could a better option exist? Should I Stay or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind? It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook. From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Mike Fisher, the CEO of MyFitnessPal, for an exciting and passionate conversation about what happens when twenty years of nutrition data meets modern AI. With over 300 million people impacted worldwide and a brand that has been a household name for two decades, MyFitnessPal is not resting on its laurels.  From an AI coach backed by two decades of behavioral data to a ChatGPT integration that meets users wherever they already are, to the acquisition of Gen Z favorite Calaii, Mike paints a vibrant picture of where consumer nutrition technology is headed.  This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of consumer behavior, AI personalization, and population health.  In this episode, they talk about: MyFitnessPal has impacted over 300 million people worldwide and has been building AI into nutrition tools long before LLMs existed The app's AI flywheel covers three areas: logging, meal planning, and personalized insights The new AI coach for premium users is backed by twenty years of behavioral data on what actually helps people hit their goals Users who scan meals are 32% more likely to hit their goals, a data point only possible after two decades of studying user behavior MyFitnessPal integrated with ChatGPT so users can access its nutrition expertise directly inside the LLM they already use The company acquired Calaii, built by high school students who scaled it to millions of users in under two years, to reach a younger demographic A new GLP-1 mode lets users track dosage, side effects, and nutrition in one place Agentic programming has lowered the barrier to building software, but cannot replicate twenty years of trusted data and behavioral science Bad data and missing data are just as dangerous as hallucinations, and guardrails around AI nutrition advice are non-negotiable A Little About Mike: Mike Fisher is the CEO of MyFitnessPal and a member of its board of directors. At MyFitnessPal, he focuses on driving strategic initiatives, enhancing the app's technological infrastructure, and expanding its impact on global health and nutrition. He brings a wealth of experience from his previous role as Chief Technology Officer at Etsy, where he drove engineering and product innovation, and from Quigo, where he scaled technology infrastructure ahead of its acquisition by AOL.  Co-founder of AKF Partners, Mike has advised numerous tech companies on strategic growth and held pivotal leadership roles at PayPal. A former U.S. Army Captain and pilot, Mike is also an active philanthropist and serves on the boards of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the West Point Association of Graduates. He has co-authored two books on scalability and one on customer misbehavior.

How does a nonprofit maintain a successful gala after the organization rebrands with a new name? Today, I talk with Rick Byrd, Executive Director of the BreakThrough T1D Southern Texas Chapter, as well as Ali Bruskoff, event chair for the region's most successful annual gala, the 2026 Houston Promise Ball. Two years ago, the organization retired its longtime Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (also known as JDRF), becoming known as BreakThrough T1D. This allowed the organization to modernize its name while maintaining its core mission to find a cure for T1 Diabetes. The organization has not missed a beat and has continued to build upon the success of its annual signature fundraising events. The Houston Promise Ball has been especially impactful, with the sold-out 2025 event raising over $2.5 million for the organization. Rick and Ali provide valuable insights on a range of topics, including how to select event themes that engage and excite your audience, tips on creating strong relationships between nonprofit leadership and event chairs, successfully balancing a national/global organization's mission while maintaining a local feel, and so much more. This is one episode you will definitely not want to miss.

Omani Carson is the Founder and Chairman of Carson Group, a leading global financial services firm based in Omaha, Nebraska. He's also a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and sought-after keynote speaker. Beyond his professional achievements, Omani is deeply committed to philanthropy, guided by his mission to create “the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people.” Alongside his wife, Jeanie, he co-founded the Dreamweaver Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to fulfilling end-of-life dreams for seniors with terminal illnesses. His charitable work extends to initiatives that provide food, clean water, and mental health support to underserved communities. Along his path to success, and in line with his broadening focus on advancing social and environmental causes, Omani realized he was operating out of fear and scarcity rather than love and abundance. Having made this shift, and experienced the profound joy, success, and opportunities that came with it, he's dedicated to helping others make it for themselves, and find freedom and fulfillment in their own lives. Omani aims to inspire people to explore life to the fullest, challenge their status quo, and strive to become the best possible version of themselves—all in pursuit of creating a lasting, positive impact. His mission is to empower people to reach their limitless potential, lead consciously, and create a lasting legacy. The Dreamweaver Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to fulfilling end-of-life wishes for seniors with terminal illnesses, founded by Ron and Jeanie Carson. They make wishes come true as a special way to thank and honour our seniors in their last days. Click to learn more about the Dreamweaver Foundation. http://thedreamweaverfoundation.org Carson Wealth has actively participated in various activities for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation since 2011. Ron & Jeanie Carson chaired the largest fundraiser of the year, the 19th Annual JDRF Promise Gala, "Going Platinum For A Cure," which raised $1.4 million for type 1 diabetes research. Read more: http://jdrf.org/omaha/2016/03/17/jdrf-promise-gala-went-platinum/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, host Ayesha Rashid, Senior Life Science Journalist at Xtalks, spoke with Jason Matuszewski, chairman, CEO and co-founder of BioStem Technologies, a company developing perinatal tissue allografts for regenerative therapies. The applications of the allografts, developed using the company's proprietary processing method, include wound care, limb saving in conditions like diabetic foot ulcers and treating wounds and amputations of veterans. After beginning his career as a technical engineer at SC Johnson and later leading process and quality initiatives at companies like ATI Ladish Forging, Nemak and HUSCO International, Jason's work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation inspired his move into biotech. At BioStem, he's overseen optimized tissue sourcing, the build-out of a 6,000-square-foot, fully FDA- and AATB-compliant tissue processing facility and the growth of a high-performing team. Jason has a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering Technology, is a Six Sigma Black Belt and serves on the AATB Processing and Distribution Council and BioFlorida's Government Affairs Committee. Tune in to learn more about cutting edge developments in regenerative medicine and wound care. For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage. https://xtalks.com/vitals/ Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: https://twitter.com/Xtalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xtalks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Recently the Endocrine Society held its 12th annual Type 1 Diabetes Fellows Series program, which combines comprehensive education on type 1 diabetes with career development opportunities to build knowledge, practical skills, and a lasting network of colleagues. For this episode, host Aaron Lohr talks with Desmond Schatz, MD, medical director of the Diabetes Institute and director of the Clinical Research Center at the University of Florida. Dr. Schatz gave a talk at the fellows series program titled, “Immunotherapies for Type 1 Diabetes: Need for Early Detection and Screening.” This year’s fellows series program and this episode were made possible by the support of Abbott Diabetes Care, CeQur Corp., Dexcom Inc., Insulet Corp., Breakthrough T1D (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), Lilly USA, Mankind Pharma Limited, Medtronic Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. Show notes are available at https://www.endocrine.org/podcast/enp103 — for helpful links or to hear more podcast episodes, visit https://www.endocrine.org/podcast

“I'm a Barbie girl in the medical marketing world?”One year after rebranding from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to Breakthrough T1D, the healthcare advocacy organization made headlines earlier this month for its work on the latest Barbie doll.Breakthrough T1D collaborated with Mattel to create the first Barbie doll to feature a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and an insulin pump.The doll has been well-received, particularly among patient advocates who say the partnership brings renewed attention to type 1 diabetes – a condition that affects an estimated 2 million Americans.MM+M summer intern Lola Offenback spoke with a pair of leaders from Breakthrough T1D about working with Mattel to bring a Barbie with type 1 diabetes to life, how the project elevates the experience of those living with the condition and the key marketing lessons for other health brands.-TRENDSFor the Trends segment, our reporter Heerea Rikhraj walks us through the Depo-Provera controversy affecting Pfizer and what medical marketers need to know about it. Step into the future of health media at the MM+M Media Summit on October 30th, 2025 live in NYC! Join top voices in pharma marketing for a full day of forward-thinking discussions on AI, streaming, retail media, and more. Explore the latest in omnichannel strategy, personalization, media trust, and data privacy—all under one roof. Don't wait—use promo code PODCAST for $100 off your individual ticket. Click here to register! AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-onlineTikTok: @MMMnewsInstagram: @MMMnewsonlineTwitter/X: @MMMnewsLinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here.Music: “Deep Reflection” by DP and Triple Scoop Music.

Send us a textJason Matuszewski is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of BioStem Technologies ( https://biostemtechnologies.com/ ), a leading innovator focused on harnessing the natural properties of perinatal tissue in the development, manufacture, and commercialization of allografts for regenerative therapies. Jason brings a wealth of experience in strategic operations planning and technical projects management from his rigorous technical background. His diverse expertise includes continuous process improvement, training and development programs, regulatory compliance and best practices implementation, and advanced problem solving. Jason began his career as a technical engineer working for Adecco at SC Johnson in 2009, where he developed comprehensive maintenance plans to support manufacturing processes at scale. He then transitioned to manufacturing and quality engineering for major organizations, including ATI Ladish Forging, Nemak, and HUSCO International, where he spearheaded process design and implementation, solved complex supply-chain and manufacturing problems, and improved product sourcing and purchasing. Jason's philanthropic work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation sparked an interest in biotech, leading him to co-found Biostem Technologies in 2014. As CEO he has leveraged his expertise to optimize tissue sourcing, strategically build out a 6,000 square foot tissue processing facility that is fully compliant with FDA 210, 211, 1271, and AATB standards, and put together an expert team of professionals to support the company's continued growth. Jason holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology and a minor in Mathematics from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and is Six Sigma Black Belt certified. He also serves as a Processing and Distribution Council Member for the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), as well as serves as a member of the Government Affairs committee for BioFlorida.#JasonMatuszewski #BioStemTechnologies #PerinatalTissue #RegenerativeTherapies #ChronicWounds #DiabeticFootUlcers #VenousUlcers #PressureUlcers #AmnioticTissue #TissueAllografts #ExtracellularMatrix #ECM #GrowthFactors #Cytokines #Collagen  #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

pWotD Episode 2968: Anne Burrell Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 611,483 views on Tuesday, 17 June 2025 our article of the day is Anne Burrell.Anne W. Burrell (September 21, 1969 – June 17, 2025) was an American chef, television personality, and former instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. She was the host of the Food Network show Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and co-host of Worst Cooks in America. She was also one of the Iron Chefs, Mario Batali's sous chefs in the Iron Chef America series and appeared on other programs on the network such as The Best Thing I Ever Ate. She was a contestant on the fourth season of The Food Network competition show, The Next Iron Chef Super Chefs being eliminated in episode 6. She was also a contestant on the first season of Chopped All-Stars Tournament, winning the "Food Network Personalities" preliminary round to advance to the final round, where she placed second runner up to Nate Appleman (winner) and Aarón Sanchez. In 2015, Burrell won the fourth installment of the Chopped All-Stars tournament winning $75,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She also hosted the series Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell in 2012–2013. She died June 17th 2025 after being found unresponsive at her home in Brooklyn.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:42 UTC on Wednesday, 18 June 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Anne Burrell on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Emma.

Joel Creasey is one of Australia's most-popular, acclaimed, and charmingly controversial stand-up comedians, television and radio presenters as well as an actor and writer. Embarking on his stand-up career at just 15-years-old, Joel harnessed his outrageous wit, sass and unrivalled storytelling abilities to cement himself as Australia's undisputed ‘Crown Prince of Comedy' and one of the most sought-after and hottest comedians in the world. Every year Joel's live show audiences grow, as punters in-the-know flock for an hour of no-holds-barred belly laughs. Joel has cemented his reputation for slicing, dicing and smashing through pop culture – and himself – with unflinching candour and brutal home truths. He cuts through celebrity spin to tell you how it is with charm, irreverence and the ultimate payoff of epic laughs.  Stand-up Joel embarked on his first solo tour aged 19, earning himself a Best Newcomer nomination at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He has since sold out tours of Australia, the UK, Asia and the USA. In 2013 Joel was hand-picked to support Joan Rivers on her US tour, the legendary rivers Joan going on to say: “He is a f*cking star!”. Recent tours include Poser (2017), Blonde Bombshell (2018), Drink, Slay, Repeat (2019) and Messy Bitch (2020-22).  He is currently touring his new show around Australia ‘THANKS FOR BEING HERE'. A hilariously unfiltered hour of unflinching candour and brutal home truths. Tickets on sale now! (links below). Streaming  Joel's Netflix's Comedians of the World stand-up special ‘Thirsty' was launched globally to rave reviews, and a second broadcast stand-up special, ‘Fame Whore,' filmed at the iconic Sydney Opera House, airs on Amazon Prime worldwide. Joel joined some of Australia's top comedians on Amazon's Prime, outrageous social experiment hosted by Rebel Wilson, ‘LOL: Last One Laughing' Radio Joel made the huge leap into radio in 2020, joining Australia's number one national drive show on Nova. ‘Kate, Tim & Joel' airs weekdays across the country from 3.00pm-6.00pm.  TV Joel's list of TV credits is vast and varied, from his coveted role as co-host of SBS's ‘Eurovision Song Contest' alongside Myf Warhurst, to the raw and highly acclaimed comedy ABC documentary, Gaycrashers, via dating show Take Me Out, and hosting roles on SBS' coverage of Sydney Mardi Gras and the Royal Wedding in 2018. He is a familiar face on The Project, The Great Debate, Comedy Up Late, 20 to 1, Have You Been Paying Attention, Talkin' About Your Generation, Spicks and Specks, The Big Music Quiz, Studio Ten, A League of Their Own, Dirty Laundry, How Not to Behave and It's a Date, and many more. Acting In 2017, Joel made his acting debut in Channel 10's new Comedy Drama ‘Sisters' alongside a stellar cast including Magda Szubanski, Lucy Durack and Catherine McClements, and in 2018 he made his soap debut on Neighbours. Joel entered the world of theatre in 2020, performing the role of George in ‘The Boy, George,' a hilarious one-man play he co-wrote and co-produced with Richard Carroll.  Writing Joel penned his first memoir, Simon & Schuster-published ‘THIRSTY: Confessions of a Fame Whore', which he dedicated to the late Joan Rivers. Like Joel, Thirsty is acerbically funny, and full of his most personal, hilarious, joyous, heartbreaking, outrageous, ridiculous and scandalous stories.  Awards A self-described shameless ‘fame whore', Joel is an Australian entertainment staple, Joel won GQ Comedian of the Year in 2016, Best Presenter at the 2017 LGBTI Awards, and was selected as one of Cosmopolitan's top 50 influential LGBTQI voices in their inaugural Rainbow List. Good stuff Joel won a legion of fans when he appeared in the first Australian season of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of here, raising funds for his charity Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in 2015. In 2017, Joel was selected as ambassador for Skyy Vodka's #CheerstoEquality campaign. We chat about his love of aviation, ‘my weird obsession', anxiety, new shows across Australia, ambition, drive & saying yes, authenticity and being yourself, fame, moving to radio, comparing + plenty more!   Check Joel out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelcreasey Tour dates / Australian shows: https://www.livenation.com.au/joel-creasey-tickets-adp1111513 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joelcreasey/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joelcreasey   Twitter / X : https://x.com/joelcreasey ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/ and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Send us a textDr. Sudip Parikh, Ph.D. ( https://www.aaas.org/person/sudip-parikh ), is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Executive Publisher of the Science family of journals and has spent the last two decades at the nexus of science, policy, and business.Prior to joining AAAS, Dr. Parikh was senior vice president and managing director at Drug Information Association (DIA Global), a neutral, multidisciplinary organization for healthcare product development where he led strategy in the Americas and oversaw DIA programs that catalyzed progress globally toward novel regulatory frameworks for advanced therapies.Prior to DIA, Dr. Parikh was a vice president at Battelle, a multibillion-dollar research and development organization, where he led two business units with over 500 scientific, technical, and computing experts performing basic and applied research, developing medicines and healthcare devices, developing agricultural products, and creating advanced analytics and artificial intelligence applications to improve human health.From 2001 to 2009, Dr. Parikh served as science advisor to the Republican leadership of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, where he was responsible for negotiating budgets for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and other scientific and health agencies.As a key legislative liaison to the research and development ecosystem, Dr. Parikh was on the frontlines of many science policy issues debated during that time, including embryonic stem cell research, cloning, disease surveillance, bioterrorism, cyber security, and doubling the NIH budget.An active member of the scientific advocacy community, Dr. Parikh serves as a board member and officer for several impactful organizations, including Research!America ( https://www.researchamerica.org/ ), which he has chaired since 2023, Friends of Cancer Research, and ACT for NIH.  He also serves as co-chair of the Science and Technology Action Committee ( https://sciencetechaction.org/ ), Science CEO Group, and the Coalition for Trust in Health and Science ( https://trustinhealthandscience.org/ ).  He is also a member of the Board of Life Sciences of the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.Dr. Parikh is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Council on Foreign Relations. He has also received multiple public service awards, including recognition from the Society for Women's Health Research, the American Association of Immunologists, the National AIDS Alliance, the Coalition for Health Services Research, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.Early in his career, Dr. Parikh was a Presidential Management Intern at the NIH. He was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship while earning his Ph.D. in macromolecular structure and chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif.  There, he used structural biology and biochemistry techniques to probe the mechanisms of DNA repair enzymes.  Dr. Parikh completed undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, first as a journalism major before switching into materials science. #SudipParikh #AAAS #AmericanAssociationForTheAdvancementOfScience #Science #Policy #Business #DrugInformationAssociation #Battelle #ResearchAmerica  #ScienceAndTechnologyActionCommittee #CoalitionForTrustInHealthAndScience #Appropriations #Congress #ArtificialIntelligence #DrugDevelopment #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilitSupport the show

More effective treatments and even cures for MS can only happen as a result of clinical research. And clinical research can only happen when people living with MS choose to become research participants. But what are the pros and cons that you should consider when you're thinking about participating in MS research? The National MS Society's Associate Vice President of Research, Dr. Kathy Zackowski, returns to the podcast to discuss the risks and benefits of participating in clinical research. We're also joined by Mimi Brown, who lives with primary progressive MS. Mimi will share her experiences as a participant in several MS research studies. We'll also remember Professor Giancarlo Comi, a true giant in the MS research community who passed away last week. We'll discuss the updated Brain Health -- Time Matters report. We'll tell you about a research collaboration between the National MS Society, Breakthrough T1D (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), and the Lupus Research Alliance. And we're sharing the details about the International Progressive MS Alliance's upcoming global webcast. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! Remembering Professor Giancarlo Comi  :22 This Week: Participating in MS research   3:28 Experts release the Brain Health -- Time Matters report  4:10 The National MS Society teams up with Breakthrough T1D and the Lupus Research Alliance to fund research in common mechanisms that drive autoimmunity  6:35 The International Progressive MS Alliance is hosting a global webcast on Dec. 11  9:27 Dr. Kathy Zackowski and Mimi Brown discuss the risks and benefits of participating in MS research  10:58 Share this episode  29:52 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  30:11 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/379 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com REPORT: Brain Health -- Time Matters https://www.msbrainhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Brain-Health-Time-Matters-2024.pdf VIDEO: Brain Health -- Time Matters https://www.msbrainhealth.org/launch-videos Decoding Immunity: Common Mechanisms of Autoimmunity https://decodingautoimmunity.org REGISTER FOR THE WEBCAST: What We're Learning from Clinical Trials https://www.msif.org/webcast-clinical-trials Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 379 Guests: Dr. Kathy Zackowski and Mimi Brown Privacy Policy

“Make every decision in your career on the basis of values and principles, and you will be successful.” Fernando Aguirre is the former CEO of Chiquita Brands International, and currently a Professional Baseball Owner - as CEO of the Erie SeaWolves (AA affiliate for the Detroit Tigers), and Vice-chair of Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Advanced A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs). Fernando also owned a minority position in the Cincinnati Reds for 14 years before divesting in 2019. Fernando got his start at P&G - where he worked for 23+ years - during which he was President of P&G Brazil. Fernando currently serves on several boards - some of which include CVS Health, Synchrony Financial, and Duke's Fuqua school of business. He's previously served on the boards of Aetna, Coca Cola, Levi's, Univision, and USC's Marshall School of Business. Fernando's been active in the Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethic, the International Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, received the NFL's Hispanic Heritage Leadership award in 2011. AND - He was the first Hispanic CEO to participate in CBS's Undercover Boss. In a spanning conversation of fantastic stories, get ready for some lessons learned across cultures, and around the world. This is a replay from one of our earliest episodes in 2021 - celebrating Hispanic P&G Alumni leadership this Hispanic Heritage Month. Got a favorite past guest, or idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

David Tobin is the Founder and Managing Partner of TobinLeff, an M&A advisory and exit planning consulting firm with a mission to help business owners maximize and monetize their life's work. David and the team at TobinLeff have worked with well over 200 companies to develop exit plans, sell to strategic and financial buyers, and build value via strategic acquisitions. He has been a Board member with multiple nonprofit organizations including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Homeless Children's Education Fund. In this episode of The Progressive Agency Podcast, we welcome David Tobin, Founder and Managing Partner of Tobin & Company M&A Advisory. David shares his expertise on exit planning and selling businesses, particularly for agency owners.  David discusses the importance of selling from a position of strength, emphasizing the benefits of advance planning and preparation. He explains the differences between selling to strategic buyers, financial buyers, and internal management teams, outlining typical deal structures and valuations for each.  He provides practical advice on managing a business to ensure a lucrative exit. He highlights key value drivers such as strong profit margins, demonstrable growth plans, and a unique value proposition. What you will learn in this episode: How an agency owner can prepare to sell their business from a position of strength The most common questions from buyers The difference between financial, strategic, and internal buyers Internal vs. external sales and what to expect in each scenario How an ESOP works Managing your business today to ensure a lucrative exit Discovering your unique value proposition Adjusting EBITDA to benefit the buyer Resources: Website: https://tobinleff.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-tobin-120658184/ Linkedin Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tobinleff-llc/ 7 Best Practices for Managing for a Rewarding Exit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EN7nzLAQD07EmOweoEC8kA7CTiT5Uumd/view?usp=drive_link Questions Buyers Typically Ask: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AoiK_S6wNrWX91Z5ppKfBxPvP99DNADL/view?usp=drive_link

Send us a Text Message.What if mastering the art of authenticity could transform your life and career? Join us as we sit down with the extraordinary Samantha Redden, a powerhouse of talents who seamlessly juggles roles as a podcast host, senior master instructor for Cycle Bar, type 1 diabetes advocate, and motivational speaker. Samantha shares her inspiring journey, from preparing for the Mrs. Ohio America pageant to her reflections on slam poetry, a passion inherited from her poet mother. Be captivated by her anecdotes about unique pageant talents and her heartfelt advice on building confidence and self-esteem for young girls.Discover how Samantha overcomes challenges and builds resilience through her work at Cycle Bar and her podcast, "The Samantha Show." Learn how these pursuits have positively influenced her family dynamics, especially her daughter's outlook on dreaming big and chasing goals. Samantha offers practical techniques—such as positive affirmations and visualization—that help manage nerves and stress. Gain valuable insights from her therapist friend on handling pre-event anxiety, making this episode a treasure trove of practical advice on maintaining mental well-being.On a lighter note, enjoy some whimsical moments as Samantha answers random questions and shares personal stories, including fun hypotheticals like who would play her in a movie. Get to know her quirky husband Joe and his extraordinary napping skills, and learn more about Samantha's podcast, which features engaging interviews and charming banter. Don't miss out on this enriching episode filled with laughter, wisdom, and the mantra: vision, relate, develop. Tune in and be inspired by Samantha's journey and the transformative power of authenticity.Connect with Passing The Torch: Facebook and IG: @torchmartin More Amazing Stories: Episode 28: Purple Heart Recipient CMSgt Ben Seekell – Your Capacity is Limitless Episode 31: Todd Henry – Choose To Be Brave Episode 35: Brook Cupps – Shaping Leaders On and Off The Court Episode 41: Lee Ellis – Freeing You From Bond That Make You Insecure

Dr. Timothy Chen, family medicine expert, is the Medical Director at BlueHealth Baptist in Madison, Mississippi. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Engineering from Mississippi State University and later attended the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson. For his residency training, he attended the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Chen is proudly affiliated with the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. He also earned a Board Certification from the University of Arizona in Integrative Medicine. Dr. Chen's research interests include health and wellness, evidence-based medicine and population health and policy. He's taken his expertise online with his YouTube channel named “Common Sense Medicine,” in effort to make complex medical knowledge more understandable to everyone. He is married with five kids. Lee Greer, M.D., serves as Corporate Medical Director for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, A Mutual Insurance Company. Dr. Greer holds an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University, a medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and a Master of Business Administration degree from Yale University. He is certified with the American Board of Family Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualification – Geriatric Medicine. In his role as Corporate Medical Director, Dr. Greer acts as a liaison between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and the Provider community and supports the development and monitoring of the Company's Quality Management programs to include quality of care best practices. He also provides physician expertise in Company corporate and strategic initiatives and assignments. Dr. Greer serves on the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer's Association – Mississippi Chapter, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Mississippi Colorectal Roundtable. He has previously served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Information and Quality Healthcare and the Chairman of the Physician Leadership Committee for the Mississippi Hospital Association. Dr. Greer is a Member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Mississippi State Medical Association and the American Geriatrics Society. Dr. Greer is married to Reena Greer. They have one daughter.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Mother and daughter team, Barbara and Lauren Rapaport, have been fighting Type 1 Diabetes since 1979. They volunteer together and individually for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF, and even helped found the Washington, D.C. chapter for this international nonprofit. Listen to their stories of living with diabetes, hear its impact on a family, and be moved by the love and respect between two women on the same mission. This podcast is brought to you by Doing Good, a 501c3 nonprofit. www.doinggood.tv

Attorney Joe Mure joins Sid to bring awareness to his cause: The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Joe has put a face on this disease that afflicts millions. Each year, during the Christmas season, he illuminates the cause by illuminating his home; turning it into a veritable Little North Pole. His winter-wonderland has become a beacon, shedding the light of awareness on the disease and the dire need for a cure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guys Jason Garrison and Drew Garrison were at the charity event for the local Cincinnati chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It was held at Paycor Stadium, with our guys getting media and on-field access, as well as a few minutes with the big offensive lineman. DONATE TO CINCINNATI JDRF HERE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-cincinnati-jdrf-with-orlando-brown-jr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we soon head into the holiday weekend and September begins, it also comes with the Brooklyn Labor Day Truck and Tractor Pull the first through the third. But what really makes this event special is the two young men who are using the pulls for their senior project as they raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Cody Gillman and Timmy Lund are seniors at Evansville High School and chose this as their senior project because Cody actually has type 1 diabetes himself. They share more about this fundraiser and what it means to them. But first, Cody starts off by explaining more about the impact type 1 diabetes has had on his life. “I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was just 13 months old,” says Gillman. “JDRF has played an important part in my life and we would like to help do the same for other families who are living with type 1 diabetes.” You can find more information about the Brooklyn Labor Day Truck and Tractor Pull and the JDRF fundraiser here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An 11-year-old from Glen Allen has been chosen by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, to join a delegation of his peers and celebrity advocates in Washington, D.C. in July.  Karson Owen will follow in the footsteps of his sister, Kamryn, who attended the JDRF Children's Congress as a delegate 10 years ago. From July 9-11, Owen will join more than 160 other youth from across the country at the event, meeting with members of the U.S. Congress and other key decision-makers to inform them of the role they can play...Article LinkSupport the show

It's In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: Lilly becomes the first of the big three insulin makers to settle a class action lawsuit over pricing, the FDA approved Beta Bionics' iLet system, oral meds trialed for T2D seem to work as well as Ozempic injectable, Lego adds a T1D "friend" to their line and a big win for an American Ninja Warrior competitor with T1D. Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Take Control with Afrezza  Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom  Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens  Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Twitter Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com  Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now XX In the news is brought to you by VIVI Cap Keeps your insulin at the exact right temperature, even in extreme heat or cold. XX Our top story, Eli Lilly has agreed to pay $13.5 million to end a six-year, class-action lawsuit accusing the company of overpriced its insulin. As part of the settlement, Lilly has agreed to cap out-of-pocket costs for its insulin at $35 per month for four years. That's three months after Lilly said it would cut insulin prices to that level. The lawsuit was filed in 2017, against insulin makers Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi. Plaintiffs claimed the companies joined in an “arms race” to raise list prices of their meds while the “real” price to pharmacy benefit managers remained constant or in some cases dipped. Price increases of insulins that previously cost $25 per prescription were pushed up to $450, the suit said. The increases, taken in “lockstep,” were “astounding and inexplicable,” according to the class action lawsuit. Novo and Sanofi have yet to settle this case. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/eli-lilly-inks-settlement-long-running-insulin-pricing-lawsuit XX The FDA is changing its draft guidance for industry regarding Antidiabetic Drugs and Biological Products. It's been 15 years since an update. Topics covered in the draft guidance include: Hemoglobin A1c (A1C), a measure of average blood sugar, remaining an acceptable primary efficacy endpoint The FDA now considering a reduction in the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) to be a clinically relevant outcome measure for diabetes drug clinical trials, when accompanied by either a reduction or maintenance of an acceptable A1C. The use of data collected by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, which allow for nonstop, passive glucose monitoring, in clinical trials to potentially support hypoglycemia labeling claims. Recent advancements in CGM technology have led the agency to recognize the advantages of data collected from these systems in clinical drug development. The FDA will be accepting comments on the guidance until August 24, 2023. https://www.appliedclinicaltrialsonline.com/view/fda-on-track-to-updates-diabetes-efficacy-endpoints-guidance XX The iLet bionic pancreas from Beta Bionics gets FDA approval for people with type 1 age 6 and up. This is a unique system in that it starts with only the user's weight and requires meal announcements – no carb counting – to automate blood sugar. It will launch with the Dexcom G6 CGM. You'll hear from the company CEO this Tuesday in our next episode where we do a deep dive into the system. https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/news/beta-bionics-fda-insulin-pump/ XX Researchers had observed an increased incidence of type-1 diabetes cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a new study has confirmed the link and established a temporal association between the development of type-1 diabetes in children and infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The new study published in Jama Network was the first research that used data, which indicated if the type-1 diagnosed children previously had COVID-19 infection. The researchers found the likelihood to develop type-1 diabetes increased by 57% in children who had a confirmed COVID-19 infection, compared to those who did not have the infection. https://www.medicaldaily.com/covid-19-infection-increases-incidence-type-1-diabetes-children-study-469854 XX New oral medication from Pfizer seems to stack up well next to Ozempic for weight loss. New study looked at people with type 2 found danuglipron when given twice a day, lowered blood sugar in patients at all doses and reduced body weight at the highest dose after 16 weeks. The weight loss with danuglipron is of a similar magnitude to that observed in the mid-stage data for Novo Nordisk's semaglutide, known as Ozempic when used for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity. The treatments, including Pfizer's danuglipron, belong to a class of drugs that mimic the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which works by suppressing appetite and were initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes. Pfizer is also testing another oral diabetes drug, lotiglipron, which is given once daily and has said it plans to initiate late-stage development of only one of the two candidates. The company believes an oral therapy could appeal to patients who want to avoid injections. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-diabetes-drug-reduces-weight-similar-novos-ozempic-2023-05-22/ XX Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms used to screen for and predict type 2 diabetes may be racially biased, which could perpetuate health disparities, according to a study published last week in PLOS Global Public Health. Risk prediction models for type 2 diabetes have shown promise in bolstering early detection and clinical decision-making, but the researchers pointed out that these models can bias the decision-making process if risk is miscalibrated across patient populations. The research team found that the Framingham Offspring Risk Score underestimated type 2 diabetes risk for non-Hispanic Black patients, but overestimated risk for their white counterparts. The ARIC Model and PRT overestimated risk for both groups, but to a greater extent for white patients. Research like this highlights that while data analytics and AI approaches may help find gaps in chronic disease management and care, racial disparities are still a major obstacle to achieving health equity for diabetes patients. A 2021 study of city-level data revealed significant disparities in diabetes mortality rates across the United States. The analysis sourced data from the 30 largest cities in the US and demonstrated that mortality rates were higher for Black individuals than for white individuals. Disparities were also found to be up to four times larger in some cities compared to others, with Washington, DC experiencing the highest rates of diabetes mortality inequities. https://healthitanalytics.com/news/potential-racial-bias-found-in-type-2-diabetes-risk-prediction-models XX 1 in 3 adults with Type 2 diabetes may have undetected cardiovascular disease. Elevated levels However, mildly elevated concentrations of of two protein biomarkers that indicate heart damage may be an early warning sign of changes in the structure and function of the heart, which may increase the risk for future heart failure, coronary heart disease or death. Researchers analyzed health information and blood samples for more than 10,300 adults collected as part of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2004. Study participants had reported no history of cardiovascular disease when they enrolled in the study. One-third (33.4%) of adults with Type 2 diabetes had signs of undetected cardiovascular disease, as indicated by elevated levels of the two protein markers, compared to only 16.1% of those without diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-adults-diabetes-undetected-cardiovascular-disease.html XX VIVI CAP XX MTV Documentary Films has acquired worldwide rights to Pay or Die, a film about Americans living with diabetes who face a cruel choice: pay the “extortionate” cost of insulin charged by pharmaceutical companies or risk death. Scott Alexander Ruderman and Rachael Dyer directed and produced the documentary, which premiered in March at SXSW. MTV Documentary Films plans a theatrical release later this year, followed by a debut on streaming platform Paramount+. Those personal stories in the film stretch across the country. “From a mother-and-daughter struggling to rebuild their lives after spending their rent money on insulin, to a young adult diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic, to a Minnesota family thrust into the national spotlight when their 26-year-old son dies from rationing his insulin, Pay or Die highlights this devastating struggle to survive while living with diabetes.” https://deadline.com/2023/05/pay-or-die-mtv-documentary-films-acquisition-directors-scott-alexander-ruderman-rachael-dyer-news-1235382566/ XX Katie Bone win the “American Ninja Warrior Women's Championship” — not only claiming the title but a cash prize of $50,000. She donated $5,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Pumped NM. Bone has not only appeared on three iterations of the competition series, but is also a nationally-ranked rock climber. While not the youngest competitor anymore, she was the shortest standing at 5 foot, 2 inches. She's been making waves since competing in “American Ninja Warrior Jr.” in 2020. To train for the event during the pandemic, her father built a ninja course in their backyard. During that competition, Bone, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 11 years old, competed with both her insulin pump and glucose monitor on her arms. Being on the show also presents Bone with the opportunity to be an ambassador for Type 1 diabetes awareness and representation. Bone says Type 1 diabetes didn't end her life, it just changed it. “I hope I inspire a little kid to wear their pump on their arm,” Bone said. “It makes everything that you do that more amazing.” In February, Bone competed at the USA National Women's Team Climbing trials in Austin, Texas. During her fourth climb, she fell. “Katie heard four pops,” Tammy Bone said. “She tore her ACL and both sides of her meniscus. This was a moment she was preparing for all her life and it got put on pause.” Bone had surgery and has been getting physical therapy in Colorado. The family returned Monday night to New Mexico after being away for three months. Bone still has her eyes on the Olympics, though the road to recovery may take some more time. “I don't need easy, I just need possible,” she said. https://www.abqjournal.com/2602750/17-year-old-new-mexico-ninja-warrior-katie-bone-takes-the-title-in-womens-championship-competition.html XX Today LEGO has revealed the first wave of Friends sets for 2023, bringing in a new cast of characters and an update to the branding with a new logo. A new LEGO Friends television series will also accompany the new sets. LEGO's annual Play Well study revealed that 3 out of 4 children felt there were not enough toys with characters that represent them, so LEGO is aiming to bring more diverse representation to Heartlake City that's inclusive of not just various ethnicities and genders, but also disabilities and neurodivergence. LEGO says the 2023 sets and series will feature characters with limb difference, Downs Syndrome, anxiety, vitiligo, and even pets with disabilities, including a blind dog and a dog with a wheelchair. She has a CGM printed on her arm and even has a printed phone tile showing her blood sugar. Her name is Hannah and she's in 41744 Sports Center https://www.brothers-brick.com/2022/10/27/lego-friends-reveals-5-sets-for-2023-with-diverse-characters-to-better-represent-children-news/ XX XX On the podcast next week.. Beta Bionics CEO Sean Saint. Last week I MedT 780G That's In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.  

With us today is actor Austin Basis, one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood.    He is currently known as Alvin on the award winning comedy series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”.    Austin is best known as the breakout comedic star on the CW's People's Choice Award-winning series, “Beauty and the Beast”, as well as a series regular role on The CW's “Life Unexpected”. Austin's acting resume is so long it's worth a read on IMDb!   Also, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at a young age, Austin is a strong advocate for T1D research, and is currently a Celebrity Ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, for which he is very passionate about.    #themarvelousmrsmaisel #streaming #tvseries #tvshow #television #mrsmaisel #type1diabetes #T!D #brandambassador

With us today is actor Austin Basis, one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood.    He is currently known as Alvin on the award winning comedy series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”.    Austin is best known as the breakout comedic star on the CW's People's Choice Award-winning series, “Beauty and the Beast”, as well as a series regular role on The CW's “Life Unexpected”. Austin's acting resume is so long it's worth a read on IMDb!   Also, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at a young age, Austin is a strong advocate for T1D research, and is currently a Celebrity Ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, for which he is very passionate about.    #themarvelousmrsmaisel #streaming #tvseries #tvshow #television #mrsmaisel #type1diabetes #T!D #brandambassador

It's Take Over Tuesday where you the listener run the podcast.And this week's episode is featuring Joe KlusnickJoe is back for his THIRD visit with DJ and he comes prepared!  Joe and DJ go deep into the weeds of Home Theater and talk about everything from ‘the absence of sound' to ‘diminishing returns'.Plus Joe has this months charity and tells us about his personal experience with Juvenile Diabetes and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  He even offers to MATCH whatever Bright Side Home Theater donates at the end of the month!  So lets step up and empty Joe's wallet!  So much Fun!If you don't believe it…Push Play and Hear for yourself!Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation:JDRF - Diabetes - Type 1 Diabetes Research, Advocacy, and Support To Donate Directly:Make a Donation - JDRFFollow & Say Hi to the Guys on TwitterDJ -

It's Take Over Tuesday where you the listener run the podcast.And this week's episode is featuring Joe KlusnickJoe is back for his THIRD visit with DJ and he comes prepared!  Joe and DJ go deep into the weeds of Home Theater and talk about everything from ‘the absence of sound' to ‘diminishing returns'.Plus Joe has this months charity and tells us about his personal experience with Juvenile Diabetes and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  He even offers to MATCH whatever Bright Side Home Theater donates at the end of the month!  So lets step up and empty Joe's wallet!  So much Fun!If you don't believe it…Push Play and Hear for yourself!Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation:JDRF - Diabetes - Type 1 Diabetes Research, Advocacy, and Support To Donate Directly:Make a Donation - JDRFFollow & Say Hi to the Guys on TwitterDJ -

We're back Inside the Runners Studio and this week we have Lisa with us! She runs for tacos, margaritas and to help end type 1 diabetes. To do the later, she's riding a 100 miles raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Donate to her efforts at https://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?fr_id=9118&pg=personal&px=13592953 and then follow her on IG and follow her at @lisaknitsandtrains . We're excited to continue getting to know members of the Will Run for Podcast Community in these mini episodes where we put the spotlight on you! To be featured as on a future episode email us at willrunforpodcast@gmail.com

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will achieve the feat of hosting signature fundraising galas in each of the five largest Texas markets in a single month! This expanded episode features Melissa Pinkerton, development director for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's North Texas/Oklahoma Chapter and Amanda Mounts, market leader for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Southern Texas Chapter who each talk with Rob about creating successful fundraisers that serve the mission of the organization while speaking to the specific needs of the individual communities they serve.

Join us as we sit down with local race director of the Salmon Falls 50K and executive director and co-founder of Clipped in for Life, Clint Classsen to talk all things Salmon Falls, hosted by Coloma River Races. Coloma River Races is a non-profit with proceeds benefiting the Northern California Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  The Salmon Falls 50K is a point to point ultra distance trail race offering a challenging and unique trail race experience. This hidden gem offers adventurous terrain and breathtaking views–all in Sacramento's backyard. The race begins at the Magnolia Ranch trailhead near historic Coloma, CA, the birthplace of the California Gold Rush. The course will run the majority of the trails in the Cronan Ranch area before winding down to Folsom Point State Park at Folsom Lake. We are going to get you all the info you need to crush this 50K. Let's jump in !! Salmonfalls50k.comClipped In For Life Register to volunteer with Salmon Falls 50KNorthern California JDRF Diabetes ChapterMother Lode Trail Stewardship – El Dorado's Trail GroupFolsom Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition---Our sponsors:The Mile 99 Interview | LinktreeYour Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin / Mike TurnerThe Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | PatreonVenmo | The Mile 99 InterviewIntro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevationSupport the show

We are excited to share this bonus episode with all of you. Several musicians who have appeared on the podcast or will be making their debut in early 2023 were kind enough to share their Christmas greetings… and their Christmas songs… for our Pops on Hops fans! Some of these are older songs, and some were recorded specifically for this episode. First up is “The Christmas Song” performed by Connie and Nick Martino (feat. Daphne Martino). Nick will be joining us next season to discuss his work with New York Funk Exchange. Our second entry is from Matt Carlson of Harborcoat. Matt produced a new Christmas single for 2022, a cover of Valley Winter Song by Fountains of Wayne. Listen to Matt's interview in our episode Friends are Inclusive. Up next is Jack Cornell, who shared an old Olympic Ass-Kicking Team song, “Christmas on the Faces.” Listen to Jack's interview in our episode Friendship Wins. Rounding out our special is a song by Grammy-winning artist Jon Carroll, formerly of Starland Vocal Band. Jon shared his recording of Going Home For Christmas, a song he has long played at the Annual Jingle Jam Concerts in Leesburg, Virginia, to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Listen to Jon's interview in our episode Today (With Jon Carroll). We will see everybody when season three begins in March 2023. We will kick things off with a discussion of Xanadu by ELO, submitted to our Virtual Jukebox by Greg Jong of The Procession. This episode will be released on March 3, 2023. Follow Barry or Abigail on Untappd to see what we're drinking when we're not on mic! Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Website | Email us | Virtual Jukebox --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pops-on-hops-podcast/message

Attorney Joseph Mure joins Sid to bring awareness to his cause: The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Joe has put a face on this disease that afflicts millions. Each year, during the Christmas season, he illuminates the cause by illuminating his home; turning it into a veritable Little North Pole. His winter-wonderland has become a beacon, shedding the light of awareness on the disease and the dire need for a cure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason brings a wealth of experience in strategic operations planning and technical projects management from his rigorous technical background. He began his career as a technical engineer working for Adecco at SC Johnson in 2009, where he developed comprehensive maintenance plans to support manufacturing processes at scale. His philanthropic work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation sparked an interest in biotech, leading him to co-found Biostem Technologies in 2014. Jason holds a bachelor's in mechanical engineering technology and a minor in Mathematics from the Milwaukee School of Engineering Andrew is a veteran and manufacturing operations expert with over eight years of experience working in FDA-regulated pharmaceutical and tissue processing firms, prior to his biopharmaceutical career, he served as an aviation mechanic and flight captain in the United States Marine Corps. He co-founded Biostem Technologies in 2014 and played a pivotal role in the development of the company ensuring compliance with FDA and state pharmacy board guidelines. Andrew studied at Florida Gulf Coast University and has completed Landmark Courses to hone advanced leadership skills On this episode, they discuss what a complex wound is, what causes it to form and how this condition can be debilitating for patients, how the nutrients from perinatal tissue can be used as a solution for healing advanced wounds, their unique process method know as BioRetain® and how it differs from existing methods on the market and how their technology has been used within sports injuries such as trauma wounds with UFC fighters. Get in touch with Jason Matuszewski - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-matuszewski-034163b4/ Get in touch with Andrew VanVurst - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-vanvurst-ctbs-a69807b2/ Get in touch with Karandeep Badwal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karandeepbadwal/ Follow Karandeep on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/QRAMedical Subscribe to the Podcast --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themedtechpodcast/support

Description: Mil-Kid, Addison chats about her art piece, how it helped the family to celebrate life's moments even when her dad was deployed and about the challenges she faces as a military kid with type 1 diabetes and celiac. This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Offutt Officers Spouses Club. https://offuttosc.com/   Show Notes: Information on Diabetes https://diabetes.org/ Information on Juvenile Diabetes https://www.jdrf.org/ Information on Celiac Disease https://celiac.org/   Bio: Addison Richter Addison Richter is a US Army Active-Duty military child.  She is a rising seventh grader who epitomizes the word resilient.  Our family has endured 4 overseas deployments and multiple training rotations stateside.  Addi and her younger sister, Grace, have also been through 5 PCS moves. In her 6 years of schooling, Addi has attended 5 different schools.    In 2020, Addi was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as Johns Hopkins Medical Center saved her life.  She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 2 months later.  This kid doesn't let her multiple diagnoses define her.  She has played soccer for 9 years and is currently on a club travel soccer team with hopes of playing for the US Women's National Team in the future.  Addison has been involved with her school's student council and is a current fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She is an honor roll student who uses art to celebrate her triumphs.  

It's Rant and Rave Friday live from Fairly Reliable Bob's! Bobby Peterson joined Nate to discuss the corvette raffle that goes towards The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Nate took your rants, raves, and everything in between. During the rave hour, Nate talked with Dino about the Toys For Tots Ride that is happening this Sunday. For the Rant hour Nate discusses political violence and a poll that came out that says that 88% of Adults fear political violence. Nate wagers that 88% of people would also fear any other type of violence. (11/4/22)

Brandon Howard is now the Chief Operating Officer for MotosAmerica Motos America where he combines his love for motorcycles and people. Brandon serves with me on the Board of Trustees for Davis Technical College, Kaysville, Utah.  Brandon Howard Joins Motos America as Chief Operating Officer – Motos America Brandon Howard Graduated with honors from Western Culinary Institute (Le Cordon Blue), Portland, OR. 1992. Brandon competed in the 1992 World Culinary Olympics, Frankfurt Germany with the US Oregon Culinary Team (Silver Medal). Along with over 25 years of business development he has led the culinary development and successful operational development for several prominent Utah restaurant locations including, Jake's, Market Street Grill and Oyster Bar, Park City Mountain Resort, Panini, The Point (Huntsman Cancer Institute), La Caille (AAA Four Diamond Award), Snowbird Ski Resort and most recently at Wingers. During Brandon's 28-year career he has had the opportunity to work with globally acclaimed Culinary Leaders. Alice Waters (Chez Panisse), John Ash (Fetzer Wine/ Coyote Grill), and Master Chef Keith Keogh (Disney) to name a few. Brandon has been awarded several local and national awards including the coveted Silver Plate Award (Chaîne des Rôtisseurs) and is featured in “The Best Chefs of America” since 2013. In addition to the above-mentioned achievements, Brandon has had the honor of hosting several premiere culinary events for prominent world leaders and mainstream celebrities. British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher, Vice President Dick Cheney, Davis Love III, Steve Young, Clarence Tomas, and Gordon B. Hinckley among many more. Brandon supports several social and nonprofit organizations through ongoing service. Huntsman Cancer Institute, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Pro Start, and Red Barn Farm. (Red Barn Farm is a therapeutic community for substance abusers and behavioral change).

Taso Milonas is a Florida Bar Board Certified Tax Lawyer where fewer than five percent of all attorneys admitted to practice in Florida are Board Certified. Taso also holds a Master of Laws in Taxation. His practice today is primarily in trust and estate litigation. Along with his practice, Taso is passionate about giving back to the community. He is currently serving on the Johns Hopkins All Children's Foundation Planned Giving Committee and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, North Florida, Central Florida and Southwest Florida Chapters as a Board Member, Executive Board Member, and Co-Chair of the Planned Giving Committee. For anyone who doesn't understand the complexity of trust and estate litigation, Taso helps his clients understand with straightforward explanations.  In our conversation, we discuss:  The challenge as an estate planner and the need for knowing who to add to the team for knowledge of other areas of the law. What the probate process really entails and how it's a more public process than before. When one contests a Will or Trust, you're challenging a document. An explanation of what is undue influence. A discussion on tortious interference. A case study of when someone takes advantage of a person with dementia. The importance of clients organizing their paperwork and critical documents. One of the biggest obstacles facing the industry in Florida. Enjoy the show! Connect with Taso: Website: https://www.wealthlawgroup.com/ Connect with Kris: Website: https://www.lpfadvisors.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristopher-flammang-lpfadv/ Twitter: @kflammang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nancy Gaudet is a strong, fiercely independent woman who cares deeply and loves unconditionally. Her story involves doing a bike ride for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to raise funds for children with Type One diabetes, as her son had been diagnosed with it at age nine. It was her fourth ride and she was 58 years old. She completed the 100 miles and two hours later had a massive seizure, landing her in the ICU unit at a hospital in Florida. She spent five days there close to kidney failure and was read her last rites. Fortunately, she has no permanent damage, went through months of rehab, and changed her life. Nancy manages 12,000 apartments and supervises 400 staff for a family-owned real estate company in Boston. Her greatest joy is her 22-year-old son. She also is an advocate and fundraiser. She started and has been running for ten years a monthly support group for other moms, whose children also have juvenile diabetes, helping more than 200 mothers with that effort. Nancy met her soulmate during the pandemic, while working on another fundraiser. She and her partner were both working on a fundraising project for dear friends. A friendship formed, and a goal of raising a substantial amount of money to help mutual friends was achieved. According to Nancy, that first kiss, after months of talking on the phone for hundreds of hours, was just like living in a Hallmark movie. There was that one singular, slow motion moment when time stood still and two very bruised and battered hearts let the tiny droplets of love seep in slowly. She believes that there are no coincidences; there are only “God instances.” To learn more about Nancy's support group for women whose children have juvenile diabetes, email her at NancyGaudet60@gmail.com. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maria-leonard-olsen/support

The following is a conversation between Sean Doherty, the Chairman of the JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Fund, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. In 2015, a group of JDRF volunteers, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, observed that there was virtually no private investment in type 1 diabetes, which was causing a gap between scientific advancements and the delivery of solutions to the people who need them. Their solution: launch the JDRF T1D Fund, a venture philanthropy fund to create a market in T1D by using their capital and expertise to convince venture capital, biotech, and pharma to make the investments needed to cure type 1 diabetes. And here to tell us about how this work is going is Sean Doherty, the chairman of the T1D Fund.

Michael Alter, co-founder of SurePayroll, talks about how early in his career he was unwilling to share his diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes, and then because he felt like it was for himself, unwilling to help raise funding for Type 1 Diabetes research. He changed course and has now been on the board of The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for the past twelve years. JDRF is the leader in research leading to a cure for type 1 diabetes in the world. It sets the global agenda for diabetes research, and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of diabetes science worldwide.Michael also shares advice for those with Type 1 Diabetes who want to be entrepreneurs, and encourages young people not to use their diagnosis as an excuse to not pursue their dreams.

It's hot toddy time! Join me for Paranoia Happy Hour with my guest Sumer. We hear about the time she found a glass door to nowhere in a cold basement and some creeeeeeeeeepy kid stories. Sumer's Boo Club pick is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Check it out from your local library! Sumer's awareness picks are The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.JDRF is a nonprofit that funds innovative research and advocates for government action around juvenile diabetes. Learn more at jdrf.org! The Nature Conservancy is one of the most effective and widereaching environmental nonprofit organizations in the world, working to conserve our natural resources. Check them out at nature.org to learn more about their mission.

Chris Bailey, editor and producer of The SavvyCast, shared about the importance of mental health on this week's episode. He shared his own journey as well as which resources have been helpful for him. Who is Chris Bailey?  Chris Bailey grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and is an alumnus of Samford University. He has over 10 years of professional videography experience and helped create the SavvyCast. He is now a producer and editor for The SavvyCast, as well as the Founder and CEO of CSB Productions. Chris has worked on countless television and online productions including Chace Strickland and Sean Hobbs of Backyard Production, Emmy Award-Winning Documentary Director Michael Uys, The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and many other directors, videographers, organizations, and online personalities. Chris is drawn to stories and strives to use videography as a way to reveal the deeper story behind every project.  The Episode at a Glance: This week I discussed the importance of mental health with Chris Bailey. Chris shared about his own mental health journey, as well as what resources have been helpful for him. We discussed depression, anxiety, medication, and how to find the right therapist.  Questions We Answered:  What does depression feel like? What is the purpose of medication? How do you find a good therapist? What are the first treatment steps for someone who has or thinks they have depression?  How do you speak life into yourself? How do you unravel the habit of speaking negatively to yourself?  Resources We Discussed:  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It's Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind by Louie Giglio Out of the Cave: Stepping into the Light When Depression Darkens What You See by Chris Hodges Trey Hill at Covenant Counseling  CSB Productions  Suicide Hotline:  The National Suicide Hotline number is 800-273-8255. If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, do not hesitate to reach out and find help. I hope you enjoyed this episode! As always, if you have time to rate, review and subscribe to The SavvyCast on iTunes, it would be SO appreciated!!! Blessings to you!!! If you like this podcast, check these out: A Licensed Therapist Talks about How to Deal with Grief Let's Talk: Living a Full Life with Fibromyalgia and Lupus

What You Will Learn: How Danny became a business owner and entrepreneur unexpectedly by helping grow a business from seven employees to $275 million a year Why an important piece of Danny's success was found in always seeking to improve and strengthen the business with intentionality and purpose Why creating a business that is highly transferable comes down to building an organization that can stand on its own without being too dependent upon you What critical mistakes business owners often make that can hurt their ability to sell or transfer the business when they're ready to exit Why your financial statements need to be highly accurate, and why you need to reconcile every account on your balance sheet every single month Danny shares an example of a business owner who failed to reconcile his balance sheet and how it created a cascading series of problems that caused the business to close What advice Danny has to share for business owners who hope to eventually exit their business, and what steps you can take today to prepare How Danny and his team help dramatically increase the value of businesses by teaching owners what changes to make About Danny Wheeler: Danny Wheeler is a Partner at FAZ Business Advisors and has over 30 years of experience as a business operator in a variety of industries and as an advisor to closely held businesses. He has owned and been a member of the management team of Health Solutions, CFO for Hire, Ultradian Diagnostics and ATSCO Products. While Danny served as the Chief Financial Officer of Health Solutions, the company's revenues grew from $29 million to $275 million and was ultimately sold to a publicly traded competitor. More recently, as the CEO of ATSCO Products he successfully grew the business over seven years and sold it to WB Mason. Danny has assisted numerous other entrepreneurs in making their businesses bigger, better, easier to operate and more profitable. His clients have included businesses in healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, banking, hospitality, retail, legal and real estate. These businesses have fixed their profitability problems, purchased other businesses, sold all or part of their business and created long term plans that met the needs of the business owners. He has worked in a variety of markets including Boston, Hartford, Providence, New York, Detroit, Orlando, Miami, the Caribbean and throughout Upstate New York. Danny is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration with a degree in Finance and Real Estate. He is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor. He currently serves or has served in leadership & board roles for numerous not-for-profits, professional organizations, and community groups, including Albany Medical College, Cornell Hotel Society, Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the NYS Society of Certified Public Accountants. Danny is a huge fan of football on Sundays and any kind of live sporting event or rock concert. He and his wife enjoy trips to Cape Cod and spending time with their three sons who are building their own successful careers. Resources: Website: https://fazcpas.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danny-j-wheeler/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ferraro-amodio-&-zarecki-cpas/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/fazcpas/ Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Very excited to announce this fantastic interview with  political Superstar Anne Dunsmore!Anne's nearly 40-year career in fundraising has spanned the development of new technologies and fundraising strategies. Always on the cutting edge of blending these technologies with business, Anne has developed one of the most comprehensive, technologically advanced fundraising operations in the country.After her early work on political campaigns in the late 70's, she founded Capital Campaigns, Inc. which has consulted to over 300 candidates, initiatives, referendums, businesses and charities including Muhammad Ali, UCLA School of Medicine, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, UCI School of Medicine, LA County Museum of Art, the House Ear Institute, the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery, Los Angeles BioMedical Institute at Harbor-UCLA, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation as well as numerous campaigns for President (George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, Ronald Reagan, Pete Wilson, George W. Bush, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani), Governor (Pete Wilson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Deukmejian, Jeb Bush, George W. Bush), US Senate (over 100 campaigns around the country), The Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, and Republican Governors Association.  Most recently she has been credited with jump-starting and managing Mike Garcia's campaign thru his special election win in May of 2020.  Anne is a powerhouse in every sense of the word, moving mountains in pursuit of her vision for an improved world, an inspiration of personal power and organized action there is much to be learned from her  pragmatic wisdom. 

Billy Flanigan is the longest running entertainer in Disney park history. During 2020, Billy began biking to friends houses to deliver socially-distant singing telegrams called "Flanigrams". He garnered national attention from People magazine, and Good Morning America for his venture visiting 500 people in 16 different states, biking 7,000 miles for smiles. His life story is being featured in a new documentary appropriately titled,  “The Happiest Man on Earth," which will be released in 2021. Billy tells of his Disney adventures, sings a Flanigram on-air, and openly shares his emotional and inspiring story of coming out.Follow Billy:https://www.instagram.com/thebillyflanigan/https://www.facebook.com/billy.flanigan.372https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-flanigan-265793107/Donate to Lexi's  Walk for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation:http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/marylouflaniganThe Sweetest Thinghttps://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/us/friends-biological-sisters-trnd/index.htmlJOIN US in our goals to sponsor a tiny home! DONATE HERE:https://gofund.me/44e5c5b2Send us your good-news stories!! Email us at theplspodcast@gmail.comFollow the PLS Podcast onInstagram   https://www.instagram.com/theplspodcast/?hl=enTwitter  https://twitter.com/thePLSpodcastFacebook  https://www.facebook.com/groups/488697278752741/Artwork by Kat HennesseyAudio Engineer Andrew SchwartzOriginal theme music by Heidi Webster & Nicole KaplanCome sip with us! Smart Sweets Keep Sugar! Kick Candy! Use code PLS10 for 10% off!!

Glen Tullman, Managing Partner, 7wireVentures Glen Tullman is the Founder and former Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Livongo Health, the first at-scale consumer digital health company to truly empower people with chronic conditions to live better and healthier lives using data science. In his final year, Tullman led Livongo through the largest consumer digital health Initial Public Offering in history, a secondary offering, a convertible debt offering that raised over $550 million, and the industry's largest merger to date between Livongo and Teladoc Health, valuing Livongo at $18.5 billion and beginning a new era of consumer centric virtual care. A visionary leader and entrepreneur, Tullman previously ran two other public companies that changed the way health care is delivered. During his time as Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts, the Company was the leading provider of electronic prescribing, practice management, and electronic health records. Glen led Allscripts IPO and Secondary offerings. Prior to Allscripts, he was Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Systems, which he also took public and then sold to McKesson/HBOC. Before entering healthcare, Tullman served as President and COO of CCC Information Systems, a provider of computerized systems for the property and casualty insurance sector. Tullman is one of two Founding Partners at 7wireVentures, one of the highest returning venture capital funds in Illinois. He is the author of On Our Terms: Empowering the New Health Consumer, in which he proposes new solutions to address the chronic-condition epidemic facing our country. Glen is dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes and other chronic conditions—and to keeping people healthy until these cures are found. A strong proponent of philanthropy, he was honored in 2019 with a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award for his career focused on improving the safety, empathy, and efficiency of our healthcare system. He also serves as a Chancellor to the International Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and as a Board Member of the American Diabetes Association. Tullman has three amazing children that inspire him every day.

Darkness Radio presents Holzer's Ghosts - The Final Word Edition Tonight Dave is joined by 3 special guests, Alexandra Holzer, Karen A. Dahlman & Shane Pittman, to discuss tonight's episode of The Holzer Files, Final Word, which involved the haunting of Franklin Castle in Cleveland, OH. A powerful episode with stunning supernatural evidence. The team visits the site of one of Dr. Holzer's most challenging cases, where equipment failed him on every visit and his access eventually was denied.We discuss some of the radical experiments used in tonight's episode to make communication with the spirits still time locked within its walls from a controversial OUIJA board session, Spirit Art and deep immersion into darkness experiments to incorporating Dave's 13 yr old daughter into the investigation to help bridge the chasm to the ghost of a young girl still wandering the halls of Franklin Castle. In light of the touching story and premature death of Emma featured in tonight's episode and the personal impact of Type 1 Diabetes in the lives of Dave and Alexandra's children, Please consider donating to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to help put an end to Type 1 Diabetes. www.JDRF.org Visit Alexandra's site: www.AlexandraHolzer.com Visit the Talking Board Historical Society: www.TBHS.org See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics Discussed and Key Points: ● Monique's challenges in raising 3 special needs children ● Dealing with the world around you when raising special needs children ● The importance of taking time for yourself ● Lightening up in the face of adversity ● Loving your kids in spite of all the challenges ● How to ask for help when dealing with special needs children Episode Summary: In this episode, Monique shares her difficult experiences with childbirth, including the grieving the loss of the children that she had hoped for so that she could learn to love the children that she actually had. Her children were born with disabilities, two of which, Tai and Devon, with cerebral palsy. Her third child, Al'Mir, was intubated for a long period following his birth, and remained on oxygen for a while thereafter, living at the NICU until he was five and a half months old. Monique recounts these experiences knowing that they are occurrences that most moms thankfully never have to go through. Monique never got to take any of her newborn children home immediately upon her discharge from the hospital and they remained completely dependent on their parents for the duration of their lives. Her children never had the usual milestones—raising their heads, crawling, walking, etc. These unfortunate experiences caused Monique to ask some tough questions of herself: Why did this happen to me? Is there something wrong with me? She has no history with drug abuse or heavy drinking. She lived a healthy lifestyle and prepared well for the birth of her children. Why were her children born the way they were? Monique can't answer the whys and hows around her situation. Instead, she shares how she was able to move past her challenges, and her advice for other families going through similar circumstances. “These babies didn't ask to come here. They didn't ask you to be their parent. And they sure didn't ask to come here with these disabilities that would separate them from most of the world and how it works.” The world can be a cruel place. What has kept Monique going after over three decades dealing with these challenges is her love for her children—disabilities and all. Monique points out that the “system” is broken, and so it takes an extraordinary amount of patience and extra planning to provide for your special needs children. But in spite of it all: “It is what it is.” Monique shares four pieces of advice: 1) You must take time for yourself. Parents feel understandably guilty if they leave their disabled children for even just a few minutes. But what good is your ability to care for them if you can't even take care of yourself? You will implode if you don't give yourself space to destress and refresh. 2) Don't take yourself so seriously. When you're working almost to exhaustion, you need to learn to laugh at yourself. You'll never be the perfect parent to your special needs children. 3) Your kids want you to know that they're just kids. This means that they simply want to be loved and nurtured. 4) Learn to ask for help. If you don't have a lot of family to reach out to, don't be afraid to contact your local agencies. Of these, Monique references United Cerebral Palsy, the Easter Seals Society, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the National Autism Association. Find a support network as well if you can. It may be hard to ask for help; but it will make you realize that you aren't alone in dealing with these issues. On the other hand, be the one to reach out to others who may need your help. In our introverted society, a single proactive, helping hand can make all the difference. Societal change starts with individuals connecting with other individuals, one by one. This evokes change through raising awareness of the conversations we need to have as a country. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/monique-monge/message

Have you ever played the lottery? Our guest, Tom Crabtree not only played the lottery, but won! Growing up he had his sights set on playing in the NFL. Crabtree played college football at Miami University before becoming an undrafted tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs.  He didn't meet instant success. Although he made it through training camp with the Chief's they cut him because they didn't believe he was ready to take the field game one. They then resigned him to the practice squad where he continues to work his ass off until week three when they cut him permanently. Then he is sitting with his family for a Thanksgiving meal when he gets a call from the Green Bay Packers where he & his teammates achieved the ultimate reward by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in 2011. He discusses how hard work, & yes even luck allows you to reach your childhood dreams. He also opens up about his favorite date night with his wife & why they support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Follow Tom Crabtree on Social Media: Twitter: @itscrab Instagram: @itscrab Follow The Underdog Podcast on Social Media: Twitter: @UnderdogPod Instagram: @underdog_pod Facebook: The Underdog Podcast

Interested in Franchise Ownership? Contact Pamela Currie to receive a COMPLIMENTARY Consultation on Selecting a Franchise. Pamela Currie, Host of the Franchise Business Radio show and Founder of Franchise Intellect, Inc. www.FranchiseIntellect.com Mobile: 847-970-8765 Email: Pam@FranchiseIntellect.com To learn more about guest topics, contacting a guest or becoming a guest on the Franchise Business Radio show simply email Pam@FranchiseIntellect.com Barry Falcon As iFranchise Group's Senior Franchise Advisor in Atlanta, Mr. Falcon's professional career spans more than 40 years across a range of industries and functions, including communications technology, operational and manufacturing consulting, marketing, project management, and business development. Mr. Falcon has over 16 years of direct experience in franchising, both as a franchisee and as an executive within multiple national franchisor systems. Prior to joining the iFranchise Group as a Senior Advisor, Mr. Falcon served as CEO/Partner of Concrete Craft, where he implemented organizational and procedural improvements and initiated and led the sale of the company to Home Franchise Concepts. Before his tenure at Concrete Craft, Mr. Falcon was President/Co-Founder and Partner, and remains the Chairman of the Board, at ShelfGenie Franchise Systems, where he helped to establish the franchise program and was instrumental in growing the concept to 145 locations in five years. ShelfGenie was recognized by both Inc. and Entrepreneur magazines on their lists of top-performing franchise systems. Mr. Falcon was also a franchise owner with Velocity Sports Performance, where he was responsible for overall project management, hiring and training staff, implementing marketing efforts, and more. In the first year of operations, he grew revenues to $800,000. He ultimately sold the company to start ShelfGenie. Mr. Falcon is an active marathon runner and cyclist and is involved in a number of professional and community organizations, including local chambers of commerce and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He received a Professional Designation in Business Management from UCLA and has also received Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation from the International Franchise Association. Topics Discussed: Emerging Franchises Web Site / Social Media Links: www.ifranchisegroup.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-j-falcon-cfe-8983a94 George Koulouris Topics Discussed: Company story, immigrant founder, generational family business Trends in the food industry, communicating culture, bootstrapping to franchise. Web Site / Social Media Links: www.greciangyro.com www.facebook.com/greciangyro   John Holman, Development Agent HomeVestors franchisees for nearly 20 years. Bought & sold over 650 houses in the 1st 10 years, partner in several franchises. Topics Discussed: 1) The market; is it still a good market to buy & sell houses? 2) How do you find good deals? 3) How do you make money buying & selling houses? Web Site / Social Media Links: https://homevestorsfranchise.com The Franchise Business Radio show is a platform to bring together franchise professionals and resources to connect, educate, and collaborate to serve the franchise community and the franchise consumer. Spotlighting Leaders in the Franchise Industry, experts in funding, legal, marketing and consulting. Franchise Business Radio hosted by: Pam Currie, Founder Franchise Intellect   Made possible in part by: Franchise Intellect, visit: http://www.FranchiseIntellect.com Knowledgeable Advisors to Guide You on Franchise Selection     Also made possible in part by: Franchise City, visit http://www.Franchise.city A Better Way to Buy a Franchise!         To nominate or submit a guest request visit: http://www.OnAirGuest.com To view guest photos from this show, visit: http://www.

Bruce Postman has directed over 40 documentaries, many award winning, about coping with life threatening illnesses. He has worked with Cancervive, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, City of Hope and others. He is now working on “The