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Welcome to the latest PRmoment podcast. On the show today we're talking to Heather Blundell, the UK CEO of Grayling. Heather joined Grayling in late 2023 after a brief spell at Ketchum as deputy UK CEO. Before that she'd headed up Weber's Manchester office and been part of the leadership team at Weber in London.On the show today we're going to talk through Heather's career story, from her time as a trainee at Edelman, which she describes as “like SAS training” through to her MD role at Grayling today.Grayling has global revenues of £40m with about half of those in the UK. It has 30 offices globally.Clients include Visa, Birmingham Football Club and Grindr.Before we start, two pieces of good news at PRmoment this week. The first is that the programme for PR Masterclass: AI in PR is now complete. The PR Masterclass series are hybrid events so you can attend either in person or virtually. The event is on July 3rd and themes include:How to Integrate AI into your PR WorkflowThe impact of AI on JournalismAI as a content production toolIs LLM optimisation PR's biggest opportunity of our lifetimes?How will AI impact the agency business model?How to build and scaling AI-powered PR toolsThe legal implications of AI in your communicationsThe intersection of PR and AI for in-house communicatorsHow to move from AI experimentation to implementationCheck out the microsite PRMasterclasses.com for all the details including the speaker line-up.The other vital bit of information is that The Creative Moment Awards are now open for entries. You can see all the categories for 2025 at the microsite creativemomentawards.co.The early bird entry deadline is Friday 16th May.Here's a summary of what Heather and PRmoment founder discussed:3 mins Heather on the current health of UK PR would you say?“The agency model and way of working is continuing to evolve.”“We're seeing clients be cautious.”“Pitching is more aggressive than ever.”8.30 mins Heather started her PR career at Edelman. Looking back, is that where she learnt how to be good at PR?“There was a high level of expected excellence. I've tried to emulate that throughout my career. It was a high challenge, high support culture.”15 mins How did Heather make the move from Edelman in London to Weber Shandwick in Manchester?16 mins Heather talks about the role Colin Byrne and Jon McLeod played in her becoming MD of Weber Shandwick Manchester aged 29.“Agencies must be a meritocracy, not a test of longevity.” Ben Smith19 mins How Heather and her team turned around the fortunes of Weber Shandwick in Manchester to have a fee income of about £5m and 40 odd employees in 2014.24 mins Heather and Ben reminisce about the PR legends that were Colin Byrne and Robert Phillips.Here is the link to the PRmoment Podcast with Colin Byrne, referenced in the show.28 mins Why did you leave Weber to go to Ketchum?29 mins What did Heather learn from her time at Ketchum?31 mins Heather on why she moved to Grayling.“Grayling is the first PR firm I've worked at where the UK business is bigger than the US. That makes a difference.”Here is the link to the PRmoment Podcast episode with Sarah Schofield reference on the show.35 mins In some ways, the defining trend of the l
Episode Notes This week on Pride Connection, dropping on Tuesday wherever you get your podcast, we're continuing a very special two-part journey with someone who continues to inspire and electrify our community —Rosemary Ketchum! Part one last week presented a flashback to one of our most powerful conversations ever. And this week, she's back with us for a brand-new episode—raw, real, and refreshingly Rosemary. We first met Rosemary Ketchum during a momentous chapter of her journey—as an advocate, a candidate, and a history-maker. As the first openly transgender person elected to office in West Virginia, Rosemary shattered barriers and made national headlines… but she didn't stop there. In this powerful updated episode, we had a conversation that left an indelible mark on our hearts. Rosemary shares her passion for advocacy, her grassroots work supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, and her unapologetic drive to protect and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community—especially in places where it's not always safe or easy to do so. She joins us to talk about what's next, how she's really doing, and how she's feeling in the face of an America that's teetering between promise and peril. Spoiler alert: she doesn't hold back. She talks candidly about attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, the exhaustion of advocacy, and the crossroads many of us are standing at: fight or flee? And in her own words: “I love coming to talk with Blind LGBT Pride International's Pride Connection. I am an honorary member of this fabulous organization who is fighting the good fight and folding and embracing our community's most vulnerable members, and standing up against the forces trying to strip away the identities of us all—especially our transgender and non-binary siblings.” For more information on Blind Pride International, please visit www.bpi.gay
Show Notes:The current negative sentiment and noise around equity and inclusion can feel overwhelming. At such times it makes sense to step back and celebrate the work of organisations steadfast in their vision (there are many of them around). The Taylor Bennett Foundation (TBF) is one such organisation dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the communications industry that has been doing some stellar work to deliver on its purpose. I recently took the opportunity to invite Koray Camgöz, the new CEO of the TBF and one of the nicest people I know in the UK PR industry to talk about his priorities and focus.Koray has been a staunch advocate for building a fairer and more inclusive industry from his time at the PRCA, including championing the work of PRCA REEB and the EIAB. Always extending himself to support the cause. So, it was great to hear him reflect on his experiences including his recent stint at Ketchum and how it has shaped/prepared him for his current role as CEO. We also spoke about
Episode Notes This week on Pride Connection, dropping on Tuesday wherever you get your podcast,were kicking off a very special two-part journey with someone who continues to inspire and electrify our community —Rosemary Ketchum! Part one starts Tuesday with a flashback to one of our most powerful conversations ever. And next week, she's back with us for a brand-new episode—raw, real, and refreshingly Rosemary. We first met Rosemary Ketchum during a momentous chapter of her journey—as an advocate, a candidate, and a history-maker. As the first openly transgender person elected to office in West Virginia, Rosemary shattered barriers and made national headlines… but she didn't stop there. In this powerful flashback episode, we revisit a conversation that left an indelible mark on our hearts. Rosemary shares her passion for advocacy, her grassroots work supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, and her unapologetic drive to protect and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community—especially in places where it's not always safe or easy to do so. And then—buckle up—next week we catch up with Rosemary once again! Fresh off her historic mayoral run in Wheeling, she joins us to talk about what's next, how she's really doing, and how she's feeling in the face of an America that's teetering between promise and peril. Spoiler alert: she doesn't hold back. She talks candidly about attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, the exhaustion of advocacy, and the crossroads many of us are standing at: fight or flee? And in her own words: “I love coming to talk with Blind LGBT Pride International's Pride Connection. I am an honorary member of this fabulous organization who is fighting the good fight and folding and embracing our community's most vulnerable members, and standing up against the forces trying to strip away the identities of us all—especially our transgender and non-binary siblings.”
In this episode, Cassie Abel, founder and CEO of Wild Rye, joins the podcast to share the real story behind building a women-first outdoor apparel brand rooted in the mountain town of Ketchum, Idaho.Cassie opens up about the early chaos of launching Wild Rye, including a flawed first product run, a last-minute brand name change, and the realities of navigating co-founder dynamics. She also talks through the years-long process of expanding into snow outerwear and what it means to lead with intuition in a data-driven industry.This conversation covers decision-making under pressure, the challenges of raising capital and the unique energy that comes from building a brand with heart. It's a candid and insightful episode for anyone curious about what it takes to grow a purpose-driven business in the outdoor industry. Show Notes:Learn more about KOREWild Rye websiteSecond Nature Podcast with CassieTitle Nine PitchfestWomen-Led WednesdayTory Burch Foundation FellowshipCassie on LinkedInChristian on LinkedIn
https://vimeo.com/1067090875?share=copy The transformation that we are in the middle of has been an intergenerational lightworking transformational process. Dolores Cannon's work talks about the three waves of volunteers to the planet. The first wave, the second wave and the third wave. Today, we are having a conversation with a first waver, Rev. Janice “Hope” Gorman and Melissa Ketchum, the second wave worker, both are at the Hope Interfaith Center. Join us to find out more. As a first wave worker, Rev. Janice “Hope” Gorman paved the way for a community of people drawn to ancient wisdom and seeking truth within themselves when she founded the Hope Interfaith Center. Rev. Janice “Hope” Gorman now encourages fellow first wave helpers to start looking for qualified second wave helper mentees. Mentee and spiritual life coach, Melissa Ketchum has been preparing for more than 10 years to step up as a second wave helper at the Hope Interfaith Center. Together, Rev. Janice “Hope” Gorman and Melissa Ketchum plan to expand the reach of Hope Interfaith Center by inviting additional second wave helpers and healers to offer sound healing sessions, chi gong, drum circles, manifestation classes, channeling mentorship, Watch or listen to the show to learn what characteristics to look for in your personal second wave helper. You're Invited! REVEREND JANICE HOPE GORMAN BIO Rev. Janice "Hope" Gorman has been married to her best friend Paul, for 38 years. She has 5 grown children and 6 grandchildren. Hope is here in Divine service. Her role as a Spiritual Teacher is foremost in her life. She is the creator and director of the non-profit, Hope Interfaith Center, where she facilitates classes, seminars, and workshops. Her career has spanned 35 plus years helping humanity evolve. She welcomes all to Hope Interfaith Center who wish to live in Divine Flow. And open their hearts to the broad spectrum frequency that causes us all to feel connected to Source. She has presented and traveled around the world. Her "Pure Hope Show" interviews teachers, healers, and authors from around the world. She loves to mentor women because the time has come to pass the scepter to the holders of light for the forth coming golden age. She does private sessions with those who wish to enhance their spiritual lives and understand their spiritual intuitive abilities. MELISSA KETCHUM BIO Melissa is a Spiritual Life Coach, Intuitive, & Reiki Master, and interfaith minister at the Hope Interfaith Center. She believes in connecting to creativity to heal and creating a beautiful & fulfilling life! A fashion designer by trade, she utilizes artistry, manifestation techniques, intuitive guidance, and energy healing to assist clients in discovering their souls true essence. She's an inspirational speaker and host of the Awakening Hour Podcast, with the intention to "Get Lit From Within". She loves facilitating sacred circles, workshops, and creative retreats to assist others in coming back home to their truth as they step into their spiritual gifts! LINKS Web: http://www.hopeinterfaithcenter.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hopeinterfaith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeinterfaithcenter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rev-janice-gorman-b5ab0b26/ YOUR GUIDE TO SOUL NECTAR: KERRI HUMMINGBIRD I love mentoring women to rewrite the story of their lives through inner transformation, connection to essence, remembrance of purpose, and realignment to authenticity and truth. If you don't want to settle for anything less than a life of passion and purpose, book a Discovery Call and let's talk! Schedule today! http://bit.ly/2CpFHFZ FREE GIFT: The Love Mastery Game, an oracle for revealing your soul's curriculum in every day challenges. http://www.kerrihummingbird.com/play JOIN SOUL NECTAR TRIBE! https://kerrihummingbird.com/membership Do you lack the confidence to trust yourself and go for what you want?
A Seed Chat with Bill McDormanIn this episode, the focus is on the importance of building resilient local seed and food economies. They elaborate on the six stages of the food economy — growing, harvesting, distribution, preparation, eating, and disposal — and stress the need for these processes to be circular, emphasizing composting and waste reuse. They identify seven components essential for a flourishing local food economy, including farming methods, education, harvesting and distribution, creating farmers, value-added products, culture, and local seeds. The conversation then shifts to the critical role of local seed economy and how everyone can participate by saving and sharing seeds. The benefits of seed saving, including the creation of surplus and unique, locally-adapted varieties, are highlighted. Joseph Lofthouse's concept of landrace gardening and 'Grex' is introduced, emphasizing the joy and importance of growing plants adapted to local conditions. Stories of localizing food systems, the pitfalls of dependence on industrial agriculture, and the value of volunteer plants further enrich the discussion. Both Greg and Bill encourage listeners to embrace growing, saving seeds, and actively participating in their local food economies..Visit www.urbanfarm.org/875-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
This week, host Brenna West is rounding out this season of The Girl Scout Advantage Podcast with the inspiration behind the Dudes of Girl Scouting series—Dan Ketchum, aka Gramps. Dan has been a pillar of Camp Linden, following in the footsteps of his father as Ranger and dedicating decades to making camp a home for generations of Girl Scouts. Though he recently retired, his work at camp never stopped—he continues to volunteer and work alongside Rob Lehman, ensuring the beauty of camp lives on. Dan shares how his role evolved over time: “I just came here to do the work. I did not think I would have to be involved with the kids. And then I found out it was a matter of getting to be involved with the kids. I found I wanted to be. It just made my job so much more interesting.” In this heartfelt episode, Dan reflects on his legacy at Camp Linden, the moments that changed him, and why Girl Scout camp is such a special place for all who experience it.
Jamie Read is the Founder and CEO of BriteBirch Collective, a global integrated marketing and business consultancy established in 2018. With over 17 years of experience, he has built award-winning marketing teams and campaigns across Canada, the Middle East, and Asia. Before founding BriteBirch, Jamie held leadership positions at prominent agencies such as Edelman and Ketchum, working with global clients in the healthcare, technology, and consumer goods sectors. In addition to his role at BriteBirch, he serves as Communications Chair for the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, promoting diversified trade and business opportunities. In this episode… Traditional marketing agencies often rely on rigid structures and outdated processes that limit creativity and flexibility. These models prioritize internal politics and overhead costs over client needs, leading to bloated teams and inconsistent results. How can agencies streamline operations while fostering collaboration and delivering tailored solutions? Jamie Read, a marketing expert, recognized these gaps after years of working in major global agencies and sought to create an agency model that breaks free from conventional barriers. By assembling a curated network of over 300 seasoned marketing experts worldwide, he designed a flexible, project-based collective that matches senior-level talent directly with client needs. His focus on eliminating agency politics, promoting collaboration among freelancers, and using modern tools ensures seamless communication and high-quality results. Jamie also emphasizes the importance of building a strong culture within a decentralized team and has launched a community-driven initiative to mentor the next generation of freelancers and help them thrive in an evolving marketplace. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Jamie Read, Founder and CEO of BriteBirch Collective, about how he's redefining the agency model by blending the freedom of freelancing with the power of collaboration. Jamie shares his journey from working in traditional agencies to building his global collective, explains how he attracts top talent, and discusses how BriteBirch structures client teams to deliver bespoke solutions.
Does your teen have an unhealthy relationship with food? Want to learn some tips for nurturing and teaching your teen some heathy eating habits? Join Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcasts as they interview Claire Ketchum, the innovator of the Peaceful Eating Method. Drawing from her own challenges with yo-yo dieting, Claire joins us to illuminate pathways for teens to develop positive body images and sustainable eating patterns. Together, we delve into the reasons why teens fall into unhealthy eating cycles and how parents can intervene with compassion and insight, fostering self-confidence and well-being without triggering defensiveness.Dive into practical parenting strategies as we address teen stress and its impact on eating habits. We unpack the importance of identifying stressors, whether they stem from school, home, or social encounters, and how these can affect eating behaviors. Learn about effective techniques like the emotional freedom technique that can help manage stress and promote healthier habits. This discussion also touches on the delicate issue of self-esteem, especially for female teens, and how parents can model a healthy relationship with food to guide their children subtly.Through empowering tools like positive self-talk, Claire offers strategies to help teens cultivate a resilient self-image. We explore how parents can encourage this growth by fostering open communication and collaborative decision-making about food choices. Uncover the challenges of immediate gratification and its influence on teens, as well as how structured habit shifts can lead to lasting lifestyle changes. Together, we provide a roadmap for parents and teens to break free from the dieting cycle and embrace healthier, more balanced lives.Here's a recap of what we talked about on this episode: • Recognizing the impact of stress on eating habits • The critical mother-daughter dynamic regarding body image • Tools for initiating conversations about food • Strategies for modeling a healthy relationship with food • Addressing the influence of social media on body image • Techniques for combating negative self-talk • Claire's programs for parents and teens • Encouragement for parents to embrace change and modeling behaviors CONNECT WITH US: Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com Email: info@TheBrainyMoms.com Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms Our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.comSandy's TikTok: @TheBrainTrainerLadyDr. Amy's brand new IG: @DrAmySaysGraceDr. Amy's website: www.AmyMoorePhD.com
Bryant Dunn has worn many hats since he moved to Ketchum, Idaho more than 30 years ago from his home town of Bellevue, WA. He has worked as a bar tender, ski instructor, ski patroller, flyfishing and big game hunting guide and outfitter, tv morning show host, weatherman, journalist and creative writer. Currently, Bryant spends most of his time - when not chasing his kids down the ski slopes of Sun Valley's Bald Mountain or along the banks of some remote Idaho river - operating Dunn Outfitting International which offers flyfishing and big game hunting services around the world.Bryant is the International Director of Himalayan Flyfishing Adventures headquartered in Himalayan Bhutan and owns Bhutan's first-ever flyshop and is currently in the finishing stages of construction of the kingdom's first flyfishing-specific lodge. He is also a partner in and Director of Guest Services for Christmas Island Lodge, located on the world's largest coral atoll in the central Polynesian Republic of Kiribati and is the Head Honcho of Idaho Wilderness Outfitters based near Sun Valley, Idaho, USA. Bryant recently retired from the Sun Valley Ski Patrol after 22 years serving in various roles including Snow Safety Officer, Critical Incident Team Leader and Supervisor.Finally, Bryant serves on the Board of Directors of Fisheries Conservation Foundation, is the Board Chair of Himalayan Rivers United, represents Fly Fishers International as FFI Ambassador in Bhutan and as the FFI International Ambassador Coordinator and has served the Royal Government of Bhutan as Master Trainer of Fishing Guides.Much more importantly, Bryant is the father of four amazing children who are just as passionate about the outdoors as he is.
Welcome to the latest PRmoment podcast. Today we're chatting to the PRCA's Interim CEO Sarah Waddington about her plans for the organisation. In January this year Sarah was appointed to the role, having been appointed to the board of the organisation in 2023..Sarah is about a month into the role but in that time the PRCA has joined the CBI, launched a PR Pitch guide and Ketchum has rejoined, having left back a couple of years ago.In a moment of gorgeous irony, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.Do check out the programme for our next webinar on “The World's Greatest PR Research.” It's on 19th Mar 2025, starting at 3:30PM UK time.In this exclusive webinar, PRmoment editorial team have picked the best PR research they have seen in the past 12 months.Sarah welcome to the show1 mins What is the role of a modern trade association? 6 mins What is the business model of a trade body? What are the revenue streams?7 mins What would you say are the priorities for the PRCA currently? “Member value is number one…we're aware agencies and in-house teams have faced difficult times in the past few years…My priorities: the fee structure. We're doing a piece of work at the moment to make sure that is fit for purpose and reflects the market.”8 mins Which regions around the world does the PRCA operate in?11 mins There is a huge diversity and variance of what PRCA members want from a trade body, does that mean it can try and do too much, and become too complex an organisation?13 mins What do PRCA members tell you they want from the organisation?15 mins How many people does the PRCA employ now? How many members does it have? Agencies? In-house? Individual?16.30 mins Both UK PR trade bodies (The PRCA and the CIPR) made a loss in the last financial year. Why does Sarah think that is?“The economy hasn't really picked up…Anybody who is a member of an industry body right now, is looking at their subs and saying ‘what am i getting for this?' It's alright paying subs when life is good and margins are high. It is right when that is scrutinised."21 mins It's obviously early days in Sarah's leadership stint at the PRCA but what are her ambitions for the organisation? “Right now it's (about) consolidation and financial stability.”“If we're looking at the fee structure, there is clear growth to be had from the regions.”22 mins Sarah has been involved with the leadership of the PRCA and before that the CIPR. So she knows your way around PR professional associations. Broadly is she in favour of leaner organisation or an expansionist strategy? Sarah also updates us on PR's forever question: The PRCA/CIPR merger.
In this episode of the Autonomous IT Heroes of IT podcast, Ashley interviews Matthew Ketchum, the Director of Educational Technology at Modesto City Schools. Matthew shares his journey into technology and education, highlighting his initiatives in eSports and the integration of educational technology with IT. He discusses the importance of resilience and adaptability in educational projects, emphasizing user feedback and collaboration across departments.Link to book discussed:The Design Thinking Playbook
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing Agencies
Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Is your agency in need of a rebrand? Many of us are accidental agency owners who threw together a brand without fully understanding our niche or service offering; starting with just a basic name and logo. As the agency evolves this may signal the need for a strategic brand refresh. Today's featured guest runs a rebranding agency and shares the scenarios that could justify a rebrand, the difference the right will name make for clients to differentiate you, and share some rebranding strategies to keep in mind. Jim Heininger is a seasoned agency owner based in Chicago who runs two agencies: Dixon James, a strategic communication and change management firm, and the rebranding specialists known as the Rebranding Experts. With over 25 years of experience in the public relations industry, Jim discusses the importance of building a strong agency presence, why your name matters, and when is the right time to think about a rebrand. In this episode, we'll discuss: 2 big reasons agencies rebrand Why names matter for brand differentiation. Things to consider before renaming your agency. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources Smart Pricing Table: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by Smart Pricing Table, an award-winning proposal software built just for marketing agencies and designed to handle your unique challenges and cut down the time you spend on proposal as much as 90%. Go to smartpricingtable.com/smartagency to see if this is the missing piece your agency needs. Schedule a demo and get 50% OFF for the first two months. What Does Brand Mean? Jim built his career in the agency environment, spending 25 years in public relations working for some major agencies like Bushman Hillard and Ketchum. Later on, he worked for McDonald's as a communications strategist tasked with helping them get through some brand issues they faced at the time. His time at McDonald's taught him a lot about the perspective on agencies and how to form great client relationships to get the best work out of your agency. This time proved transformative for his career, it was when he had the opportunity to start his own agency and also when he started learning more about branding. Jim defines a brand as the comprehensive collection of experiences and assets that define a company, extending far beyond visual elements like logos to encompass customer experience, brand promises, and their fulfillment. While a brand ultimately exists in customers' minds, and you'll never be able to control how customers perceive it, you can influence that perception. Influential figures like Steve Jobs understood the importance of brand narratives and greatly admired Nike, which has mastered the art of branding by creating a strong identity that transcends their products. Businesses should actively manage their brand perception rather than allowing external forces to dictate it. Hence, it is only logical they consider rebranding once the brand no longer represents their business. 2 Big Reason to Consider an Agency Rebrand According to Jim, agencies are the business category that most frequently undergo rebrands. It makes sense, given so many are accidental agencies. Many agency owners begin as skilled practitioners who establish a business in response to growing client demand, often resulting in a created brands that may not stand the test of time. There are two common reasons why founders consider a rebrand: Make it all about the business, instead of yourself. Many agencies initially build their brand around the founder's expertise. As the business grows, however, there's often a strategic need to highlight the broader team's capabilities, reducing client expectations for direct founder involvement in every project. Niching down. Another common scenario prompting a rebrand is when an agency decides to niche down its services. While owners might worry about alienating existing clients through rebranding, Jim notes that clients typically focus more on service quality and results than brand aesthetics. Rebranding is not merely a cosmetic change; it is a strategic decision that requires careful consideration. If your current brand fails to differentiate you from competitors or clearly communicate your value proposition and target audience, it could be time to rebrand. Success lies in approaching it as a strategic initiative, involving key stakeholders, and maintaining focus on innovation and market relevance. Ultimately, a well-executed rebrand not only revitalizes an agency's image but also reinforces its commitment to delivering exceptional value to clients in an ever-changing environment. Why Names Matter for Brand Differentiation If we look around, we're surrounded by big brands with names that didn't necessarily mean much before their success gave it meaning. For examlpe, did “google” even mean anything before 1998? It's natural to ask ourselves then if a name is really that important. For small businesses, yes, a name is very important because it's your opportunity to put something compelling out there, capture the audience's attention, and differentiate your business. Nowadays it's getting harder to name a corporation, as it seems the good names are all taken. This has led to a trend of using unconventional names, which, while potentially memorable, risk confusing potential clients. The balance between distinctiveness and clarity has become a critical consideration in the naming process. Jim's approach to rebranding starts with a name that is packed with meaning, is exciting to the client, and inspires them to put together a cohesive elevator pitch. A well-chosen name should serve as a foundation for effective storytelling, enabling businesses to communicate their value proposition clearly and memorably. Things to Consider Before Renaming Your Agency A name serves as the first point of contact between a brand and its audience and should encapsulate the essence of the agency's mission, values, and unique offerings. There's a lot of work to be done before landing on the perfect name, like understanding your differentiators, your promise to customers, and the legacy you want to leave. Understanding these elements correctly will help you come up with a clear brand promise and a word that represents that promise and brings it to light. Additionally, think about the type of word you want. Do you want a descriptive word? Do you want to coin a term? Or maybe borrow meanings from existing words that can be contextualized within the industry? Naming, therefore, becomes a strategic endeavor that requires a deep understanding of the agency's strengths and the value it offers to clients. Just remember the approval timeline associated with trademarking a name can take up to a year, which is why agencies should be confident in their chosen name and conduct a thorough review process, ensuring that it not only resonates with the brand's identity but is also legally viable. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.
After a great day of skiing together, Jonathan talked with Jake Stevens (Rossignol's Winter Sports Equipment Director for North America) about world-cup race skis vs. recreational skis: what do they have in common; how do they incorporate technological advances; and what are the available options between skis designed to win gold medals and those designed to have fun on the weekends with your family and friends? It's a conversation that is guaranteed to get you thinking about various approaches to the mountain — and your own approach to sliding around on snow.RELATED LINKS:OpenSnow.com/buy - code: blister50Our Blister Rec Shop: Spokane Alpine Haus5850 Fest, Ketchum, IdahoBLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredJoin Us! Blister Summit 2025TOPICS & TIMES:Jake's Background in Racing (8:47)Ski Gear at the World Cup Level (12:13)Line Control Technology (27:46)The Direction of Tech Developments (30:31)Understanding the Options via Rossignol's Hero Line (33:13)Rossignol Arcade 88 (45:51)Surprising Products & World Cup Finals in Sun Valley (51:43)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastCRAFTEDBikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Seed Chat with Bill McDormanIn this episode, Greg Peterson from Urban Farm U and Bill McDorman discuss seed-saving and the importance of embracing creativity and chaos in gardening, particularly during winter. They delve into personal anecdotes about sustainable practices and running businesses, highlighting the intersections of fear, excitement, and change in various aspects of life. Additionally, they touch on the evolving practices in permaculture and grain cultivation, particularly Kernza, and its potential for sustainable agriculture. Visit www.urbanfarm.org/858-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum was an Old West cowboy turned outlaw. He and his gang robbed trains and stole livestock all throughout the American Southwest before coming to a disastrous end. And that's when things went from bad to worse. Before it was all said and done, Ketchum would go down in history as the only person ever executed for ATTEMPTING to rob a train. Also discussed are Black Jack Christian, the Wild Bunch, Will Carver, Ben Kilpatrick, and Elzy Lay. This episode is brought to you by Quince! https://www.quince.com/wildwest This episode is also sponsored by DraftKings! https://sportsbook.draftkings.com Code: WILDWEST Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Dynamite and Six Shooter by Jeff Burton - https://a.co/d/802o5Z9 Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum essay by Jeff Burton - https://www.seibelfamily.net/ketchum-black-jack.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2025 Heartland MLS President John Ketchum talks with Bobbi and Alex about the changing real estate landscape and the value the MLS offers to agents and their businesses. (Jump to interview at 10:35)
What if too much collaboration can hinder productivity? Our guest, author Joe McCormack, a communication expert who helps professionals navigate information overload, shares practical tips on how to balance collaboration with the essential quiet time needed for deep thinking. Joe McCormack is a communication expert who helps professionals navigate information overload. As an entrepreneur, he founded Sheffield Company and The BRIEF Lab, specializing in concise communication and leadership development. He's the author of "Brief," "Noise," and "Quiet Works," which address the challenges of focus and distraction. His work includes a podcast, "Just Saying," and the development of "Quiet Workplaces," dedicated spaces for focused work. Previously, he was a senior executive at Ketchum. Joe McCormack holds a BA in English Literature from Loyola University of Chicago. In this episode, Joe discusses the release of his new book, Quiet Works, which is part of a trilogy focused on achieving clarity and intentionality at work. Building on his previous works, Brief and Noise, Joe emphasizes the importance of making it easier for others to listen to us. He shares insights on how individuals can take responsibility for their communication and listening practices. The conversation highlights the value of quiet time before engaging in discussions, underscoring its role in preparation and centeredness. "Quiet is not a technique. It's an appointment." - Joe McCormack SUPERPOWER Notes: 00:02:17 – The Challenge of Embracing Quiet: Joe discusses his initial resistance to quiet and the insights he gained while writing Noise, highlighting the internal noise that often distracts us. 00:06:48 – The Power of Scheduling Quiet: Joe explains how scheduling quiet time can lead to better preparation and improved performance in professional settings. 00:12:07 – Defining Quiet: Joe offers a practical definition of quiet in a professional context, emphasizing the need for dedicated time alone to think and reflect. 00:14:35 – The Importance of Preparation: The conversation highlights how preparation through quiet can enhance listening skills and overall communication effectiveness. 00:28:08 – Collaboration vs. personal time: Discussion on the balance between collaboration and the need for personal quiet time to think and reflect. 00:34:11 – Avoiding quiet and self-reflection: Exploration of why people often avoid quiet moments and the fear of confronting their own thoughts. 00:36:19 – The power of pausing decisions: Emphasizing the value of taking a moment to pause before making decisions to ensure they are well thought out. 00:41:29 – QCO: A Practical Tool for Meetings: Joe introduces the QCO (Question, Comment, Observation) technique to encourage thoughtful participation in meetings. 00:48:58 – The value of quiet moments: Discussing how quiet moments can enhance clarity and improve overall work performance. 00:54:25 – Quiet workplace: Ideas on designing workspaces that promote quiet and reduce distractions for improved employee well-being and productivity. Key Takeaways "Quiet is not a technique. It's an appointment."- Joe McCormack "Anything that's worth doing in life is worth doing poorly."- Joe McCormack "Quiet allows me to slow down for a minute... it literally changed me as a person."- Joe McCormack "The quality of a person's listening being present in the moment makes a person.It changes everything.”- Joe McCormack "You need more time alone, not seven hours a day, but you need 10 minutes."- Joe McCormack Resources Mentioned: Podcast Episode:Elite Communications Skills as a Competitive Advantage, Think Clearly and Communicate Concisely with Joe McCormack Connect with Joe McCormack: https://josephmccormack.com/ https://josephmccormack.com/my-books/ https://josephmccormack.com/my-podcasts/ Connect with Raquel Ark: https://listeningalchemy.com/ Mobile: + 491732340722 listeningsuperpower@gmail.com contact@listeningalchemy.com LinkedIn: Raquel Ark
Braden Gall talks with Geoff Ketchum of OrangeBloods.com to talk Texas Longhorns football. How healthy is Texas? What was the crowd like last weekend and what will it be like in Atlanta? Is Quinn Ewers playing some of his better football? Can Arizona State challenge Texas down the field? We are brought to you by M.L. Rose Craft Beer and Burgers. Subscribe to the 440 YouTube page.
851: Seed ConferencesA Seed Chat with Special Guest Julia DakinIn this episode, Greg from Urban Farm U hosts a seed chat with Julia Dakin, co-founder of the nonprofit Going to Seed. They discuss Julia's work in promoting seed sovereignty and adapting crops to local conditions. Julia shares her mission of transforming agriculture from an industrialized system to one focused on community and ecological resilience. They delve into the organization's programs, including seed diversity initiatives and supporting farmers in adapting crops to their specific environments. Julia also talks about her participation in the California Organic Seed Summit, addressing issues like land access, seed cooperatives, and engaging younger farmers. The conversation highlights the importance of genetic diversity in seeds for nutrient-dense crops and resilient food systems. .Julia Dakin is the co founder of Going to Seed, an organization dedicated to promoting seed sovereignty and teaching growers how to adapt crops to local conditions and community preferences. For several years she has been working in community driven projects that focus on adapting gardens for for climate and community resilience using ancestral techniques.Julia leads initiatives that empower local growers to build resilient, locally adapted food systems, enhancing community resilience and food diversity.Visit www.urbanfarm.org/851-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Beyond the Page: The Best of the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference
In this episode, recorded live at the 2024 Sun Valley Writers' Conference, novelist Kristin Hannah talks to Jenny Emery Davidson, the executive director of The Community Library in Ketchum, Idaho, about her #1 New York Times bestselling novel The Women. In The Women, Hannah (known for previous bestselling historical novels such as The Nightingale, The Great Alone, and The Four Winds) takes up the Vietnam epic and re- centers the story on the experience of the military nurses who worked under fire, on bases and in field hospitals throughout the war, but whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has all too often been forgotten. Like so many male soldiers of the time, Frankie McGrath, the novel's heroine, finds herself overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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In this episode of The Whole Body Detox Show, David DeHaas from Living Waters Wellness Center sits down with Nathan and Wilder Jones, two local farmers who own Kings Crown Organic Farms in King Hill, Idaho. You can find them each week at the Boise Farmers Market in Ketchum, Idaho at the Ketchum Famers Market. You can also visit their store in Glennsferry, Idaho, called the https://www.sixcreeksmercantile.com/. Pull off the I 84 and you will find them right on main street. Together, they dive into the fascinating journey of transitioning to organic farming and the challenges of running a sustainable organic farm in southern Idaho.Contact:Nathan Jones & Wilder Joneshttps://www.kingscrownorganics.comhttps://www.wildspacesfarm.com/King Hill, Idaho208-599-1160 or208-599-4919Nathan shares his early days of farming in the 1970s, when he transitioned from traditional crops like dry beans, wheat, and alfalfa to becoming one of the first certified organic farms in the region. Wilder brings a fresh perspective, discussing how his studies in ecology and forestry helped him rediscover the value of diverse and chemical-free farming methods.The episode covers:The importance of raw milk and sustainable farming practices.How cover crops like rye enhance soil health.The role of permaculture and ecological principles in modern agriculture.The unique challenges and rewards of growing crops like garlic, sweet corn, melons, and more for farmers markets and local co-ops.Whether you're passionate about organic produce, sustainable living, or learning more about farming in Idaho, this episode is a must-listen.Tune in now!Support the showReady for your healing journey?Visit our website: www.LivingWatersCleanse.com Or give us a call at: (208) 378-9911Stem Cell Activation Patches:www.StemCellPatch.netGet your Supplements and Natural Body Products Here:www.livingwaterscleanse.com/supplementsQI-Shield EMF Devices:Protect your whole home or office with a touric shield from EMF's. 1. QI Shield Covers 16'x16' 2. QI Home Covers 50' x 50' 3. QI Max Covers 250'x250'Click on link and enter Livingwaters in discount code section during checkout Magnesium Soaks:Follow us on our socials: Living Waters Wellness CenterBitChute: www.bitchute.com/livingwaterswellnessRumble: www.rumble.com/livi...
848: Cultivating Ancient Grains for Modern HealthA Seed Chat with Bill McDormanIn this episode, Greg and Bill discuss the dual benefits of growing ancient grains for both gut health and gardening. They explore the nutritional advantages of ancient grains, such as spelt, emmer, and einkorn, and their lesser known intolerance to gluten. They also address modern agricultural issues, including the presence of glyphosate and its impact on gut health. The conversation highlights practical aspects of growing grains, from seed selection to planting and harvesting, and the advantages of using heirloom grains in local economies. Listeners are encouraged to explore local grain varieties, connect with local growers, and consider the age-old method of sourdough bread making to enhance digestive health.Visit www.urbanfarm.org/847-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Today's SWAPA Number is 8. That's the number of new faces that have joined the Southwest Airlines Board of Directors since Elliot announced its investment in June with five Elliot nominees being seated as part of a comprehensive agreement between the Company and Elliot Investment Management. This was the final announcement in a slew of headlines over the last several weeks that included the Company's third quarter financials as well as the investor day in late September. So on today's show we spoke with Greg Auld and Eric Schnitzler from the Economic and Financial Analysis Committee and second VP Hank Ketchum about these events and to take a look at what's on the horizon for the industry as well as what all this means for the membership. If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.orgFollow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737
Send us a textToday's conversation is one that I know many of us can relate to – balancing anxiety and our relationship with digital media. I'm thrilled to have Jennie Ketcham Crooks join us! Jennie is a clinical social worker, anxiety and OCD specialist, and founder of the West Coast Anxiety Clinic. Jennie has also been involved in research at the University of Washington, guest lectured at Harvard University, and appeared on popular television shows including Headline News, The View, and Oprah. She's here to unpack some powerful insights on navigating anxiety, managing our “shiny rectangle” (a.k.a. our phones), and making space for true connection.We dive deep into what makes anxiety tick, especially for special needs moms, and how our smartphones can be both a blessing and a trap. Jennie shares practical tips from her 30-day program in her book Look Up, which helps us rethink our digital consumption and build healthier relationships with technology. We also share a few laughs about managing “Brenda,” the little voice in our heads that always seems to have something to say!Connect with Jennie:West Coast Anxiety ClinicFacebookLinkedInInstagramLook Up: A 30-Day Path to Digital MinimalismEpisode Resources:Self-compassion resources at selfcompassion.orgMindful Self-Compassion for Burnout by Kristen NeffGet Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life by Steve Hayes'Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/Website: https://www.kararyska.com/Join the Community:Pathway to Peace Coaching Community is currently open for enrollment. Instantly get access to authentic community and weekly coaching! Give yourself the gift of growing alongside moms who deeply understand you and will be with you in your joys and sorrows. --------> Apply Here or Contact Me
When you read about our guest this time, Lisa Kohn, the first thing you read is “The best seats Lisa ever had at Madison Square Garden were at her mother's wedding, and the best cocaine she ever had was from her father's friend, the judge.” Lisa's mother's wedding was a group affair with 4,000 marriages taking place. It wasn't nearly as romantic as one might think as you will discover. You will also get to read about her childhood drug use caused by her father in The Village in New York City. More important, you get to travel with me on Lisa's journey as she eventually overcomes these and other challenges. Lisa did get to attend college and obtain a degree in Psychology and later an MBA in business. Lisa's journey has been a hard and long one, but you will see just how unstoppable Lisa became and is today. She started her leadership consulting and life coaching business, Chatworth Consulting Group, in 1995. The business has thrived and grown. Lisa shares with us her thoughts on life and how easy it can be for all of us to fall into traps that can take our lives in what she would call bad directions and down not good rabbit holes. This episode contains a lot of relevant content we all can use. I hope you enjoy it and, of course, feel free to reach out to Lisa. About the Guest: Lisa Kohn is a transformational keynote speaker, leadership consultant, executive coach, and award-winning author of The Power of Thoughtful Leadership and to the moon and back: a childhood under the influence, a memoir that chronicles her childhood growing up in the Unification Church (the Moonies) with her mom and a life of “sex, drugs, and squalor” in New York City's East Village with her dad. Lisa's unique background has given her a perspective on life, people, and leadership, as well as an expansive array of tools, mind-shifts, and best practices she's found and created, that help her clients find their own paths to powerful, authentic, Thoughtful leadership. With over 25 years of experience supporting senior leaders in areas such as leadership, managing change, interpersonal and team dynamics, strategy, well-being, and life-fulfillment, Lisa partners with her clients as they not only uncover core issues to implement real changes in themselves and their organizations, but also successfully address their own inner challenges and effectively connect with others to ensure the changes stick. Lisa has been described as “leading with love,” and she's honored to teach C-suite leaders of not-for-profits and Fortune 50 organizations about the compelling impact of self-compassion, self-love, fun, delight, and Thoughtful Leadership – being more present, intentional, and authentic. She works with organizations across a broad range of industries, in companies such as New York City Department of Education, GroupM/WPP, Verizon, World Wrestling Entertainment, American Civil Liberties Union, and Comcast. Lisa brings insight to clients that transforms the way organizations develop and manage their people and the way leaders lead their people and live their lives. Lisa earned her BA in psychology from Cornell University and her MBA from Columbia University's Executive Program. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Columbia University and New York University's Stern School of Business and has been featured in publications addressing topics on leadership, communication, effective teaming, authenticity, selfcare, and, of course, healing from trauma. She has been awarded the designation of Professional Certified Coach by the International Coach Federation. Lisa is an Accredited Facilitator for Everything DiSC®, The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™, The Leadership Circle™, and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®. Lisa lives in Pennsylvania but will always tell you that she is “from New York.” Ways to connect with Lisa: Instagram and X @lisakohnwrites LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakohnccg/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lisakohnwrites My websites are www.lisakohnwrites.com and www.chatsworthconsulting.com About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi, once again, you are listening to another episode of unstoppable mindset, and today, we get to speak with Lisa Kohn, who is the founder of the Chatsworth Consulting Group. She leads with love. Many people say she deals with nonprofits, C suite, people and others, and dealing with business coaching, life coaching, and I'm not going to tell you anymore, because she's going to spend the next hour telling us all about it. So Lisa, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We are really glad you're here. Lisa Kohn ** 01:55 I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you for having me, Michael, Michael Hingson ** 01:58 now I do have to tell everyone. I'm going to tell on you that we were talking before we started this. Lisa's had to postpone a couple times because she had a concussion, which in in a way, relates to skiing. And having never skied myself, I love to spread the rumor that the trees are out to get us all the time. So one of these days I'll probably ski but but in the meanwhile, my brother in law is as a great skier, and was a certified mountain ski guide for years, and I always tell him that the trees are out to get us, and he can not convince me otherwise, no matter what he says. And he says, No, it's really you the skier. And I said, That's what you say. So you know, that's my conspiracy theory of the day, Lisa Kohn ** 02:37 but I will tend to believe it, because not this concussion, but the last concussion I did, ski into a tree, and I don't know how. I really don't know how. So I am convinced maybe to come out to get me. That makes sense. See, Michael Hingson ** 02:51 there you go. I rest my case. Everyone. You're welcome to let us know what you think, but it is fun to tease about it. My brother in law used to take tours to France, and was, as I said, a certified mountain ski guide, and has done it for years in the winter in Ketchum, Idaho, where he lives, it is all about skiing first foremost and always, and everything else comes second. So that's fine. Well, Lisa, why don't we start by you telling us a little about the early Lisa, I love to start that way. Learn a little bit about you growing up and all that stuff and going to college or whatever you did and anything like that that you want to tell Lisa Kohn ** 03:31 us. Well, I will do that. It's it's not the simplest story. So I'll give you the overview and the highlights, and then we can move on or go deeper, or whatever works for you. So I love lines, right? I have a line that describes my childhood. I say the best seats I ever had at Madison Square Garden were at my mother's wedding because my mom got married in 1982 with 4074 other people in a mass wedding. I was raised Unification Church, the Moonies. I was raised in a cult. So that's that's my life with my mom. And on the other hand, the best cocaine I ever had was for my father's friend, the judge. Because my dad, I lived with my dad and my dad. Life with my dad was, as I like to say, sex, drugs and squalor in New York City's East Village in the 1970s so I am, I am like this true child of the 60s and 70s, because both my parents were involved in the, you know, the hippie culture and then the cult culture of that era. So very short. You know, very long story, very short. After that synopsis, my parents got married way too young. Had my brother had me split up. We lived with my mom for a number of years, and when I was in third grade, we were about to we lived on the East Coast. Of America. We lived in Jersey, and we were about to move drive across country to California to move on to a commune. And my grandmother, my mom's mom, got sick with cancer, and so instead we moved, instead of cross country, moved across state and moved in with my grandparents and lived there. My grandmother died. My mom stayed with we stayed with my grandfather. My mom was taking care of the house and of him. And in 1974 my mom went to hear, actually, the person she with whom she said, hitchhik, cross country with every year, called her and said, You have to go hear Reverend Moon speak. And my mom went to hear Reverend Moon speak and came back a changed person, just enthralled with what she'd heard. And not much happened. And then a couple months later, members of the Unification Church convinced my mom to go up for a weekend workshop, and my mom went away for the weekend and came back and went back up for a week and came back and went back up and basically spent the summer being indoctrinated into the unification Church's ideology. And then, you know, somewhere that summer, my mom took us, my brother, I have an older brother, took my brother, and I have with her, and we the estates called barrytown, New York. We pull up to this estate. This this huge building. It used to be a Christian brother school, and we go down into the gymnasium, and all the women, the sisters, are sitting on the floor on the right side of the room, and all the brothers, the men, are sitting on the floor on the left side of the room. And with moments Moon Reverend Sam young moon walks in and begins speaking with his interpreter, and that was it. I had a Messiah, and we were Moonies, and again, synopsized down. Within about six months, my mom sat my brother and I down and said, kids, I really feel called to be more involved. What should I do? And we said, you should leave. And so she left, and we were with my grandfather, and I was in sixth grade and running the household. And then my grandfather, due to a variety of different things, was put in the hospital on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and we got shuffled around for a little while. And finally, my father came to get us, and we moved in with him in New York City, disease village, the life of sex, drugs and scholar, and live this dual life of like living the outside world with Satan and believing in a Messiah and a puritanical cult. And that continued for a number of years, until I can go into the details at some point. But through this whole soap opera experience, I started to eventually question. And we were literally taught if that, if we ever questioned, it was Satan inside of us, but I fully questioned and pulled away, and over the space of many years, kind of left it all behind. And yeah, went to college. I was, you know, I started questioning in my last year of high school, and then I went up to college. I was at Cornell University, and, you know, it's surrounded with gorges, and nearly jumped off the bridge into the gorge as I kind of self destructed having when I left the church. And, you know, went on to get worse and worse and worse in kind of my own psyche, until I really crashed and burned, and someone pointed me in the direction of getting help in the mid to late 80s, and it's been a journey ever since. So there, that's the that's the 10 minute version of, you know, what's in my memoir? Michael Hingson ** 08:14 What a story. What's your memoir called Lisa Kohn ** 08:18 to the moon and back the influence, yeah, Michael Hingson ** 08:21 yeah. So what about your brother? Lisa Kohn ** 08:22 My brother? My brother, uh, he so I, my brother likes to say, I never actually left, I just slowly drifted away. And that was, you know, from like 1980 through 1985 my brother, who's a year and a half older than me, a year ahead of me, in school, he, when he was in college, he was in a place that was truly surrounded with with there were Moonies there who knew him. So he could not leave. But as soon as he got out of college, he went to Drew University. He literally sat my mom down and said, That's it. I'm out. So he he announced being out. I still haven't told anyone I'm out. And he is, you know. So he's also happy and thriving. And he lives in New York City, you know, very eager to get out of the city. I got out of the city years ago. Yeah. So we're still, well, there's a lot Go ahead. Go ahead. No, go ahead. No. He's the only person who experienced the weird dichotomy going back and forth between these two crazy worlds that I did. So, yeah, we're very close. Michael Hingson ** 09:18 There's, there's a lot to be said for the city, and there's a lot that the city can contribute. But on the other hand, there are so many other parts of the country. I met a woman when my wife and I moved back to New Jersey, I stayed at an apartment for a while in Linden. I'm sorry, no, where was it? Not Lyndon, well, anyway, it was north of Springfield in New Jersey, and this woman, well, we met her because we were staying at a Holiday Inn in Springfield at the time, and she was one of the people who worked there. And she also. Then came to help me in just making sure my apartment was good and clean until Karen moved back and we had our house, and one of the things that we learned from her was that her whole life, she lived in the Springfield area and had never been to New York City, less than 40 miles away. Lisa Kohn ** 10:20 Yeah, people Michael Hingson ** 10:21 are afraid of it. Yeah, there's elizabeth new jersey, where I lived until Karen came back, and then we we had started and built a house in Westfield. But I'm always amazed, and I know of people who live in the city who have never been out. 10:35 That is true as well. Yes, and there's Michael Hingson ** 10:38 so much more to the world, and I just love the fact that I've had the opportunity as a speaker to travel all over this country and enjoy going and meeting new people and seeing new places and seeing so many different aspects of our whole US culture. It's great, Lisa Kohn ** 10:55 absolutely true. There's so much to be said for a lot of different places and and I will always be a New Yorker at heart. Michael Hingson ** 11:01 Well, there you go. There you go. And there's nothing wrong with being a New Yorker at heart. No, I was born in Chicago, but I grew up being a Californian and and I am, and I'm a Dodger fan, but you know, there you go. Of course, there are those who say that the Dodgers, one day will move back to New York, Lisa Kohn ** 11:19 back to Brooklyn. We'll Michael Hingson ** 11:20 see what happens. Yeah, hasn't happened yet. So what did you major in college? Lisa Kohn ** 11:26 I was a psychology major. Michael Hingson ** 11:27 Ah, okay, so now, where do you live? Lisa Kohn ** 11:31 I live in Wayne, Pennsylvania, outside of, Michael Hingson ** 11:34 okay, I know where that is. So that's, that's pretty cool. So you, you certainly had a life that has had a lot of experiences. And I would think that you probably would agree that, yes, there were a lot of things that weren't necessarily great, but they taught you a lot, and it certainly helps you to be able to step back and think about all that and put it in perspective Lisa Kohn ** 12:01 that is true, you know, I am. It's not quite the point you're making. But alongside that, similar to that, you know, when, again, when the memoir came out, people started reaching out to me. And some, you know, late teenager, young adult, I don't really remember, the age, Stranger reached out to me and was kind of giving me the lowdown of a situation, which was, you know, hard, lot of trauma, a lot of lot of tough stuff. And I said, What I often say is, like, I wouldn't wish difficulties and struggles or trauma on anyone, sure, but I do know that when you get through, you know, if you can get through, when you can get through, you have an appreciation of life that people who haven't experienced hardship don't really have so, like, I can look outside, I mean, I love the little gold finches. I can look outside and see a little yellow bird, or actually have about 40 in the house at this point, because people keep sending them to me, right? And I am just filled with joy because I've learned, like, I know how, how low can go. And so even just just okay is really great at times. So so it's a similar thing to what you said, right? You have a perspective. You have a you have, you know, coping mechanisms, some that are wonderful and some that are you really could let go of and be done with. But yeah, I do. I feel like I have more of an appreciation for life and joy and love than some people have who haven't had to go through things. Michael Hingson ** 13:25 I spoke to a life coach on the podcast a couple of days ago, actually. And one of the things that she said, and it's really kind of what you're saying, is that the fact is, she's much better at what she does because she has had a number of life experiences and things happen in her life, and if she hadn't done some of the things that she did and experienced some of the things that she experienced, she would never have been able to be nearly as effective as she is, Lisa Kohn ** 14:02 yeah, you know, before my memoir was published in 2018 I generally never brought up my background in my work, because it, once you say cult, it literally, it sucks the energy out of the room like nothing else matters when you say I was raised in A cult and but once it came out, and if you Google me, you know, before I walk in a room, if you look me up, you know my story, because I'm very public with it at this point, I now get to use it in all of my work, and I get to use what I've experienced, and the multitude of tools and practices and mindsets and positive psychology and neuroplasticity and mindfulness and all of the things I have learned over the years to be okay and to thrive. I get to use it in in like in the most corporate work I do, I'm still bringing up, you know, teaching people. To take care of themselves and love themselves and love themselves first. Most, you know, always, like, is tattooed on my arm, like, really, to change their perspective of themselves, to start and off in the world. So yeah, if I, if I hadn't gone through what I gone through, I wouldn't be who I am, and I wouldn't get to share some of the things I get to share. So yeah, that's and that's why I do it. If sharing my story helps other people, then it's all worthwhile. And yeah, that's why I do it. Michael Hingson ** 15:26 And I I hear that very well. And going back to what we were discussing the other day, Mary Beth and I, she starts her story by saying she took her first drink at the age of 11, and she decided that she liked the taste of alcohol and was an alcohol for alcoholic, or was a drunk for many years. And actually she's near 50, and she only quit four and a half years ago, she became, she became a life coach six years ago, although she was always interested in helping people, but she began to make that her business, and did so six years ago, and she is very clear that having adopted that philosophy and process and undertaking that career, even though it was much later in life, the bottom line is that it did lead to her finally recognizing that she shouldn't drink, and that's not a good thing, and she has not had a drink in four and a half years. Good for her. That's so it is all about what you experience and what you choose to do with it. So I hear you, you know, I Lisa Kohn ** 16:33 hear her. Yeah, last so this is 2024, so two years ago, what you experienced, I was diagnosed by cancer, and you never think you're going to be one of the people who have cancer, until they say cancer to you, and you're thinking, aren't you talking to the person behind me? And I heard, you know, when I was going through the process and going through chemo, which I do not recommend to anyone, unless you absolutely have to do it, I heard a saying from a dialectical behavioral therapy, therapist who did pass from cancer, but the saying was, I will take more from cancer than cancer takes for me. And that, that that just carried me through, right? And I you can look at that with everything, like all the all the different things we experience, I will. I remember when I was first diagnosed, a practitioner said to me, why do you think you got sick? As in, like, what hadn't I healed that caused the cancer? And I, I stopped going to that practitioner, and I very clearly, I've looked at this and I thought, it's never going to help me to think, what did I do wrong, that I had cancer, that I got cancer, I got sick, but it will help me to say I did get sick. And what do I want to learn from that, and how do I want to change and shift and grow from that? So exactly right, Michael Hingson ** 17:45 yeah, and like I always say to people, I'm my own best teacher. I've dropped saying I'm my own worst critic, because such a negative thing, and you don't necessarily have something to criticize, but I'm my own best teacher. I can look at anything I do and go, can I improve on it? How can I improve on it? And adopting the mindset that takes that approach really makes us stronger? Lisa Kohn ** 18:11 Yes, it's called a growth mindset, right? And when we have a growth mindset, when we know that we can grow, when we know that we can learn, when we and yeah, when we stop being so hard on ourselves, like so many of us are, Michael Hingson ** 18:23 yeah, and we learned that, and that's unfortunate that that's what we're taught, and it's so hard to break that cycle, but if you can, you're all the better for it, Lisa Kohn ** 18:33 absolutely and to, you know, I'm, I mean, I teach this stuff. I've been teaching this stuff for a long time. I've been using it for decades, and just today, I was watching my mind go down a rabbit hole of some negative thinking and thinking and thinking that wasn't going to help me and also. And I pause. I'm like, I was driving. I'm like, I put my hand on my leg. I'm like, Lisa, you're right here. You're right now. You're in the car. Look the sky. Pay attention to the road. You don't have to think that right now. You can just be in this present moment and feel better and poof, like magic, the crazy thinking stops, and you're like, Oh yeah, it's actually okay. I don't have to worry about that right now. But, um, yeah, our brains, our brains, we have that, like we have a negativity bias. Our brains are trained, have evolved to, like, look for danger. Focus on danger. Really think about the bad. Play it over and over. See it bigger than it is. Never look at the good. We're as Rick Hansen likes to say, Velcro for the bad and Teflon for the good. But we have a choice to shift that. So I feel like I'm preaching. Sorry, but I get excited about Michael Hingson ** 19:34 it is it is perfectly okay to preach, and it is all about choice, as I tell people all the time, we had no control over the World Trade Center happening. No one's ever convinced me that we could have really foreseen it and not have it happen. But what we all, each and every person in the world, has a choice about, is how we deal with what happened at the World Trade Center, absolutely and how. We move forward or choose not to. And I've seen all sides of that. I've seen people who talk about the conspiracy of the World Trade Center. It really didn't happen. The government did it in so many different things. And I met one guy who had been a firefighter, and he decided to change careers and become a police officer because he wanted to go kill terrorists who were trying to deal with our country would not be the reason I would choose to go to often be a police officer. He did it because his brother was killed in the World Trade Center. But still, there were so many more positive reasons to do it, but that was his goal at the time, and I don't know, having never seen him since, whether that has changed, but it is still just always a matter of we can choose, and do have the right to choose. God gives us that right. That's why we have free will to choose how we want to deal with things or not. Lisa Kohn ** 20:55 It is what it is, and what will I do with it, and how will I be with it? And yeah, yeah, and I can accept it, and then what do I want to do about it? Yeah? Yeah. All true. All true. Michael Hingson ** 21:06 So what did you do after college? So you got a degree in psychology, so I got a degree in psychology, started to psychoanalyze gold finches, but, okay, Lisa Kohn ** 21:15 you started to psycholize goldfinches. I just love my gold finches. Yeah, it's funny because when I when I was when I was writing the book, and there was a in my town, there's a author who lives here, kind of took me under her wing, and at one point she turned to me, she said, Do you realize, like, everything you experienced as a child and then you majored in psychology, and like, yeah, never dawned on me that I needed to cycle analyze myself, but I did. I got out of Cornell, and on the personal side. I very soon got engaged to someone who my dad, at that point, owned a restaurant, a French restaurant, and I got engaged as someone who worked for him and drank with him, and drank a heck of a lot, and was very not nice when he drank. And you know someone your cousin lovingly pointed me in the direction of the direction of the 12 step programs and to Alan on the 12 step program. For those of us with our arms, class Brown, the alcoholic and I crawled into my first meeting practically on my hands and knees, thinking like, tell me if he's an alcoholic, there's no way I would ever be with an alcoholic. I'm too smart for that, only to realize that there were tons of reasons why I would be and so that's that started my healing growth trajectory and journey. And on the professional side, I did a six month stint in direct mail, back when there was direct mail, a direct mail company, and then a six month stint in address, you know, do in advertising, the advertising agency, and then after that, got a job doing entertainment advertising for a small division of gray advertising, which I dearly, dearly loved. It was fun, it was exciting, it was a lot of good things, but I ended up getting I was running the Good Morning America account, and I ended up there wasn't enough work to fill me, but my boss wouldn't take me off the account because the client adored me, so they didn't want to move me. So I got really, really bored, and I decided to go to business school. And I somehow convinced my boss to convince his boss, the head of the whole agency, to send me to Columbia's Executive MBA Program, which you had to be sponsored by your A by your company, and they had to pay for part of it. And that just wasn't, didn't happen in the advertising world. I remember one of my professors once said, You're they eat, they're young in your industry, don't they like you. Just you did not, and they did not invest in you, but they did. They invested in me, and I went, I got my MBA in Columbia's Executive MBA Program, and there, found the disciplines where I now work in leadership and organizational behavior and organizational development, and began to have confidence in my own voice, business wise, and what I knew, and this is maybe why they don't invest you. I got out of the program, and within not too many months, quit, and I went to work, actually, for a large not for profit fundraising organization, which, you know, because I was like, I'm good, I'm smart, I'm going to go do good for the world. And I ended up in a job where, once again, I just it didn't engage me enough. And I literally had a boss who liked to fight with me, because he thought I was good at fighting, and I was just really not happy. And so then in 1995 I, you know, talked to a couple of so long ago, in 1995 I was talking to a couple of my professors saying, you know, I want to do leadership, and can I be a consultant? And they said, Yeah, go ahead, you can do it. And gave me a few gigs to start. And I, I was three months pregnant with my first child, and I hung out a shingle with Chatsworth Consulting Group and started doing leadership, not actually knowing what that was, and do it, a lot of training and different, different jobs. So I actually, I was, like, hugely pregnant, and I was, I almost. Took a job teaching computer skills for American Express at a very low rate, because I was just I was like, I say, I'm a consultant, but I'm not actually doing anything. And I luckily didn't take that job, that gig. And soon thereafter, I started getting different projects from former professors, and I've been doing and growing the business ever since, and of the 1998 I think I was in front of a client doing, you know, teaching leadership skills or doing some sort of program, and the head of the head of the agency, came over to me and said, I want to be you. Do you coach? And I said, Yeah, I coach. And I went and got coach. I got certified as a coach in the late 90s, before anyone was coaching. And yeah, I've been doing it ever since. And I say, you know, when I am not working, I never want to work, and when I am working, I never want to stop. So I'm that was actually true. That's true since I got sick. So I'm either certifiable or I figured something out. I happen to love what I do. I happen to get to make a difference in people's lives. And yeah, that's, that's my those are my stories Michael Hingson ** 26:02 where the name Chatsworth consulting came from. Yeah, so Lisa Kohn ** 26:06 when I founded the company, that is a good question. The funny thing is, when I founded the company, every good name I thought of was already taken, which is actually good, because the what I do and how I do it has so evolved over the years, over the decades, but I lived on Chatsworth Avenue. That's where I lived at the time. And what makes it extra special is, at that point, my you know, someone I met, I literally met my business partner on our first day going to Columbia's executive program. We met on the subway because I introduced myself to her, and she lived in the same building as I did on Chatsworth Avenue. She wasn't my partner at the time, and then number of years later, she said, Can I join you? And so she joined me in 2002 but so now it has even more meaning, because we were both Chatsworth, but it just it was the street on which I lived, because I couldn't come up with any other names, and I didn't want to say Lisa Conan associates. So that's it. Michael Hingson ** 26:55 Hey, man, that works. Lisa Kohn ** 26:56 Hey, what else Michael Hingson ** 26:57 you said? You said you're the guy you were engaged to, drink. Is he still your, your your husband? No, Lisa Kohn ** 27:03 I managed. Wondered about that. Yeah, no. You know, I was a I can tell you I was sitting in an Al Anon meeting. You know, I postponed the wedding, but I was still sticking it out. And I was sobbing my way through some lunchtime meeting in St Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. And someone came over to me at the end of the meeting, and he said, you know, there are no victims, there are only volunteers. And I was like, Oh, I don't actually have to do this. And so, you know, when you're raised like I was, if I start talking about religious trauma and extremist thinking I was raised, I literally we were raised to live for the sake of others, to sacrifice everything for God and our True Parents, Reverend and Mrs. Moon, and saving the world. And that if we didn't, if we didn't, you know, live to the expectations we were supposed to, we would break God's heart. So I was raised to be a heavenly soldier. You know, when again, my mom left, and, you know, I couldn't cry, I couldn't miss her, couldn't be sad, couldn't be mad. It was all for God. So I just learned that I would do no matter what. And I till this day, I say, if you put something in front of me, I will do it. I will do it extremely well, even if it takes me down in the process, which isn't as true, because I've learned a lot since I got sick. But that used to be me, and so I was engaged to this man, and it was miserable, but I was gonna like, I have Al Anon. I can marry him. I can do it. And when this person came up to me and said, there are no victims, only volunteers, it's kind of was like crack that said you can do it. I just said this to a client the other day, you can do it, but just because you can do it, it doesn't mean you have to do it, or you should do it, and at luckily, at 24 I was able to say, I deserve a life that's easier and has more happiness than choosing to be with someone who was he was just really, he was really mean when he drank. So, so no, I didn't marry him. I didn't marry him. Think, you know I, you know people look at my life and it's like I, I've skirted disaster. I am, I am lucky. I have a steel rod for a spine. I don't know. I, you know, got out of the church. I almost jumped off a bridge, but I didn't I, you know, I became anorexic. And I can tell you, I am not heavy now, and I was almost 30 pounds less, you know, I was 82 pounds. I'm not tall, but I was really quits growing at 82 pounds. But then I started eating again. When I started doing cocaine with my dad, I did a heck of a lot of cocaine, and all of a sudden, every day, I was doing it. And then I just stopped doing that. And then I got into really more and more destructive and mildly or abusive relationships, and I stopped doing that. So I've, I've, I've managed to, like, avoid disaster numerous times. I'm incredibly lucky. So, yeah, well, Michael Hingson ** 29:47 and your mind has, uh, has helped you progress from all this. So did you, did you ever find someone and get married, or have a husband, or any of that kind of stuff Lisa Kohn ** 29:56 I did. I found someone, I my one of my best friends from high. School, set me up with one of his best friends from college as a joke, and we've been married 30 years. Where are you kids? Oh, yeah, we have two kids. So yeah, that's cool. Yeah, yeah. Well, Michael Hingson ** 30:12 congratulations. Well, thank Lisa Kohn ** 30:13 you very much. Michael Hingson ** 30:14 I met my wife a friend introduced us, and he was actually my friend was dating this person, sort of even though he was married, and she said, you said you were gonna leave her, and he didn't, but he was, he was the kind of guy that always had a girl in every port. Well anyway, he introduced her, this, this lady to me. And 11 months or 10 months later, we were married, and it took for 40 years until she passed away in November of 2022 and yeah, as I tell people, she's monitoring me somewhere, I am absolutely certain, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it, so I have to continue to be a good kid. Lisa Kohn ** 30:55 There you go. Well, I Michael Hingson ** 30:56 gotta do Yeah, you know, but I've got 40 years of memories, and can't beat that, yeah, yeah, Lisa Kohn ** 31:02 that's good. I'm glad you did. Yeah. So Michael Hingson ** 31:05 you you formed Chatsworth, which is really pretty cool. I'm curious, though. So you didn't really have when you were growing up, at least early on, as much say about it, why do people join cults? Yes, Lisa Kohn ** 31:20 yes. Why do people join cults? They're in the wrong place at the wrong time. So I used to say everyone is susceptible to extremist thinking. I was not everybody believes that, but I do believe it to be true. I was once corrected and someone said, unless you're a a sociopath, a psychopath, or already in a cult, you're susceptible. Or as there's two cult anti cult activists who were in Nixie and the sex cult a couple years ago, and what they say is, if you think you're not susceptible, you're even more susceptible. Why? Why? Because, as human beings, we crave purpose, certainty and community and having a messiah, believing anything that extremely is absolute certainty, it is, let me tell you, it is the most powerful drug to know that you have the truth, like the Absolute Truth, you have purpose. You know why you're here. You know what you need to do. There's not Sunday, Sunday night, Monday morning, blues, because you have a purpose for your life, and as long as you don't leave or disobey, you have absolute community. So it's you know. As humans, we want to know. We want to understand, right? We make up theories and reasons in our brains, even people who say they don't, they do right? Our brains crave it. And so as you know, I heard someone say a long time ago, I repeat, all it takes is being in the wrong place at the wrong time, being the wrong person and being in the wrong state of mind, where you're just going to be a little bit open to something, and you're susceptible. And so the ones that are really successful, they know how to work with the brain to keep you in so again, as I said, we were literally taught that if you ever question anything, it's Satan. So as soon as you start to think for yourself, you you know, you do a 21 minute prayer, you fast for three days, you take a cold shower, you're being invaded by Satan, so you're afraid to think. And when you know when they're when they were first bringing people in to my cult, right? They would, one of the things they did so you would go to, they would get you away to, you know, a workshop. They would keep you not give you enough to eat, not give you enough sleep, keep you surrounded by people so you don't have time to think. And they would give you all the teachings. And then at night, they would say, just write one thing you agree with. Write it down in this journal, just one thing. And so you just want them to shut up. So you write one thing. And then you look back three days later, and your brain goes, Oh, I wrote that down. I must have believed it. So you like your brain. They work with the ways your brain wants to believe something, to get you to believe something. And as well, I don't know if you want me to curse, so I won't curse, but I'm going to quote mark Vicente on the vow, which is also about the the next scene cult. He says, No one joins a cult. They really they join a really good idea, and then they realize they were messed with because they join one human kind, under God, they join, you know, self exactly, actualization. They join some positive idea, and only exactly what they think is positive, or what's sold as a positive idea. And by the time you look back your brain, your brain wants to you. We want to think that we know what we're doing. So our brain starts to convince ourselves that we knew what we were doing, like it's just our brains crave, and you work with it, you can, you can get people to believe anything. You can get people to believe anything. It's the Michael Hingson ** 34:58 same. I hear you. It's just. Same thing as just there's so many conspiracy theorists today, yes, and it's the same exact sort of thing. They get you to believe it. They make it sound plausible. There's a woman who is a physicist who has written a book about why the World Trade Center wasn't something that was caused by terrorists or anything like that. It was really the US government, because the the amount of of ground shaking when the buildings collapsed wasn't appropriate, and all sorts of things she brings into it. And she she says it in a very convincing way, unless you look deeper, unless you know what to look for, and but, but she talks about it, and the bottom line is that it wasn't a conspiracy. And my immediate response whenever anyone says that it is and talks about what she talks about, is, I just say the difference is, I was there. I know, yeah, yeah. And you can say what you like, but I know, yeah, and, and I think that it's, it's the usual thing some people say, you know, figures can lie, and liars can figure, and it's very unfortunate that that some people just have to fulfill their lives by by doing some of these things, rather than using that knowledge and using their skills in a much more positive way. So yeah, cults, conspiracies, it's all sort of the same thing, isn't Lisa Kohn ** 36:26 it? It's all extremist belief is extremist belief is extremist belief. And once you believe, once you believe this person's conspiracy theory, then it you can believe the next things they say, like you, you, you keep going like Moon would preach things and do the opposite, and then say was providential, that God told me how to do the opposite, and then you believe. Because, again, we want to believe what we already believe. I was just ot occupational therapy for my concussion this morning, and I was just saying to the occupational therapists, right? We have a we have so many biases in our brain. I love the brain, and we have a bias that tells us we're not biased. So I have a bias that says I'm not biased. I know how objective I am. I'm careful and I'm reflective, but the rest of you are biased, but I'm not biased. So one of our biases is that we're not biased, right? And so once you believe it's you know, people saying, How could people do X, Y and Z, and how can they believe that? And I'm like, once you've chosen to believe, or you've been forced to believe, or you've been tricked to believe, you keep believing, and to break that belief is dangerous. I mean, it's just hard to leave extreme believing is extremely hard. It really is, and Michael Hingson ** 37:37 it's dangerous because somebody told you it wasn't you believe it, Lisa Kohn ** 37:40 yes, exactly, exactly yeah, Michael Hingson ** 37:44 which is so unfortunate, but just so unfortunate, yeah, but it is, it is what we face. It's Lisa Kohn ** 37:50 human nature. So how do we what do we do about it? Yeah, exactly, yeah, Michael Hingson ** 37:53 which is always that Yes. So with your life and all that is has happened, What messages do you want to share with people? What do you want people ultimately to know and to take away from today? Lisa Kohn ** 38:07 Well, I will always start with extremist. Situations exist, and we're all susceptible. They're there. They're intoxicating. They're, you know, a slippery slope. And so beware. And there's places to learn. And if you are, I always say, if you are in what you think might be a cult of any sort, there is help. When I left, I never knew there was help. I never knew there was a community. There is a community. There are a lot of online places and therapists to go to. So Michael Hingson ** 38:32 that's grown a lot over the years, hasn't it? Oh, it's Lisa Kohn ** 38:35 grown so much. I did not know. Yeah, I did not know was there at all. When I left, I left cold turkey, when my book came out in 2018 I found the cult survivor community, and my mind blew open. It's, it's definitely grown. Awareness of it, concept of religious trauma, has grown, like a lot. It's, there's, there's so much more awareness of it now in so many places to get help. The other thing I would say, I always say, if you think you're damaged or there's no hope, you are not damaged, and there is hope. There is always hope. I, you know, when I in my memoir, my my older child read my memoir, and she got to the part where I wrote about meeting their father, and it said something like, I shared my stories and my demons, and I was afraid he would not, you know, he would be able to stay because of how damaged I was, and my kids said, Wait, what's this? And I just look at I think, well, that's, I literally believe that for a very long time, but there was something wrong with me, and there is hope, and you are not damaged. There are, I call them the lies in my head. There are lies. There are lies that were put in my head intentionally to control me, and there are ways many of us have been taught, like you said, to think poorly of ourselves. So there's hope, and there's a way out of that. And I truly believe that, you know, we all need a lot more self love and self care. I do have tattooed on my arm first most, always to remind myself to love myself first most and always, um. Them, because I just think as a, you know, they do call me I lead with love. They call me love embodied when I took my positive psychology course. But really, we, all, many of us, need a huge dose of self compassion, self love, self care, kindness and gentleness, first to ourselves and then to the rest of the world. So those are, those are probably the you know, and whether it's in like, individually, or in an organization or in an offer, profit, like all of that, it is true, we're human, and we make mistakes, but there's an opportunity to really connect on a deeper, truer level, and there's an opportunity to to, it's called Post Traumatic Growth, right to heal from the trauma and heal from the things that have happened to us. And I know there are people with a lot harder stories than mine, and they're people who have gone through things like I have, and there's always, there's always a way to get help and reach out. So yeah, Michael Hingson ** 40:53 tell me about, if you would, your journey in Chatsworth consulting. You teach leadership, you teach people to lead, and you you go to leaders and or they come to you. And how do you how do you help them? Tell us a little bit more about all of that, if you would. Lisa Kohn ** 41:09 So we do a couple of different things. We do executive coaching, one on one coaching, you know, again, one client came up to me and said, do you coach? And I said, Yeah. And I got trained to be a coach back in the late 90s. I was in Al Anon at the time, and I realized it's kind of like being a sponsor only professionally. So it's our coaching is really it's based on a lot of self awareness, self knowledge. We do a incredible there's an incredible online 360 we use with people called the leadership circle profile, which helps us not only look at what like what I'm doing that's working and not but a lot of my thought patterns and beliefs and where they come from. So they call them, you know, they call them the Protect, control and wow, comply behaviors. That's the concussion kicking in. And I call them fight, fight and freeze. But like looking at the ways I coped in the world that get in my way. So we work with leaders, one on one. I'm trying to help them see what they're doing that's effective, what they're thinking that's effective, how they're connecting with other people. That's effective, and what's not we do. We work with a lot of in tech teams, leadership teams, executive teams, helping them have the hard conversations, the strategic conversations, the emotional conversations. You know, we are all human, and we all have triggers, and we all get upset, and we all have agendas, and we all have so much that gets in the way of actually just connecting, one on one with each other. So I get to sit with a group of people and help them find ways to connect more effectively and to more really, more vulnerably, more authentically, you know. And I also, I teach all the general management and leadership skills, you know, connecting with others and giving feedback and authentic leadership and all of that stuff. But truly, what ignites me in the work we do now is really kind of the feel. It's kind of like systems thinking, right? What are the systems within our organization that are operating? Then, how do you look at it, and how do you shift them to be more positive? And what are the systems that's that are operating within me, the belief systems, the you know, the ways I was trained to act, whom to act, and how do I keep the good and shift the ones that are getting in my way. So I am very lucky to do the work I do. I feel very lucky to do it Michael Hingson ** 43:25 and that, you know, that's great, and it's great to have that kind of attitude and to bring that kind of philosophy to it. What are some of the patterns that you see that a lot of leaders and so on bring to you and want fixed, or that you discover that they need to deal with. I mean, they're, they're probably a few at least, that you see a lot. Lisa Kohn ** 43:48 So yeah, I would say, well, one thing that I see so often, right, human nature? So you do a 360 or you gather feedback for someone, and all they focuses on is the constructive feedback. All they focus on is what's wrong, looking for the problem. Again, that's the negativity bias in our head, and a lot of other things. But one thing that comes off so clear is, in general, almost all the time, right people, if they're good at something, that thing that they star a star at, that thing that is like second nature to them, the thing that people so admire about them, they think it's not a big deal anybody could do that, and the thing that they are that isn't their greatest skill, that's the thing they think that's important. And it's it just, I see it over Yeah? People, my clients, be like, Well, yeah, anybody can do that? I'm like, no, nobody does that. Like you do that. Like you do that, you do that in a different way. So it's, you know, I just see that over and over and over. I see so many people like and you talk about leadership, right? So we, we so often in the business world, we promote people for being really good at what they do. And being good at what you do as an individual contributor is very. Very different than actually being able to manage other people or lead other people. And so to a lot of leaders just have a hard time getting out of the details, getting out of the weeds, actually delegating, actually letting go. We we coach our leaders to be dispensable. Our clients not said that to one client. She said, indispensable. And I said, No, dispensable. And she she literally started to cry. She said, Lisa, I spent my whole career trying to be incredibly indispensable. And she was a senior, senior leader at a major Fortune 50 company. She was powerful, she was amazing, but it gets in your way, right? We coach our clients to you know you have to be so dispensable that the people who work with you can do your job so you can go do the bigger, better stuff, more like the next stuff you need to do. Yeah, so it's, it's really, and then, you know, so many of us, right, have, unfortunately, so many people have some sort of trauma in their background. And even people who don't have major trauma in their background have had hardships or whatever, and so it's really people get so caught in their own thinking that they can't even realize that it's their own thinking in their way. So I, you know, I learned to say for my own learning and growth, right? When my brain does its wonky, silly things, it says, I've learned to say, that's the cult talking like, that's the cult. That's the cult. That's what I was trained to believe. That's not true. That's the cult. And I heard a class I'm like, take the word out cult and put in alcoholic father, you know, narcissistic first boss, you know, you know, I had a client who no harm, no blame to her parents. She had immigrant parents. They both ran, they both worked three jobs in order to support the family. And so she was taking care of her siblings when she was six. Six, she was caring for other kids, right? So she was able to say, that's that's that. And my brain, like the helping people being able to see, you know, we're so close to our brains that we don't see the kind of loopy things that we do and why we do it, but helping clients see those loopy things, right? And two, again, honestly, I spent a lot of time with seniors, senior executives, talking about self care, self compassion, being kinder to yourself, that kind of stuff. Michael Hingson ** 47:15 So that woman, who was six taking care of siblings, did she ever get to the point where she could say things like, I really learned a lot, or I value that experience because it helped me in this way or that way, Lisa Kohn ** 47:32 absolutely, absolutely. And she but, and she also got to the point where she can say, I don't have to keep doing that. I don't have to keep sacrificing myself for everybody else, right? I can, you know, I can self selfishly in quotes, in air quotes, right? I can selfishly go home earlier, at the end of the day, and actually take care of my body, because I'm about to have a baby, you know, yeah, it was so so yes and right? It's not about Yeah, it is yes. And not about like, this is awful and it's all bad. It's it is what it is. It made me who I am, and how do I want to choose to be to go forward with it? Michael Hingson ** 48:07 I was very fortunate when I started in sales. I took a Dale Carnegie sales course. The company I was working for sent me to it, because either I went from the job I was doing for them into sales, or I had to leave the company, and I, at the time, didn't want to go look for another job, especially as a blind person, with an unemployment rate among employable blind people in the 70% range, that's a real challenge. So I went into sales and took this course. And I don't even know where it came from or when I first started doing it, but one of the things that I learned as I became a manager and started hiring people and working with people, was to say, you have skills. I have skills, and my job is not to boss you around. If I'm hiring you, I'm hiring you because you convinced me that you can do the job that I'm hiring you to do, but at the same time, what I need to do is to work with you to figure out how I can enhance what you do, because my job as your boss is to enhance what you do and to make you success, or help make you more successful. But we have to do that together now, the people who really got that were successful and, and we found that there are a lot of ways that we could blend our skills together. The people who didn't get it and didn't want to do it ended up not working for the company very long. Yeah, but it was because they weren't successful, they weren't able to sell and, and I know that I have some skills that a lot of other people don't have, but it's my life upbringing, and it's my environment that taught me those things. So that's fine. It isn't to say that other people couldn't get them, and a few people would ask me from time to time, how do you do that? And we talk. It, and they got better at it too, which is fine, Lisa Kohn ** 50:02 yeah, yeah. I mean, that is, that's brilliant, right? But not every manager, not every leader gets that or knows that. So that's your role, is to enhance them, and your role is also to kind of block and tackle, right? What's getting in their way that you can what are the obstacles you can remove, what are the bridges you can build for them to go forward? But yeah, so often again, we get promoted. We get promoted for doing something well, and then we think everybody should do it our way. And it's a huge learning to realize you can do it your way, and as long as it's successful, that's great, as opposed to trying to force other people to do it my way. But I quote, I love tower Brock. Tower Brock's a mindfulness a teacher, and the quote I saw recently was, the world is divided between people who think they're right. Exactly yeah, right. We are going around thinking we're pretty right and what we're doing and yeah. So yeah. Michael Hingson ** 50:56 The other part about that, and the approach that I took, was that I was always so amazed, impressed and pleased when I was able to work with people who, as I said, Got it how much I learned, and I learned some of their skills, which helped me do my job even better, and We had a lot of fun doing it. I Lisa Kohn ** 51:23 my clients, yeah, my clients as I hope they think they learn from me, yeah, and have a lot of fun doing it exactly. People together can be it's just a generative, beautiful process when you let it be absolutely Michael Hingson ** 51:37 Well, I think that it's, it's important to do that. And as I tell people, if I'm not learning at least as much on this podcast and all the things that I get to do and interacting with people, if I'm not learning at least as much as other people, then I'm not doing my job very well. It's fun to learn, and it's fun to be open to exploring new ideas. And I sit back at the end of the day and think about them, think about what I like and don't like, but I base that on everything that I've heard, not only from a particular guest on a particular day, but everyone. So it's it's such a fun learning experience, I can't complain a bit. Lisa Kohn ** 52:18 Yeah, that's good. Yeah, life. Life can be, life can be truly joyful when you are open to learning and seeing new things. Absolutely true. Michael Hingson ** 52:25 So what do you love most about being a leadership consultant and an executive coach, you clearly sound like you're having fun. Lisa Kohn ** 52:32 I definitely have fun, and fun is hugely important. Um, you know When? When? When you see a difference in your clients, when they get something that they needed to get, or they understand, or they move ahead in a way that they hadn't, or when they're, you know, finally standing up for themselves, or finally taking time for themselves, or finally, you know, working better with it, like when they're finally doing those things they set out to do, it is it? Is it is such a gift, right? It is such a gift. And similarly, you know, when you when we're working within tech teams, and you see them connect in ways they haven't connected, or move organization forward, or the team forward, or we were just working with a we're working with one client where there's a department in this organization, and the three areas in the that department are kind of at war with each other. And when you can get them in a room where they can actually start, you know, hearing each other and listening to each other and finding ways to move together forward, it's an organization that does a heck of a lot of good in the world, so they're going to be more effective on what they're doing, even more good is going to be done in the world. So it's, it's very ratifying to be able to be someone who can, I'm told, I inspire people, but I support people. But it's, it's very it's such a gift to be able to give people something that helps them feel better and therefore live and lead better. So Michael Hingson ** 54:02 yeah, and what? And when you see the results of that, when you actually see them putting into practice the kinds of things that you talk about, and maybe they take it in a different direction than you originally thought. But of course, seeds get planted, where they get planted, and so it's the ultimate results that really count. But by the same token, when you start to see that happening, that has to be a wonderful feeling to experience, Lisa Kohn ** 54:30 hugely gratifying. And it's the concussion brain kicking in, because I know there's an example just recently where a client told me of a conversation they had or something that happened. And we have a we have a whole conversation about how you realized six months ago, when I first met you, you never would have done it in that way. You never would have shown up in the way. But I can't remember what it was, but it did happen recently, but it's my short term memory that's the most messed up right now, but we'll get there. Michael Hingson ** 54:55 Well, yeah, as I said, You just never know about seeds. And I've I've told. The story a couple times on the podcast, when I was doing student teaching in at University High School in Irvine, and I was in the teaching program, teacher credentialing program at UC Irvine, I taught high school freshman algebra is one of the two courses I taught. And there was a young man in this course. His name was Marty. He was from the eighth grade, but was very bright, and so he was accelerated for this class and a couple of things to go to a high school algebra class. And we were in class one day, and he asked a question, and it was a very easy question, and I didn't know the answer. Now, mind you, I didn't have a concussed brain. I just didn't know the answer. And immediately I thought, don't try to blow smoke with this kid. Tell him you don't know. So I said, Marty, I gotta tell you I should know the answer. I don't, but I'm gonna go find out, and I will tell you tomorrow. Okay? And he said, Yeah. So the next day, I came into class, and one of the things I love to do as a student, teacher, well as a teacher in general, if we back in those days, we use chalkboards, since I don't write, well, I would always have one of the students come up and be the official writer for the day. Everyone wanted to be the teacher's writer on the board on any given day. Well, I I came in, and I decided, because he hadn't done it for a while, that I'd have Marty come up and write when we started class. And I said, Marty, I got the answer. And he said, I do too. I said, Great, you're the Blackboard writer of the day. Come up and show us. Well, he had it right, and I had it right. So that was a good thing. But 10 years later, Oh, well. So the next thing that happened is, right after class, my master teacher, Jerry Redman, came up, and he said, you know, you absolutely did it the right way. Don't ever try to blow smoke with these kids. They'll see through it every time. Well, 10 years later, we were my wife and I at the Orange County Fair, and this guy comes up, and in this deep voice, he goes, Mr. Hingson, do you remember me? Well, if you didn't sound at all like Marty, and I said, well, not sure. Who are you? Said, I'm Marty. I was in your class 10 years ago, and I remember the algebra thing, you know, you never know where seeds are going to be planted. But that stuck with him all these years. And I didn't, I didn't think about it other than I was glad that Jerry Redman told me I did it the right way, but it was so wonderful to hear that he remembered it. So if I had any effect on him, so much the better. Lisa Kohn ** 57:32 Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Michael Hingson ** 57:35 So what did you learn from cancer? What did I learn from other than, chemo is a pain. Chemo Lisa Kohn ** 57:41 is not fun. I learned. I learned to slow down even more, like that, that again, the the amount My brother used to call me the little engine that will, no matter what you know, and I've learned to, and maybe this does, doesn't sound positive to people, but to go slower, to be gentler, to do less, to lower, you know, the push that was still in me. I mean, push is good, but too much pushes, too much of anything, is not good. I learned to appreciate life even more, nothing like a cancer diagnosis to kind of make you do that li
Today, we sit down with JENNIE KETCHAM CROOKS, licensed clinical social worker, anxiety specialist and author of LOOK UP: The 30-Day Path to Digital Minimalism and Real Life Maximalism. The book guides readers through 30 consecutive days of evidence-based interventions for managing our out-of-control digital consumption to improve our meaningful real-world connections and better align our actions with our values. Jennie's expertise gives us actionable ways to adjust our behavioral patterns toward healthier digital habits. She has appeared on Oprah, The Dr. Drew Show and The View, is the founder of the West Coast Anxiety Clinic, and an OCD specialist. Prior to becoming a psychotherapist, Jennie published a memoir titled “I am Jennie” through Gallery Books and made her own life changes on a televised VH1 show. She's appeared on numerous talk shows, radio shows, and podcasts, lectured at Harvard, consulted as an in-house “sexpert” for Lovers, and her writing has appeared in Huffington Post and the New York Times. We have an in-depth conversation on her incredible journey, with Jennie offering tangible tips and tools for living a life that feels good offline. This episode is brought to you by Hello Fresh. Get 10 FREE meals at HelloFresh.com/freecwpodcast Applied across 7 boxes, new subscribers only, varies by plan. This episode is brought to you by Cornbread Hemp. Just visit cornbreadhemp.com/CWPODCAST and use promo code CWPodcast at checkout for 30% off your first order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tod Bolsinger is the founder and principal at AE Sloan Leadership Inc., the executive director of the DePree Center Church Leadership Institute, and associate professor of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience. Tod and his wife, Beth, split their time between Pasadena, California, and Ketchum, Idaho. Key Points How to influence change in an organization The practical side of leadership Leading at a pace others can follow How to take people where they need to go Resources Canoeing the Mountains Leading Through Resistance The Mission Always Wins Invest in Transformation How Not to Waste a Crisis --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-monday-christian/support
https://www.bullhucker.com/ https://www.facebook.com/brushemporiumandpizzaporium The Bullhucker podcast is a show where we bring on a guest who will tell 3 stories about their life. The kicker is….only two of the stories are true. Our two hosts try and figure out which one is not true or as we call it…The Bullhucker. In this episode Dani comes back and tells us 3 stories about her supernatural past.
Tod Bolsinger is the founder and principal at AE Sloan Leadership Inc., the executive director of the DePree Center Church Leadership Institute, and associate professor of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience. Tod and his wife, Beth, split their time between Pasadena, California, and Ketchum, Idaho. Key Points Tod's faith journey Leading in unprecedented times Defining true leadership Tod's new four-part leadership book series Resources Canoeing the Mountains Leading Through Resistance The Mission Always Wins Invest in Transformation How Not to Waste a Crisis --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-monday-christian/support
Send us a textThe FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!Joe McCormack returns to the show to discuss his newest book: Quiet Works: Making Silence the Secret Ingredient of the Workday . Together, Joe and Joe explore how quiet time enhances leadership, reduces distractions, and improves communication. They share insights on managing workplace noise, the balance between collaboration and focus, and practical strategies to help leaders and teams achieve clarity and purpose through intentional quiet moments. They also discuss:The curse of the scattered leaderThe problems of Too Much Information (TMI) and Too Much Collaboration (TMC)Why leaders need to take short intentional breaks during the workdayPractical steps leaders can take to reduce noise and improve decision-making, including the importance of quiet reflection.Tools like journaling, scheduling quiet moments, and establishing boundaries to protect time for deep thinking.Whether you're looking to boost productivity or improve decision-making, this conversation offers actionable tools to help you thrive in today's noisy world.Joe McCormack is the founder and president of The BRIEF Lab, and he's passionate about helping professionals gain focus and clarity in a world of too much information, too much collaboration, and too much noise.As an entrepreneur, marketing executive, and author, he is recognized for his work in concise, strategic communication and leadership development.Joe has written three books—a trilogy—that outline and promote the personal and professional benefits of clear thinking and concise communication.His podcast, “Just Saying,” helps professionals become effective and efficient communicators in an age of information overload.Before his entrepreneurial ventures, Joe served as Senior Vice President at Ketchum, a top-five marketing agency in Chicago. He received a BA in English Literature from Loyola University of Chicago where he graduated with honors. He is fluent in Spanish and has broad international experience. Joe and his wife Julie split their time between Southern Pines, North Carolina, and Chicago, Illinois.A special thanks to this week's sponsors!Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!Exray a veteran-owned apparel brand elevating the custom gear experience. Exray provides free design services and creates dedicated web stores for unitsMy favorite coffee is veteran-owned Alpha Coffee and I've been drinking it every morning since 2020! They make 100% premium arabica coffee. Alpha has donated over 22k bags of coffee to deployed units and they offer a 10% discount for military veterans, first responders, nurses, and teachers! Try their coffee today. Once you taste the Alpha difference, you won't want to drink anything else! Learn more here
841: Harvesting and StoringA Seed Chat with Bill McDormanIn this episode, Greg Peterson from Urban Farm U and Bill McDorman host a monthly seed chat focused on harvesting and storing seeds. They discuss methods of dry and wet harvesting, particularly for tomatoes and squashes, and emphasize the importance of understanding plant families in seed collection. Various methods to ensure seed viability, such as proper drying and cool storage, are explored, along with the significance of seed diversity and the role of local seed libraries. The conversation also highlights the need for more individuals to start saving seeds to adapt to changing climates and revitalize local agriculture. .Visit www.urbanfarm.org/841-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Today's SWAPA number is $37 million. That's the total proposed operating expenses in the budget for 2025. SWAPA pilots will have an opportunity to vote on the budget in the upcoming fall general election. So on today's show we talk to SWAPA second vice President, Hank Ketchum, and our SWAPA Director of Finance, Brian Hickman about all things finance. If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.orgFollow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737
The latest guest on The PR Week podcast is none other than Chris Foster, CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group, the network that contains agencies including Ketchum, FleishmanHillard and Porter Novelli. He talks about how his company sees hot-button issues such as AI, broader market conditions, competing with private equity and other issues. Plus the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including PRWeek's special report on AI, Amazon calling office workers back in five days a week and Acceleration's PE-backed acquisition of DKC. And stick around for a preview of this week's AI Deciphered conference and the upcoming PRDecoded and PRWeek Healthcare Awards. Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek
836: Seed Saving SecretsA Seed Chat with Bill McDormanIn this episode, Greg Peterson from Urban Farm U and Bill McDorman discuss the fundamentals of seed saving, techniques for collecting and preparing seeds from various plants, and the benefits of maintaining genetic diversity. They also address specific audience questions about harvesting and storing seeds, and the effects of cross-pollination. The conversation emphasizes the importance of home-based seed saving for adapting plants to local conditions and mitigating the impacts of climate change..Visit www.urbanfarm.org/836-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
This week on Fangs for the Memories, we are joined by Dr. Alex Ketchum (@aketchum22), professor of feminist and social justice studies and official Buffy scholar, to talk about Season 6 episodes Smashed and Wrecked. This is Willow's big witchcraft as drug addiction arc so we get into it! Plus, Spike and Buffy fuck a house down!Read Dr. Ketchum's work and follow on social media:techwizardtocyberwitch.comhttps://hackcur.io/magical-computing/http://alexketchum.caInstagram: @dr.alexketchumFollow Fangs on Twitter!Join our Patreon for special episodes!
830: Seed Starting Essentials ExplainedA Seed Chat with Bill McDormanThis is the July 2024 Seed Chat Greg Peterson and Bill McDorman discuss key aspects of nurturing seed starts for a thriving garden. They emphasize the importance of proper seed starting mediums, suggesting lightweight, aerated materials like perlite and cocoa peat over regular garden soil. They also highlight the need for adequate light, recommending artificial light setups if natural light is insufficient. Proper watering techniques are crucial, ensuring the soil remains moist without overwatering. They advocate for hands-on gardening and learning through observation and experimentation to achieve the best results.Visit www.urbanfarm.org/830-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
In this conversation, Tod Bolsinger provides a thoughtful exploration of the challenges and opportunities facing leaders in a rapidly changing world. He shares insights on the importance of adaptability, humility, and a willingness to learn and experiment in the face of crisis and uncertainty. He discusses the need for leaders to shift their values, attitudes, and behaviors to effectively navigate change, while also centering marginalized voices and maintaining a focus on the core mission. We cover topics such as the role of trust and transformation in leadership, the evolving nature of discipleship, and the importance of crafting a clear and concise mission statement. Overall, this conversation offers valuable guidance for leaders seeking to lead their organizations and communities through times of profound change. Tod Bolsinger is the founder and principal at AE Sloan Leadership Inc., the executive director of the DePree Center Church Leadership Institute, and associate professor of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience. His latest books are the Practicing Change series. Tod and his wife, Beth, split their time between Pasadena, California, and Ketchum, Idaho. Tod's Books:Practicing Change seriesTod's website:AE Sloan LeadershipJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@shiftingculturepodcastConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowRegister for the Further Together and Identity Exchange events at allnations.us Support the Show.
Join hosts Caleigh and Natalie on this enlightening episode of Intentional Pursuit as they sit down with special guest Lillian Ketchum to explore what it truly means to pursue God's best for your life. In a world full of distractions and endless options, how do we discern what God has in store for us?Lillian, a passionate speaker and spiritual guide, shares her insights on how to align our lives with God's purpose, make intentional choices, and find fulfillment in our daily walk with faith. Together, they delve into thought-provoking topics like spiritual discernment, personal growth, and living a life that reflects God's love and grace.Connect with Caleigh on InstagramConnect with Natalie on InstagramConnect with Lillian on InstagramLillian's Podcast "Dependency and Decaf"THANK YOU FOR OUR PARTNERSFree Spirit Outlet, use codes “NAT” or “CAL” for 15% off your orderUse this link to shop supplements and apparel at 1st Phorm
Today's SWAPA Number is 15. That is the size of the expanded Southwest Airlines Board of Directors, Now that Rakesh Gangwal, a familiar name to those in our ranks with US Air history was added to the board.Two weeks ago, we released a SWAPA Number podcast about Elliot Investment Management's initial 12% equity position in Southwest. But it's been a busy couple of weeks with several headlines, so today, we're back in the studio with SWAPA President Casey Murray, 2nd Vice President, Hank Ketchum, as well as Economic and Financial Analysis Committee Chair, Erich Schnitzler to continue our discussions on the latest developments. If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.orgFollow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737
825: Selecting for Good Seed Stock.A chat with an expert on seeds.This is the June 2024 Seed Chat - In June's Seed Chat, Bill McDorman and Greg Peterson delve into the art of cultivating optimal seed stock straight from your garden. Discover the satisfaction of hand-selecting seeds that thrive in your unique microenvironment. Bill and Greg explore the importance of observing characteristics of your plants for selecting what you want and looking for obvious factors such as disease and insect resistance. Learn how to enhance your garden's resilience by selecting seeds adapted to local conditions in your garden or farm. Bill and Greg will present a green-thumb guide on curating seed stock that reflects your garden's personality and promises seasons of success. Come Chat with Us!Visit www.urbanfarm.org/825-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Today's SWAPA Number is 12. That's the approximate percentage of Southwest Airlines shares that Elliott Investment Management took hold of in early June, challenging the leadership landscape of the company and bringing some uncertainty as to what the future of the airline holds.Today we're sitting down with your SWAPA executive officers, along with economics and financial analysis chair, Erich Schnitzler, to discuss what's transpired since then, address some of the questions from the membership, and set some expectations for the future given this unprecedented event.If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.orgFollow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737
Hugh Turley - The Murder Of Ernest HemmingwayMarch 25Hugh Turley returns with another deep dive into the people involved and surrounding murky circumstances surrounding the death of writing giant Ernest Hemmingway.Ernest Hemingway was one of the most celebrated writers of the 20th century. With his novels such as The Sun Also Rises and The Old Man and the Sea still studied in classrooms across America today, Hemingway's legacy continues to inspire generations of readers. But the controversy surrounding his death lives on as well.On July 2, 1961, Ernest Hemingway died at his home in Ketchum, Idaho. The New York Times reported that he accidentally shot himself, and Blaine County Sheriff Frank Hewitt initially said that no foul play was suspected.But just two days prior, Hemingway had been released from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he'd been treated for depression and other mental health struggles. People soon began wondering whether the famed author's death was truly an accident.Note : Ernest Hemingway may well have had secret contact with Soviet intelligence agentsWebsite : Hugh Turley MagicianBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.
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Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/622 Presented By: Skwala, Drifthook Fly Fishing, Togiak River Lodge, TroutRoutes In this podcast, Dave talks about Ketchum and Sun Valley, Idaho, famous for many "firsts" in fly fishing and skiing. He joins Terry Ring, owner of Silver Creek Outfitters, who shares tips on fly fishing and local history. The episode highlights the first fly shop in Idaho, the first ski lift, and pioneering fly fishing techniques. Join us as we talk to an expert and the man behind these responsible innovations. Episode Chapters with Terry Ring on Sun Valley Fly Fishing 3:02 - Terry shared his earliest memories of fishing. His father, a fly fisherman from Montana, crafted his own rods and flies like people did back then. Terry learned the art of tying flies and fly fishing around the age of seven, using a cane rod and rubber hip boots. 4:06 - He proceeded to address the history of his fly fishing shop. A man named Dick Alfs started the store with just a few fishing supplies like hooks, thread, fur, feathers, and head cement, which kept the store running until 1979. Terry then shared that he was hired as a guide that same year. 7:41 - When asked about the origins of his fly fishing shop, Terry mentioned, "I'm really proud of it." He highlighted more details on how Ketchum in Sun Valley grew to become the prominent place it is today. 10:23 - Terry proudly shares that Sun Valley was where the world's first chairlift was invented. He also highlights how Averell Harriman, a known government figure, significantly contributed to establishing Sun Valley. 13:29 - Matching the right guide with the guest's desires is key. His team includes two world champions and enthusiastic college students. To ensure the best experience, he uses "guide's choice" for reservations. 15:28 - He goes on to share how he met Brett and Will who influenced him into fly fishing. We had Bret on Episode 368. 20:09 - Terry talks about the dramatic changes in fishing gear over the years, from rods to tackle to clothing, which he especially appreciates for the comfort they provide. 18:10 - Terry brought up Andre Puyans who owned a fly shop in Walnut Creek, and was a passionate angler and the first to use a strike indicator. According to Terry, Andre often took groups from California to fly fishing schools, including Melwood's. 23:33 - Terry explains a unique situation up north involving three rivers, all part of the Big Lost system. 24:45 - Terry dived deeper into Silver Creek's history, explaining how it has changed significantly over the years due to development and shifting agricultural practices. The store, Silver Creek Outfitters, is named after this renowned creek, famous for its dry fly fishing. 32:36 - Terry introduced Al Grabber, a fantastic angler and fly casting instructor. Also a musician, Al values fly casting as an art. Originally from Austria, he spends a few months each spring in Slovenia leading groups. 39:47 - Terry shares that the best dry fly fishing usually happens from late June to mid-August, peaking in the American West from July 15th to August 15th. Conditions may vary based on the year, weather, and water flow. 42:39 - According to Terry, there's been a noticeable increase in young people taking up hunting, largely credited to figures like Steve Ella, who promotes a broad approach emphasizing locally sourced, organic food. 45:58 - Union Pacific owned Sun Valley until 1964 when it was sold to Bill Janz. However, financial struggles during a drought year in 1976-77 led to another sale. Earl Holding, the third owner, also owned part of the Jan Railroad and a 479-acre ranch, now the Silver Creek Preserve. 48:45 - Recently, a group of anglers formed Project Big Wood, an organization dedicated to research and conservation. 50:33 - Terry has his share of funny stories about famous people visiting Sun Valley, including Demi Moore, Janet Leigh, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/622
819: How to Plant Your SeedsA chat with an expert on seeds.In This Seed Chat:This is the May 2024 Seed Chat - Whether you're a gardening novice or a seasoned enthusiast, join us for an engaging session where we'll identify the secrets of successful seed planting. Bill McDorman and Greg Peterson will guide you through the process, from selecting the right seeds to nurturing them into thriving plants. Learn about soil preparation, optimal planting depths, and the crucial role of sunlight and water. Discover insider tips for overcoming common challenges and ensuring a bountiful harvest. This interactive Seed Chat promises to cultivate your gardening skills and set you on the path to a vibrant, green future. Don't miss out on the opportunity to sow the seeds of success! Come Chat with Us!Visit www.urbanfarm.org/819-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!What is the Seed Chat?At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system. Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABecome an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
We're sharing an episode of our Pantsuit Politics Premium show, More to Say, that we released to our Premium subscribers today. To support the show and get access to content like this multiple times each week, subscribe to our Premium content on our Patreon page or Apple Podcasts Subscriptions.We're delighted to welcome Rosemary Ketchum back to Pantsuit Politics. Rosemary joined us in June 2020 when she became the first out transgender public servant in West Virginia's history. Since then, Rosemary has done awesome work in her community and we wanted to invite her back for an update as part of an upcoming Pride Month series we're working on.When we reached out, we discovered Rosemary is running in an election happening TODAY in hopes of being elected as Wheeling's next mayor. We couldn't let her election day go by without sharing this energizing and encouraging conversation with you. As you'll hear, Rosemary is so smart and charismatic. We're wishing her the absolute best in her election today.If you're in Wheeling, make sure you get out and cast your vote for Rosemary today!RESOURCESRosemary Ketchum WebsiteRosemary Ketchum InstagramRosemary for Mayor WebsiteJune 23, 2020 episode of Pantsuit Politics with Rosemary Ketchum Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, host June Thomas talks to Courtney Gilbert, curator of the Sun Valley Museum of Art in Ketchum, Idaho. In the interview, Courtney digs into the process of curating a “non-collecting” museum, which means they start from scratch with each exhibition, and they don't keep a large inventory of pieces. She also explains how she comes up with ideas for exhibitions, what a good exhibition should do, and how she serves her specific community. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler talk about the importance of creating guidelines and best-practices for their work. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Courntey discusses her education and career journey. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices