Podcasts about kool aid

On this episode of the TV Junk Podcast, they get serious about Kool-Aid. Sean, Frank and Greg sit down to chat Apple TV's The Studio. They breakdown each episode and discuss some top-tier episodes of television. They also discuss IP-filled movies, old school Hollywood parties, actors playing themselves and hand out some superlatives. Check it out at the link below or download and subscribe where you get your favourite podcasts.

On this episode of The Founder's Sandbox, Brenda speaks with David Hirschfeld, owner of 18 year old business Tekyz, that boasts a hyperexceptional development team building high “ticket” products in the B2B space. They speak about ways in which AI is a gamechanger, how Tekyz backs their work for clients with relentless pursuit of quality, and how Tekyz practices ruthless compassion,to protect the company and enable it to grow Having collaborated with over 90 startups, he developed the Launch 1st Method—a systematic approach that minimizes risks and accelerates software company success with reduced reliance on investor funding, after observing that many companies launch a product first and then fail at a later stage – With Tekyz approach of Launch 1st exceptional founders are in love with the problem not the product.   David's expertise bridges cutting-edge AI technologies, workflow optimization, and startup ecosystem dynamics. When not transforming business strategies, he enjoys woodworking, golfing, and drawing leadership insights from his experience raising four successful sons. You can find out more about David and Tekyz at: https://sites.google.com/tekyz.com/david-hirschfeld?usp=sharing https://tekyz.podbean.com/ - Scaling Smarter Episodes. www.scalingsmarter.net - Schedule an interview https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhirschfeld/ https://x.com/tekyzinc https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhirschfeld/ https://www.facebook.com/dmhirschfeld       transcription:  00:04 Welcome  back to the Founders Sandbox.  I am Brenda McCabe, the host here on this monthly podcast, now in its third season. This podcast reaches entrepreneurs, business owners that are scaling. 00:31 professional service providers that provide services to these  entrepreneurs, and corporate board directors who, like me, are building resilient, purpose-driven, and scalable businesses with great corporate governance. My guests to this podcast are business owners themselves, professional service providers, and corporate directors who, like me, want to  use the power of the private company to build a better 01:01 world through storytelling with each of my guests in the sandbox. My goal is to provide a fun sandbox environment where we can equip one founder at a time to build a better world through great corporate governance. So today I'm absolutely delighted to have as my guest, David Hirschfeld. David is the owner and CEO of Techies, 17 or 18 year old business now that boasts 01:29 a hyper exceptional development team that are building high ticket products in the B2B space.  Welcome David to the Founder Sandbox. Hi Brenda and thanks for having me. Great. So I'm delighted that we  actually did a dry run in February.  We've known each other for some time  and AI, we're going to be touching on AI.  And I think that the world of AI 01:58 particularly in software development,  has changed significantly since we last spoke in February. So we're going to be getting into  some, I think, novel concepts for  the listeners of the Founder Sandbox. So I wanted to, you I always talk about how I like to work with  growth stage companies  that  typically are bootstrapped  and 02:26 It's only at a later stage do they seek institutional investment  by building great corporate governance  and reducing the reliance on investor funding  until such a time that they choose the right type of investors that can help them scale. So when I found out what you do at Techies with Launch First  and the type of work you do in B2B businesses, I absolutely wanted to have you here  on the  founder sandbox. 02:56 So let's jump right in, right? I think I'm eager to learn more about how to scale your bespoke development at Techies, right? To scale my own business? Okay. So there's a lot of different aspects to scaling my business and I bootstrapped for the last 18 years. 03:25 I've never taken any investment  with techies.  And I've  done that very specifically because  it gives me a lot of freedom. I don't have  a reporting structure that I have to worry about. That doesn't mean that I can be lazy with my team.  To grow my team, I have a philosophy 03:52 that I only hire people that are smarter than I am.  And the  ones that are in a position to hire, they can only hire people that are smarter than them. And by  really sticking to this philosophy, even though sometimes it makes us grow a little slower than we would like, it means that when we bring in people, those people  contribute immediately and contribute in a way 04:21 that it's our job to get the impediments out of their way and to facilitate them  so that they can contribute and  help us grow the company. So I call it  the ball rolls uphill  here because  my job is to support everybody that is above me, which is everybody. And then the people that I support directly, their job is to support the people that are above them. 04:51 Because if we're hiring correctly, then  people that we bring in can contribute in the area that we're bringing them in way more than the person that's hiring them. Okay. Thank you for that. So before you launched Techies, you had a career in companies like,  I  believe, Computer Associates, right? Texas Experiments and TelaMotorola. 05:19 There was a period of time between your  experience in these large corporations before your launch tech is where you actually had your own startup  and  you sold it in 2000, right? And I believe you also learned perhaps with the second startup about how hard it is to find product market fit. Can you talk to that for my listeners, please? 05:46 I don't know that it's that hard to find product market fit. It depends if that's your focus or not. If your focus is to nail down product market fit, then  it's not that hard to determine whether you can achieve that or not fairly quickly.  You can do that by  selling your product to potential customers.  That sounds strange. Of course, we all want to sell our products, but 06:14 What I'm suggesting is you start selling your product before you have a product, before you have a  full product. And I don't mean an MVP, but a design prototype. You go out to the market and you start to sell it. If you have product market fit and you've identified the early adopter in your market and you know that they have a very high  need from a perception perspective  and there's a big cost to the problem that you're solving. 06:45 then you can offer them a big enough value upfront that they'll buy your product early and you can prove that there's a market for your product and they'll buy it in enough numbers that you  can achieve a measurable  metric, which I kind of call the golden ratio, which is three to one in terms of what is the lifetime value of a customer versus what does it cost to acquire that customer? And you can get to that three to one ratio. 07:13 in a prelaunch sale model before you ever started developing your product as a way of proving product market fit. Or you pivot quickly and cheaply because you're not having to rebuild a product that you've built in the wrong way. Or you  fail fast and cheap. And every entrepreneur's first goal should be to fail fast and cheap. know that sounds backwards, but that should be your goal is that you can fail fast and cheap or if you 07:42 If you fail to fail fast and cheap, that means you've found a path to revenue  and  product market fit. And now you know you have a viable business. making the investment to build the product  is a no brainer.  And you came upon this methodology, right? Yes.  because you did yourself when you had your first company, you did not understand the funding part, right?  Can you talk? 08:12 a bit about your specific example and then how that's informed now 17 years of techies and over 90 projects with startups. Okay. So my first company was Bootstrap. Okay.  And that one was successful and we grew it despite  me, it was me and a partner. And  despite ourselves, we grew it  over eight years. 08:39 where he ended up with 800 customers in 22 countries and sold it to a publicly traded firm out of Toronto. That was in the product food, snack food distribution business because that was what our product was focused on. So I started another company about five years later, not realizing the things that I did the first time. 09:08 that made it  so successful,  which really fit the launch first model to a large degree.  But the second time I built a product that would have been successful had I followed my first model,  but I didn't. So I went the route of building an MVP and getting customers on a free version of it, and then going out and trying to raise money, which is the very classic approach that the SaaS products 09:38 take now.  And the problem is with that approach is that you end up digging a really deep hole  in terms of the investment that you make to build the product with enough functionality that you can convince people it's worth putting an investment in and you're not generating any revenue at the time. And I should have just started selling the product and generating subscription revenue right from the beginning. First of all, I would have been able to  raise money much more easily. 10:08 Secondly, I would have not needed to raise money as much if I'd focused on sales. The problem with a lot of founders is they fall in love with their product. They believe that people will buy it at enough numbers and that investors will see the potential. they're afraid of sales. I've fallen into this trap before too. I've done it both ways. And I can tell you selling early 10:38 and staying focused on the customer and the problem are the way to be successful. So founders who I find are consistently successful, they are focused on the problem, they love the problem. The product is just the natural conclusion to solving the problem, not something to be in love with. They spend their time talking to customers about the problems.  So how does a potential customer find you and work with you? 11:08 Oh, they can find me at Techies or they can find me at LaunchFirst, was spelled launch1st.com. And they can find me on LinkedIn. And then to work with me, it's just give me a call, send me an email, we'll set up a Zoom. I'll start to learn about what you're trying to accomplish and what your requirements are. And I'll typically spend quite a bit of time with any potential clients. 11:39 in  one to usually multiple calls or Zooms, learning and  creating estimates and doing a lot of work in advance with the idea that there'll be a natural conclusion at the end of this that they'll wanna start working with me in a paid fashion. So there's a lot of value that my clients get from me whether they end up contracting me or not.  And how, again, back to,  thank you for that and that. 12:08 how to contact you will be in the show notes. But what types of sectors do you work in?  You know, in your introduction, I talk about high ticket B2B, right?  who are the,  so  what founder that's has some idea today?  What would be  their call to action to find techies? And what would you, is it launch first before you go down? 12:35 No, it's not necessarily. It may be an existing company that  is trying to implement AI or implement workflow automation, or they have a project and they don't have the IT team or capacity to handle it.  We love those types of projects. It might be an existing startup that is struggling with their software development team and they're not 13:04 getting  to the end goal that they're expecting and the product's buggy, it's taking too long,  there's constant delays, they're way over budget  and they  need to get this thing done. And  I call those recovery projects,  they're probably my favorite because people  recognize very quickly  the difference  that we bring. 13:33 and they really, really appreciate us.  As far as what sectors,  business sectors,  healthcare, law enforcement,  prop tech, real estate, finance,  entertainment, I mean, we work in  many, many different sectors over the last 18 years.  So  regardless in  B2B, B2B2C,  not so much e-commerce unless there's some 14:03 complex workflow associated with your particular e-commerce, but there's lots of really good solutions for e-commerce that  don't require developers to be involved.  But  mobile, web, IoT,  definitely everything is AI now. Absolutely. And in fact, when we last spoke,  I'd like to say that you started to drink your own Kool-Aid at Techies. 14:33 you're starting to actually use AI automation for internal functions as well as projects at Techies. So can you walk my listeners through how you're using  AI automation  and what's the latest with agentic AI?  So let's do the first.  Yeah,  okay.  So there are a bunch of questions there. So  let me start with 15:02 that we're building products internally  at Techies to help us with our own workflows.  These products though  are  applicable to almost any development company or any company with a development team.  Some of them are, and some of them are applicable to companies that are, well, so one product  is  putting voice capability in front of project management tool. 15:32 and we use JIRA and JIRA is an incredibly technical tool for project managers and development teams to use to  their projects, requirements, their  track bugs, all of that.  And so your relationship with what I call relationship with project management is very technical one. If you're a client, some clients are willing to  go through the learning curve so that they can enter their own... 15:59 bugs and feature requests and things like that directly into JIRA. Most don't.  They  want to send us emails, which is fine,  and just give us a list of what's going on and the problems that they're finding or the things that they need  for a future version and the planning and the documentation, everything else. This is a real technical thing. We're going to make it a very natural personal relationship by  adding voice in front of all this so that you can 16:29 be sharing your screen with your little voice app and say, just found a problem on the screen.  And  the voice app can see the screen. It knows your project. It knows your requirements. And it can identify problems on the screen that you may not have even noticed.  And it can also prevent you from reporting bugs that have already been reported and tell you when they're planned to be built.  And all of this just with a verbal discussion with the app. 16:58 that basically knows your project.  Kind of like talking to a project manager in real time, but they don't have to write down notes and  they can instantly  look up anything about your project in terms of what's been reported in terms of bugs or feature requests  and update them or create new ones for you or just report them to you and tell you when things are planned to be built and released or. 17:24 where they've already been released and maybe you need to clear your cache so you can see the change, whatever.  Yeah. So it be like an  avatar, but it's trained and it's  specific to Jira  in your case?  In the first version, it's actually being built architected so that we'll be able to add other project management tools to it besides Jira in the future.  to begin with, because we use Jira,  it's going to work directly with Jira to start. 17:54 And this, by the way, you asked about agentic workflows,  right? So we're  building an agentic workflow  in this tool where we have more  different agents  that work together to resolve these issues.  so we have an agent that reads and writes documentation to JIRA.  We have an agent that communicates with  the user and the user might be the programmer 18:23 might be a person in QA, it might be a client for a lot of different things. And we have an analyst agent that when the person talks, the voice agent says to the analyst agent, here's what I understand. Here's the information I just got. Go do your work and come back and get me the answer. And it'll speak to the JIRA agent to get the information. It will also speak directly to us. 18:52 a vector database, which is a database where all the documentation from that project  is ingested into our own  separate AI model so that the context of all the communication is about their project and doesn't go off into other directions.  And then can  get back. So this is an agentic workflow.  The idea of 19:20 agents is like everybody keeps talking about agents. Not everybody is really clear on what that even means. Can you define  that?  an agent is an AI  model  that you can interact with that is focused on  one specific area of expertise.  So if it's a travel agent, the word agent fits very well there, then their expertise would be on everything related to 19:49 travel and booking travel and looking up  options and comparing prices. And  that would be an AI  travel agent.  So that's very different from an AI project management agent, very different from an AI financial analyst agent.  So each agent specializes in its own area of expertise and may draw from specific 20:18 repositories of information that are  specific to that particular agent's area of expertise.  And they actually look from the perspective of that type of person, if it was a person. So,  and so they'll respond in a way that is consistent with how somebody who is a project manager would respond to you when you're talking to them, asking you questions about your requirements, knows what 20:46 information it needs to be able to assess it properly, things like that.  wouldn't be very good about travel because that's  not its area of expertise. Right.  So is it  common to have companies that are creating with their own large language model, right? Or their workflow processes internally to the company to create their own agent AI? 21:14 Or is there a marketplace now where you can say, want this type of agent to get in. This is a very basic question, but  do build it? Right. Or do you buy it? Or is it something in between? It's something in between.  So there are tools that allow you to  basically collect agents out there.  And there's a difference between an agent and a context.  Cause you hear a lot about model context switching and things like, don't know. 21:44 if your audience knows these things.  Or model context protocol. A context is not an agent, but it has some agent capabilities because it's kind of specializing your model in a certain area. But you would use this, but you're not, if it's a true agent, then  it's probably tied to its own vector database. 22:12 that gets trained with specific information. It might be company's information. It might be information, let's say if I'm a security agent, then I'm going to be trained on the entire NIST system as well as all of my security architecture that's currently in place. And that so that it could monitor and 22:41 assess instantly whether there's  security vulnerabilities, which you wouldn't ask Chet GPT to do that. No. Right? Because it couldn't. Because it doesn't know  anything about your organization or environment. And  it  really also doesn't know how to prioritize  what matters and what doesn't at any given moment. Whereas a  security agent, that would be what it does. 23:10 I don't know if I answered that question. Oh, bad thing about building or buying.  there are- Or something in between,  Yeah. So there are tools that you can use to build workflows  and  bring in different agents that already exist. And  you can use something like OpenAI or Claude  and  use it to create an agent and give it some intelligence and- 23:37 give it a specific, in this case, you're giving it a specific context.  You could even  tie a special machine learning database to it  and make it even more agentic in that way.  And then  build these workflows where you're  like, let's say a marketing workflow,  where you're saying you first go out and research all the people who are your  ideal customer profile. 24:07 I was going to say ICP, but I'm trying not to use acronyms because not everybody knows every acronym.  Ideal customer profile.  And then it finds all these people that fit your ideal customer profile. Then it says, well, which of these people  are  in the countries that I do business? And then it illuminates the ones that aren't. then which ones, and it may be using  the same agent or different agents to do this.  Then once it's nailed it down to the very discrete 24:37 set of customers. Now  the next step in the workflow is, okay, now  enrich their data  of these people to find their email and other ways of contacting them as well as other information about them so that I have a really full picture of what kind of activity are they active  socially? they speak? Do they post? What are they speaking about? What are they posting about? What events are they going to? Things like that. 25:07 So that would be the next step and that'd be an agent that's doing all the enriching.  And then after that, the next step would be to call basically call a writing agent to go do, am I writing an email? Am I writing a LinkedIn connection post? Am I doing both?  Set up a drip campaign and start reaching out to these people one at a time  with very customized specific language, right? That  is in your voice. 25:34 It doesn't sound like it's written by a typical AI outreach thing. All right, so these would be  steps in a workflow that you could use with several different tools to build the workflows and then calling these different agents. 25:48 Let's go back to the launched first. What would be a typical engagement with a company? you know, they, um, the founders that have the greatest success in your experiences are the ones that love the problem space and not the product. All right. So walk my listeners through. 26:17 What a typical engagement. it's staff augmentation. it  full out  outsourcing? it tech?  because it's very complex. I can touch so many. can touch high  tech and high ticket B2B products,  sector agnostic. what,  put some legs on this for my listeners, please. Sure, sure. We're not. 26:46 so much a staff augmentation company, although we'll do that if asked to, but that's not  the kind of business that we  look for.  We look for project type work. So a typical engagement for launch first would be  somebody wants to launch a product, they're in the concept phase. We help refine the concept and we build out,  help that we do the design and then we build a high fidelity prototype, which is a design prototype. 27:16 When I demo a design prototype to somebody, they think that they're looking at a finished product,  but  it's not. It doesn't actually do anything. It just looks like it  does everything.  So it's very animated set of mock-ups is another way to look at it.  And it's important because you can build out the big vision of the product this way in a couple of months, whereas 27:46 it takes instead of, you so you're looking at the two year roadmap when we're done of the product. If we were to build an MVP, then you're going to see a very limited view of the product and it's going to cost a lot more to build that MVP than it takes to build this design prototype. Now we're in the process of doing this. We're also nailing down who that early adopter is. And there's a, there's a very, 28:14 metrics driven methodology for doing this.  your launch first. Within launch first, right. Okay. All right. And then  we'll help the client build a marketing funnel and help them start to generate sales.  We're not doing the selling, they're doing the selling. And it's important that founders do the selling because they need to hear what customers are saying about the thing they're demoing, why they want it, why they don't. 28:43 So that  if we need to pivot, which we can do easily and quickly with a design prototype,  then we can  pivot and then go and test the model again, two or three or four times in the space of a couple of months.  And we'll either find a path to revenue or accept the fact that this probably isn't the right product for the right time.  But in the process of doing this, you're learning a lot about the market and about the potential customer. 29:13 I want to be clear about something. Almost every founder that comes to  that I meet with, they love the product, not the problem. They started out with a problem that they realized they had a good solution for and they forgot all about the problem at that point. And so I spend a lot of time with founders  reminding them why the  problem is all that matters  and what that means and how to approach customers, potential customers so that 29:41 you're syncing with their problems, not telling them about this product that you're building because nobody cares about your product. All they care about is what they're struggling with.  And if they believe that you really understand that, then they  care about whether you can solve that problem for them or 30:01 And can  I be  audacious and ask you what a typical engagement duration is like? So this would be for launch first. Yes. If it's a,  and our hope is that they'll  find a path to revenue and start building the product and engage us for the development. Cause that's really our business is building the products.  So, but it's not a requirement.  And,  and our typical engagement with our clients are several years. 30:32 Not all of them, but most of them, would say. Once they start working with us, they just continue to work with us until they decide to bring in their own in-house team  or they fail eventually, which many of our clients do, which is why I  created Launch First. Right. You often talk about your hyper exceptional team at Techies. What is it that's so highly exceptional? Talk to me about your team. Where are they? Yeah. 31:02 And if you go to my website, which is tekyz.com,  you'll see at the very top of it  in the header above the fold, it says hyper exceptional development team. And I don't expect people to believe me  because I write that down or I tell them that I expect them to ask me, well, what does that mean? Do you have evidence? And  that's the question I want to get because I do.  Because when you work in an exceptional manner, 31:31 as a natural consequence of working that way, you produce certain artifacts  that the typical development teams don't produce. And I'm not saying there aren't other exceptional teams, but they're really few and far between. And what makes a team exceptional is a constant need to  improve their ability to deliver  and the level of quality that they deliver as well and the speed at which they develop. It's all of these things. 31:59 So,  and, you know, after 18 years, we've done a lot of improving and a lot of automation internally,  because  that allows our team to work in a really disciplined protocol manner without having to feel like they're under the strict  discipline and protocol of,  you  know, a difficult environment to work in.  And so we  create automation everywhere we can. The voice... 32:27 tool is one of those automations.  The way we  do status reports, it's very clear at the level of detail that we provide every week  to every client in terms of status reports  where we're showing here's what we estimated, here's the actual, here's our percent variance  on how much time we spent and how much it's costing.  We want to always be within 10 % above or below. 32:56 Either  being above or below is not,  know,  the fact that we're ahead of that doesn't necessarily mean that's a good thing, right? So we want to be accurate with our estimates.  And we are typically within 10%. In fact, our largest customer last year, we did a retrospective and we were within six and a half percent of what our estimates were for the whole year.  and that's a,  we're pretty happy with that number. 33:24 I think most teams are looking at many, many times that in terms of variance.  it's not that uncommon for teams to be double or triple what they're or even higher what the actual estimate was. So  when we do invoicing, we invoice for each person at their rate. 33:50 based on their level of expertise, which is all part of our agreement upfront. So the client is very transparent every month for the hours that they work. And we attach the daily time sheets to every invoice. I'm the only company I know of right now that does that. I know there are others. I've seen monthly, but I've never seen daily. Yeah. Yeah. Because for me, if I could ask, well, 34:18 why did this person ask a work that many hours that last month? What did they do? I hate that feeling that I get when somebody asks that question. I know they're only asking because they have to justify it to somebody else or whatever the reason, but I don't like the way it feels because it feels like my integrity is being questioned. I don't get upset at people for asking me that. I just feel like I'm not giving them enough information if they have to ask me that question. So we started about eight years ago. 34:47 providing the daily time sheets because I don't like that question. And we never get questioned on our  invoices ever anymore. I bet you it's informed you  as well in  future  projects,  maybe on  including workflow automation in your own internal processes, right? When you see people's time sheets, right? And you've gone over budget. So it informs you internally. So it's not only for the client. 35:16 I suspect, right? No, it's not. Right. And we use it ourselves to also, because it also helps us looking at our overhead costs because not everything gets built to the client. And so we track all our own times, you know, what we're spending doing what. And we don't get to, it's not like a developer has to spend a lot of time or a QA person or whatever, putting in a lot of detail. We just need a couple of bullets, you know, every day in the time sheet with the, whatever they spend. 35:45 If they spent four hours on one thing and three on another, they'll just break it into two entries just to make it easy.  And that's important for us, or they may be working on two different projects and each project. So when we do the timesheets also every month, we give our clients a breakdown by project. So if we're working on four different projects  for a client  or even one project, but it has four different really 36:15 functional elements that are very clearly different. Like let's say a mobile app and a web app  and a  particular client implementation. Each one of those gets assigned its own project and we break down summaries of the time spent on each of those every month and who spent the time on those, along with the daily time sheets, along with the invoice.  And nobody else does that because it takes a lot of discipline and protocol and you have to have lot of systems in place 36:45 to do that without  literally getting everybody to quit, right? That works for you. And nobody minds doing it because it's easy because of all the systems we put in place to do that.  That's the whole point, right? Right. were  not particularly happy of getting asked that question oftentimes. So eight years ago, you set out to  provide the information on a daily basis, which is incredible.  We started that with blended rates like a lot of companies do. 37:14 And then I didn't like that because at the end of a project when most of it's QA, people would start to get frustrated that they're still getting billed the same blended rate, even though for the more expensive period at the beginning of the project,  I thought, okay, forget this. Well, just bill based on individual.  And then I didn't get those questions anymore, but then I would get questions about individuals on the month. And that's when I started doing the time sheets. 37:43 And like I said, I'm sure there's other companies that do it, but I haven't run into  one or somebody that works with one. So  that's an exceptional thing that we do. But it also allows us to do  really, really good reporting to the client on status on what we've spent our time on, what we're expecting to spend our time on  next week, what we just spent our time on this week, where we are. 38:12 in terms of our plan for the month, things like that.  So let's switch gears, David.  Yeah. Back to  actually the podcast and  some of my guests and listeners  are corporate board directors. So they're sitting on either advisory boards or fiduciary corporate boards.  And with all the hype around AI. 38:39 it's not uncommon for them to be asking, what are we doing, right? For existing companies, right? And  I'd like you to walk my listeners through while it's in the, you know,  in the imaginary realm, what is it? I think any founder today that's actually scaling, right? Has to have some AI element. At least I've even heard you need to have it. 39:08 an AI officer in the company. So what's your take on that? What would you respond to either to your board of advisors, your advisory board, or your board of directors?  So,  and of course, a lot of it depends on the type of company you are. Absolutely. Right. If  you're making  alternative material I-beams, for example,  for skyscraper construction, then 39:37 AI, other than maybe in the design process of these specialized materials,  AI may not be as big a critical factor, although for invoice reconciliation and  distribution and  scheduling and all that, AI could be a huge value to you if you don't have super efficient systems already.  For most everybody else though, if you have not embraced the need to 40:06 leverage AI and everything you're doing,  then you're way behind already.  That doesn't mean you have to be in a race to do this. just, because  I'm  of the belief that  you have to slow down to speed up. But you do need to make it a priority.  And in a lot of different ways. Number one is, 40:36 The most obvious is workflow automation. You should be probably tackling  workflow automation as just a part of your constant improvement program  to become more efficient, whether it's with AI or not.  But AI is particularly good at workflow automation  because it can tackle steps in that workflow that couldn't be tackled without AI.  So the  first thing 41:06 the companies should be doing if they're not doing it is documenting all of their processes,  all of their tribal knowledge into playbooks. So when you have somebody who's an expert in something in your company and they're the person who's the only one that knows how to do it and so we can't live without them, that's a bottleneck for scaling. Because if you bring somebody else in to expand their capacity, they're going to... 41:32 put a big dependency on that person with all the expertise, which is going to cause problems.  So  anybody in a position like that should be documenting all of their  procedures and protocols and especially all the nuances and all the edge cases into playbooks.  And there should be some centralized playbook repository for the company. And this becomes part of your intellectual property and part of your value if you ever 42:02 you're trying to raise money or you're trying to sell your company. So it increases your value. So you do that, then AI,  you start to look at automating those workflows because now they're documented. So now what can be automated in them from just a workflow automation perspective. And then how much can you implement AI in there? Because now AI can learn to make the same kinds of decisions that this person is making. 42:31 And this is like the low hanging fruit that I'm talking about right now. Right. Exactly. Right. Because the bigger stuff is if we implement AI in here, what workflows would we totally  throw away and start from scratch?  Because we can think of way more sophisticated ways of addressing this now that we have intelligence involved in all these steps.  But that's later. 42:57 worry about that once you get your arms around implementing AI,  automated workflows and then- So workflow automation. So playbooks, workflows and AI in your automated workflows. That's sort of the stepped wise process. Excellent. You heard it here  on the founder sandbox. Thank you, David.  And if you're not sure how to do all that, 43:25 ask AI, okay, here's my company. What should I be focusing on if I wanna implement playbooks, workflow automation and AI? And AI will help you figure this all out. Right. That's a jewel here. So what'd you do? Chat GBT, co-pilot, what's your complexity? Where would you go to? All right. Well, it just depends on the flavor of the day. Right now. 43:53 I was using chat GPT primarily for this stuff just because it was a first and I'm very comfortable with the apps. have them everywhere. And Claude's recently come out with a  new version and it's in some ways I'm just finding the output way more organized and smarter. And so I've been using Claude more in the last couple of weeks, but that'll change in another week or two.  Any one of them will do a pretty decent job. 44:21 I'm  not using perplexity because it's built on top of the other ones.  But perplexity is a great tool if you're newer with this because it makes some of the... It's a little bit more accessible for somebody who doesn't know how to use AI.  Gemini is also  really good, but that's  more of a technical... And there's so many things you can do. 44:49 with AI that you wouldn't even think about. And I'll give you an example, more as a brain opening exercise for everybody than anything else. Because this is something I did about seven weeks ago.  I,  chat GPT had just come out a week or two before with their vision capability in the mobile app. And for  those of you who don't know it,  with chat GPT, there's a talk 45:19 button. It's not  the microphone. It's the one that looks like a sound wave  in the mobile app. You tap that, and now you have a voice conversation with chat, which I use this constantly. Even when I'm working with,  I've got some contractors at my house whose English isn't very good, so I ask it to do real-time translation for me. And it does matter the language.  And I start talking, and it translates to their language. And they respond 45:49 in their language and it translates to English and it's doing it perfectly. And so I can have a very natural conversation with anybody just holding my phone up in front of them now.  Right?  But it has this vision capability  where when you go into that voice mode, you tap the camera next to it, and now it's looking out the front of your screen while you're talking to it. And so I'll give you a couple of examples where I've used it  six weeks ago and again, like 46:18 weeks later and I now used it many times like this.  I was in  Lowe's, which is a  store for home improvement.  And  for some project I was on, my wife calls me and says, I need fertilizer for a hibiscus. And I say, well, what do I get? She says, anything that says hibiscus on it, it'll be fine. I said, okay, fine. And if anybody that knows these big box stores, there's like hundreds of bags of fertilizer of different brands. 46:48 And I couldn't find one that said hibiscus. This is a typical thing with my wife. Oh, just look for this. And of course, there isn't that. So I asked Chess GPT, okay, I'm in  Lowe's  and I'm looking for a fertilizer for hibiscus.  What would you suggest? And it said, oh, there's a number of brands that are high acid.  And I said, we'll recommend a brand. Tonal is a really good brand. And I said, okay. So I'm looking and I can't find it. 47:18 So I walked 30 feet back and I'm talking, right? I'm having this, know, people are looking at me like, what the hell is he doing? And I walked 30 feet back because there's many, many shelves, you know, columns of shelves with fertilizer. I walked back and I turned on the vision and I say, okay, there's all the fertilizers. And I'm moving my phone across all these shelves. say, do you see tonal here? And it says, yes, look for the one in the red and white bag. 47:48 And  I see it on the shelf. So I walk straight forward. see a red and white bag. That's not tonal. said, this isn't it. And she, cause it's a woman's voice that I have, she says,  it's two shelves to the left, second from the top.  I walk over there and it's right where she said it was. Crazy. And you're not a beta user. So this is available today. This is available. It's been available for a couple of months. And then 48:18 My daughter-in-law asked me to get something from the pharmacy, from CVS, another  big box pharmacy store, right? And this is something I don't even know if I'm in the right aisle because it's something I've never bought. So I ask it, I say, I'm looking for this brand  and I'm not sure if I'm in the right aisle or not, but I'm going to walk down the aisle and tell me if you see it. As I'm walking down the aisle, holding it straight forward so it can see both sides.  And it says, well, 48:45 Yes, I'm familiar with the brand. You should look for it in a green and white box. then she goes like this. Oh, I see it. It's down there on the right on the bottom shelf. And I turn and I look and it's right by my right foot. 48:58 You heard it here. This is crazy. think it's a bit creepy.  How many times have you been looking for something on a shelf? You know, and you're like, oh, how long, how many hours is this going to take me to spot it?  Good internet connection and all that. So, oh my goodness. It's creepy and it's wonderful. So  same time.  the same time. Yeah. Yeah. For quality of life and even for,  um, yeah.  So 49:25 That's a mind opening thing is all the reason I bring that up. Excellent. Hey, let's go. Let's continue on in the founder sandbox. I'd like to ask each of my guests to  share with me.  I'm all about working with resilient, purpose driven and scalable companies in the growth phase. So what does resilience mean to you? You can either answer, you know, what's the first thing that comes out of your, you cannot use chat, GBT. I'm not fancy. No hands. 49:55 No hands, and I don't have the voice version going because you'd hear it. Podcast we could do it.  And we are real. We're not. Yeah, we are real. We're not. So I think that's, I don't think that's a difficult question to answer. Resilience means opportunity. So no matter what happens, even if it seems terrible, what  opportunity does that create? Excellent. If you ask that. 50:22 keep reframing everything from that perspective,  it creates resilience. Right. Thank you. What about purpose-driven?  Purpose-driven  means having  a clear  long-term path and goal  and  asking yourself if the things you're doing keep you on purpose to that. 50:56 Scalable. What's scalable mean for you? Scalable for me means  eliminating tribal knowledge or not eliminating it, but documenting tribal knowledge.  First of all, figuring out how you generate revenue and then how you expand your ability to generate revenue, which means growing your 51:25 growing your team, growing your capacity  and identifying the bottlenecks and focusing all your energy on the bottlenecks. And usually the bottlenecks have to do  with tribal knowledge or with  lack of workflow automation. Wow, you know, it's easier said than done though, that tribal knowledge, it is resistant, right? Oh yeah,  because it's  career,  what's the word I'm trying to think of? 51:55 It  keeps you in your job forever if you're the only one that knows how to do the thing. Absolutely. That's for another podcast, David. My  final question today is,  did you have fun in the Founder Sandbox? Oh, yes.  I had a lot of fun. Thanks. That's a great question too. Thank you, Brenda. Did you have fun? 52:20 Did you? I had had fun. And particularly in this last part, right? Cause we're talking about some heavy duty, you know, uses of, um, agentic AI, right. And scalable, you know, LTV, CAC and all that. And then we get to hear these real life, you know, kind of creepy, um, uh, uses of, um, on our phones today with, um, with AI, which is, which is quite amazing. But I also know that in your world of techies, 52:50 your team, which is distributed, have a lot of fun events too. So you probably- have one more thing on the whole scalable thing. You have to be compassionately ruthless or ruthlessly compassionate, however you want to say it. Okay. So that the people, every, and the ruthless is anything that's going to get in the way of you growing your company, which benefits everybody in the company. 53:19 it needs to be addressed in a ruthless way. But if you build a culture of ruthlessly compassionate, then all the people that work for you feel that same level of ruthlessness to protect the company and make it grow. And you practice what you preach, I suspect, at Techies. Yes. Yes. It took me a while, but if we accidentally hire the wrong person, either because 53:45 we made a mistake in the process or they faked us out and we recognize they're not smart enough. Literally, that's usually the problem. They're not smart enough to carry their weight. We fire them immediately. We don't try to bring them along because you can't improve somebody's IQ. You can improve any other aspect, but their IQ is their IQ.  And  that will be a bottleneck forever. 54:13 in our team and it'll require other people to carry that person. And it sends the wrong message to the team that I don't value them enough to make sure that we only surround them with people that are going to inspire them and help them grow. Excellent. And I suspect they are not fungible by AI, your employees, not techies. I mean, we've gotten better and better. 54:40 at not making those mistakes over the years. So that doesn't typically happen. takes us, we're much more careful about how we hire.  AI gives us the ability to recruit faster, more broadly,  along with workflow automation. But  what I mean by real, this is the compassionate. Once my team understood this, now they embody that and  they will get rid of somebody if they made a mistake. I don't have to force the issue ever anymore because 55:10 they recognize how much, important it is to protect their teams. So to my listeners, if you liked this episode today with the CEO and founder of Techies, sign up for the monthly release of founders, business owners, corporate directors, and professional service providers who provide their examples of how they're building companies or consulting with companies  to make them more resilient, scalable, and purpose-driven. 55:40 to make profits for good.  Signing off for today. See you next month in the Founder Sandbox. Thank you.  

Welcome back to 'Don't Cut Your Own Bangs!'    In this lively and heartfelt episode, Danielle Ireland chats with Ashlyn Thompson from the Parent Empowerment Network. Ashlyn shares her journey from growing her nonprofit organization to the emotional rollercoaster of her daughter's complex medical journey.    Get ready to explore how pain can be an unexpected teacher, the magic of community support, and why tapping into creativity can be your secret weapon against anxiety. Filled with laughs, valuable insights, and touching moments, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and joy. Tune in and enjoy the ride!   00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 00:20 Ashlyn Thompson's Journey and Nonprofit Growth 01:10 The Importance of Community and Support 01:37 Embracing Big Feelings and Finding Joy 02:52 Welcoming Ashlyn Back and Discussing Growth 05:44 Navigating Pain and Empowerment 09:51 The Power of Perspective and Decision Making 14:27 Balancing Life and Nonprofit Work 21:21 The Role of Pain as a Teacher 30:48 Finding Comfort in Movement and Nature 33:09 Returning to Basics 33:35 Reflecting on Past Decisions 35:20 The Role of Pain and Fear 38:20 Parent Empowerment Network 44:25 Creativity as a Lifeline 49:21 Embracing Emotions 53:07 Don't Cut Your Own Bangs Moment 01:01:20 Conclusion and Resources   Ashlyn Thompson interview links Ashlyn Thompson, a passionate advocate and storyteller, is co-founder of the Parent Empowerment Network, a nonprofit providing emotional and mental health support to parents navigating pediatric medical complexities. She also co-hosts theEmpowered by Hope podcast, which equips parents with practical tools, resources, and a strong sense of community—delivered with a heavy dose of humor and hope to empower them as their child's best advocate. Ashlyn's fire for advocacy was ignited by her daughter Emery, who was born with bladder exstrophy. After Emery nearly died following a major surgery at just seven weeks old, Ashlyn became a fierce voice for patient safety. Unwilling to accept the limitations of domestic medical care, she discovered a surgical option in the U.K. that wasn't available in the U.S. at the time. In early 2023, Emery became the first American to undergo this procedure—and thanks to Ashlyn's relentless advocacy, that surgery is now available in America. When she's not advocating or recording podcasts, Ashlyn moonlights as a budding driveway chalk artist, chaos coordinator for her spirited family, and an avid nature lover. Chocolate is her daily vitamin, ADHD is her superpower, spiders and small talk are her sworn enemies, and she firmly believes laughter and boldness are two of a parent's greatest tools.   Parent Empowerment Network:  The Parent Empowerment Network exists to support, encourage, and educate parents of children with medical complexities—empowering them with community, knowledge, and confidence to be their child's fiercest advocate. www.ParentEmpowermentNetwork.org Empowered by Hope podcast on all major podcast streaming platforms: https://parentempowermentnetwork.org/podcast/   Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Parent-Empowerment-Network/100083218456295/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parentempowermentnetwork/   She is Charlotte book by co-founder, Emily Whiting:https://parentempowermentnetwork.org/she-is-charlotte-book/ DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below.   Website: https://danielleireland.com/   The Treasured Journal: https://danielleireland.com/journal   Substack: https://danielleireland.substack.com/   Blog: https://danielleireland.com/blog/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielleireland.LCSW   Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@danielleireland8218/featured “Don't Cut Your Own Bangs” is about creating a community around, and familiarity with, the messy middle—that uncertain and often chaotic and uncomfortable time in the middle of a process or journey. The messy middle is replete with ambiguity and challenges, but it's also where the hard and rewarding work happens.   Transcript [00:00:00] Danielle: Hello. Hello, this is Danielle Ireland and you are watching or listening to Don't Cut Your Own Bangs. I am so excited to be back in the interview seat. We've done some solo cast. It's been a blast. But Ashlyn Thompson is here with me today, and we just wrapped an incredible conversation. Ashlyn came on as a guest to talk about her work with Charlotte's Hope Foundation a couple of years ago. [00:00:26] She was about ready to embark right in the interview we were, she was. Days away from embarking on a trip to the UK for her daughter having a surgery with the only surgeon in the world who performed the specific type of surgery that her daughter needed. Her daughter's made a full recovery. It's a beautiful story we're gonna get into in this episode, but what I'm truly, if you could imagine even beyond that beautiful story, what I'm so excited to introduce to you and to that I was so grateful to witness and learn from. [00:00:53] Is that Ashlyn has grown her nonprofit organization, not no money in organization, but yes, a nonprofit organization that at the time, two years ago when we last checked in with her, was called Charlotte's Hope Foundation. It has grown. It's expanded, and it's evolved, and it's now the Parent Empowerment Network. [00:01:10] She and her co-founder also have a podcast for that same work, and what I love about the work that they do. They create community connection space and resources for parents and families raising children or any provider helping a child navigate medical complexities. And that sounds like such a hard and heavy and challenging topic. [00:01:33] And it is. But what Ashlyn embodies is. The work that I really wanted to bring to this season and this new phase of don't cut your own bangs, which I want big feelings to feel less scary. I want approaching them to feel possible. And then with that in mind, wherever possible, as much as possible, finding lightness, levity, and joy. [00:01:54] However we can do it. And I'm telling you, in this episode we did that. We accomplished that. We talk about important things, we talk about heavy things, and Ashland is vulnerable in a way that is inviting. But also something we can all learn from. And through the specificity of her life experience and what she's learned, there are universal nuggets that we can all find value in. [00:02:17] I know I did, and this was such a beautiful place to share, and we laughed. We had joy, we smiled . I hope that this topic invites you and encourages you to lean in and tune in because there are so many great nuggets of this. Thank you for being here, and I can't wait for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy. [00:02:38] Ashlyn Thompson [00:02:39] Hi. Yes, I know. Big jumps for both of us. I know. I feel like we're, it does feel like a lifetime ago. It I mean, in many ways it is. It's like we're, I mean, I'm still, me and all the key players are still playing. Right. But it does feel like a different life in a way. And I, with that in mind, I just wanna officially welcome you back. [00:02:55] Yes. Welcome. Ashlyn Thompson. Oh, thank. Don't cut your own bangs. I am so excited that you're here for many reasons, but the thing I'm most excited about is I think that. Building something or starting something creates a certain amount of effort and energy. Sustaining something, growing with it, breathing new life into it, that's a different part of a different element of a creative process. [00:03:17] And that's something I think specifically I'm really excited to talk to you about because you're parent Empowerment Network, which has it, it exists to support, encourage and educate parents and caregivers of children with medical complexities. And that was, it already was in existence when we, right, when we recorded the first time. [00:03:34] But it has grown. Grown. I went to a gala, people, she's throwing a gala fundraiser for her for her network. And so, I mean, I wanna hear about all the twists and all the developments of that, but more specifically the context I wanna provide for us and for this conversation. The thing that I'm really excited about, , and why I feel really passionate about bringing this to video. [00:03:57] Is that I want to help make big feelings feel less scary. Yeah. And I want to make, approaching them feel possible. And then with that in mind as much and as often as possible, laugh as much as possible. Amen. And so, right? So like, you are swimming in the trenches with people and even in your own life with people who are holding and making space for heavy things. [00:04:23] Yes. And yet there is a bright smile on your face. There's a twinkle in your eye. You laugh and you smile. And I wanna, and I don't know how to articulate what that is, but I want to, I wanna, that's something I wanna make space for in this conversation too. So it's important and it's big and it's emotional for sure, but also like, let's allow levity too. [00:04:42] Absolutely. I am so excited to be continuing our conversation, and I'm also really happy to know that. The person who's sitting here with you today is very much a different person from two years ago. And I feel like I have gone through multiple versions of myself just in the past two years. And that's one of the things that I truly celebrate about, not just the journey of parent empowerment network, but I think just growing and evolving as a human spirit, experiencing this life is recognizing that I say this phrase to only certain people, but I act, I feel compelled to share it now. [00:05:26] I feel like I have died a thousand times. And greeted so many versions of myself. But every time I rise into that extroversion and realize who I am, I like that person more and more. And. I feel like one of my greatest accomplishments just this past year has been truly settling into a, knowing a deep belief that life is meant to grow through, not go through. [00:05:58] And that change, that pivot of how I see the next big thing that comes up has been such a grounding force for me and has really helped me feel like I'm actually sitting in the driver's seat of my car. I don't know what I'm going to pass as I'm on this highway. In life. And sometimes life yanks me off on an exit I didn't plan. [00:06:23] And those exit ramps are typically the next lesson. But I'm grateful to be at a point where I can now see the next really hard thing emerging and not wanna hit reverse. Wow. Wow. Not that I like it all the time. No, God. But I can appreciate that this isn't out to crush me. This isn't here to take me down like I used to feel. [00:06:53] , Wow. There's a lot to unpack there for. Thank you so much for sharing that, but also not going in reverse. I wanna make a mental note, not going in reverse. The next version of me, I like better, and this is not here to crush me. Right. The, there's something, I got chills. I got full body chills when you, the la with the last thing that you said, because when I'm working with clients, there is this element and this is something. [00:07:18] I promise I'll come back to that original point there. There's an element of the work that I do where, and I'm sure you get this in your own way too, with like hearing stories from families who are holding really hard and heavy things. I think when I meet people for the first time, a common response is, wow, I don't know how you do what you do, or I don't know how you listen to that all day. [00:07:36] Or Oh man, and I think, yes, sure. There, there are certainly days and clients or moments where those stories are making space for people's big, heavy, painful experiences. Right. Is can be a lot at times. Far less anymore. But I think more than anything the va like, I feel so lucky to have the experience a hundred maybe even thousands of times over hurt people's pain. [00:08:03] And I know what pain sounds like. Yes. And there are different types and one thing that I absolutely believe to be true is that our pain is not personal. Our story is personal, right? But pain is not personal. And the events of our life, even things that happen to us, it's, there's it's almost shifting out of a, and I hope I can say this within the context that, that is heard with love. [00:08:27] But shifting out of a victim mentality right into it. Because being victimized or being stricken with grief or holding something hard like that is absolutely real. And also knowing that this is happening to me, but this is not gosh, what are the words I'm trying to find. It, what I'm hearing is you recognize how hard this is. [00:08:51] Whatever that insert blank. I recognize how hard this is, and I'm not going to make this pain so precious that I don't also see it as temporary. Yes, exactly. But there's something, so I think there's something really powerful and there's so much nuance to that because I certainly don't want to, people can be victimized, but the victim mentality is one of, in my professional experience it's one of the more challenging headspace to, for someone to walk out of. [00:09:21] Agree. It's really hard. Exactly. It shrinks your world. So, so much. That's well said. And we experience that very often. We really fo I mean we say all the time, you know, we are non diagnosis specific, non prognosis specific with the families that we work with, and we focus on the parents or the parent role, which could be performed by a sibling, a grandparent, a friend, an adopt, a lot of different people, but. [00:09:51] What we really found early in our journey and what helped us evolve into parent empowerment network was that recognition that, like you pointed out, pain is not it's not customized to your experience. The feeling, the emotional and physical experience relationship with pain is common through all of us, and it actually is a way that we can connect with each other when we recognize that. [00:10:18] When we stop comparing one another's pains. Now, don't get me wrong, if your kid got a bump on the head versus your kid needs a, you know, brain surgery. Right. Those are different. Yes. Very different. Yes. But most of the time we're not dealing with that. And what we have found is that when somebody is in that victim mentality, which is understandable, I think that's a, very important aspect to acknowledge when you're feeling like a victim, why is this happening to me? Or why is this happening to my child? Because I'll be the first to say, it's never okay when your child is hurting or sick or in harm's way or worse. I will never be okay with it. But when we say stuck in a victim mentality, our ability to problem solve goes from about here to here. [00:11:08] Yeah. And then your child is really the one who suffers. And I hate, it's a hard truth. But we have to face that truth because when we can help a parent start to find glimmers of hope, start to see that there's a way to build on quality of life rather than cure. Then you start to see this new version emerge where they are truly, you know, empowered advocates for their child. [00:11:45] There's something that I heard in what you said too, that a lot of times when I'm working with clients who are maybe knee deep in anxiety or depression, for example. I think why can be a powerful question, but I think a misplaced why is a really exactly damaging question. Like, why me? Why them? [00:12:02] Why this, why now? Because those are questions you can't answer that only lead to a defeating answer. Exactly. And usually another question or shame, but what I'm hearing a lot in when you. When you can kind of broaden your focus and sort of release that constriction from why you then can open yourself up to a different type of question. [00:12:23] How can I, exactly. How can I get through today? How can I get through this moment? What is needed most of me now? What do I need now? Right. And those types of the what and the how. Who do I need to show up for? Is it me? Right. Is it them? Who do I need to ask for help? Who has information that I need? [00:12:43] Those types of questions don't eliminate the pain, but it broadens the scope Yes. Of, of your field of vision. And I know that though, like, 'cause you are here in many ways. Oh, I hope it's okay to use this term. But I hope that you're here as an expert and you're also the executive Hope director of of the power impairment network. [00:13:05] And I think a lot of times. What we would imagine as the worst possible case scenario. Like the worst thing we could imagine would be something happening to our kids. This has been your lived experience. This has been your business partner's lived experience. And for, even though you have a podcast as well, where you really create a space and content and a community that helps people with that very specific set of circumstances, that Right. [00:13:33] I would imagine it's like. The best and worst club to be a part of. So we always say, we're so sorry you're in this club. Yes. But we're so glad you found us. Yes. Like it's the yes, we're really sorry, but at the same time, like, welcome home, welcome. And so I think a lot of the, a lot of the people who tune in to don't cut your own bang, I don't know how many would have this specific life experience. [00:13:57] Right. And if you do, oh my gosh, what a gorgeous resource you have in Ashlyn. Oh, thank you. And the Parent empowerment network and their podcast. But I do think that even in something like this, in within the specificity of everything you're saying, there is such a broad truth that I think we can all access and find value in. [00:14:16] And, yeah. So just thank you for all of that. And I want to, okay. I wanna shift a little bit to the growth of the parent Empowerment network. Right. Because, so when I originally started this podcast, what I was, what I really motivated me, one was I was terrified of becoming a therapist and having worked as a creative, and I just wanted to surround myself with other people who, who were building things, right? So that I could sort of sneak in my own needy questions. Like, how did you do it? How did you figure it out? What happened when you were scared? Like, what happened when your computer crashed? Oh my gosh. And you went from newly building something to, you have really grown. [00:14:53] Yes. You have really grown. And I wanna know having experienced the, you know, the gala that Right. That you that you threw that was so lovely. I wanna know . What led to the growth over the last two years? Because you're still momming, you're still life. Yeah. Your daughter is still being you. [00:15:08] I mean, like your life is still life and Yes. Life is still lifeing. How, in the midst of your lifeing, how have you also continued to grow this? And I really wanna know like what fueled your fire. And just tell me more about that story please. Yes, absolutely. So at the beginning of this, you know, when we started talking, you were very talking about how I'm sitting here smiling and I mean, I am fully, I am genuinely full of joy in this moment. [00:15:35] And I think I know actually that comes from being in something like we have with Parent Empowerment Network, which has been truly its own huge like business, right? We are called a nonprofit, but let me tell you, I mean, it is straight up business. [00:15:57] Is what it is in a lot of ways, and. That's the worst possible name for a tax category. It totally is. Because it's so confusing. Nonprofit doesn't mean no money. Right. Exactly. It's so confusing. We do not exist for free. Is great an idea as that sounds. I want that to be the slogan for every nonprofit. [00:16:16] I just, 'cause we don't exist for free. Right. You know the whole, you get what you pay for. It's, yeah. That's a whole other conversation. We're not gonna spend too much time there today. We should have a part two then. There we go. I'm okay with that. All right. So for that, what I think the biggest lesson that has. [00:16:33] Emerged from this journey just since we were, you know, you and I were talking a couple years ago when we were actually still called Charlotte's Hope Foundation. Yes. Which was our initial name. Yes. Because we had an idea for something that was this big at the beginning. And the name Charlotte's Hope Foundation fit that in theory. [00:16:52] But the thing I'm most proud of my, of Emily Whiting, who's my co-founder, fellow mom, fellow sister, fellow savior, at times the best thing we have done is allowed ourselves permission to grow and shrink as needed. And that's what we've done throughout this journey. It has not been a step process. [00:17:15] There have been countless times where we have grown two or three steps, been bigger, you know, working with international teams of surgeons, pulling together collaborations that have never been done, and then. There have been times where we have pulled back and we haven't released an episode for six weeks. [00:17:33] We have had maybe two or three social posts because our lives were on fire or just demanded all our attention, but it didn't mean we had to stop. I need to, oh my gosh. I don't know how many of you listening or watching can relate to that. I, there is a relationship I have with the expansion and contraction of output where if I'm not putting something out, producing something, making something that it really does a number on my sense of self worth. Right. And self esteem. And that is something that I'm still actively healing and repairing, because I definitely know the facts. I know. The really bumper stickery, self helpy sounding talk. [00:18:26] And I believe it. It's not that I, I don't hear it and think like, yeah. Right. It's just that there's a more practiced version of me, right. That has just had more at bats operating in a certain way. And then life in many ways rewards you for that. In theory. In theory. And I don't mean the like the laurels, like you get the the kudos pat on the back accolades but there is a cost, right? [00:18:47] There is a cost. And I think, in the I this past year I wrote a children's book called Wrestling a Walrus. And this the act of writing this book was something that I didn't realize that in the contraction, or even like in the I love the visual of the caterpillar becoming the butterfly. [00:19:09] 'Cause there's a two week process where the caterpillar is literally, we talk about the messy middle in this podcast and think, thank you Brene Brown, wherever you are for creating language and context for us for this very conversation. 'cause so much of this is inspired by that, but that gooey, mushy middle where it's not a butterfly, it's literally goo and it's Exactly, and it, and, but in that place, there is magic happening there. [00:19:33] Even if it, even though it looks like a pile of shit, right. Like, it's, there's magic happening there. I'll say the impetus or the inspiration, the. It was tough moments with my daughter, moments where I didn't feel like I was doing anything. Right. It like hitting the wrecking ball of, you know, being a parent of a toddler and a parent of an infant like that was, there's not enough grace in any space to help you go through that without serious, you know, support. [00:20:02] There were, I had some victim mentality at that point in time, even, and all things can be true at once. But all of that was what I experienced before I had the idea to write the book. And had I not had that experience, I wouldn't have been able to do that. Exactly. I don't think it would've been the same. [00:20:16] And [00:20:16] , and I promise this whole podcast isn't an ad for the book, but like, I really believe in this damn book and I love it so much. And I love that you talk about that expansion and contraction for yourself. And that you doesn't, it doesn't mean you have to stop. 'cause I think a big reason why I maybe avoided picking up the torch again and doing this podcast like I left it for so long, or I abandoned it for so long, or can I still do it right? [00:20:41] Like all of that stuff. And then yeah it. Yeah. Doubt doesn't mean you're done. No. And taking a pause doesn't mean you're stopping forever. But yeah. I mean, you can't just exhale forever. You can't just output like you eventually have to breathe in. Exactly. And that relationship is very necessary. [00:21:00] And so, I mean, everything you're saying is exactly what I need. Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome. And it, that lesson doesn't come easily. Nope. But I think another element of that, you know, building off of what you were just talking about, pain and discomfort and naturally shying away from it. [00:21:21] I challenge anybody in life to just take a moment to consider pain as a potential teacher, as a professor, rather than pain as an enemy, or pain as a destroyer. Right. If you ask yourself. Why does this feel painful? Because how many times do we all experience in our life something that really gets under our skin, but whether it's a spouse or it's a friend or a coworker and they seem totally unfazed by it, [00:21:56] and that used to be something that bothered me. I was kinda like what's, am I ever sensitive? Or like, what is my thing? And I grew up always hearing, not necessarily even from my parents, but I feel like. Teacher schools and saved by the bell commercials about find what you love in life and you'll never work a day in your life. [00:22:16] And that was great in theory, but I'm a very eclectic person. Yep. I love a lot. And all I was getting was a lot of burnout. That's also like saying like, love your kids and you'll never have a hard day with them in your life. You're like, no bs. No. I love my kids. But like, you know, oh my gosh, kids are the greatest, hardest thing of life. [00:22:33] Right. Right. But I think the same is true. Like , I never stopped loving this. Right. But I don't always have control over the life around. Right. But it's a, I think allowing things to be a part of you, not all of you, is really important. Yeah. And I think it's so easy to define ourselves by that output. [00:22:53] For me and Emily, the word is often it's impact. Are we actually making an impact? And the thing that helped us. Become okay with hitting the pause button when we needed to, and not officially throwing in the towel. Don't get me wrong, there were conversations about it, but we were always very honest with each other and we held each other accountable that if you are feeling like this is not jiving with your life, if it's not jiving with you personally, or it's not good for your family at this moment, let's hit the pause button and talk about it. [00:23:26] But realizing that if we only help each other while working on this, Emily and I, that's helping our kids, that's helping our families. And there's a domino effect from that goes from that. And if that's all we ever do, what's bad about that? You said something that I, it still stuck with me and it will probably be the title of this episode. [00:23:49] Pain is a Professor. Yes, it is. And I wanna go back to that because something that I talk about in my sessions a lot is that your emotions never lie to you. Now your thoughts are very different. Yes. Your thoughts can go a, now granted, we need to think critical thinking is important. [00:24:04] We probably need more critical thinking, but thoughts happen to us all day, every day, constantly. Right. I don't remember what the statistic is. I think we have roughly like eight thoughts a minute, something like that. I'm surprised it's not . Maybe that's just a DH adhd. And that could be too, like, yeah, there, maybe there's a spectrum. [00:24:18] Maybe it's eight to 80 thoughts a minute. Give or take. Give or take a hundred. But so thoughts happen to us now. We can certainly consciously choose what to focus on and what we think. But thinking happens, the emotions are in response to what we're thinking and believing. Exactly. And they never lie. [00:24:35] Right. And I But something you said like pain as a professor. And I like the thought that emotions are energy in motion. Yes. And they always have something for you to learn. There's something for every emotion. There is something it wants you to know. Right. And when you're not feeling good are we have more pain receptors in our body, unfortunately. [00:24:55] We have more pain receptors in our body than we do pleasure receptors. Like, and so when pain is activated, it just has a firmer grip. There's something that Martha Beck talks about that I love. It's called the, I think she calls it the Viper in the box of puppies. So if you were to imagine like, and enough said, right. [00:25:10] Done. You get it. But you hand, if I handed you a box full of like 15 adorable, gorgeous little puppies, I mean, it's, they're the most abundant, silly, loving, fuzzy source of love, safety, pleasure. I could really go for that right now. I mean, would it, that should be a, I'm hoping there's one hiding around somewhere. [00:25:28] We have a surprise for you, but if I were to then put a Viper in or a cobra in your box of puppies. All you're gonna see is the threat. Exactly. All you're gonna see is the threat. And I think in life, it's like we pop mo most of us more often than not, are probably living in lives with a lot of puppies. [00:25:48] But the viper, the threat is what consumes Oh yeah. So much energy and attention and shifting your focus from one to the other is easier said than done. And I wanna talk to you specifically about how you have found meaning or, and I, when I say success, I don't mean it in like a bullet point sense, but right. [00:26:12] Where you have found access to, you know, the viper, you know, or the cobra, you know, the box of puppies. Right. How you access that. I can certainly share how I have, but my emotions, I. I've learned in time. I don't always know exactly what they're telling me in the beginning, but I trust them enough to know that it's something. [00:26:36] And so the first place I try to access, if I'm not dissociating or avoiding, is to sit with it. Yeah. So usually it's like, I'm I'll just dissociate in my fantasy book or rewatching parks and recreation for the MPH teeth bajillion time. You know, it's just always a Sure bet. Yeah. It's just, it's hard for, life can only be so hard with Leslie Nope and little Sebastian, you know? [00:26:57] So anyway. But I wanna know where you find yourself in that shift. Yeah. Yeah. So you've got my head's like turning, I'm also still picturing puppies to be honest. That's okay. So I actually, I feel like I wanna give an example of something that I experienced last year, so two years ago. [00:27:11] It's crazy to think two years ago I went on this crazy journey to England. I went to London to take my daughter, who was not quite two years old yet to have a surgery over there for her ultra rare condition that was not available in the States. And I had talked to everybody in the States, of course, that had any knowledge about it and all they could tell me was, we don't really know anything about it. [00:27:35] We don't do it here. Kind of you're on your own, go for it. Or don't, we can't say that we would support you. All that matters is I went for it. And fortunately it did end up being the right decision, but I also knew that it could not be the right decision. And what I found on that experience was that I was originally desperate for picking the right way in life to move forward, that I could not make a decision. [00:28:06] I could not possibly move forward unless I was a hundred percent sure. But guess what? Life isn't real big on giving you a guarantee. Yeah. Guarantees with anything. And I think where I, that's where I started to learn that I don't have to have the answers to move forward. I can be looking at that box and I can see, oh my gosh, this could go terribly wrong. [00:28:34] But I think living with a hopeful mindset is something that allows me to keep my eye on that viper and then still interact with the puppies over here. My eye is still trained on it, but what I found is a peace in making my decision. And it was a, that feeling, that gut feeling. You know, it, I, it doesn't matter what you've gone through in life. [00:28:58] I can't believe that there's anybody out there who hasn't just had that. I call it just that knowing in your gut, it's a physical experience and that is something. That has helped me move forward in life. Because here's the thing, guys, nobody can ever stay truly still. And that's where a lot of our pain and discomfort comes from, is fighting moving forward without certainty. [00:29:23] Oh, let's pause right there. Oh my gosh. So there's something that Dr. Becky Kennedy who she has the good, she wrote the book Good Inside, and she's got her own beautiful podcast and work and content. She does. She really she focuses on kids, but she's really working on parents relationship with their inner child and by extension their parenting. [00:29:43] But she talks about something called, I've called it the Gap, but she calls it the learning space. So with kids, most of their frustration, tension and meltdowns happen between meeting a moment or. A moment arising and knowing how to meet the moment. And that learning space is usually the gap in knowing or understanding of this is what's arisen and I don't know how to meet this moment. [00:30:04] Right? And then if their context or their ability to meet it, if the moment exceeds their ability that's usually when there's a lot of pain or big feelings. Right. And I think with adults, that's usually where I see self-doubt, rumination anxiety, self-destructive tendencies. [00:30:23] Come in and you're right. You're, I love that you said we're never really still, I mean, one that's just true based on science and physics. We're never still that's actually one of the, like, there's like two necessary components, maybe three to being a living, being or a living entity. [00:30:36] I think, what is it? Movement, cell division, reproduction, and, I don't know, something else. Hey, anyone here pop off in the comments if you're a science boss, please gold star for you. Please. But but yeah, we're never truly still. And so even when you feel stagnant and stuck and even hearing you say that I'm actually processing in real time, one of the things that I have done that I, I discovered by accident, but probably because my body knew better than my mind did. [00:31:04] I would, it often does. I would take my feelings on walks. I would, I talked about that movement is essential if you are literally feeling stuck. I tell, that's what I tell everybody. Anytime they're spiraling. Which it's understandable. Go for a walk. Even if it is five minutes, walk up and down your stairs. [00:31:22] Or at the least one of my favorite things thank you Instagram reels for sucking up so much of my life at times in the hospital, but sometimes, but it's, sometimes it's, it is the perfect escape. It's okay to let the pressure off of ourselves. But there was this one that I saw it was this therapist who was like in her seventies and she was in Ireland and she's walking around in like this, you know, the quintessential Ireland landscape. [00:31:47] And she said, I tell all of my clients when you have a problem or a worry or something that's making you feel like you need to hurry, walk outside where you can see the sky and look up. Because the moment you remove a ceiling from your view, from your your line of sight, your mind opens with it. [00:32:08] And possibilities grow. And I have experienced that so often. And you think about it where you, when you're in a confined space. It only adds to those feelings of I'm stuck or I'm out of options, or I can't deal with this. But when you go outside and the world is just showing you how big it is and how small you are, there's actually a ton of comfort in that. [00:32:35] There's, I've also read and heard that there's something about the way that our eyes sort of gently move and follow and track side to side. Yeah. The movement around us that activates a similar calming sensation that our body experiences in REM sleep. Because if you're tracking a bird or tracking a squirrel, or just simply seeing like the trees and movement, track your kids. [00:32:55] Right. That'll keep you, your eyes all over the place. Girl. But like, 'cause right now we're facing a computer screen and we're in, we're under lights. Like, it's a very I mean, it's a lovely container, but it's a sterile container by comparison of being outside. And I Right. I do think that sometimes, like, like Lifeing. [00:33:11] It can be hard, and I never wanna oversimplify holding the challenges and moving through the challenges. Right. And yet I think sometimes when something feels overly, when something feels complex and impossible, it's almo. I, my instinct is to abandon the basics. And that is always the place to start. [00:33:32] That's always the place to start, is to go back to the basics. [00:33:35] Knowing what you know now what. Do you think the version of you, I wrote down three years ago, but I wanna go back to two years ago bef, like as you were navigating all the travel plans and the decision to go to the UK for your daughter's surgery, what do you think that version of Ashlyn needed to hear or needed to know? [00:33:55] And then the follow up question to that, after you answers, do you think she would've believed you? [00:33:59] It's really funny that you're asking this question because I actually had a conversation yesterday with a neighbor's daughter who is a film student, and this question has actually been going through my mind a lot lately about, I wonder where my life would be if I'd known this in my early thirties, if I'd known, or if I had known this in my twenties. [00:34:23] And I kept kind of going backwards like, I didn't know this then. Oh maybe if I'd known this. And I kept just, like I said, looking back and then what I realized is. It's so important that I didn't know those things because I had to experience them with the challenges. I had to climb the mountains for the first time to really understand the importance of gaining those skills for myself. So I actually think that Ashlyn, a couple years ago, I may have wanted to hear, I, what I wanted to hear was, you're making the right decision. I wanted to be validated by doctors, by people who I typically refer to as the ones who have the alphabet after their name. [00:35:06] Can somebody please just tell me, check, you know, you're making the right choice. Or this is what I would do if it were my child. And I wanted it so desperately that I, it did almost prevent me from going. But I am blessed that because of other experiences before that, right where pain had started to evolve into a guide for my life, a way of understanding what is most important to me. [00:35:37] It clarifies a lot. Exactly. Because often, you know, pain and fear are often about things we can't control, right? And what it showed me was that I don't need guaranteed outcomes to be able to sleep at night. I know that if I don't give it everything, including the kitchen sink, I won't be able to sleep at night. [00:36:03] I won't be able to look at Emery when she's an adult and tell her. We tried absolutely everything we could to give you the best quality of life, and that's what I needed to be able to give her. In order for me to feel good about the mom I am. And that's what was most important to me at that time. [00:36:23] So it sounds like maybe you trust in your ability to meet the moment enough that you don't think you would've gone back and told yourself anything? No, I think, and that's something that, like I said, I'd been thinking about a lot, like how many times if I'd only known this, if I if I'd only held my boundaries or if, or you know, these standards or, you know, all the things I could have done differently. [00:36:48] But as I said at the beginning of this, I feel like I have lived a thousand lives and become. A thousand new versions of myself, but you don't become your next self without going through something that carves away at you to reveal it. We don't grow through the easy no we stay stagnant. And besides small talk, my biggest fear in life is staying stagnant. [00:37:20] God, can we just let go of small talk? Oh my gosh. We all have a weather app and we all know the traffic patterns at this point. Like, do you know what's so funny about the weather app? I'm gonna use it every day. I treat my husband like the weather app, and we have an Alexa, like in, literally, like, I'll ask him what the temperature is and he'll be like. [00:37:41] Alexa. I just, oh my goodness. It's like those basic the basic like things of moving through life. I don't know why. It's like I've, I have this like faux that's of publicist. I'm like, I don't know what I'm, so what's the weather? I can't look out the window. I can't ask my own Alexa. [00:37:56] I always think, I think it's, I think it's more like, I think it's fair to acknowledge those as high. There's higher priorities that take up front of mind space. That's right. That's right. Things' so focused on the big things. Right? Yes. It's okay. We're not meant to like, you know, and I think that's another, that's one point I feel really compelled to bring up in this conversation based on all these things we've talked about, you know? [00:38:20] Yes. thank you for the chance to share what Parent Empowerment Network does, and the Empowered By Hope podcast is about addressing the real hard, the messy like, because as far as we're concerned, like once you get the news, your child is not okay. You're living in the messy middle from there on out. [00:38:36] And it can make you, or it can break you. And we're there to tell everybody, we promise this will make you. Even with worst case scenario, and that's a bold statement, but, you know, but it's one you've lived and I exactly. And I've seen countless others live, right? But I think it's so important that everybody, you know, I guess my dream would be if everybody could just realize we are not meant to carry pain and hardship and struggle by ourselves. [00:39:07] That's really what Parent Empowerment Network does. That's really what our podcast does, is it directly says to everybody who gets a chance to interact with us or who we have the honor to meet with. It just says, Hey, you are not expected to hold this alone. You know, put some of that on our plate. [00:39:24] Let's hold it together because it'll be better for everybody. It's not just you is like, again, that's what frees you from a victim mentality. You are not the only one who's ever experienced this. Right. You are not the only one who has suffered this way. And in by no means it's not to minimize. [00:39:40] Right. Exactly. It's not belittling it, it's not, it's definitely not dismissing it. But it's meant to serve as a lighthouse. Right. Our stories are unique. Yes, of course. And so that's, and I think that's what is endlessly, I will never be bored having an in-depth. Not small talk with the love of God, but like, I will never I will be endlessly fascinated by other people. [00:40:01] Because the stories are unique. Yeah. But there is a common thread that we can all see ourselves in or relate to. That, it's so enriching. Yeah. It's almost like, maybe because it's spring and, but I'm thinking it's like the pain is like the compost. Yeah. Something has to die in rotten decay in order to nurture something new. To grow. Yep. Exactly. And I, and that pain serves as fur. It's fertilizing the new, the next round of growth. Right. Yeah. It's not making anything vanish or destroying it, it's just, but it has to break down to build back up. I think that's why mosaics are my favorite type of art. [00:40:39] Yeah. I have such a strong connection to any piece that I see that's made up of a mosaic. And I remember that coming true for me when my dad had his massive stroke and. You know, he was completely debilitated, couldn't speak for himself, couldn't move his own body. He lived like that almost two years. But I remember getting really close to a couple key therapists in his life. [00:41:04] And I remember just after he passed, I got them both a small gift. It was these little mosaic art pieces for them. And I said, when I saw those, I knew that this was the right thing because you didn't see my dad as a destroyed person. You saw him as for the broken pieces. He was that to be put back, to be put together into something that was new and beautiful on its own. [00:41:33] And that's what I feel like pain has the ability to do for all of us. It's okay. And I to acknowledge that you are broken. But it's also just as important to acknowledge that you can be remade into something. You, the old you is gone. You know, when we go through something awful hard, unimaginable it's really easy to think that I will feel this way forever. There is a finality that we attach to painful experiences and it takes often somebody from the outside to gently help us realize that's not reality. I often, when I'm in that transition and I'm not aware or I'm just not ready to admit there are either, there's usually it's I there's usually things I wanna carry along with me. [00:42:28] Yep. It's like. Like an old dingy snugly blanket or like a stuffed animal that like has like holes worn in and like an eyes popped off. It's just but I when I've gone through those transitions, it's saying goodbye to maybe friendships that aren't serving me. [00:42:42] Yep. Or titles, roles levels of output expectations, stories, ways of being and the way, and to go back to pain as a professor, which is going to be the title. That it's only when I try to take the old way of being or the old relationship that is no longer serving into my new now reality. [00:43:04] When it feels anything other than good. Yeah. That's information exactly that it's showing me something and. That curiosity over constriction can also for me look like curiosity over criticism. And because that criticism is usually either dialed inward, what's wrong with me? Right. Or what's wrong with them? [00:43:25] Versus , what is happening Exactly. What's going on? What is this showing me? And I would say probably saying goodbye to relationships or friendships has probably been the hardest. Yeah. The hard, because there is this idea that I'm like if I like it, and it's like in a possessive way. [00:43:42] It's, if I like you forever. And I, and of course that is true. I mean, it, there's nobody who's been in my life that's added value that I don't appreciate. Right. But but I think that the shedding. Yeah. It's like I, I want the next thing, but I also don't wanna let the old thing go. [00:43:56] Right. And so it's, I think I've spent a lot of time and energy trying to like, pull that thing with me. Whatever it is and whatever that stage. But I think that there's when you can fully embrace, 'cause what I'm hearing from you is when you can fully embrace I am different now. [00:44:11] Yep. This is different. This mosaic. I'm not, I may not be able to carry water like I was as a vase. Right. But I'm gonna look really great as this. Yeah. And the other thing I wanna shift to before, before I get to your, don't cut your own bangs question. What I wanna ask you, you've mentioned art a couple of different times. [00:44:28] And this is to, to reference Dr. Martha Beck again. She has done a lot of incredible work in the last couple years where a way to. Step out of anxiety is not to try to access calm. 'cause we talked about going for a walk, right? So, because as much as I love these big conversations, it can be sometimes like, what is something tangible I can actually hold onto? [00:44:53] So walking with something we talked about community and connection with something else we talked about, but Art, I wanna talk about that for a moment because that is what my book was for me. Yeah. It was I created something that only that felt like it was to serve me. The process of interacting with that idea was so delightful and so delicious and so fun that I was like, I feel like I'm just the luckiest person that like this is, oh wow, I get to play with this thing. [00:45:21] Yeah. And it wants to play with me. And I don't feel that all the time. Like sometimes it's origami or doodling or coloring with my daughter. But to go back to Dr. Martha Beck's work that the opposite of anxiety is not calm, it's creativity. Oh, I love that. And you have by default really spoken through, like just healing through creating. [00:45:43] Oh, absolutely. And also there's something about, 'cause calm, there's something about calm that like, we must be still, and granted I love meditation, but like, I must be still, I must be calm. But when you are holding something that is buzzing and shaking or heavy or hot, like just some emotions are hot, like you, it's like you wanna move it through your hands or your words or your body and make something, right. [00:46:06] And you made me, she made me this bracelet before we started this episode. So like, it feels like you have a relationship with creativity too. A hundred percent. Creativity is a lifeline. And I feel like, and the most chaotic moments of my life have been the least I'm my least creative and I think it's a really. [00:46:29] Valuable, tangible thing for anybody to take from this conversation is if you are feeling out of control, lean into something as simple as I'm obsessed with those adult, you know, like the coloring books. Yes. You know, for adults to have like tons of different like lines all over the place that you have to be like really specific to keep the marker in there. [00:46:51] It can't, I do get a little bugged when it like bleeds over to the next section, but, , it's okay. I know I'm working through my, , my stressors at that moment. But yes, giving yourself a creative outlet, it's like taking a big drink of water after you've been exercising and you are so parched. [00:47:07] And I also agree that , calm sounds great in theory, but for me I feel like the more important, like the word that's become more important or I'm better able to. Absorb is the idea of am I grounded? Are my feet touching the ground? I can still have a lot going on, but when I'm like rising higher, you know, off the ground, 'cause like, I'm like a bird at this point, just flapping my arms so fast, right. [00:47:35] That I'm actually taking flight. I'm not in my best head space, but when I can just take a moment to literally just ground myself, make sure that my feet are, whether it's in the grass or sit down like this. And a conversation with a friend, somebody who really knows you is a great moment for that. [00:47:53] It's a great way to remind you who you are is somebody else. Sometimes I talk all the time about the value of when you can connect with somebody who feels with you, not just for you. Oh my gosh. It makes the world so much lighter and goodness. I mean, huh. That's probably if I could have answered the question I asked you a little bit ago, what's something that you could have if I could have told my former therapist self, like when I very when I first started, you're there to hold space for people to feel and feel with them. [00:48:23] Right. Exactly. You're not there. It's sacred. Yeah. It's there's nothing, one, it's like, there's nothing I can tell someone who's deeply in pain that they're actually gonna No. , That's, the words are just like, right. It's just noise. Yeah. And not to take anything. I'm sure I have clients who have been impacted by words. [00:48:40] But having a safe space to feel your feelings free of judgment. Is one of the reasons why I love journaling so much, but also doing that in communion Yeah. With another human right who expects nothing of you. I love Elizabeth Gilbert has language I love, like there's no precious outcome. [00:48:57] Like I can, that I can sit and have space with you or I can make plans with you or be, and there's no precious outcome. You don't have to perform for me. Right. You don't have to be anything for me. Like we can just be that is what a gift. Yes, that is. I just want to, this conversation has inspired way too many thoughts, but in the best way. [00:49:15] But something that hit me and then I think we could absolutely move on to Yeah. This the cut your bangs question. But what I've realized even in our conversation is that logic is not loud . our emotions are loud and they get louder and louder. The more we. Push them back the more we ignore them. [00:49:36] Think of your kids until they, when they need your attention. Because they deserve your attention. They do. The best thing we can do is acknowledge those emotions and just, even if it's as simple as, it's totally understandable. I feel this way right now. That is such a freeing sentence. Of course, I feel this way right now. [00:49:58] That was some serious shit that I just went through. Yeah . of course, I feel, and it doesn't have to make sense when those feelings hit the timing a lot of times feelings for me, I've found won't hit until I'm in a safe space much further down the road. Yes. And it's like being T-boned, like yes, totally out of the blue. [00:50:19] But that's also what happens to kids when they have tantrums. Ah, yeah. They'll hold. And then when they're finally either home at the end of the day or something, when the container is so full and they're finally in a place where they feel safe, they'll erupt over an orange peel not being peeled correctly. [00:50:32] Or , or a banana not being peeled correctly. Oh gosh. And it's not that, don't even start me on string cheese. God. Oh God. Parenting is fun. The best, but No, but you're right. Sometimes, I think that's probably why I cry almost with like every movie and TV show I watch. [00:50:47] Yeah. Because the emotions are just always right there and I just need a place to let it trickle out. Right. And that's okay. And I think, but just not judging ourselves for feelings. And then I think once we give that space or the feelings, the sooner we can do that, the sooner that logic, you know, like you, you mentioned multiple times, I know this, then you give logic. [00:51:13] The space that it needs to speak to you in a calm and quiet manner that you can actually trust. And that's where I think that those gut feelings truly come from. Those inner knowings are, when you've allowed space for the emotions first, given them their due. So then the logic can start to talk to you because it's never going to yell for your attention. [00:51:35] No. And I think we want it to, but that's not the way it works. And that's okay. A lot of times things make sense in hindsight, oh gosh, hindsight's 2020. Always. South Park has a great episode. If people if you have just like a dark sense of humor and you wanna laugh at, there's a character called Captain Hindsight and it's really funny. [00:51:54] . So yeah, a lot of times things don't make sense until we're. A little bit more removed from them. Yep. And some what I have found to be helpful, I've noticed you using your hands. Yeah. And I find when I am, when my mind is really active and I need it to stop or slow down or I just i'll sometimes even throw my hands up. Yeah. And I'll say, and even saying. I'm feeling something and just to myself in my kitchen. 'cause I'm almost always , because I work from home, I'm either like in my office or in my kitchen, like I'm feeling something. As soon as you did that, it's gonna show on video. [00:52:25] I like saw from the corner of my eye myself, naturally going, whew. Yeah. Just sound like inhale. Exhale. Yes. It's like something is being felt. Something's happening. I don't know what it is, but something's happening. And I think, in a lot of ways too, like that's how we have these internal smoke signals. [00:52:42] Yeah. And it's the same way, like your smoke detector in your house doesn't know the difference between burnt toast and something on fire, right? But it will beep when it senses. Yeah. When it senses something. And so my body is like sensing something. Is this a threat? [00:52:56] Are we safe? Yes, we're safe. Oh, we're likely. We just needed water. We're just dehydrated. Uhhuh. Or we just, yeah. So any number of things. But that was so good. Thank you. And yes, I would love, love, love to know your don't cut your own bang moment. And for anybody who is new to the podcast, 'cause I think there are some new people here. [00:53:15] Thank you for being here. Don't cut Your own bang moment is a moment where you went all in on something like cutting your own bangs, you grabbed some scissors, you watched a YouTube video, you're like, I got this. And you go, and then, oh no, this wasn't what I thought it would be. But the value in a don't Cut Your own Bang moment is not only that we can share in the silliness of humanity and mistakes, but also like maybe we learn something from it. [00:53:42] So, Ashlyn? Yes. I would love to hear your Don't cut your own bang moment. Oh my goodness. I think that there's probably a plethora of them. Oh, of course. And, let's see here. I'm even, I tried to have one prepared, and then I got excited about the rest of our conversation. Oh my gosh. Don't worry. So, okay I'll share one. [00:53:58] So what's a good, don't a good, oh. I invited my husband to record a podcast with me because I thought it would just be, , fun to bring him back on. And what I realized was I didn't prepare him for it at all. I just set up lights and set up a camera and asked him to sit. And he was so, visibly like he was trying, he was sitting, he was trying. [00:54:23] But I could just tell, again, something's happening. And I could tell he was a little uncomfortable and a little stiff. And I kept, because our eyes look out. My first assumption is, what's wrong out there? And I was like, what are you okay? What's wrong? And he he was , I don't really know what I'm supposed to be doing. [00:54:41] And then I was like. Oh, no, it was snip the bangs. I didn't provide any context. I didn't give him any preparation for what we'd be talking about, why we'd be talking like he had no context. And the whole setup is different, uhhuh. And it was such a humbling, settling moment of context. [00:55:04] It's I'm writing something right now about this idea of play. I'm a freedom loving, freedom seeking play hungry, greedy person right now. I want more play. I could never get enough. But what makes play feel fun and safe is to understand the context. Yeah. , There's rules in a game. [00:55:20] Otherwise, what is it? And I, my first instinct is to buck. Rules. I don't like ingredient lists. I don't like recipes. I just wanna feel my way through it. But, if you wanna make a beautiful croissant, you can't just feel your way through that. There's a very exacting way to do it. And so, it, it was such a one, I'm endlessly grateful for him and his patients with me. [00:55:40] I'm grateful that , our dynamics not new, so he probably knew what was going on, but just did yeah he's pretty sweet that way. But I, it was such a refresher that , if I wanna create a space and container to play safely with people Yeah. I need to give them the context. Absolutely. And it doesn't matter how long I've known someone, how well I know someone. [00:55:59] I laughed at myself because I, the part of the reason why it feels funny to me, but in like a humbling way. I thought the problem was him for like the first 15 minutes. I was like, what dude? Relax. I was like, what? Is he doing it right? [00:56:12] Yeah. like come on. And I was like. Oh no. Context. Zero. Oh my goodness. So that was a great one. Thank you. Okay, I'm gonna do mine in like short seconds because this one just hap this that inspired me perfectly. So my 8-year-old son and I are both going to the same therapist right now. [00:56:30] I'm a believer everybody should have at least an annual checkup with a therapist, but that's a great endorsement. Everyone should have an you annual checkup. You welcome, reach out to Danielle, she's fantastic. If you live in Indiana, by all means. If not, we'll help you find someone. Yes. And also order the book. [00:56:44] Yes, order the book. Get resting the wall risk. Get treasured. Yes. But go on please. So anyway one, one of the things that my I, the reason I love the person we're working with is because she's the first therapist I've worked with when it comes to, with my kids, she actually tells me what I can work on rather than just , you're doing the best you can and like you just love 'em. [00:57:03] And like, yes, I know, but that is not helping me. And so one of the things that got pointed out to me. Was so Cole , has very low frustration tolerance, like more so than is necessarily healthy for an 8-year-old. And of course with all the trauma with our his sister, our journey, it's understandable. [00:57:22] So we're working on that. What she kindly pointed out to me was, okay, we could work on his, but do you also realize that your tolerance for acceptable emotions is about this big? Oh, she's , therapist, be therapist Uhhuh. She's , but there's like a whole lot more emo like, she's , it's like a whole rainbow. [00:57:42] We need a whole arc for acceptable emotions. She's so you need to stop making it your responsibility to control which emotions he experiences. And it's up to you to provide the solid ground for him no matter which emotion comes up for him. And I will say that has changed my parenting in the last week. [00:58:04] More than maybe anything has like faster than anything. Because all of a sudden I'm like, of course it's acceptable that his sister just made him extremely mad. Of course it's understandable that he's jealous or sad or excited or whatever the feeling is, but it also doesn't define him as right or wrong, what emotions he's experiencing in that moment. [00:58:28] And the big thing was the realization that every emotion he experiences is not a direct reflection of who I am as a parent. No. Because that was what I needed to let go of that any emotion that is considered negative that my child has doesn't mean. That I'm doing a bad job as a parent. Oh my God. [00:58:49] That is one. What a beautiful. Don't cut. Thank you. With Dr. Sarah. Yes. Thank you, Dr. Sarah. You'd be therapizing all up in that session. That was so good. And it's the, that to me is a great example that hard truths can always be delivered with kindness. Yeah. But I think the big important thing there is you had the right context. [00:59:12] Exactly. You went to her for that information. Right. It wasn't like someone on the street. But the thing that we can't give someone what we don't have. Exactly. And I actually think that what you just said, if there was ever an endorsement for what. Self-care actually is not the commoditized, right. [00:59:29] Faux sense of, I'm gonna create a problem and I'm going to prescribe collagen. Did you know that the reason why, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah is these things that you need to buy and, oh, my program for blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm gonna, I have all that stuff. I'm not I'm wanna, I wanna keep it in perspective. [00:59:45] I am drinking the same Kool-Aid 'cause I'm getting sent the same algorithm ads that we're all getting sent. Like I'm doing colostrum now. I don't even know. Like, I just, because I was like, my gut might grow up I own, but anyway but I think self-care and the best possible context is when you nurture. [01:00:03] And heal yourself. It becomes the medicine. Yes. Yes. And the offering for the other people in your life that you love most. It's like as you increase your own palette of what you're able to allow yourself to experience, you're then also able to see it in your son and give it to him. That is so beautiful and it's hard. [01:00:26] Sometimes, but it's some God that a well timed, articulated loving truth like that can change your life. Yeah. That is amazing. Thank you. I don't know, we can't top that. That was good. We're good. That was real good. Ashlyn Thompson, thank you so much for coming back and we're going to have you back. [01:00:43] You have to come back. Yes. And you're coming over to Empowered by Hope very soon. I would love that so much. And Yes. And so all of the ways, if you or anyone you know in your life has been impacted by a little one with complex me complex medical issues and you want some support, you want some information, you want some resources. [01:01:01] The link in the show notes will have every way that you can connect with Ashlyn, her business partner, and what was formally Charlotte's Hope Foundation, what is now the Parent Empowerment Network. Pick up all the books, all the resources, everything I talked about too for my stuff is also in there. [01:01:16] But , it's all linked for you there. So I hope that you get what you need and. Thanks so much, . Oh my gosh. [01:01:21] If you've ever wanted to pick up journaling,

Dooley had a break in, we talk about old Kool-Aid flavors and other old flavors from twinkie and such, Sorry for the late response Loren. Which Beer is the best lager beer for which event? Verizon what up with the business line bruh? McChicken is better than the Mc Crispy, know what i'm McSayin?

Why did it take government pressure for Kraft Heinz to clean up its act? The hosts unpack the conglomerate's pledge to drop artificial dyes from its products by 2027, and what it says about Big Food's priorities. The episode also features interviews with the founders of two remarkable early-stage brands: Maura Duggan of Fancypants Baking Co. and Allison Elliott of Farmer Foodie. Show notes: 0:35: The Biggest Apple. Pin It, Emma. Hey, Big Food - Why Now? Gamey-Time. Clear Use Case. – The hosts review the recently held BevNET Live Summer 2025 in New York City and how the event reflected a sense of positive energy throughout the beverage industry as well as the growing power of founder-driven innovation to meet modern consumer demands. They also discuss Pinterest's foray into e-commerce via a co-branded coffee launch with Emma Chamberlain along with Kraft Heinz's decision to remove artificial dyes by 2026 and whether companies should act proactively in response to clean label trends. Mike busts out some Berski, a new brand of ancestral meat sticks made with beef liver and heart, while John highlights Brightland's new line of everyday olive oils. 26:06: Interview: Maura Duggan, Founder & CEO, Fancypants Baking Co. – Maura shares her journey from baking decorative cookies in her apartment in 2004 to launching a full-fledged CPG brand in 2024. She discusses the company's transition from fresh bakery sales to packaged consumer goods, emphasizing their commitment to high-quality, nut-free ingredients and their signature small, crunchy cookies. Maura highlights the strategic use of bright red packaging and a playful peacock mascot to stand out on shelves, the importance of limited-edition flavors to keep consumers engaged, and the advantages of self-manufacturing. 41:45: Interview: Alison Elliott, Founder & CEO, Farmer Foodie – Alison talks about the origins of Farmer Foodie, which is known for its shelf-stable, dairy-free and gluten-free Cashew Parm products, her background in farming and social impact and how she started Farmer Foodie as a food blog and transformed it into a CPG company during the pandemic. Alison also discusses overcoming the challenges of landing retail placement, differentiating in a nascent category, and her products' appeal beyond vegan consumers.  Brands in this episode: Fancypants Baking Co., Farmer Foodie, Olipop, Liquid Death, Chamberlain Coffee, Top Of The Mornin', Jell-O, Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Berski, Archer, Yaza, Brightland, Graza, Mariona, Brez, Cann, Moshi, Kif

Cults don't always start with Kool-Aid or crime scenes — sometimes, they begin with yoga classes, utopian promises, or someone saying you're special. In this episode, Gabe Howard sits down with journalist and author Wendy Biddlecombe Agsar, whose book “Cults: A True Crime Collection” explores how seemingly “normal” people fall into manipulative groups. From love bombing and spiritual seduction to sleep deprivation and isolation, Wendy unpacks the subtle tactics cults use to recruit and retain followers — and why it's not about being gullible or broken. She shares her own brushes with cult-like communities and explains how even caring interventions can backfire by reinforcing a cult leader's narrative. If you've ever wondered, “How could anyone fall for that?” — this episode is your answer. Thought-provoking, emotional, and packed with insight, it just might change the way you see cults — and yourself. "(You may be thinking) I would never hurt another person. I would never believe in aliens. But the way cults work, you're not really joining a destructive organization. You're joining a group based on some ideology that is probably a little bit different from the news headlines. . ." ~Wendy Biddlecombe Agsar Our guest, Wendy Biddlecombe Agsar, is a freelance editor and reporter living in Leipzig, Germany. She is a contributing editor at “Tricycle: The Buddhist Review” and the author of “Cults: A True Crime Collection.” Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can't imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The commanders Koolaid is flowing! OKC on the brink of a chip. Jerry Buss is rolling in his grave

SummaryThe conversation explores various cultural references, particularly around food and drink, including Kool-Aid, grits, and juice. The participants share humorous anecdotes about their experiences with these items, reflecting on how they relate to their identities and family traditions. They also discuss the importance of public spaces and social interactions, the evolution of discourse in society, and critiques of cinema and pop culture. The dialogue is lively and filled with personal stories, showcasing the intersection of food, culture, and community. The conversation explores various themes including the influence of iconic figures in pop culture, the evolution of adult entertainment, social media strategies, and the cultural impact of legends lost. It also delves into the complexities of the adult industry, the significance of protests and social movements, and the dangers of provocation in public discourse. The discussion culminates in a critical examination of Superman's portrayal in cinema, questioning the character's relatability and depth. In this conversation, the participants delve into the complexities of writing Superman as a character, discussing the challenges posed by his overwhelming power and the need for strong writing to make him compelling. They explore the depth and vulnerability of other superheroes, particularly Batman, and how these elements contribute to engaging storytelling. The discussion also touches on the future of Superman in film, particularly with James Gunn's upcoming project, and the dynamics of superhero teams that can enhance individual character narratives. In this conversation, the hosts delve into the complexities of Superman's character, exploring themes of choice, consequence, and the portrayal of iconic characters in film. They critique the performances of key characters, particularly Lois Lane, and discuss the implications of Superman's actions and moral dilemmas. The conversation also touches on the broader context of superhero narratives, the challenges of adapting such characters for modern audiences, and the awards given to various performances and scenes in the film.

Two major food producers say that they will be pulling artificial dyes from their U.S. products starting in 2027. While Heinz ketchup is one product that actually doesn't use artificial dyes, Greg and Holly discuss the products that could be impacted.

The Ochelli Effect 6-17-2025 NEWS againNO KINGS FALSE FLAG DAY & POLITICAL VIOLENCE, FOREIGN and DOMESTIC MEDIA MOSHOnly the Left, or Only the Right is violent.Keeping score at home? No Kings day was just a one-off holiday to boost tourism and air b and b traffic to popular US destinations?Allergic reaction sends DHS Secretary Kristi Noem brought to hospital.Kraft Heinz is ditching artificial dyes in Kool Aid, Jell-O, and other products after RFK Jr.'s ultimatumhttps://fortune.com/2025/06/17/kraft-heinz-artificial-dyes-rfk-trump-maha-kool-aid-jell-o/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fUtD40GqGYFormer NJ Senator Bob Menendez who didn't get the big jet from Qatar but just Gold bars was supposed to report to prison today to begin his 11 year maybe sentence on bribery charges Bob Menendez, New Jersey's disgraced ex-senator, to head to prisonHe was sentenced to serve 11 years in a bribery and foreign influence schemehttps://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/06/17/bob-menendez-new-jerseys-disgraced-ex-senator-to-head-to-prison/HEY Kool Aid! Classic Kool-Aid Man Commercialhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fjEViOF4JEJury finds My Pillow founder defamed former employee for a leading voting equipment companyhttps://apnews.com/article/mike-lindell-dominion-voting-defamation-2020-election-af473792a6e395d86ea6ca0f97742c3f?U.S. is closing that Embassy located in Jerusalem because diplomats and Intelligence assets should not be in the cross-fire hurricane. The new Hannity and Combs? 25 years too late and adding Steven A Smith to the LIVE show isn't enough to cover the Bill is too old and predictable, and Chris (AKA Fredo) is too dumb and predictable gaps in the reboot attempt they persist. Burnt out Archie Bunker minus the charm, versus Italian Meathead minus a backbone get paid to do the WWF version of debate and Mr. Smith can also cover the Racism and other American sports.Marjorie Taylor Greene breaks with Trump and sides with Tucker Carlson over Iran conflicthttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-tucker-carlson-iran-b2771342.htmlTrump's parade isn't what he was hoping for. It was a disappointing,https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/16/trump-military-parade---PAGING JESSE VENTURA - OFF-BRAND MAGA REQUEST - PLEASE MAKE MINESOTA GREAT AGAINMinnesota lawmaker shooting suspect Vance Boelter makes first court appearancehttps://www.fox9.com/news/minnesota-lawmaker-shootings-suspect-vance-boelter-court-june-16-2025Mike Lee confronted by Minnesota colleague over shooting commentshttps://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/16/congress/tina-smith-confronts-mike-lee-00409329WWE developmental Mental league of acting actors he cut a promo for a future run as a kafabe rep for the office of somethinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=743FSAZWipM&t=69sJoseph ThompsonLead prosecutor in the Feeding Our Future fraud investigation recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice as the largest COVD-19 fraud in the United States. A quiet yet steady PR campaign has been underway this year to raise the profile of this Trump 47 appointee and this is a bookmark this guy moment as he will be positioned for a face run as a crusader of some type and is a future star for the GOP roadshow. No Dark Matches for this push.https://www.fox9.com/news/trump-feeding-our-future-minnesota-attorney---FORGET SUGNAL-GATE, NO MARBLES INSERTED IN CATS IN MY NAME!Hegseth answers a question from Durban during testimony asking for specific examples of wasteful money that was put on Veteran research that he cut, Hegseth answers 10 million putting marbles up cats asses, real punchline is, That was  Trump 45 administration that approved what he's talking about.2 key facts might help explain the bizarre trigger. Not just freaky Fetish at the Research Labs, the 10 million when spent on a program seeking a non-surgical method for restoration of spinal damage + real punchline is, Trump 45 administration approved the "boondoggle" in the first place.Trump Defense Hearing Goes In Stunning Direction — ‘Up The Rear Ends Of Cats'https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-defense-hearing-goes-in-stunning-direction-up-the-rear-ends-of-cats/---THE 2 EYES WAR 5 EYES MIGHT HAVE SEEN COMING? 2025 Year of The Imperial Boomerang?If you support Israel, are you also ready to fight "Them" over there for the other "Them"? Is your peace Prez gonna go full Dick Cheney on Iran?Iran and Israel have engaged on the world stage The 2 eyes war, Stay tuned sandmen.No more endless war, no more endless violenceHalting the imperial boomerang, fascism, and the military-industrial complexhttps://www.jphilll.com/p/no-more-endless-war-no-more-endlessIsraeli strike occurs on Iranian state TV during live broadcast https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/16/israeli-strike-on-iranian-state-tv-during-live-broadcast-00409313https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85nHz-5isSIIsraeli PM Thinks Americans are so stupid we mix up 1 Iranian Plot for 2 home Grown Government by Gunfire attempts? Are We? I mean Fox NEWS let him say it, right?Fact Check: Did Iran Try to Assassinate Donald Trump?https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-iran-try-assassinate-donald-trump-2086175Gas Prices begin to shoot up again Latest Justification is as has been for decades shots fired in the middle east. Ochelli recalls his mid 90s to 2010 experiences in Retail Gas.Pre- 9-11, 1.00 was a high per gallon price. NJ Stations didn't even have the 2 and 3 numbers for signs that fit the dollar slot. Companies didn't even make the specialized plastic number 4 at all. 1 company of only 2 carried the 3 , Nowadays non-digital signage at stations have 1-6 in there offices just in case, and the 1s are getting dusty.Shots fired in the Middle-East meant 25 cents up and when things calmed down drift down 1 or 1.5 cents in a day every and or 3rd day at best slowly.Beyond Trump warning people in a capital city in a place most Americans only know as a Boogeyman nation, Does any of this seem as though we are heading into an escalation of Geo-political violence that will make our domestic issues of conflict swiftly forgotten if the alleged massive state sponsor of Terror advertised for decades really has cultivated an embedded army of weaponized lone wolves and cells of asymmetric warfare? The proverbial hornets nest may have been kicked off?Trump Calls on Tehran to ‘Evacuate' as U.S. Deploys ‘Defensive' Forces to Middle Easthttps://time.com/7294722/iran-israel-war-trump-strike/Ochelli Told you forces were being quietly deployed for middle-eastern something, so we are left to wonder how much was planned, and how much is an organic reaction to circumstances? Chuck is an idiot so it doesn't matter much...So the 5th straight day of bombs fly as Trump claims "we have complete control" over the skies over Iran? By The Way there is still a war in Ukraine.Also U.S. re-fueling planes reported at about 2 dozen in number are in place as Trump considers if U.S. will fire shots in the Two Eyes War. Bunker Busters, or The Mother of All Bombs as The B.Y.O.B. Policy is getting set from the Situation Room.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fUtD40GqGY---PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ochelliEmail blindjfkresearcher@gmail.comBE THE EFFECTOchelli Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/chuckochelli---NOVEMBER IN DALLAS LANCER CONFERENCEDISCOUNT FOR YOU10 % OFF code = Ochelli10https://assassinationconference.com/Coming SOON Room Discount Details The Fairmont Dallas hotel 1717 N Akard Street, Dallas, Texas 75201. situated with easy access to Dealey Plaza

Today on America in the Morning Trump Demands Iran Surrender President Trump is calling for Iran's unconditional surrender in response to Israel's withering attack on the Iranian nuclear weapons program.  John Stolnis has the latest from Washington.   Budget Battle Intensifies Senate Finance Committee Republicans have unveiled their draft version of the tax bill that will be the centerpiece of President Trump's domestic policy agenda.  But there are concerns, as correspondent Jennifer King reports that cuts in Medicaid and a reversal on increasing the level of the SALT taxes could lose vital GOP votes.   Candidate Arrested For ICE Interference It was a chaotic scene that played out inside a New York City courtroom.  Correspondent Julie Walker reports ICE agents arrested a New York City official and mayoral candidate at Immigration court.    Curfew Lifted On the West Coast, the mayor of Los Angeles is lifting the city's curfew days after businesses were damaged and vandalized by anti-ICE demonstrators.  Correspondent Clayton Neville reports.   Noem Hospitalized A health scare for the Homeland Security Secretary.  Kristi Noem was rushed to a Washington, DC hospital after suffering what was described as an allergic reaction.    Finally An Oscar You would think he had a handful of these, but for the first time, a longtime star of the silver screen who has been nominated several times will be receiving an overdue Academy Award.  Correspondent Ed Donahue reports a legendary singer will get one too.      Trump's Iran Warning Donald Trump continues to warn Iran that citizens of the capital city of Tehran should evacuate, this as the president has warned that it knows exactly where the Iranian supreme leader is located, and is demanding the Ayatollah unconditionally surrender in its conflict with Israel and end their nuclear ambitions.  Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports.   Padilla's Day In The Senate A California senator who made headlines after he interrupted a press briefing being given by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and was forcibly removed and handcuffed by security officials appeared on Capitol Hill, giving his first comments in the Senate since last week's incident.  Correspondent Lisa Dwyer reports.  Security Issues Members of Congress were briefed about security efforts to keep elected officials safe following the weekend killing of Minnesota Democrat State lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.  Correspondent Clayton Neville reports that both parties agree more will need to be done.    Latest In Ukraine With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 in Canada, Russia unleashed one of its most powerful attacks against Ukraine since the war between the Kremlin and Kyiv began.  The latest from correspondent Charles deLedesma.   Trump To Extend TikTok Deadline It's another reprieve for a popular social media app.  President Trump announced Tuesday night that he will extend a deadline for the owner of TikTok to find a US buyer so it can continue to operate in the United States.   Saying Goodbye To Dyes Changes are soon coming to Jell-O and some popular drinks.  Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports the parent company of Kool Aid is planning to remove certain artificial food dyes.    Finally   A disgraced music superstar is having some problems in prison.  Kevin Carr reports that recently hospitalized R. Kelly is now hoping for help from the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us a textThe Long Journey continues, and this time it must be considered a cult classic.  And so, we take a trans-dimensional trip back in time to watch 1984's "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension," about a neurosurgeon-physicist-rock star and his posse, The Hong Kong Cavaliers, fighting a bunch of aliens all named John. Yeah, it's ridiculous.  It received mixed reviewed upon its release, but for some, became a cult classic, still enjoyed to this day.  And when it comes to mixed reviews, the MRT crew is no exception.So grab your Kool-Aid, zip up your track suit, and consult Mother God, as we explore the what, why and how of cult classic films... because wherever you go, there you are.

Around the City How was Kool-Aid and Terry's Fathers Day? Does the Goff lovefest from certain Lions fans go a little too far? Tigers lose 2 of 3 to the Cincinnati Reds Justin's College Football Preview The WUW Crew opens up the phone lines! Whats Trending? Feldman Mailbag Like, Subscribe and leave your comment below!

I personally believe the feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is a red herring to cover up the greatest wealth transfer and financial restructuring of all time.  On par with the Bretton Woods Agreement after World War II, this monetary revolution is going purely digital. With Cryptocurrencies (digital assets) on the rise in every country, in every major institution and on most savvy people's minds, if you're still thinking the most important news is what's happening on X or Truth Social, you're sadly drinking the modern Kool Aid.  Enjoy this episode where I give you my best advice on how to navigate these deceptive times with grace and multiple perspectives at once.

Fugazi audience etiquette; Kool Aid contractor challenge; Waze & Google Maps gossip with each other; Hamlet skull at commercial auditions; do you have pervy voice?Unlock the BONUS SCENE(S) at improv4humans.com and gain access to every episode of i4h, all ad-free, as well as TONS of exclusive new podcasts delving deeper into improv, the history of comedy, music and sci-fi.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"You can't fix what you don't understand, and I understand Detroit because I've lived it." This week on Detroit is Different, Saunteel Jenkins takes the mic and the city into her heart as she opens up about growing up on Joy Road with six kids, one bathroom, and more love than space. “I didn't even know we were poor,” she laughs, describing a Detroit childhood full of dance routines, Kool-Aid houses, and lessons in resilience. From Focus: HOPE to fighting for public policy with City Council, Saunteel shares how a moment of grief after her brother's murder pushed her to finish school — not just for him, but for the kids who took his life. “They needed the love he had,” she says. Now running for mayor, she reflects on lessons from working with Maryann Mahaffey, how her father's 47 years as a letter carrier shaped her work ethic, and why every city employee should be a customer service rep for Detroiters. “This isn't just politics — it's personal.” You'll hear why this isn't just another campaign; it's a calling. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com

(00:00-23:20) Hate texts coming in before the show even gets started. Where would you even release a nude? Jackson vs. Doug on retractable roofs. Workshopping Thursday's problems. The Mack was a real who's who on Saturday. AI on the Fan Page. Name change season. Martin got to meet some of the listeners at The Dotem.(23:28-45:26) Sunny Delight, Kool-Aid, & Tang. Good conversations with old school 101 listeners who hate us. Time for our weekly Pestus from Festus call. Pestus has a question for Jackson about NBA on TNT and ESPN. Cardinal game on Roku. Pestus didn't like the commercials. Prime Karen years.(45:36-1:02:40) Fine human craftsmanship. Everybody hates everything. Ranking MLB's Top 25 games of the 2000's. Doug's struggling with this one.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Bubba Dub Show – NBA Playoffs, NFL Rants, Real Talk & Raw Comedy!In this episode, Bubba Dub brings the fire with his hilarious takes and unfiltered opinions on everything from the NBA Playoffs to pop culture madness. Whether you a sports junkie or just love real talk with a twist of comedy — this episode got somethin’ for you!NBA Playoff Breakdown: Knicks vs. Pacers• Bubba hilariously blames New York’s struggles on White Castle• Tyrese Haliburton drops 32 points and 15 assists to lead Indiana• Knicks fall apart with 17 turnovers and no help from the bench• Bubba compares the Pacers to the 2004 Detroit Pistons – all hustle, no stars• Rips into Julius Randle and questions the Knicks’ whole squad Old School Parenting vs. Soft Kids Today• Real stories from Bubba’s childhood — no air fryers, just whoopins and Kool-Aid• Takes aim at spoiled kids and how parenting done changed COVID Vaccine Rant• Satirical takes on evolving health rules and wild side effects• “They said one shot… now it’s a whole trilogy!” Hot Topics• New Orleans inmate escape: Bubba questions the logic of running from 60-day charges• Trump pardons the Chrisleys — “One felon helping another!”• Ja Morant + Zion Williamson pairing? Bubba says it’s drama and injuries waiting to happen NFL Talk• Falcons paid Kirk Cousins $100 million?!• Bubba says Cam Newton should’ve been the cheaper, better option• Rants on Daniel Jones’ contract and calls him straight-up overpaid MLB Recap• Quick updates: Twins beat Rays, Phillies shut out Braves, Ohtani keeps crushin’ for the Dodgers• Bubba drags the Colorado Rockies — “Trash with a capital T!” Comedy & Real-Life Stories• Bubba reflects on his grandma, growing up broke but proud• Rants on gas station snacks, pork chop sandwiches, and Tupperware pickles• Hilarious “Auntie with the Mustache” story that you don’t wanna miss! Luka Doncic Love + NBA Drama• Calls Luka “a bad white boy” and predicts Mavs vs. Celtics Finals• Roasts Jordan Poole, Ben Simmons, and Julius Randle – “All cheeks!” WNBA Real Talk• Bubba defends Caitlin Clark, says she’s not getting fair treatment• Highlights double standards in women’s sports and calls for more support Final Words• Salute to the fans for ridin’ with Bubba• Encouragement to stay focused, hustle hard, and spread loveFOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE to The Bubba Dub Show for weekly takes on the wild world of sports, real-life storytelling, and unfiltered comedy! Available on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & everywhere you get your audio!#Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you mix Hollywood chaos, Seth Rogen, and a man in a Kool-Aid costume? You get The Studio—the hilarious new series from Apple TV+.In this episode of The Art of Costume Podcast, Spencer is joined by costume designer Kameron Lennox to break down the wild world of The Studio. Kameron takes us inside the creative experience of working with Seth Rogen, designing the perfectly neurotic costumes for Kathryn Hahn, pulling off the Golden Globes, surviving an unforgettable chili moment, and yes—we talk about the Kool-Aid Man.► Podcast Merch Store: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.teepublic.com/user/theartofcostume ► Join our Discord: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/ze3zBSK2⁠⁠⁠ ► Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theartofcostumepod/► TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@theartofcostume

A new list of the best sodas just dropped, and the guys break down their favorites and James T stuns everyone with his list.

What happens when you mix Hollywood chaos, Seth Rogen, and a man in a Kool-Aid costume? You get The Studio—the hilarious new series from Apple TV+.In this episode of The Art of Costume Podcast, Spencer is joined by costume designer Kameron Lennox to break down the wild world of The Studio. Kameron takes us inside the creative experience of working with Seth Rogen, designing the perfectly neurotic costumes for Kathryn Hahn, pulling off the Golden Globes, surviving an unforgettable chili moment, and yes—we talk about the Kool-Aid Man.► Podcast Merch Store: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.teepublic.com/user/theartofcostume ► Join our Discord: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/ze3zBSK2⁠⁠⁠ ► Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theartofcostumepod/► TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@theartofcostume

Kool-Aid hosts the Media Sandwich Podcast and wrote the book Cinema Autopsy. Mr. Monopoly co-hosts Bad For Me. This conludes The Spy Who Loved May, but have no fear, we decided to do a second month of spy films called Juneraker, starting with The Peacemaker (1997).

Today's talk: BRIEF basketball, Pizza Rolls needed the air fryer, Kool-Aid. KWAYI: The Outdoor Boys Patreon My Website.

The team total over/under moved up to seven wins for the Sooners' 2025 season. Is this justified? Is this an “easy” over? We argue that plus speculate on the future SEC schedule/alignment design, what that means for college football, and how college coaching is becoming more NFL like. Enjoy!This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Two Homers and a Realist at twohomersandarealist.substack.com/subscribe

Today I first discuss Trump’s recent comments about China “opening up” to the US (1:21). Next, I share my tweet that made the Steve Deace show Wednesday, critiquing their response (15:41). Last, we finish up with our weekly Pray for China segment, including a few new stories and book recommendations (31:31). Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben, coming to you today (almost live?) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). X is also the best way to contact me. Just follow and either tag me in a message or send a DM. Trump says China agrees to 'fully' open country's markets to US businesses China has agreed to "open itself up to American business" according to Pres. Donald Trump. The arrangement was arguably the most significant development stemming from the trade negotiations, Trump told reporters Monday at the White House. Plans have yet to be finalized and "papered," but Trump said that China is on board with the agreement. "The biggest thing to me is the opening up," Trump told reporters Monday. "It would be, I think it would be fantastic for our businesses if we could go in and compete with China. It would be a lot of jobs for China. . .I think it's maybe the most important thing to happen, because if you think about it, we opened up our country to China," Trump said. "They come. We don't. I mean, they have very few restrictions, and they didn't open their country to us, never made sense to them. It's not fair. And they've agreed to open China fully open…and I think it's going to be fantastic." https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-china-agrees-fully-open-countrys-markets-us-businesses https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-a-historic-trade-win-for-the-united-states/ China Compass on the Steve Deace Show (5-14-25, 1:23:40-1:28:10) “I think we agreed to negotiate with China just a bit too soon. If the tariffs were truly hitting the Commies harder than us, not sure why we couldn't have let them sweat at least long enough for one (fully-tariffed) ship to cross the Pacific. Let them get desperate.” https://x.com/chinaadventures/status/1922489116186280321?t=bkjrWaugvcFsj11wBDEADA&s=19 Unbeaten (My Arrest, Interrogation, and Deportation from China): Unbeaten.vip Pray for China (May 17-23): https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-may-17-23-2025 The Memoirs of William Milne (200th Anniversary Edition!): https://a.co/d/bALLtAf Please follow/subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your favorite platform. Also check out my books and everything else we’re involved in @ PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, Verse 2!

Today I first discuss Trump’s recent comments about China “opening up” to the US (1:21). Next, I share my tweet that made the Steve Deace show Wednesday, critiquing their response (15:41). Last, we finish up with our weekly Pray for China segment, including a few new stories and book recommendations (31:31). Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben, coming to you today (almost live?) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). X is also the best way to contact me. Just follow and either tag me in a message or send a DM. Trump says China agrees to 'fully' open country's markets to US businesses China has agreed to "open itself up to American business" according to Pres. Donald Trump. The arrangement was arguably the most significant development stemming from the trade negotiations, Trump told reporters Monday at the White House. Plans have yet to be finalized and "papered," but Trump said that China is on board with the agreement. "The biggest thing to me is the opening up," Trump told reporters Monday. "It would be, I think it would be fantastic for our businesses if we could go in and compete with China. It would be a lot of jobs for China. . .I think it's maybe the most important thing to happen, because if you think about it, we opened up our country to China," Trump said. "They come. We don't. I mean, they have very few restrictions, and they didn't open their country to us, never made sense to them. It's not fair. And they've agreed to open China fully open…and I think it's going to be fantastic." https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-china-agrees-fully-open-countrys-markets-us-businesses https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-a-historic-trade-win-for-the-united-states/ China Compass on the Steve Deace Show (5-14-25, 1:23:40-1:28:10) “I think we agreed to negotiate with China just a bit too soon. If the tariffs were truly hitting the Commies harder than us, not sure why we couldn't have let them sweat at least long enough for one (fully-tariffed) ship to cross the Pacific. Let them get desperate.” https://x.com/chinaadventures/status/1922489116186280321?t=bkjrWaugvcFsj11wBDEADA&s=19 Unbeaten (My Arrest, Interrogation, and Deportation from China): Unbeaten.vip Pray for China (May 17-23): https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-may-17-23-2025 The Memoirs of William Milne (200th Anniversary Edition!): https://a.co/d/bALLtAf Please follow/subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your favorite platform. Also check out my books and everything else we’re involved in @ PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, Verse 2!

My longtime friend Robby called me to do a podcast. He told some ladies "He knew a guy" and I was that guy. The girls plan on starting a show about being a Cancer Survivor. Robby's dad doesn't eat steak in public and for a good reason. After the girls left, Robby and I talked about how we feel about doing well at life. One of the bartenders, Bob, stopped by to give me some Kool-Aid and AK some Gold Fish snacks. Kim and I talked to AK about helping him because he's a good friend. It was a good show and a good time folks and you'll love this one.

Geoff discusses whether Kool-Aid pickles are a thing and speaks with Jason Smith.

Send us a textThe Minnesota Twins sweep the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game set at Camden Yards. The Twins extend their winning streak to 11-straight games, the most done so far in the MLB this year. Andrew "Hoges" Hoganson fills in for Dan Thompson, and the boys are giddy due to the Twins current streak. The guys discuss the unbelievable wins the Twins pulled out against all odds with several guys struggling with injuries and a overly-taxed bullpen. Hoges offers high praise for Rocco for managing to win these games, and David wants to see the Twins recall Randy Dobnak to fill in as a long reliever. David once again romanticizes a Kody Clemens homerun, while Hoges can't stop talking about Willi Castro's great catch in left. David is curious if this is what we can expect out of Chris Paddack moving forward, while Hoges wants to know how many AL Central teams will make the postseason. The guys discuss the recent Hall of Fame voting rules changes, and make their picks for the upcoming Brewers series. Thanks for listening, and as always, go Twins!  Support the showMusic: "Minnesota Twins Theme" (1961) written by Ray Charles and Dick Wilson. Arrangement and performance by Jason Cain.Twitter/X: @MNfortheWin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MNfortheWinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mnforthewin/ Website: https://mnforthewin.buzzsprout.com/ Puckett's Picks Scoring 1pt per Base (H/BB/HBP) | 1pt per SB | 1pt per RBI -1pt per K | -1pt per Error | -2pt per GIDP +0.5 Point Bonus if Winning Player is Top Team Scorer Tie Breaker 1. Most HRs 2. Least Ks 3. Least LOBListeners always pick first, lowest score between Dan/David/Hoges picks second for next series

Frankie is drinking the Kool-Aid with returning guest Lizzy Barber, author of Be Mine, to learn about her fascination with cults, motherhood, cool girls and writing twists. Follow Lizzy on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter at @bylizzybarber. Want to talk books? Email us at readandburiedpodcast@gmail.comFollow us on Instagram and Threads: @readandburiedpodcastFollow us on Twitter: @readburiedpodFollow us on Bluesky: @readandburiedpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to our unhinged ramblings during the 24/25 season. The QPR NYC podcast will be on gardening leave for a little while but will be back ahead of the new season, and maybe pop up depending on the comings and goings at QPR, possibly an interview, maybe a guest or two. Stay tuned! Whatever we do, if you follow we will appear in your feed when it happens.Anyway, what is there to talk about when the season is over? Andy, Ant and Dun wade through the following:- Kelman watch - 2 more goals, although one was 'slightly' offside. Leyton Orient go into the second leg with a chance. Can Charlie reach 30 goals for the season? He's on 27. Just how much is he worth now?- Contract news: Varane and Cook signed up, Frey and Smyth to follow. Jimmy not yet Dunne. Will he be right back?- No News is No News. Marti still spending time in the garden- Dun digs deep to reveal QPR's Gardening XI - Who lines up for Queens Park Hydrangers?- Good luck Development Squad vs Brentford in the Premier League Cup final on the 15th May at Loftus Road!- Jimmy Dunne cleans up in the QPR end of season awards. Smythy's goal is goal of the season. - But who will win the most important awards of the season? - Introducing the inaugural QPR NYC The Podcast Alternative end of season awards 24/25, presented by Conan O' Brien...Oh OK, It's actually Andy...- There's the standards. Player of the season, Goal of the season etc...- Never fall in love with a loan player? Well we also never Fall In Love With A Trialist. Who did you forget to remember was a lad in the squad?- Who is the QPR man of the year off the pitch and what was the MVT (Most valuable thing)? Who do you really want to see back next season?- What was the GTFI and FFS moments of the season? And what was the turning point?- Who won Great Expectations award and who will suffer Greater Expectations next season?- Who's won the Art of the Deal award brought to you in association with Kool Aid?- What was the QPR NYC moment of the year and who does Dun think is is Terrible? - Who had great banter and what was the loveliest of lovely stuff?- Which Ex-QPR player is most likely to appear on the podcast?- Who is our new feeder club? Who has Karma bitten on the backside? - Who wins at New Yorking and who is the most devious b*stard in town? Who is manifesting democracy the most?- Who is the most remembered lad? Who achieved the most at QPR NYC? and who was our best pod guest?-and of course, who was our band of the year (and will you be able to see them live?)- In other business...- If you know Seinfeld, then you'll know George Costanza. QPR NYC The Podcast introduces a brand new literary feature: Ja Cob'stanzas- Blighty Bulletin. Andy keeps us a breast of inflation issues within the Green Party.- Last lovely stuff of the seasonRate, review, comment, throw some stars at us. 5 would be lovely if you so feel inclined.YOU R'sssssssss

In this episode of Perspectives, digital marketing strategist Veronica Costello and tech visionary Max Headroom discuss the complexities of e-commerce platform diversity. They explore the evolution from Magento to Shopify, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each platform. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding individual business needs, debunking common myths about e-commerce platforms, and the necessity of identifying deal breakers when choosing a platform. Ultimately, the episode advocates for a diverse ecosystem that fosters innovation and better solutions for merchants.Check out the article here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-platform-diversity-matters-ecommerce-brent-w-peterson-listc/takeawaysE-commerce platform choice should be driven by business needs, not hype.The shift from Magento to Shopify reflects changing market demands.Shopify offers simplicity but has limitations for complex businesses.Platform diversity is crucial for innovation and tailored solutions.Merchants should be wary of one-size-fits-all claims.Identifying deal breakers is essential in platform selection.Migration pain can be worth the long-term benefits of a better fit.Not all popular platforms are the best fit for every business.Agencies may have divided loyalties that affect their recommendations.Understanding your specific needs is key to finding the right platform.Sound Bites"No single platform is perfect for everyone.""Building on Shopify is like renting.""Platform diversity encourages competition."Chapters00:00Introduction to E-commerce Platform Diversity02:52The Shift from Magento to Shopify05:51Understanding the Limitations of Shopify08:51The Importance of Platform Diversity11:51Debunking Myths About E-commerce Platforms14:48Identifying Deal Breakers in Platform Selection17:55Conclusion and Final Thoughts on Platform Choice

Did you ever wonder where the phrase 'drink the Kool-Aid' came from? In this second episode about the Peoples Temple, we rejoin them in Jonestown, Guyana.How planned was the final 'white night'? Did anyone survive? And what happened to the notorious Jim Jones?Don is joined once again by author and scholar Annie Dawid, who has spent over two decades researching Peoples Temple.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Send us a textJoin Rachel Hill and Liz Wilson on Two Babes and a Book! Today we discuss books 1 & 2 in the ACOTAR series: A court of Thorns and Roses, and A Court of Mist and Fury.Follow us on instagram @twobabesandabook. Make a comment there and tell us if you read this book. Make sure to leave us a review!  Thanks to those friends who have already shared the podcast!! It means the WORLD to us! As Holbrook Jackson said, "Never put off till tomorrow the book you can read today."Now go stick your nose in a book!

This week's episode is a HUGE one for Marvel fans! To kick things off, we have our full interview with the iconic Julia Louis-Dreyfus. We're diving into all things THUNDERBOLTS*, including the new direction Marvel is headed in, why this might be one of the best post-Endgame entries, and our top 5 Marvel films since Avengers: Endgame. We also have a review of THE UNINVITED starring Walton Goggins. We wrap things up with all the biggest movie and TV news of the week, including our thoughts on the trailer for THE SMASHING MACHINE, Bill Hader's Kool-Aid movie, and so much more.Time stamps:00:40 Intro00:48 FULL Interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus04:53 NON-SPOILER 'THUNDERBOLTS*' (2025) Review11:53 SPOILER-FILLED 'THUNDERBOLTS*' (2025) Review32:17 'THE UNINVITED' (2025) Review35:52 Movie and TV news (our thoughts on the trailer for THE SMASHING MACHINE, Bill Hader's Kool-Aid movie, and so much more)48:13 Watch Recommendations for the Week

John discusses RFK Jr. (who is now Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services) saying the MMR vaccine contains aborted fetus debris. He also talks about Trump's continued nose-dive in the polls. Then, he speaks with political analyst Ahmed Baba about Project 2025 coming to life, Trump's tariff tirade, and the constant flow of dark money in the Trump Administration. Then finally, John jokes with comedians Agunda Okeyo and TV's Frank Conniff about the dumpster fire Trump Administration and the current pop culture trends.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neighbor, we have a solution for you if you don't like to drink water. Just drink Kool-Aid and call it "water!" How much "stuff" do you need to add to water before you can't call it "water" anymore? And exactly how much liquid is there in "a squeeze?" We tackle these important questions--and we share a couple great snack options if you like eating entire cloves of garlic... Then: The Internet is all a-buzz because a lady used a racial slur on a kid. So how much attention should we pay to WHATEVER outrage is sweeping the internet. And when should we just turn off the phone? Contact the Comedian's family by emailing nextdoor@johnbranyan.com

Neighbor, we have a solution for you if you don't like to drink water. Just drink Kool-Aid and call it "water!" How much "stuff" do you need to add to water before you can't call it "water" anymore? And exactly how much liquid is there in "a squeeze?" We tackle these important questions--and we share a couple great snack options if you like eating entire cloves of garlic... Then: The Internet is all a-buzz because a lady used a racial slur on a kid. So how much attention should we pay to WHATEVER outrage is sweeping the internet. And when should we just turn off the phone? Contact the Comedian's family by emailing nextdoor@johnbranyan.com

Neighbor, we have a solution for you if you don't like to drink water. Just drink Kool-Aid and call it "water!" How much "stuff" do you need to add to water before you can't call it "water" anymore? And exactly how much liquid is there in "a squeeze?" We tackle these important questions--and we share a couple great snack options if you like eating entire cloves of garlic... Then: The Internet is all a-buzz because a lady used a racial slur on a kid. So how much attention should we pay to WHATEVER outrage is sweeping the internet. And when should we just turn off the phone? Contact the Comedian's family by emailing nextdoor@johnbranyan.com

This week, we're diving headfirst into the flaming dumpster fire that is the Bitter Blood murders. It's got everything: cousin-lovers, pipe bombs, poisoned Kool-Aid, and enough red flags to start a communist parade. Susie Newsom and Fritz Klenner weren't just unhinged—they blew the damn hinges off. Buckle up, this one gets real stupid, real fast.Sponsors:Check-out the EARNIN app for access to YOUR money AS YOU EARN IT.

What's going on with Bill Belichick?

In a hilarious and heartfelt episode of Y-Chromes, CannCon, Alpha Warrior, J.B. White, and Cam Cooksey dive deep into football nostalgia, brotherhood, and the chaotic culture we live in today. They open with a lively debate over football legends like Sean Taylor and Tim Tebow before diving into the second installment of "Smoking with My Chromies," featuring a mouth-watering brisket from Rattlesnake Meats. The guys roast each other over race jokes, Kool-Aid flavors, and Star Wars wisdom, but also dig into serious topics like the decay of modern relationships and the importance of traditional values. With discussions about electric motorcycles, viral internet fails, police heroics, and even a moving tribute to a father helping his disabled son, this episode blends raw humor with moments of real inspiration. Buckle up for 90% nonsense, 10% wisdom, and 100% authentic masculine energy.

We're back in the Labyrinth for another packed episode with Tim, Jeff, Dustin, and Lizzie! This week, we dive into the Larry David vs. Bill Maher feud, Tim's struggle with Mr. Mistoffelees overload, and the conspiracy theories surrounding JD Vance and the Pope's death. Plus, Shaq has a bathroom mishap on live TV, and we react to that emotional Episode 2 of The Last of Us Season 2 (yes, that episode). From the news desk: we've got updates on the 28 Years Later trailer, the X-Files reboot, the Andor Season 2 buzz, King of the Hill's return, and a movie about Kool-Aid?! Lizzie covers the Shannon Sharpe story, Dustin talks about the fall of kayfabe, and Tim warns about UK scientists going full "Mr. Burns." We also read your YouTube comments, go through last week's polls, fire up some new Text Impressions, and of course hit you with Views or Snooze? and Staff Picks to get you through the weekend. Keep It Canon! Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/9i9CVJ3QxYc ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Hosts: Tim Andrews, Jeff Leiboff, Dustin Lollar and Lizzie Bruce Jones Audio Podcast & YouTube Video Edited by Dustin Lollar ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ✨ Support the Show: https://linktr.ee/RadioLabyrinth ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ SPONSORS: Atlanta Pizza & Gyro http://www.atlantapizzagyro.com/ https://www.facebook.com/atlpizza/ LDI REPROPRINTING OF ATHENS CALL 706-316-9366 OR EMAIL THEM AT ATHENS@LDILINE.COM ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR RADIO PRODUCERS & PATRONS! Thanks to our Radio Labyrinth Producers: Jeff Peterson, Bryan Smith, Chelsey Smith, Jim Fortner, Brett Perkins, Terri Fuller, Chris Chandler, Tim Slaton, Mike Hall, Mike D, Matt Carter, John Allen & Robey Neeley.  And thank you to all of our awesome Patreon Patrons: Hemp Huntress, Tracy McCoy, Emily Warren, Buck Monterey, Randy Reeves, Robey Neeley, Robert Kerns, Wayne Blair, Sherrie Dougherty, Rusty Weinberg, Michael Einhaus, Mark Weilandt, Leslie Haynie, Kevin Stokes, Jesse Rusinski, Jeremy Truman, Jeff Peterson, Herb Lamb, Gwynne Ketcham, Denise Reynolds, David C Funk, Collin Omen, Christopher Doerr, Chris Weilandt, Chris Cosentino, Erick Malmstrom, Brian Jackson, Brennon Price, Andrew Mulazzi, Andrew Harbin, Amber Gilpatrick, Alan Barker, Aaron Roberts, Walt Murray PI, Sam Wells, Ryan Wilson, Lou Coniglio, Kevin Schwartz, Kevin Jackson, Gus Turner, Jim Fortner, Scott Augustine, Jonathan Wilson, Cynthia Hadaway, Tony Outlaw, Dave Benson,Jack G,Adam Lavezzo, Kyle Gorecki and Tom & Terri Kennedy!

On this level we discuss Vinnie's trip to Thailand, Easter, that DareDevil finale, Kool Aid soda, and much more. Enjoy.

On the couch today, we discuss the influence of women in the lives of students studying the martial arts, our current pet peeves, and our take on Disney live action films. We also “time travel” and reminisce about nostalgic foods from our past (The Victory Couch ishosted by Rick and Julie Rando).Show notes: Connect with us on Instagram @thevictorycouch, Facebook, victorycouchpodcast@gmail.com, or www.thevictorycouch.comWant a new Victory Couch sticker for your water bottle, laptop, guitar case, etc.? Send us a message and we'll mail you one.SUBSCRIBE to The Victory Couch e-mail list by visiting https://www.thevictorycouch.com/ and click SUBSCRIBE at the top ofyour screen. What do you think students now are getting from their training (from female instructors) that perhaps you did not receive having primarily male instructors?Kick Masters Karate www.kickmasterskarate.com/What foods when you eat them takes you right back to your childhood?GoldenGrahamhttps://www.generalmills.com/food-we-make/brands/golden-grahamsHighs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High%27s_Dairy_StoreIce Cream Factory http://www.stormbros.com/Lay's https://www.lays.com/Utz https://www.utzsnacks.com/Chick-fil-A https://www.chick-fil-a.com/PizzaHut https://www.pizzahut.com/Kool-Aid https://www.kraftheinz.com/koolaid/productsWhat are your current pet peeves?What do you think of all the live action Disney movies?Beauty and the Beast https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2771200/?ref_=ext_shr_lnkAladdin https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6139732/?ref_=ext_shr_lnkThe Lion King 1 ½ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318403/?ref_=ext_shr_lnkMufasa https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13186482/?ref_=ext_shr_lnkLilo & Stitch https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11655566/?ref_=ext_shr_lnkMaleficent https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/?ref_=ext_shr_lnkCouch crumb: car accidents in the family, online training glitchesProp your feet up: local high school theater, Tim Tams from friend in the area who traveled back home from Australia

Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver discuss driving tests, life-pivoting and they hear from a surprise guest!This episode contains very strong language and adult themes. Credits: Producer: Flossie Barratt Technical Producer: Will Gibson Smith Assistant Producer: Caillin McDaid Production Coordinator: Hannah Bennett Executive Producers: Dino Sofos and Ellie Clifford Assistant Commissioner for BBC: Lorraine Okuefuna Commissioning Editor for BBC: Dylan Haskins Miss Me? is a Persephonica production for BBC Sounds

Ones Gotta Stay, Ones Gotta Go, and an Epic plot twist to be had. In one of our most passionate discussions Kate The GR8 checks in as we bring these 4 heavy hitters to the table and pledge our loyalties and disgust that ends in a shocking turn of events.Huge Thank You to Will Trenum for this Seasons Music!!

It's time for truth bombs

In today's episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity and Holy Koolaid, untangle the entangled particles to see that abiogenesis may not have an AI cause. Bill in MI has a theory that the purpose of life is to entangle every other particle in the universe in order to resolve uncertainty. We as humans are good at seeing patterns. What patterns are you seeing in the entanglement? Why do you think it was you that discovered this? What are the reasons for gatekeeping with high level academia? Tim in NY is 51% believer and 49% atheist because we have seen humans create intelligence but we have never seen intelligence show up. If one structure of the argument has a fallacy, like this black swan, the whole argument chain needs to be reworked if you want to get to a reliable conclusion. Why would the intelligence on this earth not be considered to have arised naturally? There is a difference between an increase of likelihood of existence and actual existence. We have seen amino acids and nucleic acids form on their own in simulated conditions.Denny in IL talks about how mathematicians and philosophers have defined god as the foundation of existence. When scientists talk about energy, they are talking about something that is measurable and a different definition of what people use for god. This sounds like a classic case of equivocation. Explore some responses people have to presuppositional apologetics. Hannah in MS has an argument that morality should be universal and that abortion is wrong when it is not saving the life of the mother because it is killing innocent people. How would you feel if you were forced to use your kidneys to keep someone alive for 9 months? Do you have an obligation to keep this person alive, or do you want bodily autonomy? Why should we preserve life and why is this a universal principle? Why assume sapience and sentience by equivocating this fetus as a fully formed human and why does it have more value than the mother?Omega Weapon in NY says that by using basic cosmology and logic that most concepts of god can be falsified. For instance it is logically impossible for god to be independent of space time and be the creator of it. You might have to shift some things for the idealists to agree with this, but the argument works.  Antwion in NC wants to talk about how to let go of the fear of hell and what methods the hosts used. SR found his secular therapist through The Secular Therapy Project.  Holy Koolaid realized how many things there are in life that have been attributed to demons but really are not demons. The phenomenon of sleep paralysis is a prime example of this where hypnagogic hallucinations are experienced. We know exactly what is happening in the brain and can measure it, yet people believe this is caused by demons. What types of things do people mistake for demon possession? If you go out and learn about how these religions evolved, it will help understand how man made these things are.Thank you for joining us for this live show! We will see you next week and remember to call early!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 111: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:45) SPECIAL COMMENT: The White Supremacist Trash Trump Administration thought it had gotten away with memory-holing Baseball immortal and Civil Rights immortal Jackie Robinson. They eliminated the Pentagon web page honoring Jackie's service during WWII and re-directed you to a URL reading "DEI SPORTS." They thought they had gotten away with it so much that a Pentagon spokesman named John Ullyot boasted loudly about eliminating the DEI Robinson represented (and the Navajo Code Talkers and that one Native American at Iwo Jima and the Tuskegee Airmen). And then when all hell broke loose, within 90 minutes they actually backed off and restored the page - and made it MORE racist, insisting that they would only honor Robinson as an ex-serviceman, not as a man who may have saved this country from becoming then, what Trump is trying to make it into now. And for all the reversals, one other company's website associated with Jackie Robinson DID scrub any references to "DEI" from its mission statement and has not responded to the Robinson blowback. The other company is of course... Major League Baseball. This is hardly the most important of the daily parade of Trump Atrocities. It may, however, may the most symbolic. B-Block (23:40) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: A podcaster insists what's happening to Tesla is "worse than January 6." Life comes at you fast: Friday, Minnesota State Senator Justin Eichorn introduced a bill to make "Trump Derangement Syndrome" an actual legal thing there. Monday he was being arrested for trying to pay a 17-year old for sex. And why did Jake Tapper drink another pitcher of Kool-Aid and call it "The Gulf of America"? Well there are some people who become their salaries, nothing more. C-Block (43:00) GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK:See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.