Podcast appearances and mentions of lincoln financial

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode is with the CIO of an insurance company responsible for more than $300B in assets and a major focus on private markets.Lincoln Financial EVP and CIO Jayson Bronchetti and I sat down recently at Lincon Financial's headquarters in Radnor, Pennsylvania to discuss the increasing involvement of insurance companies in private markets.Jayson, who is a member of Lincoln Financial's Senior Management Committee and serves as the primary investment officer to Lincoln's Board of Directors on all investment-related matters, is responsible for more than $300B in assets across the general account portfolio and the separate account mutual fund complex. He's also chairman of the board of directors of the Lincoln Variable Insurance Product Trust family of over 100 mutual funds. He's also on the board of the Lincoln Financial Foundation.Fresh off recent partnerships with Bain Capital and Partners Group on private markets investment products and Bain Capital taking a stake in Lincoln's business, Jayson and I had a fascinating conversation about how insurance companies can approach private markets and how they can build unique and differentiated partnerships with asset managers.We discussed:The evolving role of insurance companies as LPs in private markets.Why asset and liability matching is a critical framework to allocating to private markets.How the general account of an insurance company creates interesting opportunities for strategic relationships and partnerships with alternative asset managers.The benefit of having a business that works with financial advisors and individuals.The importance of educating wholesalers about private markets – and why insurance wholesalers might have an advantage in educating advisors and clients about private markets products and strategies.Thanks Jayson for coming on the show to share your wisdom and expertise about private markets and insurance.Subscribe to Alt Goes Mainstream to receive the weekly newsletter every Sunday and all of AGM's podcasts.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:40 Introduction to Jayson Bronchetti02:20 Sponsor Message: Ultimus Fund Solutions03:37 Welcome to the Podcast04:03 Jayson's Background in Private Markets04:57 Evolution of Insurance Companies in Private Markets06:37 Symbiotic Relationship Between GPs and Insurers08:40 Understanding Liquidity and Illiquidity11:19 Diligencing Private Markets Managers13:25 Balancing Scale and Performance14:09 Boots on the Ground: Sourcing Edge14:42 Evolution of Alternative Asset Managers14:53 Lincoln's Unique Position in the Market19:32 Strategic Partnerships with Bain and Partners Group20:03 The Value of Distribution Relationships22:14 The Democratization of Alternative Investments22:49 The Intersection of Private Markets, Wealth, and Insurance23:10 Approaching Private Markets with the General Account24:18 Launching Strategies with Bain and Partners Group24:50 Incubating New Strategies for Retail Consumers25:16 Building a Customized Investment Strategy25:45 Designing Purposeful Investment Funds26:00 Ensuring Accessibility and Proper Wrappers26:08 Liquidity and Product Matching26:15 Seeding Strategies with the General Account26:58 One Lincoln Approach27:12 Finding Opportunities in the Seams27:46 Balancing General Account and Distribution Needs28:07 Product Innovation in the Wealth Channel28:53 Healthy Tension in Product Design31:51 Importance of Asset Liability Management33:05 Educating the Distribution Team34:47 Training Modules for Wholesalers36:28 Boots on the Ground: The Power of Relationships37:45 Simplifying Complex Products40:44 Democratizing Alternative Investments41:10 Straddling Institutional and Individual Mindsets41:35 Integrating Private Markets into Retirement Products43:13 Future of Private Markets in Retirement Portfolios43:57 Product Innovation and Technology45:15 Private Markets in Insurance Products47:16 Focus on Private Credit49:38 Risks in Private Credit50:29 Excitement for the Future of Private Markets51:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Disclosure from Lincoln Financial Registration statements for each of the evergreen funds have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are available from the EDGAR database on the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). The information in the registration statements is not complete and may be changed. The securities of neither fund may be sold until its registration statement is effective. An investor should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of each fund carefully before investing. This and other information about each fund will be contained in the fund's final prospectus, which investors should read carefully when available from t...

In this comprehensive presentation, delve into Lincoln Financial's innovative and client-friendly annuity products. Learn about the key principles of simplicity, protection, and growth through their OptiBlend fixed indexed annuity. Explore how trigger strategies provide safe, simple, and predictable returns, and their unique daily risk control strategy that offers exceptional trigger rates. Discover Lincoln's simplified Roth conversion process and the benefits of non-qualified stretch annuities. Ideal for financial professionals seeking to offer clients straightforward and secure investment options.

In this episode, Doug talks with Natalia Keene, an advanced sales consultant at Lincoln Financial, about their proprietary annuity income rider, i4LIFE® Advantage, an optional benefit available only with Lincoln variable annuities for 0.40% per year above standard contract expenses. They discuss how it offers unique tax benefits, especially during the tax season of 2025, … Continue reading Episode 250 – More Than an Annuity: The Unique Benefits of i4LIFE® Advantage with Natalia Keene →

This episode of The ASHHRA Podcast features Jeff Knapp, the Chief People Officer at BAYADA Home Health Care. Jeff joined our dynamic hosts, Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo, to discuss how values, culture, and consistent communication can drive an organization to new heights.Episode Highlights:A Journey from Ministry to HR Leadership Jeff began his career as a pastor before transitioning to the corporate world. This unique background became the foundation for his human-centric approach to leadership. Discover how Jeff leverages his experiences in psychology, theology, and philosophy to foster an inclusive and purpose-driven workplace.Creating and Sustaining a Values-Based Culture At BAYADA, the core values of compassion, excellence, and reliability are more than just words—they are practiced daily. Jeff explains how weekly communications like the "key action of the week" email help keep these values at the forefront, creating a unified culture across over 360 locations globally.The Importance of Simplicity and Consistency Jeff emphasizes that building a successful organization isn't about complex strategies but rather the diligent application of simple, fundamental principles. Regular communication, recognition, and a steadfast commitment to values are what truly makes a difference.Engagement and Connection Learn about the innovative practices at BAYADA that keep employees engaged and connected, even when they work remotely as caregivers. Jeff sheds light on their twice-yearly engagement surveys and the concept of an "inverted pyramid," where caregivers are seen as the most important part of the organization.Leadership Insights With anecdotes from his own career and references to influential experiences with organizations like Aramark and Studer Group, Jeff provides actionable advice for HR professionals and business leaders aiming to build a thriving, supportive, and community-focused workplace.We hope this episode leaves you with new strategies and a renewed sense of how vital culture and value-based leadership are to the success of any organization.Stay Engaged, The ASHHRA Podcast TeamSponsor informationwww.LFG.com/HealthcareLincoln Financial annuities, life insurance, and workplace solutions help nearly 17 million customers confidently plan for their financial future. Lincoln Financial. Your Tomorrow. Our Priority. Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation and its insurance companies and broker/dealer affiliate Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc.  Support the show

We're thrilled to share with you the latest special episode of The ASHHRA Podcast. This episode dives into the critical topic of how recent election results impact the 340B drug pricing program—a program essential for healthcare HR professionals.Featured Experts:Sarah Hearn: Strategic Health Care Market Adviser at RxBenefitsRhiannon Klein: National Director of Advocacy for Community Voices for 340BPeggy Tighe: Lawyer, Lobbyist, and Legislative Consultant (Principal at Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC)Key Highlights:Overview of the 340B ProgramPeggy Tighe provides a concise history and foundational perspective of the 340B program, established to help specific healthcare providers obtain medications at reduced prices to serve vulnerable communities. Peggy emphasizes the ongoing struggle between the program's intent and the pressures from pharmaceutical companies and PBMs (Pharmacy Benefit Managers).Election Impact on HealthcareOur experts explore how the recent election and new administration might affect the 340B program. Peggy reveals potential threats like the possibility of removing the non-profit status of hospitals, which could have devastating effects on healthcare providers' ability to serve communities.The Role of Advocacy and LegislationRhiannon Klein discusses grassroots advocacy's importance and the organization's role in educating and mobilizing supporters to protect the 340B program. She emphasizes that the fight for fair drug pricing isn't just a political issue; it's a moral imperative affecting countless lives.Contract Pharmacy RestrictionsBoth Peggy and Sarah delve into the implications of the Genesis Health case and how contract pharmacy restrictions are undermining the 340B program. They explain how such restrictions harm healthcare providers and the strategies being employed to counteract these changes.RxBenefits and Healthcare Cost ManagementSarah Hearn explains how RxBenefits is working with healthcare clients to optimize the 340B savings and reduce overall drug costs. Sarah highlights the importance of shifting 340B volume in-house and ensuring compliance to maximize benefits.Looking AheadOur experts leave listeners with actionable insights and resources to better prepare for the changing healthcare landscape. Peggy encourages everyone to stay informed and involved through advocacy organizations like CB 340B, NAC, and Ryan White Clinics for 340B.Listen Now!Don't miss this essential episode filled with expert insights and actionable advice. Stay tuned for part 2 of this critical discussion, where we will explore post-election impacts and future strategies for healthcare HR leaders.Best Regards,The ASHHRA Podcast TeamSponsor informationwww.LFG.com/HealthcareLincoln Financial annuities, life insurance, and workplace solutions help nearly 17 million customers confidently plan for their financial future. Lincoln Financial. Your Tomorrow. Our Priority. Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation and its insurance companies and broker/dealer affiliate Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc.  Support the show

Are you ready to revolutionize your talent acquisition approach? In this transformative episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo dive deep into the world of healthcare talent acquisition with the brilliant and dynamic Jen Azuri-Humm, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Emory Healthcare.With over 18 years of diverse experience in the talent acquisition space, Jen brings a powerhouse of knowledge that stretches beyond traditional healthcare settings. Her journey, insights, and actionable strategies will leave you inspired and ready to take your talent acquisition to the next level.

In this episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, we dive deep into the world of human resources and leadership with our esteemed guest, Maria Zangardi, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Universal Health Services (UHS).

(0:00-12:05) Word of the Day is Focus Tyrone calls out a texter that stated the Eagles would lose to the Packers. He asks for the texter to apologize for being wrong. Nakobe Dean is out for the rest of the season, so what will the Eagles do to fill his absence. (12:05-21:43) There was an unfortunate event that took place at Lincoln Financial field on Sunday. An Eagles fan was being blatantly disrespectful towards two Packers fans. Those types of individuals are the ones that give Philadelphia fans a bad name. (21:43-45:58) Live coverage of Nick Sirianni’s press conference, He tells the media about the injury of Nakobe Dean and how the Eagles were able to be physical vs Green Bay. Follow The Station x.com/975TheFanatic instagram.com/975thefanatic/ https://www.facebook.com/975thefanatic/ Follow The Show x.com/975BestShowEver https://x.com/TyJohnsonNews https://x.com/rickybottalico https://x.com/sylvanakell Support the Show 975thefanatic.com/shows/the-best-show-

We're excited to share the latest episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, featuring an enlightening conversation with Pam Teufel, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Mainline Health in Philadelphia. Join us as we delve deep into the "business of healthcare," uncovering the complexities and innovative strategies needed to thrive amidst financial challenges.

This episode is brimming with valuable insights, particularly for healthcare professionals looking to navigate the complexities of retirement and employee benefits. Hosted by Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan, the episode features the expertise of Rachel Duncan and Kameka Grady from Lincoln Financial, our proud sponsor for January 2025.Key Highlights from the Episode:Asset Distribution and Financial Literacy: Rachel discusses the critical issue of asset distribution in retirement accounts, underscoring the necessity of personalized education. She notes that an astounding 88% of full-time healthcare workers carry debt, which significantly impacts their retirement savings.Supporting the Healthcare Workforce: Rachel emphasizes the indispensable role of healthcare workers, portraying them as selfless service providers and unsung heroes. She also shares a touching personal story about her daughter's aspiration to enter the field of nursing.Customization Over One-Size-Fits-All: Lincoln Financial adopts a tailored approach to financial education, moving away from a one-size-fits-all model. This strategy includes offering one-on-one support and virtual tools to enhance financial literacy among healthcare employees.Pioneering Solutions with Candidly: Rachel introduces Lincoln Financial's partnership with Candidly, a company dedicated to helping healthcare workers with student loan refinancing and forgiveness, achieving an average monthly savings of $400 for participants.Addressing Retirement Challenges: Kameka outlines strategies for paying off debts, managing student loans, and creating actionable retirement plans. She also discusses Lincoln Financial's involvement in the Collaborative for Equitable Retirement Savings, targeting disparities in retirement savings systems by race and gender.Impact of Financial Education: The episode sheds light on the significant wealth gap exacerbated by financial illiteracy. Programs like Lincoln Aspires aim to build trust and provide customized financial education to ensure equitable retirement outcomes.Exclusive Insights for HR Professionals:The emphasis on the paternalistic approach of healthcare employers, like CEOs personally writing thank-you notes, highlights the importance of creating a supportive work environment.The significance of in-person interactions for benefit education and the successful integration of virtual formats post-COVID-19 is discussed, demonstrating the adaptability required in current times.Stay Tuned:The conversation about financial literacy and retirement planning in healthcare continues to evolve. Make sure to subscribe and stay tuned for more enlightening episodes from The ASHHRA Podcast, where we bring you frontline insights to empower the future of healthcare.Thank you for being part of our community!Warm Regards,The ASHHRA Podcast TeamSponsor informationwww.LFG.com/HealthcareLincoln Financial annuities, life insurance, and workplace solutions help nearly 17 million customers confidently plan for their financial future. Lincoln Financial. Your Tomorrow. Our Priority. Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation and its insurance companies and broker/dealer affiliate Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc. Support the show

Maggie Younis is the VP, Head of Consultant Relations at Lincoln Financial Group, where she has worked since 2010. With over 20 years of industry experience, Maggie holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from DePauw University and multiple professional designations, including CPC, QPA, QKA, TGPC, APA, APR, and ERPA. She was awarded ASPPA's Educator of the Year in 2018.Alice Palmer is the vice president and RPS chief counsel at Lincoln Financial, overseeing the legal and compliance teams for their retirement plans business. She has been in formal leadership roles since 2013, previously leading the retirement plans legal team at Nationwide Financial. Alice serves on the U.S. Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council and is active with several industry organizations including ACLI and NSCP. She was also an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Carey Law School. Alice is dedicated to fostering a culture of compliance and supporting various professional communities.In this episode, Eric, Maggie Younis, and Alice Palmer discuss:The importance of process in selecting a plan recordkeeper, with cost as a due considerationPrudence in record-keeping Understanding the needs of the workforce Analyzing the fit of proprietary products Key Takeaways:The DOL emphasizes the importance of process over cost in meeting fiduciary duties. Consider the complexities of plan design, such as eligibility criteria, employer contributions, and financial savviness of the workforce. Create a process that evaluates all relevant factors, including the cost in order to ensure the best interests of participants are met.Prudence in evaluating record keepers is all about making informed decisions based on expertise and understanding the goals of the plan. Understand the facts and make decisions that would be considered good by similarly situated experts.The planning committee must understand the goals and options available. Advisors shouldn't focus solely on cost in the initial stages of the RFP process. There needs to be a clear understanding of the breadth of options to achieve the plan's goals. Understand the demographics and needs of the workforce to determine what's needed. Proprietary products can be a significant lever for pricing but should be evaluated based on their appropriateness for the plan.“Prudence is about making a decision that is informed by expertise, and if you don't have the expertise, then you should go out and find the expertise, but you need to make decisions that are informed by an appropriate level of expertise given the goals that you have set forth in front of you.” - Alice PalmerConnect with Maggie Younis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-younis/ Connect with Alice Palmer:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-palmer-jd-cebs-she-her-b7509524/ Connect with Eric Dyson: Website: https://90northllc.com/Phone: 940-248-4800Email: contact@90northllc.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/401kguy/ The information and content of this podcast is general in nature and is provided solely for educational and informational purposes. It is believed to be accurate and reliable as of the posting date but may be subject to changeIt is not intended to provide a specific recommendation for any type of product or service discussed in this presentation or to provide any warranties, investment advice, financial advice, tax, plan design or legal advice (unless otherwise specifically indicated). Please consult your own independent advisor as to any investment, tax, or legal statements made.The specific facts and circumstances of all qualified plans can vary and the information contained in this podcast may or may not apply to your individual circumstances or to your plan or client plan-specific circumstances.

Tim Seifert is the Senior Vice President and Head of Retirement Solutions Distribution at Lincoln Financial. This episode explores how financial professionals can enhance client satisfaction, loyalty, and referrals by incorporating protection products into comprehensive financial plans, backed by insights from Lincoln Financial's latest research.   Topics also discussed: Lincoln Financial's new research shows that … Continue reading Episode 238 – How Financial Advisors Can Drive Referrals with Comprehensive Planning with Tim Seifert →

Jameson Mulshenock is a Divisional Sales Manager at Lincoln Financial, a firm that has been helping millions of people plan, protect, and retire for over a century. This episode explores how Lincoln Financial is addressing the financial planning challenges of an aging, affluent population by introducing innovative benefits that provide lifetime income and secure wealth transfer … Continue reading Episode 235 – Redefining Financial Security for an Aging, Affluent America with Jameson Mulshenock →

In this third episode of the Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show, we being with the arrival of the most important athlete in the history of South Florida, LeBron James. Dan, Stu, and Mike Ryan recount King James' time in Miami and reminisce on the sheer amount of incredible content that the Royal Penis provided. We also touch on the changes at the top of Lincoln Financial Group that led to tension between the DLS cast and the company's higher-ups. Finally, signs of a schism begin with Stugotz and Hoch moving to 2-a-days at The Ticket and Dan forming the nascent idea that would eventually become Highly Questionable, leading to even more personal and professional challenges. Additional commentary from Hoch, former SVP of Lincoln Financial, Dennis Collins, and PTI producer, Erik Rydholm, provides unique color that even Dan and Stu didn't know about. Make sure to stick around for another hilarious supercut, featuring Dan's Heat rants, Marc Hackman, and a lot of sun songs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About Rachel Duncan: Rachel is the Vice President of Relationship Management at Retirement Plan Services, overseeing the mid/large market client relationship team and ensuring a robust client experience for Lincoln Financial Group's top clients. With 23 years in the industry, she joined Lincoln Financial in 2001 after teaching 6th grade in Virginia. Rachel holds a bachelor's degree from Duquesne University, is FINRA Series 6 and 63 registered, and has several professional designations, including AIF®, CRPS®, and CRPC®. She is based in Argyle, Texas.About James Thompson: James is the Vice President and Head of Participant Engagement at Lincoln's Retirement Plan Services. He and his team work closely with plan sponsors and intermediaries to provide personalized service for financial wellness and top retirement outcomes. With over 20 years at Lincoln, James has held various roles, including Assistant Vice President Participant Engagement and Regional Vice President Institutional Retirement Distribution. James holds a bachelor's degree from Bellarmine University, where he played baseball. He is FINRA Series 7, 66, and 24 registered, and holds CRPC and CMFC designations. Based in Louisville, KY, James enjoys outdoor activities and is a dedicated Louisville Cardinals fan. He lives with his wife, seven children, and two grandchildren.In this episode, Eric, Rachel Duncan, and James "JT" Thompson discuss:Practicing exceptional serviceExecuting targeted interventionsThe optimal retirement education standardWhat are the key aspects of a successful 401(k) plan? Key Takeaways:Exceptional service involves responding promptly, taking ownership, and being proactive from the outset, in contrast to the prevailing poor service standards. Plan sponsors being engaged, open-minded, meeting regularly, and maintaining collaboration is key for successful client relationships and outcomes.Focus on identifying gaps in participation, deferral rates, and income replacement ratios across different employee demographics to drive overall success through targeted interventions.Optimal retirement education combines recordkeeper and advisor capabilities through coordinated efforts, leveraging recordkeepers' dedicated consultants with significant expertise solely focused on retirement planning.Key aspects of a successful 401(k)/403(b)/457(b) plan include a strong corporate culture, monthly meetings, well-defined success metrics, engaged retirement consultants providing education, and a reputation for excellent service.“Nobody's perfect, but when you make a mistake, are we holding ourselves accountable? Are we owning that mistake and fixing it with urgency and making sure that we do right by our clients?” - James "JT" ThompsonConnect with Rachel Duncan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-duncan-aif-crpc-crps-63217251/ Connect with James "JT" Thompson:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-thompson-789a3517/ Connect with Eric Dyson: Website: https://90northllc.com/Phone: 940-248-4800Email: contact@90northllc.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/401kguy/ The information contained herein is general in nature and is provided solely for educational and informational purposes.It is not intended to provide a specific recommendation for any type of product or service discussed in this presentation or to provide any warranties, financial advice, or legal advice.The specific facts and circumstances of all qualified plans can vary and the information contained in this podcast may or may not apply to your individual circumstances or to your plan or client plan-specific circumstances.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Jacque Denson discuss:   What to know about your financial status and work benefits  How to financially prepare for career transitions  How to know your “Cost to Leave”   How women can take charge of their finances and embrace change  Jacque's passion is building strong, lasting relationships with her clients – she knows what truly motivates them to achieve their financial goals. She builds one-of-a-kind financial plans unique to each family and enjoys building different scenarios to walk through the multiple paths they can take to achieve their goals. Jacque loves seeing children grow up, hearing about vacations, helping secure financing for dream homes, and thinking creatively to help her clients realize their dreams. Though Jacque enjoys working with all types of doctors, her favorite clients are her female physicians. She is an advocate for equal pay for women in medicine and has experience devising timelines and strategies for maternity leaves to keep her female clients from being set back in wealth accumulation relative to their male counterparts. Jacque is passionate about seeing a change in the financial industry from a gender diversity standpoint and is inspired by the strides she has seen women make in medicine!  Jacque has been in the financial industry for over a decade, working in client service roles at Edward Jones, Lincoln Financial, and Larson Financial before joining the Vestia team as a Financial Advisor. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Maryville University in St. Louis, and holds her Series 66 registration, Life & Health Insurance License, and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ®. As a goal-oriented, lifelong learner, Jacque is always looking to further the expertise she can offer her clients. She recently completed the Investment Management Theory & Practice Education Program through Yale University and lends her knowledge to Vestia's Investment Committee.  Outside the office, Jacque enjoys spending time with her husband, Aaron, and their children, Landon and Caroline; tending her backyard garden; and working with her husband on their side-hustle, a nutrition business for high school and college wrestlers.    Quote: "Be educated on your next step, even if you are not planning to leave. You want to know your “cost to leave” before you have to for any reason.” Jacque Denson, Certified Financial Planner    Episode Links:  BE24 Conference Invite Sasha RISE Mastermind   Season 13 Sponsor - Freed AI Freed is an AI scribe that listens, transcribes, and writes medical documentation for you. Freed is a solution that could alleviate the burden of overworked clinicians everywhere. It turns clinicians' patient conversations into accurate documentation - instantly. There's no training time no onboarding, and no extra mental burden. All the magic happens in just a few clicks, so clinicians can spend less energy on charting and more time doing what they do best.  Today, more than 6,000 clinicians have fallen in love with Freed.   Follow Brave Enough:   WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

Today, please welcome Anna Papalia to the Clocking Out podcast. Anna Papalia is the CEO of Interviewology, a keynote speaker, and a career influencer with over 2 million followers across social media platforms. She has worked with large companies, such as Cigna and Lincoln Financial, and taught at Temple University's Fox School of Business for 12 years, where she collected research and discovered the four interview styles. As a former Director of Talent Acquisition turned career coach, she has vast experience on both sides of the interview table and knows what it takes to interview better. She has advised more than 10,000 clients, helping students, entrepreneurs, senior executives, and job seekers in all industries, and taught hundreds of corporate training sessions dedicated to training hiring managers how to interview. Nominated for HR Person of the Year in 2020, she is also a public speaker at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and DisruptHR, and is a highly sought-after thought leader on all things interviewing. Anna wrote the book Interviewology, the New Science of Interviewing published by Harper Collins this year.In this episode, Raymond drives into Anna's past to learn the many instances Anna has “clocked out,” whether it be in jobs, relationships, or other endeavors.    Join Raymond and Anna as they discuss themes such as intuition, ambition, passion, and authenticity in this episode of Clocking Out. ResourcesAnna's website: theinterviewology.comAnna's socials: Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, LinkedIn, & TiktokOrder Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing Visit careerminds.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, & YoutubeVisit Raymond's website or follow him on socials: LinkedIn, Instagram, Tiktok, X, & YoutubeOrder Clocking Out: A Stress-Free Guide to Career Transitions 

Jayson Bronchetti, Chief Investment Officer for Lincoln Financial, joins The Express to deliver the realities of what happens after the Fed cuts rates, and what to expect from the stock market in this unpredictable election year. Plus, why big institutional investors and insurance love companies love private markets as the number of public companies continues to dwindle. And, the hyper-concentration of stock market winners over the past year has a growing number of active portfolio managers betting on a smaller pool of high cash flow stocks than ever. LINKS FOR SHOW NOTES https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dispersion.asp https://www.investopedia.com/elevated-vix-highlights-persistent-market-fear-4580400 https://www.investopedia.com/what-to-expect-in-the-markets-this-week-8659358 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1prSyyIco0 https://www.lincolnfinancial.com/public/aboutus/companyoverview/whoweare/leadership/jaysonbronchetti https://www.cboe.com/us/indices/dispersion/

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 16 of Winning Isn't Easy.  In this episode, we'll dive into the complicated topic of "Lincoln." Host Nancy L. Cavey, a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in disability claims, discusses Lincoln, also known as Lincoln Financial, one of the oldest and largest insurance companies in the United States. While Lincoln is well known for boasting about their fundamentals of integrity, just like other insurance companies, they are out to protect their bottom dollar, not to give disabled policyholders the benefits they paid for, and deserve. In this episode of Winning Isn't Easy, host Nancy L. Cavey provides an overview of Lincoln's history, as well as a deep dive into various different Lincoln claims, so you can get firsthand knowledge regarding their claims handling process.In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:1 - The “You Can't Apply for Long-Term Disability Benefits Because We Denied Your Claim Game” That Lincoln Plays, and How to Fight Back2 - Federal Judge Calls Out Lincoln on Its ERISA Regulation Violating Conduct By  Improperly Rejecting Neuropsychological Testing in a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Case3 - Lincoln Ehlers Danlos Long-Term Claims Denial Remanded Because of Lincoln's Failure to Provide a Full and Fair Review4 - Lincoln's Seeming Inability to Perform a Full and Fair Review of ERISA Disability ClaimsWhether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.Resources Mentioned In This Episode:LINK TO ROBBED OF YOUR PEACE OF MIND: https://caveylaw.com/get-free-reports/get-disability-book/LINK TO THE DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS: https://caveylaw.com/get-free-reports/disability-insurance-claim-survival-guide-professionals/FREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/Need Help Today?:Need help with your Long-Term Disability or ERISA claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.Review, like, and give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to Winning Isn't Easy. We love to see your feedback about our podcast, and it helps us grow and improve.Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals.

Michelle D. Gladieux will celebrate 20 years of running her company, Gladieux Consulting, this year. Michelle and her colleagues have advised hundreds of companies, including Best Buy, General Dynamics, Lincoln Financial, and Medtronic, on ways their executives and employees can communicate more effectively to improve their performance and satisfaction. Michelle is one of 21 previous Monday Morning Radio guests showcased in All You Can Eat Business Wisdom, the new anthology authored by deputy reporter and co-host Maxwell Rotbart. This week, on Michelle's second podcast appearance, she delves deeper into the correlation between effective communications, career advancement, and life satisfaction. What you say, how you say it, and — importantly — how you listen really do matter. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Michelle D. Gladieux, Gladieux ConsultingPosted: May 20, 2024 Monday Morning Run Time: 42:44 Episode: 12.46 MONDAY MORNING RADIO BOOKSHELF: Communicate with Courage: Taking Risks to Overcome the Four Hidden Challenges by Michelle D. Gladieux All You Can Eat Business Wisdom: A Monday Morning Radio Anthology of Actionable Advice by Maxwell Rotbart September Twelfth: An American Comeback Story by Dean Rotbart The Wizard of Ads: Turning Words into Magic and Dreamers into Millionaires by Roy H. Williams

Join us this week for an exciting live tour at Lincoln Financial headquarters in Greensboro, NC! Robbie Craft, Chris Norris, and Terry Edwards will be your guides as we explore Lincoln's annuity products alongside their dedicated team. Tune in to increase your Annuity Production in Q2 of 2024!

Let's talk about the current state of the annuity market in our latest episode. We discuss how rates are holding steady and take a look at some exciting updates from Equitrust, Lincoln Financial, and Global Atlantic. You'll also hear from Chad about his recent experiences with clients and from Caleb on what's trending with agents right now, including the quest for the highest rates and a noticeable increase in income strategies. Tune in to stay updated on the latest shifts in the annuity world.

Anna Papalia, author of Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing,  joins Joe to discuss her new book and help leaders get better at interviews. Joe and Anna  talk about:The Four Interview Styles: Charmers, Challengers, Harmonizers, and ExaminersTop interview mythsWhy we need self-awarenessLeveraging your interview style and how to avoid the pitfalls that comes with it The importance of using the STAR method when answering questions...and much more! Anna Papalia is the CEO of Interviewology, a keynote speaker, and a career influencer with over 1.9 million followers across social media platforms.  She has worked with large companies, such as Cigna and Lincoln Financial, and taught at Temple University's Fox School of Business for 12 years, where she collected research and discovered the four interview styles. As a former Director of Talent Acquisition turned career coach, she has vast experience on both sides of the interview table and knows what it takes to interview better. She has advised more than 10,000 clients, helping students, entrepreneurs, senior executives, and job seekers in all industries, and taught hundreds of corporate training sessions dedicated to training hiring managers how to interview. Today's Sponsors:Veteran-founded Adyton. Connect Leadership With Action Across Distributed Formations With Mustr by Adyton. Mustr is your digital knife-hand for daily and rapid personnel accountability, real time response data visibility, and automated reporting. Learn more about what Mustr can do for your formation here! Exray a veteran-owned apparel brand elevating the custom gear experience. Exray provides free design services and creates dedicated web stores for units

https://premierespeakers.com/mike-rayburn Mike Rayburn is a TEDx Presenter who teaches innovation, change and peak performance using world-class guitar and humor to create a transformational experience and generate exponential results. He has headlined Carnegie Hall, Las Vegas, and performed more than 5,000 presentations in 20 countries on five continents. Rayburn is a music/internet pioneering entrepreneur, feature artist on Sirius/XM and Artist In Residence at High Point University. His more than 1000 corporate clients include most of the Fortune 100, 500, and the top five, including multiple presentations for Walmart, Exxon, Wells Fargo, Lincoln Financial, UnitedHealth, IBM, Siemens, Verizon, Ford, Nationwide, MetLife, PepsiCo, Chevron, Sony, Allianz, and Liberty Mutual.

*A breakdown of strategies that have proven to be successful for attracting and retaining high-net-worth clients.*Why a culture that fosters collaboration is a culture that breeds success.*Effective ways to ask for introductions and how Lincoln Financial Advisors has utilized these tactics to great success.*Overcoming the stigma surrounding financial advisors and fee increases.Frank, Russ, and Dan impart a wealth of knowledge, offering invaluable insights that empower advisors with the tools necessary to elevate their practices to new heights. After you listen to this episode, you'll find yourself well-equipped to navigate and thrive in the dynamic high-net-worth landscape.

Show highlights include:*  The value of cultivating long-term client relationships and the role of M&A services in facilitating successful business transitions.*  The importance of comprehensive planning and M&A expertise in serving high-net-worth clients and business owners while emphasizing the emotional and psychological aspects of business exits.* Exit planning strategies for business owners of all sizes, and how there are a number of different options to choose from.* The thought process behind the fee-based structure that Lincoln Financial Advisors utilizes with their high-net-worth clients.This episode will give you valuable insights into the world of high-net-worth financial advising, where building lasting client relationships and leveraging M&A expertise are the keys to unlocking success. The knowledge that Frank, Russ, and Dan share is priceless so you can walk away from this episode with the tools you need to take your advisory practice to the next level.

We're so lucky to have some great guests with us today to discuss how to live life the fullest, motivate others and build a career as an author & speaker and so much more.  The panelists are also content partners.  Content partners help Voyage in so many ways from sponsoring our mission, spreading the word about the work we do and collaborating with us on content like this.Paula Marie | Author and RealtorIntro: I am a realtor, speaker and author of a new self-help book titled Kick-Ass and Have a Life.CanvasRebel Story: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-paula-marie-2/Website: www.kickassandhavealife.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulamariebooks/Jonathon McClellan | Award-winning Author & Motivational SpeakerIntro: I'm an author and motivational speaker.CanvasRebel Story: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-jonathon-mcclellan/Website: www.Jonathonmcclellan.meYoutube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCT_o6CVKctMRf-3bqmtM9LAInstagram: JonathonmichaelmcclellanDanny Bader | Author & Inspirational Keynote SpeakerIntro: Danny has been inspiring the people of Fortune 500 companies like Merck, Comcast, The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott and Lincoln Financial with insight and practical tools that build momentum in the midst of defeating monotony.CanvasRebel Story: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-danny-bader/Website: www.dannybader.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@dannybader11/featuredInstagram: _dannybaderWilliam Hall | Speaker, Coach/ Professional Trainer and ServantIntro: I assist you in manifesting your dreams both professionally and personally.Shoutout Story: https://shoutoutatlanta.com/meet-william-hall-pastor-business-owner-life-coach/Website: www.definewillpower.comYoutube: @definewillpowerInstagram: @_definewillpower_Meghna Thacker | Naturopathic Physician, Thyroid & Hormone Expert, Author, Inspirational SpeakerIntro: Helping you Feel Your Best Self from the Inside Out by Treating the Root CausesCanvasRebel Story: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-meghna-thacker/Website: www.FeelYourBestSelf.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5f7XGLjyQPepNRDG0u57VAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/feel.your.best.self/

Darren Horwitz is the Founder of TenTen, a brand implementation firm that helps organizations plan, build, and manage brand change. Darren and his team work with clients to help them navigate the complex process of planning, executing, and bringing brands to life. In just over 8 years, TenTen has helped 100+ companies rebrand, across industries and around the world. Darren and TenTen's work has benefited the U.S. Army, GE Healthcare, Lincoln Financial, and J&J to name a few. Before founding TenTen, Darren established implementation and brand governance as integral disciplines at FutureBrand. He successfully deployed and governed global brands like American Airlines, Cadillac, and USAA. Prior to this, Darren defined brand management systems at Interbrand, working with notable clients such as Humana and Thomson Reuters. As a founding partner at Pixeljockey LLC, he played a crucial role in managing brand rollouts for AT&T and MasterCard. Darren excels in tackling challenges and guiding clients to achieve measurable results in brand optimization. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Darren discuss:  ·        The 5 Pillars of Successful Brand Implementation Planning ·        What is branding vs. rebranding? Why do it? ·        Timing, cost and implementation of branding ·        What are the logistics of a branding or rebranding? "Rebranding goes much further than the creative development. Planning to successfully launch and rollout your rebrand takes time - so start planning early!”– Darren Horwitz Build Credibility and Effective Leadership with the Manage Smarter Podcast Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business management. From debunking sales myths to learning how to manage with and without measurements, you'll learn something new with every episode and will be able to implement positive change far beyond sales.   Connect with Darren Horwitz https://www.tentengroup.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenhorwitz/ https://www.tentengroup.com/insights   Connect with Manage Smarter Hosts ·         Website: ManageSmarter.com  ·         LinkedIn: Audrey Strong                                                                    ·         LinkedIn: C. Lee Smith     Connect with SalesFuel ·         Website: http://salesfuel.com/  ·         Twitter: @SalesFuel  ·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony opens the show reliving the Phillies walkoff win and his reaction to the win (0:00-13:46). Dicky Dunne and Ant continue to talk about the Phillies and begin talking about the energies surrounding the current and former stadiums in Philadelphia (13:59-34:19). Memories of the Vet are shared, and Dicky Dunne opens the vault and celebrates Kobe Byrant's birthday and more (34:24-57:11) Jeff McLane joins the show to discuss the Eagles joint practice, the brawl and his expectations for the Eagles (57:23-1:17:26). The 20 greatest moments of the Lincoln Financial Field continues with callers (1:17:31-1:39:55) Matt Breen from the Philadelphia Inquirer joins Anthony to talk about current Philly sports (1:40:08-2:02:36) The phone lines are opened to hear more about the moments from Lincoln Financial field since its opening (2:02:41-2:23:23) The show wraps up with the guys continuing their find for the best moments at the Linc (2:23:36-2:52:36)

A recent survey by Lincoln Financial found that 63% of retirees regretted not including investments that provided a consistent income stream. Chris Hoffman of Hoffman Financial Group talks about why you need more than just your 401(k) to replace your current income in retirement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Morrow discusses leaving the insurance-based independent broker dealer with a team of experienced partners and how their new firm IronBridge Wealth Counsel has thrived with SagePoint Financial, an IBD under the Advisor Group umbrella.

Another potpourri of great questions: Should the cost basis in an IRA be documented? Is M1 Finance a decent brokerage service? How do we determine which funds are likely to outperform in the future? Do mutual funds offer an advantage over ETFs for systematic investors? What's the real deal with a Lincoln Financial 403b? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Friday and welcome back to NFL Total Access The Podcast. Today I am joined by Total Access researcher Jonathon Bassey as we break down the upcoming Championship Sunday games. We will giving you are game picks and score predictions for both matchups, as well as predictive analytics expert Cynthia Frelund as she shares her game point totals. With all eyes on Patrick Mahomes and his injury status, we'll discuss what happens if he's just fine and if the Bengals have gotten their preparations wrong. We'll also examine whether Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnoulo is his own worst enemy. We'll also discuss which venue is harder to play in, Arrowhead Stadium in KC or Lincoln Financial in Philly. We'll also take a look at stat projections for key players like Deebo Samuel, Travis Kelce, Joe Mixon, and AJ Brown. With all the trash talk leading up to this game, we'll discuss if the Bengals have talked too much and if they've accidentally poked the bear. Finally, we'll dive into data points that reveal the strengths and weaknesses of all 4 remaining teams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Friday and welcome back to NFL Total Access The Podcast. Today I am joined by Total Access researcher Jonathon Bassey as we break down the upcoming Championship Sunday games. We will giving you are game picks and score predictions for both matchups, as well as predictive analytics expert Cynthia Frelund as she shares her game point totals. With all eyes on Patrick Mahomes and his injury status, we'll discuss what happens if he's just fine and if the Bengals have gotten their preparations wrong. We'll also examine whether Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnoulo is his own worst enemy. We'll also discuss which venue is harder to play in, Arrowhead Stadium in KC or Lincoln Financial in Philly. We'll also take a look at stat projections for key players like Deebo Samuel, Travis Kelce, Joe Mixon, and AJ Brown. With all the trash talk leading up to this game, we'll discuss if the Bengals have talked too much and if they've accidentally poked the bear. Finally, we'll dive into data points that reveal the strengths and weaknesses of all 4 remaining teams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Friday and welcome back to NFL Total Access The Podcast. Today I am joined by Total Access researcher Jonathon Bassey as we break down the upcoming Championship Sunday games. We will giving you are game picks and score predictions for both matchups, as well as predictive analytics expert Cynthia Frelund as she shares her game point totals. With all eyes on Patrick Mahomes and his injury status, we'll discuss what happens if he's just fine and if the Bengals have gotten their preparations wrong. We'll also examine whether Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnoulo is his own worst enemy. We'll also discuss which venue is harder to play in, Arrowhead Stadium in KC or Lincoln Financial in Philly. We'll also take a look at stat projections for key players like Deebo Samuel, Travis Kelce, Joe Mixon, and AJ Brown. With all the trash talk leading up to this game, we'll discuss if the Bengals have talked too much and if they've accidentally poked the bear. Finally, we'll dive into data points that reveal the strengths and weaknesses of all 4 remaining teams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we talk with Alanah Phillips, National Director of Recruiting for Lincoln Financial.  We hit on many topics like where do advisors fit on the spectrum between employees all the way down to owning your own ADV.  Also, what are you doing to attract Next Gen clients? Alanah goes through her experiences in recruitment of advisors and the choices they have to make based on where the business is headed.  I hope you enjoy it!Did this podcast get you to take action in some way? I'd love your thoughts and feedback on this podcast.  I'm always looking to connect with like-minded creative people that are motivated and want to be better!  You can connect to me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanmayer/or feel free to email me at foradvisorsbyadvisors@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram! @ForAdvisorsByAdvisors and YouTube For Advisors By Advisors

In quite possibly the longest podcast title of the Bad Signal 2022 season, Marcus Mosher of PFF and Locked on Cowboys podcast joins the show for a very fun hour of NFL talk, recapping Week 5 hot topics. Beginning with Skylar Thompson as new QB1 for Dolphins (3:20) and a red hot take on how Miami moves forward with their new gap-stop QB. When Scoop Goes Wrong (4:40), Missing Milk Carton players of today's NFL (8:50) including Kyle Pitts, Jacoby Brissett, and Russell Wilson. Terrible Jerry Jones impressions (12:45) and a more serious impression on the Cowboys incredible defense this sesaon. Lite preview of Eagles vs. Cowboys at Lincoln Financial this Sunday (18:33), Pollard vs. Zeke (20:17), Cooper Rush manning the ship for Dallas. A lite break in the action to give props to our MVP Sports Grandmas and their legendary fandom (26:10). Mosher then dives into his thoughts on going for 2 during MNF game between Chiefs-Raiders (32:35), and finishing with a rouge text to an NFL Executive petitioning to start Malik Willis (35:10). Bad Signal is presented by @BettorEdge and also sponsored by the great people at Underdog Fantasy: COURTNEY code for sign-up to double your deposit. See y'all Friday!

The Philadelphia Eagles welcome their old head coach in Doug Pederson when his Jacksonville Jaguars come to Lincoln Financial field. The Lombardi Trophy winning head coach brings a 2-1 Jags team lead by Trevor Lawerence. Jalen Hurts tries to keep the Eagles undefeated to move to 4-0.How will Fletcher Cox & Jordan Davis look against James Robinson in the run game. Can Darius Slay, James Bradbery & Avonte Maddox shut down Christian Kirk & Zay Jones?Philadelphia Eagles Take on Doug Pederson's Jacksonville Jaguars in Philly l Locked On Eagleshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB8fAQQoG8J5yHeHoIAJc2wSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!BriteCoThe guys at BriteCo Jewelry Insurance made buying insurance for your engagement ring, your watch, or whatever so easy you can get covered in 2 minutes on your cell phone. You won't find a better deal on coverage that's so affordable. Go to https://brite.co/lockedon/WANT MORE DAILY PHILADELPHIA EAGLES CONTENT?Follow & Subscribe to the Podcast on these platforms…

The Philadelphia Eagles welcome their old head coach in Doug Pederson when his Jacksonville Jaguars come to Lincoln Financial field. The Lombardi Trophy winning head coach brings a 2-1 Jags team lead by Trevor Lawerence. Jalen Hurts tries to keep the Eagles undefeated to move to 4-0. How will Fletcher Cox & Jordan Davis look against James Robinson in the run game. Can Darius Slay, James Bradbery & Avonte Maddox shut down Christian Kirk & Zay Jones? Philadelphia Eagles Take on Doug Pederson's Jacksonville Jaguars in Philly l Locked On Eagles https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB8fAQQoG8J5yHeHoIAJc2w Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! BetOnline BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! BriteCo The guys at BriteCo Jewelry Insurance made buying insurance for your engagement ring, your watch, or whatever so easy you can get covered in 2 minutes on your cell phone. You won't find a better deal on coverage that's so affordable. Go to https://brite.co/lockedon/ WANT MORE DAILY PHILADELPHIA EAGLES CONTENT? Follow & Subscribe to the Podcast on these platforms…

TODAY on Bell & The Birdmen, WE ACTUALLY AFFECTED CARSONS PLAY TODAY, Jalen audibling touchdown plays, AND we think Wentz started his last game this season.====Subscribe To Our YouTube  Hit us up on our text line215-509-5833Join our Discord,  order a Bell shirt, OR leave some tip$ in our tip jar to support the show!  BellAndTheBirdmen.comFREE SHIPPING ON EVERY CASE OF LIQUID DEATH - The more Liquid Death you drink, the more content we can make  https://liquiddeath.com/bellCOME ON THE ROAD WITH US - We are going to every away game with Philly Sports Trips!https://phillysportstrips.com/

Today's show is the second episode of a two-part series in which Patti welcomes Tim Seifert, the Senior Vice President and Head of Retirement Solutions Distribution for Lincoln Financial Group. Together they continue their conversation about what defines a great leader and the characteristics that are attributed to that role.  Many may recognize these traits, but do you also realize the importance of being a good follower and mentee?  What is that all about and why is it important?  Patti and Tim answer this and reflect back on their experiences building successful teams and identify what they all have in common.    

Amanda Seales is no stranger to rejection. When the comedian, actress, and producer, pivoted away from a career in hip hop into the world of comedy, she faced numerous hurdles—including that initially, no agent wanted to work with her. In this episode, Amanda tells Alex how she managed to build her audience and find success without sacrificing her integrity or caving to mainstream ideals. Find tickets to Amanda's Black Outside Again tour here https://www.amandaseales.com/tourdates  To learn more about Lincoln Financial, check out https://www.lincolnfinancial.com/ Full transcripts for all Imposters episodes available at https://imposters.morningbrew.com

Soledad O'Brien has been a recognizable staple of broadcast news for years, having served as a reporter and anchor for networks like MSNBC, NBC, and CNN. But in 2007, Soledad was thrown a career curveball when she was removed from her coveted anchor position at CNN's American Morning, leaving her at an unexpected career crossroads. In this episode, the award-winning journalist and producer tells Alex about how smart preparation and a confidence in her own abilities have allowed her to make big career pivots when things haven't gone her way.  To listen to Soledad's own podcast, Everyday Wealth, check out https://www.edelmanfinancialengines.com/everyday-wealth/ To learn more about Lincoln Financial, check out https://www.lincolnfinancial.com/ To learn more about Wealthfront, check out https://wealthfront.com/imposters  To learn more about Electric, check out https://electric.ai/imposters Full transcripts for all Imposters episodes available at https://imposters.morningbrew.com

Tim Ferriss is an unconventional thinker. Throughout his career he has followed his curiosity not only in building businesses, but also in dealing with his chronic depression. In this episode, the quote-worthy entrepreneur and podcast host joins Alex for a candid conversation on how to find fulfillment through unconventional ways. To learn more about Lincoln Financial, check out https://www.lincolnfinancial.com/ Full transcripts for all Imposters episodes available at https://imposters.morningbrew.com

Andy Dunn believes that he is bigger than his diagnosis. In 2017, Andy Dunn sold the company he co-founded and ran to Wal-Mart for $310 million dollars. But while that company, Bonobos, was prospering, Andy's mental health was at an all time low. He was suffering from bipolar disorder which gave him depressive symptoms where he couldn't get out of bed, mixed with manic and violent episodes of energy. In this episode, Andy speaks to his experiences and the lessons he's learned while running a business with an mental illness. Buy Andy's Book, Burn Rate here To learn more about Lincoln Financial, check out https://www.lincolnfinancial.com/

This interview features Mike Grisko, CFO and Co-Founder of Atmosphere.  We discuss running an NCAA tourney at age 7, getting laid off during the Great Financial crisis, almost selling the Chive to Playboy, the challenge with professional politeness in UK work culture, raising $150 million in growth capital and quadrupling the team in 5 years, and what he looks forward to next.Subscribe to our newsletter. We explore the intersection of media, technology, and commerce: sign-up linkLearn more about our market research and executive advisory: RockWater websiteFollow us on LinkedIn: RockWater LinkedInEmail us: tcupod@wearerockwater.comInterview TranscriptThe interview was lightly edited for clarity.Chris Erwin:Hi, I'm Chris Erwin. Welcome to The Come Up. A podcast that interviews entrepreneurs and leaders.Mike Grisko:We have this concept internally, like giving up your Legos. Your job description changes every three to six months when you're going through rapid growth. 18 months ago, we were less than 100 people. Yeah, today we're close to 450 employees just at Atmosphere. And so that requires you to change your roles. Some of the things that I was doing back in 2018, 19, 20, it's just not scalable at that level. And so being able to hire great people, reassign tasks and responsibilities is absolutely critical.Chris Erwin:This week's episode features Mike Grisko, co-founder and CFO of Atmosphere. So Mike was born in the south side of Chicago and was the oldest of five siblings. He then studied at University of Illinois and his early career started in finance and consulting, including Pricewaterhouse Coopers in London and Moelis & Company in Chicago. While at Moelis, he met the founders of The Chive and was recruited for his first C-suite role as CFO. Soon after relocating to Austin, Mike partnered up with The Chive's leadership team to co-found Atmosphere, where he is helping to grow and scale the leading streaming TV service for businesses offering free audio optional TV. Some highlights of our chat include running an NCAA 20 at age seven, getting laid off during the great financial crisis, almost selling The Chive to Playboy, the challenge with professional politeness in UK work culture, raising 150 million in growth capital and quadrupling the team in five years, and what he looks forward to next. All right, let's get to it.Chris Erwin:Mike, thanks for being on the podcast.Mike Grisko:Yes, absolutely. It's a pleasure to join you on The Come Up. Really looking forward to getting into it.Chris Erwin:There's a lot of stories to tell here. As always, we're going to rewind a bit and we're going to talk about where you grew up and your childhood. So I think you're a Midwest kid. Tell us about that.Mike Grisko:I am a Midwest kid. Grew up on the south side of Chicago. 103rd and Pulaski for any local Chicago listeners. Was the oldest five kids. My mother was a ER nurse. My dad worked in engineering sales. It was a great spot to grow up. It was very much a blue collar neighborhood. We lived right across the street from Tally's Corner, which was famous for just so many cops and firefighters that had to live within the city limits. My mom was one of seven. My dad, one of four. And everybody lived within a couple miles of each other. So just cousins everywhere. So yeah, it's a fun neighborhood to grow up in. I don't know what your childhood was like, Chris, but it was very Stranger Things for us. You just go on your bike, you'd be gone all day. You just got to be back before the street lights came on.Chris Erwin:Oh, I hear you. I was born in '82, so I'm an '80s, '90s kid. And in the suburbs I was born Rumson, New Jersey, an hour outside the city. And it was about like, you get on your bike and you just travel all around the county and you get into trouble, you find dirt jumps, you go meet up with your friends late night. I remember taking the bikes out at 3:00 AM during sleepovers. It was the best.Mike Grisko:It was the best. Was Chicagoan through and through before. Now residing in Austin, Texas.Chris Erwin:So, okay. Being the oldest... I have two brothers, I have a twin and then a younger brother who's six years younger. And so you're the oldest of five. What was your role? Did you have a patriarch type role amongst the brotherhood?Mike Grisko:Absolutely. Especially my dad traveled quite a bit for work. It was definitely more of a patriarchal role took on but still. We were just very tight knit crew. Still are.Chris Erwin:Getting into middle school and high school. What were some of your passions back then? What did you like to do?Mike Grisko:We were always playing sports. You had the neighborhood crew. You're playing fast pitch against a parking lot wall. In addition to doing sports, it was also a bit of a nerd. Constantly reading, just super competitive in school. It was less about the learning, it was more just getting better marks than anybody who was around me. But yeah, that stuck with me for quite a while.Chris Erwin:Got it. Well, look today, you're the CFO and co-founder of Atmosphere and you've also had a CFO role at Chive. So were you big into the quant side and into mathematics and other science and other similar subject areas?Mike Grisko:Yeah, there's a bit of that. And then I've just always been incredibly fascinated by business and markets. Grew up in the '80s and when I was a... I think it was six or seven, my uncle started calling me Gordon Gekko. I think because I was the only-Chris Erwin:It's a great nickname.Mike Grisko:I know. I think it's because I was like the only seven year old who was running an NCAA tournament and I was doing betting spreads every NFL Sunday going down the line. Yeah. So it definitely makes sense, the career path that I chose, doing finance, doing the investment banking thing and choosing this direction.Chris Erwin:Kind of makes sense because you end up going for undergrad to the University of Illinois where you focus on finance and accountancy. So when you went to school, what were you thinking that you were going to do afterwards?Mike Grisko:When I got down there I wasn't really sure. It wasn't until I actually did study abroad program, which was in Melbourne Australia, which was some of the best months of my life. It was just absolutely incredible. Yeah, the fact that my best friend and I both got full scholarships to go down there was just such a deal. I mean, we got accepted. We just could not believe that they took both our applications.Chris Erwin:What did you get into? Did you do any surfing while you were out there?Mike Grisko:Did do some surfing, played Aussie rules football. We tried to get stuck into everything, just being able to travel and just the people and just such a fun environment. But that's really when I took a step back and started looking at like, "Okay, when I get back, I got to figure out an internship." And that's when chatting with a bunch of folks, really started to lean towards trying to get on an investment banking track. And so it's amazing. Sometimes you do really need to take a huge step away to start to piece that all together and figure it out. Because I really had no clue probably up until then.Chris Erwin:It's funny. It's almost a bit of the reverse, but it reflects your personality and your interests. Typical consultants or Fortune 500 executives or bankers will go on a sabbatical and say, "I don't want to be in these industries anymore. I'm going to go do something different." But you go to Australia, have the time of your life and you're like, "I need to go into hardcore finance. That's the path." I went in a very similar direction. I was an investment banker right out of undergrad too. All right. So that becomes your focus. What's your first internship or your first role in school?Mike Grisko:So I did an internship for Wells Fargo. Got to see the lending side, their corporate lending group, so did a summer of shadowing the analyst doing underwriting. And it was great. This is in the high times of banking. This was in '07. So the summer of '07, everything's riding high. I remember winning the internship competition. So they flew me out to San Francisco with my brother just for first prize for winning this thing.Chris Erwin:He was your plus one? You're like, "I'm going to bring my bro."Mike Grisko:Yeah. Yeah. And it was a very good learning ground, but I still... There's a few guys who I was friends with at Illinois who had gotten into the investment banking side. And so I decided to double down and just... Thanks Wells Fargo, but I really wanted to take a dive into the IB side and learn how to do M&A and capital raise and the rest. I'm sure probably similar sort of path as you. Must have been at least 20 to 30 different places I was submitting applications doing interviews with. Just running through the whole process.Chris Erwin:Yeah, it's a very intense process. But it's funny. Hearing from the people that have interviewed on the podcast, I think back to Michael Cohen at the Whistle, which was acquired by Eleven Sports. He started out as a credit analyst at Wells Fargo in Atlanta, before he went into do investment banking. And we actually worked at the same firm and I started out as a credit analyst at Bank of New York, which is now BNY Mellon. And you, you now run a free ad supported streaming platform for businesses. You started as a corporate credit analyst and then went to investment banking. If you're going to do finance and media, that feels like the path.Mike Grisko:Yeah. It's got to be. It's tried and true then. You got three examples right there.Chris Erwin:So then, okay, you graduate and then you go full time into Lincoln Financial. And you're an analyst there for about a year. What were those early years like?Mike Grisko:It's a mid-market investment bank, heavy Chicago presence. It was a good shock to the system going from your university environment to full corporate world and pretty intensive as I'm sure you remember from your banking days. So I had started in August of 2008 and so I think it was six to eight weeks before Lehman went under. Things looked like they were riding high and then all of a sudden... I just remember being very new, but then also seeing the senior bankers just going ghost white as deals are just being paused or put on hold or it went from they were closing close to a deal a day, M&A or a debt advisory deal, and then it just completely dries up.Mike Grisko:The first deal I ever did, it was automotive wire harness business. I was being spun out of Alcoa. And it was just bleeding money. Went from, if you remember, with all the automotive ODMs just shuttering production, they were like the fifth player in that industry. Basically overnight, they went to negative 80 million [inaudible 00:09:46] and trying to find a partner for that. That was great learning ground. But I ended up getting laid off into that second wave of layoffs they did in March 2009.Chris Erwin:Laid off in March of 2009 after the debt crisis hit. Yeah. I have some stories of what happened at my bank and I'm curious to hear yours. So yeah. What happened to you and what was going through your head?Mike Grisko:It's a big shock to the system. It's a kick in the teeth. It did a couple things. It really hardened me to, "All right, this is the actual professional and corporate world. Nobody's spots guaranteed." And I think it even that much more determined and more resolved to like, "Hey, whatever is next. I know I'm going to have to really outwork everybody else around me."Chris Erwin:I hear you. I joined the workforce in 2005. I was at my investment bank when the 2008 credit crisis hit. And I was still a young professional. And I felt like, "Oh, I'm insulated. This is a tough time for everyone. But I'm young. The leadership's going to take care of all of us." And I remember getting called into the manager's office one day. Everyone at the company's salary was cut drastically.Chris Erwin:And I was like, "Whoa." I felt the impact personally, in a very meaningful way in that day. And I was like, "All right, this is legit. This is the real deal." And I had to make changes to my lifestyle. I actually negotiated down my rent from my apartment in New York City, down 25%. Something I'm actually still very proud of. I built a nice spreadsheet defending that. But it does gut check you and it questions, "Okay. Is there a job for me here over the next year or two? Is my career derailed?" Is my whole future grand plan that I had sorted out in undergrad have to be completely reset?" But I think it's helpful for it to build resilience, right?Mike Grisko:100%. I thought for sure coming out of school, it was, "Hey, do two years to three years as an analyst. Hop over to PE. Maybe go get an MBA. Just follow the very traditional path." But I think that moment really drove me in a very different direction.Chris Erwin:Tell us about that new direction, because I think you end up going to Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Chicago for a few years before you end up at Moelis.Mike Grisko:In that period after getting laid off March '09, basically bottom tick the market. It was slim pickings out there for jobs. I even looked into potentially doing a program to get into medical school and doing a complete 180, picking up some undergrad science credits so I can apply to med school.Mike Grisko:But then by time, two or three months in, I was starting to get some good looks. And I had an analyst role on a corp dev team in Chicago, and then also got offered a position as an analyst at PWC in their corporate finance group, which they were just restarting. And so they had basically shuttered their investment banking practice, but then were bringing it back. And so I was the first analyst they hired in the US and I thought "Here's an opportunity to get it back on track." And a lot of corporate carve outs, cross border M&A was their big MO and huge selling point for me was they committed that, "Hey, you do a couple years here and hopefully we can get you over to London or one of our other international offices to do a two year program," which I ended up doing in 2011.Chris Erwin:So you went to London in 2011 for two years working for PWC?Mike Grisko:Yeah. It was fantastic. I mean the great, great mid-market M&A group over there. It was one of the coolest experiences of my professional career. Just being able to live and get fully immersed in a culture, especially in a professional culture. Anybody who ever has the opportunity, I highly, highly recommend. Because it really just does stretch you and challenge you in different ways. You knew how to do your job, but it's almost like the gravity's just off a bit.Chris Erwin:Okay. I like that. I've never heard that description, but I'm into it.Mike Grisko:All new faces, all new companies, all new lingo, trying to pick that up and then still trying to understand folks who have Manchester accents.Chris Erwin:What was one of the biggest cultural differences in doing business over there that you learned?Mike Grisko:I'd say the biggest one, you don't realize, there's just a professional politeness in the UK. So both with your superior is just not being fully direct with you in feedback. In addition to when you would be delivering direct feedback to analysts. They were offtaken. You might not be getting the full picture. We tend to be a little bit more direct and blunt here in the US than the Brits are.Chris Erwin:Something I think about is when I studied abroad in Spain, I met a guy named Tim Slee, who co-founded an ad agency with Steven Murphy. Shout outs to these guys. They're still very close friends of mine too today. And they would talk about their professional work culture was every day at 5:30 PM, they're hitting the bars. And they are buying rounds for all their clients and all their team. And they're like, "That's just how business is done over here. You drink a lot of pints and that gets revenue in the door." And I was like, "That's a lot to sign up for after a full day." I remember as a banker, I was just running spreadsheets till midnight.Mike Grisko:I don't know how you could socialize or network or do a professional career if you don't drink over there. I definitely learned how to go to the pub for a pint or two, and then be able to go back to the desk and start banging things out in the evening. It was just an incredible experience. My wife and I, we got engaged over during that two year stint.Chris Erwin:You brought your girlfriend who became your fiance on that trip. Okay, got it.Mike Grisko:Yes. That's a story for a different podcast. Having the conversation with her dad about her quitting her job and moving over with me.Chris Erwin:You're like, "I'm choosing her instead of my brother this time. Now I'm going to take my girlfriend on this trip."Mike Grisko:Yeah. And we ended up getting engaged shortly into our trip over there. But in two years, I think we visited close to 45 different cities. We were just so good about travel. It was a lot easier, didn't have kids then, to be very mobile on the weekends. And the Brits are great about taking time off.Chris Erwin:All of Europe is really good at it.Mike Grisko:When they said four weeks of vacation and they're like, "We expect you to use it." I'm like, "Absolutely will."Chris Erwin:Yeah. Maybe you bring that back to the Atmosphere culture. All right. So look, you spend around five years there. And then before we talk about your rise up at Chive Media Group and Atmosphere, you were at Moelis & Co for around three years. Tell us about your work there.Mike Grisko:I was starting to get to the stage I'd done enough smaller middle market deals. Enough corporate divestiture work. Really wanted to start seeing some more higher level capital markets and some larger transactions. And so I started shopping around at some different banks. Opportunity came up at Moelis and I jumped on it. Everything I was looking for just to gain from an experience level, next level on debt and equity capital raise to deals to getting to work on my first restructuring bankruptcy work to working on hostile defense deal with Ken Moelis.Mike Grisko:There was a pretty cool experience that really did give that next level of professional training. And I think that's the one thing like I started to realize being in investment banking, the true value of the relationships that you build, and just being able to sit in the room as well. In the room with the exact team observing and or advising on the actions to take and some of the biggest transactions or moves that they're going to be making. It's a great ground to just really absorb a ton.Mike Grisko:So in addition to like the financial training, the Excel sheets, and everything that comes with deals and running process, the network that I was able to build, just what I was able to observe and absorb, I think for some very talented professionals, both within the bank, but then the executives I got to work with, incredibly valuable. You just cannot replace that and the level of reps that you get in the career.Chris Erwin:I very much agree with that. You think about the 10,000 hours thing and the amount of time I spent creating investor decks and confidential information memorandums, AKA CIMS. And all the financial models, the merger models, the LBO dilution analysis, et cetera, the most rewarding experiences were when we were in meetings or had conference calls with private equity owners or family offices that own these cable, media, and telecom companies. And they're thinking about how do we drive more enterprise value?Chris Erwin:Do we spin this off? Do we go acquire these other companies and do a roll up scenario where there are synergies and thinking about, we have this network of management teams, who do we want to place based on the strategy that we have here? How are we going to finance with debt or equity or some other more alternative vehicles and just to hear the decision making in the rooms. And it was like, where are these men and women? Where are they being slow and calculated? Then where are they trusting their gut and moving really quickly? Just to be a fly in the wall was so valuable for my career.Chris Erwin:And I take a lot of that into the work that I did at Big Frame and Awesomeness in thinking about when Big Frame made a decision to sell itself and the work and the advice that we give our clients now. And often days, I wish I still had access to some of those calls every week. I get it through my client work, but just to be a sponge and just be able to just listen as a mid 20 year old. So valuable.Mike Grisko:Incredibly valuable. Yeah. That's well said, Chris. That's the big thing. And I have so much appreciation for it now. Just having seen both working alongside a lot of incredibly talented professionals in addition to some ones that were making bad decisions.Chris Erwin:Can we steer them the right way? TBD.Mike Grisko:But honestly, yeah. You're able to just listen, observe. You're just kind of building that muscle memory for when things are coming fast, as they really have over the last couple years, in my current role as an operator, it helps you just really break things down into first principles and what are we really trying to drive towards? It's helped make my decision making very formulaic. I think that's incredibly valuable. I like to say that... I'm sure we'll talk about Atmosphere in a second, but operating, whether it's startup, growth company, et cetera. It is a wicked learning environment. The variables are always changing. The dynamics are always changing. And so you're constantly going to be seeing new things. And so the ability to read, react, and adjust is super critical, a really valuable skill set that banking taught me.Chris Erwin:Well, let's talk about that transition, Mike. So your role as an advisor, as consultant, as a banker, now you make a decision, as they say, you go to the line. You go to one of the portfolio companies. So in 2017 you transitioned to Chive Media Group. How did that come to be?Mike Grisko:Well, it's twofold. I go back to the point on network and I got an opportunity to... One of the deals I worked on at Moelis back in 2014, 2015 was advising Chive Media Group. John and Leo Resig co-founders of The Chive back in 2008, starting in 2012, 2013, they really started to catch fire. I mean, it was a true social movement. You had folks wearing Bill Murray t-shirts and Keep Calm and Chive On. Folks wearing the shirts everywhere. So they brought Moelis in to take a look at strategic alternatives. And so over an 11 month period, we looked at everything from buying up smaller competitors to doing [inaudible 00:20:56] recap, to even potentially selling.Mike Grisko:And so we actually got pretty far down the path with Playboy, but Leo and John couldn't get comfortable with the deal and the management team that was there at the time. They decided to pull out. And so that was in mid 2015, but stayed in touch with both Leo and John. And when the prior CFO, who was part of the founding team was looking to move on in 2017, Leo called me up and I jumped at the opportunity. So that's some of the backstory just on how I came across the opportunity. Leo tells me now, I think I was the only person he reached out to.Chris Erwin:He was like, "I think I like this guy, Mike, he was on our deal team. Let's take a bet on him."Mike Grisko:It's very tight interview process, but it goes back to the point that building network from that seed in banking is just incredibly valuable. That wasn't the first time that I was offered a job by a client. You get so close to your clients when you're working alongside them. But this is the one I jumped at. The biggest thing is if you know Leo and John, they're just real salt to the earth humans. And that meant a lot to me. To be leaving banking into something that was a lot more unknown.Mike Grisko:Yeah. I knew whatever happened with the business, they were going to do the right thing by myself and my family. And I think that was the most critical thing I was looking for is I really wanted to jump into an operational role. I'd spent a little over nine years advising CFOs. There was some that I had incredible respect for. There was some I thought I could do that job better. The opportunity to jump right into this was just too good to pass up. And then there was the personal side of this, which at the time we were making this decision, I had a 11 month old son and then my wife was pregnant with our daughter.Chris Erwin:Oh, wow.Mike Grisko:Yeah. So the ability to go into something that had a little bit more flexibility or control over your hours was big for me.Chris Erwin:You were moving too. Because you were moving to Austin from Chicago.Mike Grisko:Yeah. The full go. And I think it's that personal relationship with John and Leo, that we're two feet in. Sold a place in Chicago and moved down to Austin, away from family again.Chris Erwin:Your 30 cousins and brothers.Mike Grisko:Right. Yeah. And rest is history.Chris Erwin:Hey listeners, this is Chris Erwin, your host of The Come Up. I have a quick ask for you. If you dig what we're putting down, if you like the show, if you like our guests, it would really mean a lot if you can give us a rating wherever you listen to our show. It helps other people discover our work. And it also really supports what we do here. All right, that's it everybody. Let's get back to the interview.Chris Erwin:You make the transition. And I hear you on the point of it's all about relationships. I think I was having a call the other day with Jason Rapp from Whisper Advisors who I've just gotten to know. And he had a note that I really liked. He said, "Companies are not sold, they're bought." And I think the implication there is it's about there being a clear strategic fit, but also this notion of there's relationships developed with strategic and commercial partners over time, and more often than not an investment or an acquisition is made from two companies who have many data points, a trend line of building a rapport and a relationship. And I think that also speaks to how executive hirings and placements, particularly at the C-suite level are done. You weren't out of the blue, it was long term relationship building where Leo and John had been exposed to your work. So I think that's important for our listeners to just be mindful of. We always say that. Say start planting the seeds now.Mike Grisko:I think that has been incredibly important. Those relationships and the relationships that I quickly developed with the other C-suite members at The Chive who are now at Atmosphere. You want to be working with good people. It is just so difficult to get a startup business into a true growth path and on a true path to success. Being able to do that with folks that you trust and truly enjoy working with is so critical. It starts at the top. If you want your entire company growing the [inaudible 00:25:02] in the same direction, it really does start with having a cohesive leadership group.Chris Erwin:So let's talk about when you show up, what are you guys working on? What are the goals in 2017, 2018, fast forward a few years, where do you guys get to? And that's going to set up the story for how Atmosphere was incubated, but take us back to that.Mike Grisko:I walked in at a pretty critical time for the company. There was a lot of different initiatives that Chive Media Group was chasing. It became pretty apparent quickly that we couldn't do all of them. The business needed an overall guiding direction and overarching focus. And so my first three months on the job, Leo and John asked me to, "Hey, just give us your full assessment as an outsider." And spent just a ton of time on a listening tour, diving into data. Became pretty clear that we were sitting on something incredibly powerful with Chive TV, which at the time was maybe in a little over 1000 locations and had six or seven dedicated employees to that product line. We knew that we had something incredibly powerful.Mike Grisko:We thought we had something incredibly powerful with that business, but we also had just many other initiatives, everything from original content creation with Chive Studios to some large initiatives, both on the digital ad sales side to a lot of different facets that they were chasing on the e-commerce side. So everything was set up for big strategic meeting in December of 2017. Myself, John, Leo, Eric Spielman, our chief strategy officer, and Alen Durbuzovic, our CTO. And we made some very critical decisions to really lay out, "Hey, here's our vision for the next three years." It included shuttering some business lines, re-orging some groups. All on the guise of trying to take the Chive TV product line and turn it into a real business.Chris Erwin:You start and pretty soon after you start, you're making some very big decisions at the company, contributing to that to allow you guys to focus on where you think the biggest win is. Atmosphere, I think technically founded in 2018, but Chive TV, you guys were working on this probably well before that, is that right?Mike Grisko:Yeah. So Chive TV was the original proof of concept. It was started in late 2014, early 2015 as an audience extension play. As the landscape got more and more competitive competing for eyeballs with Instagram, Facebook, and every other platform, Roku opened up their marketplace for content companies to build apps. And so they decided that technological opening allowed them to build a streaming TV app. And then they also were able to leverage the strong community on The Chive to help get distribution because the content programming, they realized quickly like, "Yeah, this is good for in-home, but this actually works incredibly well in bars and restaurants." And so that was the initial, "Hey, can we build an app? Can we distribute it? Can we actually make this work?" And that's where in the early days, I mean, they're a lot of learnings the guys talk about.Mike Grisko:And so it really teed up into 2018 where we had to go from, "Hey, this is a product with potential. How can we actually turn this into a real business?" That was the big mission of 2018 to see how we could really craft the story around Atmosphere as a platform. So Atmosphere, as it exists today, streaming TV platform for businesses. Over 50 different audio optional channels. We like to say we have a channel for every type of venue, whether you're a pediatric office or gym or a bar restaurant, we got a channel that's programmed for you. Everything from Chive TV, which is now a channel fully owned by Atmosphere to we have a Happy TV channel. We have Paws TV with cute puppies and kittens. We have partner channels such as America's Funnies Home Videos, Red Bull TV, and Disney's X Games. So we have quite a few.Chris Erwin:Mike, you have this content network, you have all these different channels that cater to different offices, different business environments, et cetera. And you make a decision as a company that it's like, "All right, foot on the gas. This is not just going to be an exciting new growth initiative out of Chive. This is its own standalone business that will probably require a separate growth plan, separate capitalization, and more." So when you guys convene, you, Spielman, the Resigs, and whoever else, what decisions do you make to really amplify the opportunity here?Mike Grisko:You summed it up pretty well from you, Chris. It really came down to this business has the ability to be a platform and like an N of 1 platform, the actual network that can tape over this niche of streaming TV for business. That's a big ambitious plan. So obviously would require risk capital to fund it if we really wanted to chase the velocity that we thought was there. It couldn't continue to be self-funded by The Chive and really drive to where it needed to be.Mike Grisko:Putting together that plan, and it was complications. Spinning the business off all of the shared services that were going to be required to spin it off. The conflict of interest was a big issue for VCs who were concerned if they threw millions of dollars into this new Atmosphere, entity in business, if it wasn't going well, would the entire founding team just turn around and go back to working at Chive Media Group and say, "Sorry, unfortunately, that didn't work out." It was a tough one to sell through. And if you remember in 2018, nobody wanted to touch ad supported startup businesses. Everyone was focused on subscription.Chris Erwin:Oh, how the world has changed. Just think of Netflix launching an advertising platform.Mike Grisko:Exactly. There was several times we thought about pivoting and driving resources hard into venues paying subscriptions. But luckily we stuck with the plan because we saw how much leverage there was in advertising to this massive underserved market.Chris Erwin:All right. So when you think about there's the big, exciting stuff to do, which is all right, what's the new growth plan who we hiring for this go raise venture capital, then there's all the administrative stuff of... All right. Yeah. Like you said, allocating shared services, who works on what, how do we communicate that, how do we set up a dedicated legal entity and put the right resources into that? All these little things that you as a CFO probably had to take care of.Mike Grisko:Yeah. And this is also where you and I met. As I'm pulling a lot of this stuff together with the group and bringing on lawyers, getting advisors all set, you and I got connected through Jason Anderson and you guys did an engagement for us both to... Well, number one, be that initial test run before we hit the market just on materials and the story, the model, just the entire thing, which was incredibly helpful and just help us. Like most VC fundraising rounds, it really comes down to the product, the team, and the TAM. And so helping us to find that overall opportunity in isolating our unit economics. There was a lot there because again, it wasn't just another enterprise SAS software business that was easy to digest and easy for VCs to give seed/Series A funding.Chris Erwin:I will say thank you to Jason Anderson for that intro. And it was a delight to meet you and Eric nearly five years ago now and have gotten to know the Resigs a little bit. But really, yeah, Mike, you're the first point of contact. I remember working arm in arm with you on some of this stuff. I have an image in my head of one of the financial runway slides of "Here's the traction for what we did last year," which I don't even know if it broke a million. "Here's our five year forecast," which was maybe at the low tens of millions. And the numbers that you guys are putting up on the board today are much bigger than that.Chris Erwin:But you guys were very hopeful, very optimistic. You saw a need in the market, but we also could sense that it wasn't a guarantee. It was a big swing. Chive was a business that had been around for over 10 years. It was time to find a new growth opportunity. And also, not just from a value creation perspective, but I think just for the team and for the brothers of an exciting new thing to dig into. And there was conviction and excitement, but it was clear that you guys were taking a big risk and there was uncertainty. I'm curious to hear the early days, when did you realize you really had something special here? Because you hit some big headwinds during COVID and maybe even a little bit before that, but things did change. Walk me through that.Mike Grisko:So our first headwind that we fought through was we'd agreed to heads of terms with a VC in early 2019 to do our initial funding. And they pulled out. They had internal issues that they had to sort out and they just could not do any fundings. And so we had to go back to our underbidder, who was Charlie Plauche from S3. And Charlie didn't try to take advantage of the situation. He stood up and honored his initial term sheet for the most part. And S3 ventures, if you don't know, Austin based VC, and Charlie was willing to roll up his sleeve, all those things we talked about with the conflict of interest, he and the team were willing to do the work because they saw the big potential. And his read on it, not only was this a massive opportunity, but this is a team that's done it before. And so it's an advantage that they've had The Chive business and been operating successfully for 10 plus years.Chris Erwin:Wow. Yeah. He probably had a chance to bend you guys over a barrel. But instead I think he was probably exhibiting the type of partnership behavior of, "Hey, this is how I'm going to act when you guys are in a moment of need and I'm going to be a resource for you guys and positive asset in good times and in bad." That's a fantastic move on his part.Mike Grisko:And then you flash forward a year, we did a series A extension in bringing on Valor Equity. And we closed that deal on March 6th. And if you remember, I think on March 8th, that was a Sunday that oil tanked 40%. But Jon Shulkin and the team at Valor, they never for a second wavered just on their commitment. And that's a rocky time to be stepping into a new investment, especially one with its end markets being bars, restaurants, gyms.Chris Erwin:Just to be clear, because we glossed over this quickly, when oil had that precipitous drop, that was essentially the week during the massive shutdown for COVID in the US and throughout the world. So the times fundamentally changed.Mike Grisko:Our end users of our service are all out of home venues. And so all subject to lockdowns. It was a trying couple months, but great support from our investors. Having a cohesive team to make some moves to change up the cost structure. And we got through it. Very little turnover and an employee base that was just still so bought into the story. And so to your question on inflection point, really then in Q3 of that year, right around mid August, we really started to see things uptick in the dailies. And so the big question on the business back in 2020, great, we're starting to understand that you can truly build a network in a fairly economic way to get distribution into these B2B customers. Get them signed up, get them to stream. The question was, all right, so if you build all this supply, are advertisers going to come? And that started to be answered in Q3. If you remember, everybody pulled back in the advertising world in Q2 of 2020. As they reassessed, they started to redeploy more and more money into connected TV environments and streaming TV environments.Mike Grisko:And we were one of the benefactors of that, especially in the programmatic open exchange. And so we started to see that coming through in the dailies and then the narrative really flipped. And then in October we did an inside up round. So, it's all of a sudden like now the story was almost flipped with VCs looking to preempt because they saw the traction was starting to build for what we were building.Chris Erwin:And then that leads to, I think in January of this year you announce a blowout round. You announce $100 million in new capital. I think 80 million equity and 20 million in debt.Mike Grisko:Yeah. You flash forward to 2021, which was just one of the most memorable, positive years in my career. But I'm sure there was others that shared that sentiment, but Valor Equity preempted and led our series B raised 25 million in April. And then Sageview led our series C that we've announced in January of 2022, an $80 million round plus a $20 million debt facility with bridge. And so over that three year path, we've now been able to raise $145 million worth of capital and really have been able to put that to work incredibly efficiently in building this network where you go back five years, about 1000 venues. We're now streaming in over 29,000 venues today, reaching close to 40 million people on a monthly basis and generating a lot of ad inventory.Chris Erwin:And just to make this exciting for potential venue partners. If you want to grow your network, people listening to this podcast, what is the value that you bring by putting Atmosphere on their walls?Mike Grisko:Yeah. I like to sum it up as it's better, simple, and free. So it's better content for at least TV. You think TV for business was never broken. It just was never right to begin with. Everything that you see out in bar, restaurant, or gym is content that was built for in-home consumption with audio. It is talking heads. It is entertainment that's going to require the voiceover. We purpose build everything for that audioless experience.Mike Grisko:So it's fast paced. Our news and sports channels, heavy typography that allows the viewer to really just consume visually. So it's better content for these screens and it gives you an alternative to live sports because not everybody is a sports fan and there's not always a relevant game on. And simplicity. There are no monthly contracts. We overnight you a device for free. It is a five minute install process, logging onto your wifi and away you go. And for the venue, it's free. For a free product, you're getting better content to entertain your patrons. And depending on the type of venue you are, we have multi TV locations and single TV locations. So if you're single TV location, such as a waiting room, auto repair shop, you're a car wash, why are you paying for cable? This gives you a cut the cord option in providing entertainment in the waiting room. And then if you're a multi TV location, this is just a great alternative for those other moments.Chris Erwin:I think that sums it up quite well. I like the notion of "It's not broken, it was just never right." So what would you say to wrap up the Atmosphere segment before we go into the rapid fire and we close this out and as a leader, you're at a company like you were saying that at Chive, I think you guys were around 50 to 75 people. Now Atmosphere, it's over 400. What are some of the lessons that you've learned scaling an organization this quickly? How have your responsibilities evolved? What does that look like?Mike Grisko:We have this concept internally, like giving up your Legos. Your job description changes every three to six months when you're going through rapid growth. 18 months ago, we were less than 100 people. Yeah, today we're close to 450 employees just at Atmosphere. And so that requires you to change your roles. Some of the things that I was doing back in 2018, 19, 20, it's just not scalable at that level. And so being able to hire great people, reassign tasks and responsibilities is absolutely critical.Chris Erwin:And what is something as you think about inspiring your team, inspiring the culture there personally. What is something that maybe you do different today than what you did three to five years ago?Mike Grisko:Something our exec team talks about a lot is authenticity. I think if you are just real with people, you show them a bit of yourself, but then also give them an environment that allows them to just come to work as they are. They don't have to pretend to be someone different in a professional setting than they are outside of the office. You give that to them and it just engenders great environment, creative problem solving, and just people with good energy that want to be part of this mission.Chris Erwin:Yeah. I think it's a great mission. I think a lot of people should join the Atmosphere wave. A final note from me, Mike, in the spirit of authenticity to give you some kudos. Something that came across to me when we first met back in 2018 was just, this is a really sharp guy. He's building something exciting in this business, but he also feels very genuine and very grounded. I have always gravitated towards people from the Midwest. I went to grad school at Kellogg in Chicago, have had a lot of team members at RockWater and some of the other companies I've been at from the Midwest. And there's always just something special about them.Chris Erwin:I think you 100% fall into that category. I think of the days where you had so much conviction early on, but you were willing to work so hard to manifest this future that you guys had thought about. And I remember getting late night and early morning emails from you being like, "All right, I've been refining our business model. I think I have a new idea for the TAM. Let's talk through it." You were burning the candle at both ends to really will this thing to life. And it's awesome to see now looking back what you've accomplished for your career. And you guys haven't even had your big exit yet. So I think there's so much opportunity ahead of you and you deserve a special shoutout.Mike Grisko:Thanks, Chris. As amazing as this whole run has been. Yeah. I don't know if I'd want to redo 2017 through early 2019 again. A lot of decisions that we made back then in building this thing out that seem obvious now were not obvious then. It was a lot of rigor and work to really position this thing to set it on the right path to where we're at today. But it's great to see the traction and how far we've come as a team.Chris Erwin:It's amazing. So we're going to move into the final segment, Mike. It's called the rapid fire round. Here are the rules. I'm going to ask you six questions. Your responses are to be brief. They can be one sentence or maybe just a couple words. Do you understand the rules?Mike Grisko:Yep.Chris Erwin:All right, here we go.Mike Grisko:I'm in.Chris Erwin:Proudest life moment?Mike Grisko:Outside of my family and kids being born, I would have to say the proudest professional moment was our last all hands and seeing how big this company has gotten and the number of folks that are now underneath the Atmosphere umbrella is pretty incredible.Chris Erwin:What do you want to do less of in 2022?Mike Grisko:I'm really trying to do less time on my phone at home. The less screen time at home, more time present with the kiddos.Chris Erwin:What do you want to do more of? Well, I guess you just answered that. More time with the kiddos.Mike Grisko:More time with the kiddos and also more sleep. That's been a big thing this year. So far, so good.Chris Erwin:What one to two things drive your success?Mike Grisko:I go back to, after getting laid off, I laid out two rules for myself and it was "Always work harder than the guy next to you" and "Do things the right way." It's pretty basic, but that's always how I attack everything.Chris Erwin:This is one I actually just want to expand on for a second. When you say "do things the right way," just give us a little bit more context there.Mike Grisko:It's treat others how you want to be treated. It's be fair. Work with integrity. That will always get you much further in the end.Chris Erwin:Got it. Well said. All right, last couple here. Any future startup ambitions?Mike Grisko:I actually helped co-found a business last year. Project Bankman. It's a crypto services business that is building solutions for brands on the blockchain. And so we were looking for a solution for Chive Media Group for effectively a branded social token that could replace our loyalty points. Wasn't really one out there. And so we partnered with a gentleman, Gavin Gillis, who is a ton of experience in the crypto space. And we put together a business plan. We're able to raise seed funding and that business is doing incredibly well in signing up new clients, including The Chive and some other financial institutions and airlines just to build them solutions on the blockchain.Chris Erwin:That's awesome. All right. Last one, Mike, this is very easy. How can people get in contact with you?Mike Grisko:LinkedIn.Chris Erwin:Okay. Hit up Mike on LinkedIn. All right, Mike. That is it. Thank you for being on the podcast.Mike Grisko:Chris. This was awesome. Thank you very much. Incredible host. Thanks for making me look good.Chris Erwin:Of course.Chris Erwin:All right. That was a really fun interview with Mike. That has been a long time coming and I'm very glad that we finally were able to make that happen. All right. Quick heads up that our company has a new service offering. We just introduce RockWater Plus, which is for companies who want an ongoing consulting partner at a low monthly retainer, yet also need a partner who can flex up for bigger projects when they arise.Chris Erwin:So who is this for? Well, three main stakeholders. One, operators who seek growth and better run operations. Two, investors who need help with custom industry research and diligence. And three, leadership who wants a bolt on strategy team and thought partner. So what is included with RockWater Plus? We do weekly calls to review KPIs or any ad hoc operational needs. We create KPI dashboards to do monthly performance tracking. We do ad hoc research ranging from customer surveys to case studies, to whitespace analysis. Financial modeling, where we can understand your addressable market size, do P&L forecast. ROI analyses, even cash runway projections.Chris Erwin:We also do monthly trend reports to track new co launches, M&A activity, partnership activity in the space. And lastly, we make strategic introductions to new hires, investors for fundraising, and then also potential commercial strategic partnerships. So if any of this sounds appealing or you want to learn more, reach out to us at hello@wearerockwater.com. We can set a call with our leadership. All right. Lastly, we love to hear from our listeners. If you have any feedback on the show or any ideas for guests, shoot us a note at tcupod@wearerockwater.com. All right, that's it everybody. Thanks for listening.Chris Erwin:The Come Up is written and hosted by me, Chris Erwin, and is a production of RockWater Industries. Please rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and remember to subscribe wherever you listen to our show. And if you really dig us, feel free to forward The Come Up to a friend. You can sign up for our company newsletter at wearerockwater.com/newsletter. And you could follow us on Twitter @TCUpod. The Come Up is engineered by Daniel Tureck. Music is by Devon Bryant. Logo and branding is by Kevin Zazzali. And special thanks to Alex Zirin and Eric Kenigsberg from the RockWater team.

After the 2016 election, comedian Jordan Klepper and Governor John Kasich suffered starkly different professional wins and losses. Governor Kasich lost the presidential primary against then candidate, Donald Trump, and Jordan graduated from being a correspondent on The Daily Show to getting his own show. Since then Jordan's show was canceled by Comedy Central and in this episode, the two guys talk about processing professional failures and how it led them to their new podcast, “Kasich & Klepper”. Listen to “Kasich & Klepper” here To learn more about Lincoln Financial, check out https://www.lincolnfinancial.com/ To learn more about Wealthfront, check out https://www.wealthfront.com/imposters To learn more about Electric, check out https://electric.ai/imposters Full transcripts for all Imposters episodes available at https://imposters.morningbrew.com

Meet Neale GodfreyWhen a relationship ends and you haven't been the one taking care of the finances, figuring out how to move forward can be paralyzing. Luckily, it's a learned skill and on today's episode, Pete and Seth are joined by New York Times #1 Best-Selling author Neale Godfrey to discuss finances, kids, gray divorce and more.It's important to understand your own finances and to learn how to handle them moving forward. It's also incredibly important to keep your kids in the loop so they're aware of how finances are going to affect them. (They are very id-focused beings, particularly the younger ones, after all.)It's important to never confuse your net-worth with your self-worth. You're not the money you earn, or don't earn. Money is about choice. Live within your means. And what about having your kids work? These are lessons for you to learn and to teach your children.We also touch on gray divorce and why the numbers are growing for couples divorcing after the age of 50.Our conversation ranges the gamut in today's episode, but there are lots of juicy tidbits to help you learn how to be more financially healthy after your divorce, regardless of how old you are or if you have kids when it happens.More About NealeNeale Godfrey is the financial voice for women and multi-generations as well as a world-renowned speaker and author, who has inspired millions through her work. She motivates, trains, educates, and frankly, entertains by delivering her core message: Empower yourself to take control of your financial life. Neale brings an important perspective on connecting the financial dots for families, which she delivers to thousands of corporate audiences and financial advisors.As the creator for the topic of “kids and money” and trailblazer for financial literacy, Neale Godfrey has worked tirelessly over the last 35 years to connect the family around the topic of money.Neale began her journey in 1972 as one of the first female executives at The Chase Manhattan Bank (the world's largest bank at the time). She later went on to become President of The First Women's Bank and founder of The First Children's Bank in FAO Schwarz. Neale was also involved with the Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship in Harlem.Neale is the New York Times #1 Best-Selling Author of Money Doesn't Grow on Trees: A Parent's Guide to Raising Financially Responsible Children and has authored a total of 28 books to empower kids and their parents to have a healthy relationship with money.Neale has represented global companies as a National Spokesperson; including Microsoft, UPS, Lincoln Financial, Fidelity, AIG, Nuveen, Aetna, Coca-Cola, among others. She has also appeared as a financial expert on programs such as; The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and The Today Show, on major news networks such as; CNN, CNBC, and FOX Business, and starred in the PBS Special, “Your Money, Your Children, Your Life."Neale is a popular contributor for Kiplinger, a former contributor to Forbes.com and Huffington Post, and a former Nationally Syndicated Columnist for the Associated Press.Neale has served on White House and Governor's Task Forces, as well as on the Board of Directors of UNICEF, UNWomen, Young President's Organization — YPO (Member since 1987), The NY Board of Trade, and Morris County Chamber of Commerce.Links & NotesNeale Godfrey's WebsiteNeale on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and FacebookSchedule a consult with SethGot a question you want to ask on the show? Click here!

This week, Billy and Brian talk to near-death survivor Danny Bader. Danny is a best-selling author and sought-after speaker whose life was transformed after he died when 8,000 volts of electricity ripped through his body.  Danny then came back to life from a place where he connected with “something bigger than us.” He uses his experience to lead people to create more perspective, joy, and a love that replaces weariness with inspiration, drives vision, and creates momentum for people in all areas of their lives. Danny is also a renowned speaker who has been inspiring the people of Fortune 500 companies like Merck, Comcast, The Ritz-Carlton, the Marriott, and Lincoln Financial with insight and practical tools that build momentum in the midst of defeating monotony. Danny's reputation as an influencer in this arena continues to grow among some of the most well-respected brands and organizations nationwide.Listen to Danny's podcast Back to Life wherever you get your podcasts! We ask Danny:--Looking back on who you were before your near-death experience, how would you describe yourself and how you lived your life?--When we talked earlier, you talked about navigating a multitude of emotions, especially guilt.  Can you dive a little deeper into that please?--It sounds like you had to heal and learn to reckon with what you could not change before you were able to move on.  How did you go about doing that?  --One thing that came out during our initial conversation is your strong relationship with Jesus, but I think what's important for people to know is that you had a strong faith and relationship before your near-death experience.  In all honesty, I'm not someone who has a strong belief in one God/Jesus so whenever people who have a strong faith talk about it, I get a little uncomfortable, but I didn't ever feel that way the last time we talked and I think it's because you're so casual in the way you describe your relationship, so much so that you have a book called I Met Jesus for a Miller Lite. Can you talk about your casual, friendly relationship with Jesus (and also why does Jesus have such terrible taste in beer?) --You have a new book out now called Take the Shit Out of the Show, and much like the Bible, you use parables inspired by real people in order to help readers regain control over their lives.  What's one of your favorite parables from that book? Thank you for listening to the Mindful Midlife Crisis!Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Topics you want us to cover?Email:  mindfulmidlifecrisis@gmail.comInstagram:  @mindful_midlife_crisisTwitter:  @mindfulmidlife"Like" and "Follow" us on Facebook: The Mindful Midlife Crisis PodcastPlease leave us a 5-Star Review!  Doing so helps other people looking for a podcast like ours find it!Support the show

In the first of a two-part series, Patti welcomes Tim Seifert, the Senior Vice President and Head of Retirement Solutions Distribution for Lincoln Financial Group. Together they look back on the careers they began after college and compare it to where they are now.  They discuss the specific characteristics of the leaders and mentors that shaped their career trajectories and how they, in turn, apply those leadership traits to their own teams.  In doing so, they are developing highly successful and motivated team members that are all intentionally driven towards client satisfaction.  These leadership skillsets transcend across all industries and are not dependent on the size of the team or driven by profit margin.  Listen today to find out how you can apply any or all of these ideas to your team today!