Podcast appearances and mentions of lisa mcdonald

Lisa McDonald, Hugh Barrett, and George O'Connor join us to share their exciting plans for the historic church at the Piercestown-Murrintown crossroads. Having secured €100,620 in funding, they aim to restore this landmark and transform it into a vibrant community and performance space.

Lisa McDonald, discussing the recent motion on the Oilgate motorway sharing insights on what this means for the local community and the future of the project.

SummaryIn this engaging conversation, Megan O'Neill and Lisa McDonald explore the complexities of relationships, particularly in midlife. They discuss the evolution of marriage over 25 years, the importance of communication, shared values, and the challenges faced in early marriage. Lisa shares insights from her writing, emphasizing the significance of anticipation and curiosity in maintaining a vibrant relationship. The discussion also touches on family dynamics, personal growth, and the role of astrology in understanding relationship values.Lisa MacDonaldLinkedinRead her article at her articlehereDownload your Free Moon Trust Guidehere Learn how you astrologically emotionally operate, what you need to be nurtured and how you nurture. It will help you understand what you need emotionally in order to connect and trust. As a relationship mindset coach of many years, I believe the Moon is the most important planet to understand ourselves in relationships.

A career in functional medicine should feel fulfilling, not exhausting. So how do you build a practice that supports both your patients and your well-being?   I sat down with Lisa McDonald, founder of Integrated Connections, to talk about what it takes to create a sustainable career in personalized medicine. Lisa's own journey—from struggling patient to industry leader—shaped her passion for helping practitioners find roles that align with their values and prevent burnout. With over 15 years of experience in recruitment, she's seen firsthand the challenges and opportunities in functional and integrative medicine.   Burnout is a real risk when you care deeply about your work. Lisa and I discuss why setting boundaries and building the right support system is essential, especially for those working with complex, chronically ill patients. We also explore how group visits and collaboration can create better outcomes for both patients and providers.   If you're thinking about making the leap into functional medicine or looking for ways to protect your energy while doing meaningful work, this episode is for you!   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction 01:14 Transitioning from Conventional to Functional Medicine 02:06 Tips for Building Your Own Practice 03:20 Lisa McDonald's Journey 07:06 The Impact of Practitioners on Patient Lives 09:02 Importance of Boundaries and Self-Care for Practitioners 11:23 Lisa's Personal Compass for Well-being 14:41 Embracing Imperfection in Creativity 18:01 Differences Between Burned Out and Thriving Practitioners 23:08 Advice for Burned Out Practitioners 24:23 Tips for Starting Your Own Practice 29:06 The Reality of Starting a Functional Medicine Practice 32:09 Integrating Functional Medicine into Mainstream Healthcare 33:31 Innovative Ideas for Future Healthcare Practices 35:58 Designing Support Systems in Your Practice 38:04 Growth and Demand in Functional Medicine 40:01 The Backend Work of Integrated Connections 42:08 Connecting Childhood Activities to Adult Life   Links Connect with Lisa McDonald: Website: https://integratedconnects.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapmcdonald/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/integratedconnections/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/integratedconnections   Book a Brainstorm Session (Coupon code - PODCAST): https://drlarasalyer.as.me/discovery   Connect with Lara:  Website: https://drlarasalyer.com The Catalyst Way: https://drlarasalyer.com/catalyst Instagram: @drlarasalyer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why did I invite Lisa McDonald, a certified career coach  to join me for a conversation?  You are not looking for a job, but you are probably looking for employees, And Lisa is probably working with those potential employees, telling them not to apply for a job with your company. In this lively conversation, we talk about the mistakes employers make starting with job descriptions that don't really reflect the company to interviews that go completely off the rails. This is one conversation you need to listen to, before you try to hire your next employee.   Lisa explains that crafting a compelling job description is as much about storytelling as writing a great ad for your business. It's not just a list of tasks; it's your chance to paint a picture of what it's like to work with you. And let's be honest, if you're on the hunt for a “purple squirrel,” you're setting yourself up for frustration. Here are the key takeaways: Ditch the Bucket List: Stop trying to find the impossible candidate who checks every box. Instead, focus on the core skills and values you need. Hiring for potential can often yield better results than sticking to an unrealistic wish list. Think Like a Candidate: Just as you'd tailor your resume to highlight your strengths, craft your job description to attract the right person. Use language that reflects your company's personality, values, and culture. A good job description should read more like an invitation than a set of rules. Avoid the Extremes: Don't sound too outdated or overly trendy. The goal is to sound authentic—like the kind of team a candidate would actually want to join. It's All Marketing: Your job description isn't just a list of responsibilities; it's an ad for your company. Think about the words you'd use to sell your product or service and apply the same principles to your hiring process. Remember, you're selling the idea of working with you. Mirror Your Culture: Make sure your job description aligns with how your team communicates and operates. If your workplace is warm and collaborative, let that shine through in your wording. If you're struggling to hire, take a hard look at your job descriptions. Are they telling the right story? Or are they pushing people away before you've even had a chance to meet them? Start fresh, focus on the essentials, and don't be afraid to let your company's personality come through. You might just find that the right candidate has been waiting for a job posting that finally speaks their language.   If you enjoyed this conversation, look for More - more conversations like this, workbooks, whitepapers, webinars and so much more https://www.morethanafewwords.com  

Dan enrolls in a sexual sociology class.By Quinn_McMullen. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Prologue:It was Chicago, in the mid 1980s. Those were very different times. Fashion and language were different. Technology was quite different. We didn't have the internet, and cable television was just becoming widespread. Pubic hair was uncut & often not trimmed.. The only sexual fear for straight people was getting pregnant; and the pill mostly took care of that.I was a senior and I needed both a literature class and social science class to complete my general education requirements to graduate. Because of my class standing, I was finally going to be able to register early in the cycle. I filled out several possible registration cards, and waited dutifully in the line. When I got to the registration window, I was pleasantly surprised to find that S O C 3 69 Human Sexuality was still open. I registered for the class and hoped it was everything the rumors made it out to be.As the Spring Semester started, I tried to find out if I knew anyone in S O C 3 69. None of my engineering classmates were interested. And I was disappointed to find that none of my female friends had registered for it either. It had the potential to be less than fun. But I remembered the stories about the course lots of discussion of sex, sex, and sex. It couldn't be that bad.The class was scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The first class was on a Thursday and I arrived ten minutes early for the first class. The room was already packed. On the front desk were two piles of papers with a sign that said, "Take one of each." One was the syllabus and the other was a list of assignments with details and due dates.Thursday Pre-ClassI looked around the packed room and saw a seat next to a pretty blonde. "Is this seat taken?""It looks like it's perfect for you." She chuckled.I held out my hand, "Hi, I'm Dan."She smiled sweetly, "I'm Hannah."A woman in her forties entered the room and began walking around talking to students. I assumed this was the famous Dr. Miller. She was tall and thin with a nice figure. She was professionally dressed in a skirt, blouse, and blazer. The skirt came to just above the knee and showed some shapely, bare legs. She started working the room.When she got to us, she said, "Hannah, good to see you again. Did you have a good winter break?""I did Dr. Miller."Dr. Miller turned to me and extended her hand, "A new person in my class."I stuck out my hand, "Pleased to meet you Dr. Miller. Dan McDevitt.""A senior. Mechanical engineering major. Wow! I'm impressed." She chuckled at herself, "I try to learn about my students beforehand. It isn't hard if you actually care about people." She looked at her watch, "Show time."Dr. Miller walked to the front of the room, "Let's get started. My name is Dr. Shannon Miller. This class is S O C 3 69, Human Sexuality. If you aren't registered, you will have to leave. No auditing."Two guys got up and headed toward the door.She continued, "It isn't that I want to be a hard ass, but if I didn't have that limitation, this place would be standing room only. If you are curious how the course was numbered, I asked for it and there was no objection until I was teaching it for three semesters. By then it was too late to change it."There were some scattered laughs and giggles."We'll skip the usual introductions. I think I know everyone. If you don't know your classmates, I think you will quickly learn about them."Lecture Begins"As the title suggests, this is a course in human sexuality. I must tell you that this class will get very graphic at times. We will examine the wide range of human sexual activity, from straight sex to some of the kinkiest stuff you can imagine. This may be uncomfortable for some of you. As a class, we can overcome this discomfort by keeping our minds open, being respectful of each other, and sharing our thoughts. Given the number of smiles, that sounds like what a lot of you signed up for."I expect everyone to act as an adult. I don't want to hear titters and I don't want to hear anyone shaming anyone else. Respect is our watch word. If you cannot act as a mature adult and show respect to everyone in the room, then I will ask you to leave. If you do not voluntarily leave, I will have campus security remove you. I don't fuck around with any of that. And yes, I have a potty mouth. I want everyone to feel safe here. This class is like Las Vegas. If someone shares some intimate part of their life, I expect it to stay in this room. Am I clear?Dr. Miller looked each of us in the eye, "Good. Does anyone want to leave?" Again she looked around."Very well. I will also use a lot of visual aids photos and film. This is not pornography. Since this is a liberal arts college, I am a strong believer that this is a time for you to explore and learn about yourself. I cannot require that you engage in sexual activity. That would be unethical and for many people, immortal. I will provide alternative assignments that you are free to undertake. In the assignment sheet I provide details on how you can fulfill both regular and alternative assignments. For example, after today's class, you may decide to experiment with self-love. Essentially, in the privacy of your room you can masturbate and then report on your observations. If you would like to have an observer present, that is also an option. Any questions?""Seeing none, we'll get started." She went to the front of the class and pulled down a screen. She flipped on an overhead projector and placed a slide on it, "So here is a very simple question: Why do we want to have sex? Danielle.""Because it makes us feel good.""Yes, it does. Brian.""We have a drive to reproduce."Dr. Miller walked to the side of the room, "One of our strongest instincts. Sarah.""Because we are attracted to the other person and we want to be intimate with them.""Ah. Intimacy. Another strong drive. Hannah.""Orgasms."Dr. Miller laughed, "Yes. The elephant in the room. Today we will discuss orgasms." She put up another slide, "So what is the average time it takes for a man to reach orgasm if he is masturbating? Dan.""Five minutes.""Not that long. Greg?""Four?""Almost. Rich?"He laughed, "Maybe three?""Good guess! Three minutes. So how long does it take a woman to reach orgasm if she is masturbating? Bridget?""I'm guessing. Four minutes?""Yes, good guess. So what can we conclude from those two numbers. Elizabeth.""That men and women are pretty close to having the same sexual response if they are stimulated properly.""Excellent! If you are gay, lesbian, or a virgin, you don't have to answer this next question. By a show of hands, how many of you know that your partner reaches orgasm during straight sex? Penis in vagina sex."Of the 25 people in the room, about 18 hands went up."Please leave your hands up. We have ten men and eight women. Now, how many of You reach orgasm during straight sex?"All the men left their hands up, but only one woman left their hand up.""Very interesting. So ladies, the men think you are having an orgasm when you really aren't. Am I reading that correctly?"Several female heads were nodding."Why is that? Hannah.""We fake it."Dr. Miller shook her head, "We fake it. That's kind of sad. Why? Rich.""The woman doesn't want to make us feel bad.""Yeah. Studies have shown that men's egos are easily bruised when it comes to sex. Some women also want to boost their partner's ego. Why else? Anne.""To get it over with."There was laughter around the room.Dr. Miller continued, "You laugh, but I think Anne is not making that up." Anne shook her head. "I think you will find that sometimes straight sex is not pleasant for many women, mostly because their male partner doesn't know what they're doing.""Anyone else? Roxane.""To avoid being shamed and being thought to be frigid.""That is a big one. By the way, no woman is frigid. That is a myth developed by men to compensate for their poor sexual performance. One last item. Sometimes a woman fakes an orgasm for non-sexual reasons such as trying to cement a relationship, become someone's girlfriend or fiancée. Questions or comments?"Dr. Miller looked around the room, "I find all this very interesting. Gentlemen, do you know how to tell if your partner is actually having an orgasm or faking it?"I shook my head. I thought I knew, but now I had my doubts. I looked around and the other guys looked just as puzzled.Dr. Miller said, "Don't be embarrassed guys. You've taken the first step to becoming a much better lover. Carlos, are you ready?"I just realized that there was a guy at the back of the room manning a film projector, "Yes, Dr. Miller."Female Orgasm FilmShe pointed to a guy near the door, "Sam?" He nodded. "Yes, Sam. Can you hit the lights?"Sam killed the lights and a film began to roll.The title flashed up, "Orgasmic Response in Human Females." The first scene had a bunch of co-eds walking and talking on a college campus somewhere. A female narrator said, "One of the most misunderstood aspects of human sexuality is the orgasmic response of human females. This film will briefly examine this topic."The scene changed to a couple making out. "It should be noted that approximately five to ten percent of women are incapable of having an orgasm. This is often due to some physical limitation."A graphic came up, "There are two types of female orgasm: vaginal and clitoral. The first, vaginal orgasm, is described by women as starting deeper in their body and elicits a full body response. These types of orgasms are caused by objects in the vagina stimulating the walls, Gräfenberg spot or G spot, and cervix."An anatomical diagram came up. "The G spot is located on the anterior wall of the vagina. When a woman is standing, it can be thought of as the upper side of the vagina." A red arrow pointed to a spot on the diagram, "In its relaxed state, the G spot is smooth. As a woman becomes more aroused, it becomes wrinkled. The G spot is best stimulated digitally with one or two fingers using a 'come hither' motion."A photo of a woman's vulva came on the screen, "Clitoral orgasms have a more localized reaction and are caused by stimulation of the clitoris and clitoral hood area." Red arrows appeared on the screen, "Clitoral orgasms are more intense, but are shorter in duration than a vaginal orgasm."There are several signs that a woman is experiencing an orgasm. Please note that not all women display all these signs."A photo of a light skinned vulva was displayed, "First, blood will rush to a woman's skin and in light skinned women, this will be seen as flushed skin. Blood will also rush to a woman's clitoris, vulva, and vagina. Often the clitoris will become engorged with blood and may extend out of the clitoral hood."The screen shifted to a photo of a lovely pair of breasts with large, erect nipples, "Second, a woman's nipples will be erect. Most women experience pleasure when their nipples are stimulated either orally or manually. Although not all women experience hard nipples during an orgasm, most do. Typically a woman's nipples are hard, erect, and sensitive. In all cases, an orgasm will increase a woman's heart rate. Often to between 160 and 210 beats per minute."Let's observe an actual female orgasm. This will be a clitoral orgasm."The screen shifted to a camera angle that was directly between a young, naked woman's legs. She had a nice bush, but her labia were shaved. The focus was on her vulva, but the rest of her body was visible in soft focus. She was small-breasted and had applied a small vibrator directly to her clit. Her vagina was slightly open and juices ran across her perineum."This woman's orgasm is about to begin. I direct your attention to her vaginal opening, her anus, her nipples, and her face."The woman began panting, her eyes closed, and her mouth took on the classic O shape. Her pelvic muscles began rhythmically contracting and you could clearly see her vagina and anus pulsing out a steady rhythm. Her nipples were hard and she reached up and pulled hard on one of them."During her orgasm, all her focus is on the stimulation being directed to her clitoris. She is unaware that her breathing has increased and her eyes are closed. Most women are incapable of vocalizing anything during orgasm. It should be noted that after orgasm, a woman's clitoris is very sensitive.""Now let's observe a vaginal orgasm."Once again, the screen was filled with a woman's vulva. Someone was fucking her with a smooth dildo. The angle was upward, striking the top of her vagina. She was rolling both her nipples."Once again, this woman's orgasm is about to begin. Observe her vagina, nipples, and face."As the orgasm began, her eyes practically popped out of her head. She let out a long groan, mouth open. You could see her vagina contracting on the dildo. She came for probably about a half a minute. And then the film was over.Dr. Miller said, "Sam, can you flip on the lights? So what did we observe? Dan.""In both cases, the woman's vagina was contracting. On the first one, so was her anus.""Good observation. Actually, her anus was contracting on the second one, but your view was blocked. I don't want to say every time since life has no absolutes, but in at least 999 times out of a thousand, the woman's pelvic muscles will contract during orgasm. Those contractions affect both the vagina and the anus. What else? Sam."

Dan enrolls in a sexual sociology class.By Quinn_McMullen. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Prologue:It was Chicago, in the mid 1980s. Those were very different times. Fashion and language were different. Technology was quite different. We didn't have the internet, and cable television was just becoming widespread. Pubic hair was uncut & often not trimmed.. The only sexual fear for straight people was getting pregnant; and the pill mostly took care of that.I was a senior and I needed both a literature class and social science class to complete my general education requirements to graduate. Because of my class standing, I was finally going to be able to register early in the cycle. I filled out several possible registration cards, and waited dutifully in the line. When I got to the registration window, I was pleasantly surprised to find that S O C 3 69 Human Sexuality was still open. I registered for the class and hoped it was everything the rumors made it out to be.As the Spring Semester started, I tried to find out if I knew anyone in S O C 3 69. None of my engineering classmates were interested. And I was disappointed to find that none of my female friends had registered for it either. It had the potential to be less than fun. But I remembered the stories about the course lots of discussion of sex, sex, and sex. It couldn't be that bad.The class was scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The first class was on a Thursday and I arrived ten minutes early for the first class. The room was already packed. On the front desk were two piles of papers with a sign that said, "Take one of each." One was the syllabus and the other was a list of assignments with details and due dates.Thursday Pre-ClassI looked around the packed room and saw a seat next to a pretty blonde. "Is this seat taken?""It looks like it's perfect for you." She chuckled.I held out my hand, "Hi, I'm Dan."She smiled sweetly, "I'm Hannah."A woman in her forties entered the room and began walking around talking to students. I assumed this was the famous Dr. Miller. She was tall and thin with a nice figure. She was professionally dressed in a skirt, blouse, and blazer. The skirt came to just above the knee and showed some shapely, bare legs. She started working the room.When she got to us, she said, "Hannah, good to see you again. Did you have a good winter break?""I did Dr. Miller."Dr. Miller turned to me and extended her hand, "A new person in my class."I stuck out my hand, "Pleased to meet you Dr. Miller. Dan McDevitt.""A senior. Mechanical engineering major. Wow! I'm impressed." She chuckled at herself, "I try to learn about my students beforehand. It isn't hard if you actually care about people." She looked at her watch, "Show time."Dr. Miller walked to the front of the room, "Let's get started. My name is Dr. Shannon Miller. This class is S O C 3 69, Human Sexuality. If you aren't registered, you will have to leave. No auditing."Two guys got up and headed toward the door.She continued, "It isn't that I want to be a hard ass, but if I didn't have that limitation, this place would be standing room only. If you are curious how the course was numbered, I asked for it and there was no objection until I was teaching it for three semesters. By then it was too late to change it."There were some scattered laughs and giggles."We'll skip the usual introductions. I think I know everyone. If you don't know your classmates, I think you will quickly learn about them."Lecture Begins"As the title suggests, this is a course in human sexuality. I must tell you that this class will get very graphic at times. We will examine the wide range of human sexual activity, from straight sex to some of the kinkiest stuff you can imagine. This may be uncomfortable for some of you. As a class, we can overcome this discomfort by keeping our minds open, being respectful of each other, and sharing our thoughts. Given the number of smiles, that sounds like what a lot of you signed up for."I expect everyone to act as an adult. I don't want to hear titters and I don't want to hear anyone shaming anyone else. Respect is our watch word. If you cannot act as a mature adult and show respect to everyone in the room, then I will ask you to leave. If you do not voluntarily leave, I will have campus security remove you. I don't fuck around with any of that. And yes, I have a potty mouth. I want everyone to feel safe here. This class is like Las Vegas. If someone shares some intimate part of their life, I expect it to stay in this room. Am I clear?Dr. Miller looked each of us in the eye, "Good. Does anyone want to leave?" Again she looked around."Very well. I will also use a lot of visual aids photos and film. This is not pornography. Since this is a liberal arts college, I am a strong believer that this is a time for you to explore and learn about yourself. I cannot require that you engage in sexual activity. That would be unethical and for many people, immortal. I will provide alternative assignments that you are free to undertake. In the assignment sheet I provide details on how you can fulfill both regular and alternative assignments. For example, after today's class, you may decide to experiment with self-love. Essentially, in the privacy of your room you can masturbate and then report on your observations. If you would like to have an observer present, that is also an option. Any questions?""Seeing none, we'll get started." She went to the front of the class and pulled down a screen. She flipped on an overhead projector and placed a slide on it, "So here is a very simple question: Why do we want to have sex? Danielle.""Because it makes us feel good.""Yes, it does. Brian.""We have a drive to reproduce."Dr. Miller walked to the side of the room, "One of our strongest instincts. Sarah.""Because we are attracted to the other person and we want to be intimate with them.""Ah. Intimacy. Another strong drive. Hannah.""Orgasms."Dr. Miller laughed, "Yes. The elephant in the room. Today we will discuss orgasms." She put up another slide, "So what is the average time it takes for a man to reach orgasm if he is masturbating? Dan.""Five minutes.""Not that long. Greg?""Four?""Almost. Rich?"He laughed, "Maybe three?""Good guess! Three minutes. So how long does it take a woman to reach orgasm if she is masturbating? Bridget?""I'm guessing. Four minutes?""Yes, good guess. So what can we conclude from those two numbers. Elizabeth.""That men and women are pretty close to having the same sexual response if they are stimulated properly.""Excellent! If you are gay, lesbian, or a virgin, you don't have to answer this next question. By a show of hands, how many of you know that your partner reaches orgasm during straight sex? Penis in vagina sex."Of the 25 people in the room, about 18 hands went up."Please leave your hands up. We have ten men and eight women. Now, how many of You reach orgasm during straight sex?"All the men left their hands up, but only one woman left their hand up.""Very interesting. So ladies, the men think you are having an orgasm when you really aren't. Am I reading that correctly?"Several female heads were nodding."Why is that? Hannah.""We fake it."Dr. Miller shook her head, "We fake it. That's kind of sad. Why? Rich.""The woman doesn't want to make us feel bad.""Yeah. Studies have shown that men's egos are easily bruised when it comes to sex. Some women also want to boost their partner's ego. Why else? Anne.""To get it over with."There was laughter around the room.Dr. Miller continued, "You laugh, but I think Anne is not making that up." Anne shook her head. "I think you will find that sometimes straight sex is not pleasant for many women, mostly because their male partner doesn't know what they're doing.""Anyone else? Roxane.""To avoid being shamed and being thought to be frigid.""That is a big one. By the way, no woman is frigid. That is a myth developed by men to compensate for their poor sexual performance. One last item. Sometimes a woman fakes an orgasm for non-sexual reasons such as trying to cement a relationship, become someone's girlfriend or fiancée. Questions or comments?"Dr. Miller looked around the room, "I find all this very interesting. Gentlemen, do you know how to tell if your partner is actually having an orgasm or faking it?"I shook my head. I thought I knew, but now I had my doubts. I looked around and the other guys looked just as puzzled.Dr. Miller said, "Don't be embarrassed guys. You've taken the first step to becoming a much better lover. Carlos, are you ready?"I just realized that there was a guy at the back of the room manning a film projector, "Yes, Dr. Miller."Female Orgasm FilmShe pointed to a guy near the door, "Sam?" He nodded. "Yes, Sam. Can you hit the lights?"Sam killed the lights and a film began to roll.The title flashed up, "Orgasmic Response in Human Females." The first scene had a bunch of co-eds walking and talking on a college campus somewhere. A female narrator said, "One of the most misunderstood aspects of human sexuality is the orgasmic response of human females. This film will briefly examine this topic."The scene changed to a couple making out. "It should be noted that approximately five to ten percent of women are incapable of having an orgasm. This is often due to some physical limitation."A graphic came up, "There are two types of female orgasm: vaginal and clitoral. The first, vaginal orgasm, is described by women as starting deeper in their body and elicits a full body response. These types of orgasms are caused by objects in the vagina stimulating the walls, Gräfenberg spot or G spot, and cervix."An anatomical diagram came up. "The G spot is located on the anterior wall of the vagina. When a woman is standing, it can be thought of as the upper side of the vagina." A red arrow pointed to a spot on the diagram, "In its relaxed state, the G spot is smooth. As a woman becomes more aroused, it becomes wrinkled. The G spot is best stimulated digitally with one or two fingers using a 'come hither' motion."A photo of a woman's vulva came on the screen, "Clitoral orgasms have a more localized reaction and are caused by stimulation of the clitoris and clitoral hood area." Red arrows appeared on the screen, "Clitoral orgasms are more intense, but are shorter in duration than a vaginal orgasm."There are several signs that a woman is experiencing an orgasm. Please note that not all women display all these signs."A photo of a light skinned vulva was displayed, "First, blood will rush to a woman's skin and in light skinned women, this will be seen as flushed skin. Blood will also rush to a woman's clitoris, vulva, and vagina. Often the clitoris will become engorged with blood and may extend out of the clitoral hood."The screen shifted to a photo of a lovely pair of breasts with large, erect nipples, "Second, a woman's nipples will be erect. Most women experience pleasure when their nipples are stimulated either orally or manually. Although not all women experience hard nipples during an orgasm, most do. Typically a woman's nipples are hard, erect, and sensitive. In all cases, an orgasm will increase a woman's heart rate. Often to between 160 and 210 beats per minute."Let's observe an actual female orgasm. This will be a clitoral orgasm."The screen shifted to a camera angle that was directly between a young, naked woman's legs. She had a nice bush, but her labia were shaved. The focus was on her vulva, but the rest of her body was visible in soft focus. She was small-breasted and had applied a small vibrator directly to her clit. Her vagina was slightly open and juices ran across her perineum."This woman's orgasm is about to begin. I direct your attention to her vaginal opening, her anus, her nipples, and her face."The woman began panting, her eyes closed, and her mouth took on the classic O shape. Her pelvic muscles began rhythmically contracting and you could clearly see her vagina and anus pulsing out a steady rhythm. Her nipples were hard and she reached up and pulled hard on one of them."During her orgasm, all her focus is on the stimulation being directed to her clitoris. She is unaware that her breathing has increased and her eyes are closed. Most women are incapable of vocalizing anything during orgasm. It should be noted that after orgasm, a woman's clitoris is very sensitive.""Now let's observe a vaginal orgasm."Once again, the screen was filled with a woman's vulva. Someone was fucking her with a smooth dildo. The angle was upward, striking the top of her vagina. She was rolling both her nipples."Once again, this woman's orgasm is about to begin. Observe her vagina, nipples, and face."As the orgasm began, her eyes practically popped out of her head. She let out a long groan, mouth open. You could see her vagina contracting on the dildo. She came for probably about a half a minute. And then the film was over.Dr. Miller said, "Sam, can you flip on the lights? So what did we observe? Dan.""In both cases, the woman's vagina was contracting. On the first one, so was her anus.""Good observation. Actually, her anus was contracting on the second one, but your view was blocked. I don't want to say every time since life has no absolutes, but in at least 999 times out of a thousand, the woman's pelvic muscles will contract during orgasm. Those contractions affect both the vagina and the anus. What else? Sam."

Write a book and watch the money roll in, right? Well, not quite. There's a lot more to the journey from writing to becoming a successful author than most people realize. Today, we're sitting down with a fantastic panel of business authors to explore the real story—both the highs and the hurdles—of navigating the business publishing world. I connected with these authors while organizing a Kindle Cross-Promotion during Amazon Prime Days. The results were incredible because we had 77 business books on sale for just 99 cents or $1.99. Thanks to our collective efforts, many titles shot to the Top 10 in their categories, and 30% even secured the coveted #1 Best Seller spot. I sold over 220 books, proving that collaboration makes a difference. In this panel, we'll dive into what it means to publish a business book and what authors can gain from the process. Get ready to hear some valuable insights from our remarkable panelists! Lisa Macdonald is the author of “The Most Common Entrepreneurial Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” for people who want to be in charge of their own lives, find new clients, and beat the competition. Sean Glaze wrote “STAYING COACHABLE: A Story With 4 Questions to Help You Thrive in Change and Enjoy Relentless Improvement.” This is a story about a father and son experiencing the challenges of change and what they learn.  Please join me in welcoming Lisa and Sean. In this episode, we discuss:

The people of Seaview near Kilmore in Wexford have been watching the coast encroach on their homes over the past five years.They've been allocated over €650,000 to help stop this erosion, but unfortunately this is not a long-term solution, as it will move the problem up the coast.Joining Seán to discuss is Lisa McDonald, Fiana Fáil Cllr for Rosslare.

The people of Seaview near Kilmore in Wexford have been watching the coast encroach on their homes over the past five years.They've been allocated over €650,000 to help stop this erosion, but unfortunately this is not a long-term solution, as it will move the problem up the coast.Joining Seán to discuss is Lisa McDonald, Fiana Fáil Cllr for Rosslare.

Today, I'm joined by two passionate triathletes, Lisa and Paul McDonald, to discuss his recent experience with the gruelling Ultraman Australia. Lisa was with him all the way and, as a member of the TNA, had the knowledge to equip him for success. Our conversation goes over the whole journey, from training and nutrition planning to the actual race and recovery. So, get ready for some actionable advice on optimising your performance in long-distance triathlons.  For those unfamiliar, Ultraman is no ordinary triathlon. It's split over three days: - Day 1: 10km Swim and 140km Bike Ride - Day 2: 281km Bike Ride - Day 3: 84.4km Double Marathon It's an event that challenges the mental and physical limits of even the most seasoned athletes. Paul explained he had a longtime interest in Ultraman but didn't believe he could achieve those distances at first. However, the more he was exposed to the event as he watched friends compete, the more he realised that these distances were indeed achievable. Going into the race, Paul's primary goal was simple: to have fun. Rather than stressing about achieving the best times, he wanted his focus to be on enjoying the experience.  This laid-back approach worked out well because Paul ended up finishing fifth overall, first in his age group, and was the first service member to cross the line with a total time of 26 hours, 38 minutes, and 49 seconds.   Nutrition was crucial for Paul's success, and that's where Lisa and I came into play. While we don't cover the Ultraman distance in the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, Lisa was able to use what she learned to craft a nutrition plan that could sustain Paul over the three-day event. Here are some of the key points from their approach: - Carbohydrate Targeting: Lisa focused heavily on carbohydrate intake, ensuring Paul stayed fuelled throughout each day. “Always aim higher than you think you need.” - Immediate and Aggressive Recovery Nutrition.: Lisa was there at the finish line each day with recovery meals, ensuring he was refuelling properly. This proactive approach allowed Paul to maintain his energy levels and muscle recovery for the subsequent stages - Avoiding Burnout: Paul's nutrition alternated between real foods (sandwiches, potato gems, bananas, dates) and sports nutrition products. This strategy wasn't just about fuelling but also about keeping meals palatable over three long days. - Flexible Nutrition: The ability to adjust your plan is key. When Paul struggled with his planned nutrition on Day Two, they switched to foods he could tolerate better while still meeting his nutritional targets.   The Importance of a Good CrewAnother significant element of Paul's success was his exceptional support crew, made up of close friends and family. Having experienced people who understood his needs sometimes before he did, took a lot of mental work off his shoulders. They managed everything from the nutritional handovers to emotional support seamlessly, ensuring Paul stayed on track.   So, what's next for Paul? He's eyeing a daunting 240-kilometre ultra-run in the Northern Territory. Lisa is, as always, ready to support him, eager for the next big adventure. And who knows? Maybe another Ultraman is in their future. For now, I hope their story is a powerful example of how proper planning and a well-rounded nutritional strategy can make the seemingly impossible, possible.   LINKS:   Check how well you're doing when it comes to your nutrition with our 50 step checklist to Triathlon Nutrition Mastery: dietitianapproved.com/checklist   Start working on your nutrition now with my Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course: dietitianapproved.com/kickstart It's for you if you're a triathlete and you feel like you've got your training under control and you're ready to layer in your nutrition. It's your warmup on the path to becoming a SUPERCHARGED triathlete – woohoo!   Join the waitlist for our next opening of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy www.dietitianapproved.com/academy   Website: www.dietitianapproved.com Instagram: @Dietitian.Approved  @triathlonnutritionacademy Facebook: www.facebook.com/DietitianApproved   The Triathlon Nutrition Academy is a podcast by Dietitian Approved. All rights reserved. www.dietitianapproved.com/academySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan enrolls in a sexual sociology class.By Quinn_McMullen. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Prologue:It was Chicago, in the mid 1980s. Those were very different times. Fashion and language were different. Technology was quite different. We didn’t have the internet, and cable television was just becoming widespread. Pubic hair was uncut & often not trimmed.. The only sexual fear for straight people was getting pregnant; and the pill mostly took care of that.I was a senior and I needed both a literature class and social science class to complete my general education requirements to graduate. Because of my class standing, I was finally going to be able to register early in the cycle. I filled out several possible registration cards, and waited dutifully in the line. When I got to the registration window, I was pleasantly surprised to find that S O C 3 69 Human Sexuality was still open. I registered for the class and hoped it was everything the rumors made it out to be.As the Spring Semester started, I tried to find out if I knew anyone in S O C 3 69. None of my engineering classmates were interested. And I was disappointed to find that none of my female friends had registered for it either. It had the potential to be less than fun. But I remembered the stories about the course lots of discussion of sex, sex, and sex. It couldn’t be that bad.The class was scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The first class was on a Thursday and I arrived ten minutes early for the first class. The room was already packed. On the front desk were two piles of papers with a sign that said, “Take one of each.” One was the syllabus and the other was a list of assignments with details and due dates.Thursday Pre-ClassI looked around the packed room and saw a seat next to a pretty blonde. “Is this seat taken?”“It looks like it’s perfect for you.” She chuckled.I held out my hand, “Hi, I’m Dan.”She smiled sweetly, “I’m Hannah.”A woman in her forties entered the room and began walking around talking to students. I assumed this was the famous Dr. Miller. She was tall and thin with a nice figure. She was professionally dressed in a skirt, blouse, and blazer. The skirt came to just above the knee and showed some shapely, bare legs. She started working the room.When she got to us, she said, “Hannah, good to see you again. Did you have a good winter break?”“I did Dr. Miller.”Dr. Miller turned to me and extended her hand, “A new person in my class.”I stuck out my hand, “Pleased to meet you Dr. Miller. Dan McDevitt.”“A senior. Mechanical engineering major. Wow! I’m impressed.” She chuckled at herself, “I try to learn about my students beforehand. It isn’t hard if you actually care about people.” She looked at her watch, “Show time.”Dr. Miller walked to the front of the room, “Let’s get started. My name is Dr. Shannon Miller. This class is S O C 3 69, Human Sexuality. If you aren’t registered, you will have to leave. No auditing.”Two guys got up and headed toward the door.She continued, “It isn’t that I want to be a hard ass, but if I didn’t have that limitation, this place would be standing room only. If you are curious how the course was numbered, I asked for it and there was no objection until I was teaching it for three semesters. By then it was too late to change it.”There were some scattered laughs and giggles.“We’ll skip the usual introductions. I think I know everyone. If you don’t know your classmates, I think you will quickly learn about them.”Lecture Begins“As the title suggests, this is a course in human sexuality. I must tell you that this class will get very graphic at times. We will examine the wide range of human sexual activity, from straight sex to some of the kinkiest stuff you can imagine. This may be uncomfortable for some of you. As a class, we can overcome this discomfort by keeping our minds open, being respectful of each other, and sharing our thoughts. Given the number of smiles, that sounds like what a lot of you signed up for."I expect everyone to act as an adult. I don’t want to hear titters and I don’t want to hear anyone shaming anyone else. Respect is our watch word. If you cannot act as a mature adult and show respect to everyone in the room, then I will ask you to leave. If you do not voluntarily leave, I will have campus security remove you. I don’t fuck around with any of that. And yes, I have a potty mouth. I want everyone to feel safe here. This class is like Las Vegas. If someone shares some intimate part of their life, I expect it to stay in this room. Am I clear?Dr. Miller looked each of us in the eye, "Good. Does anyone want to leave?” Again she looked around.“Very well. I will also use a lot of visual aids photos and film. This is not pornography. Since this is a liberal arts college, I am a strong believer that this is a time for you to explore and learn about yourself. I cannot require that you engage in sexual activity. That would be unethical and for many people, immortal. I will provide alternative assignments that you are free to undertake. In the assignment sheet I provide details on how you can fulfill both regular and alternative assignments. For example, after today’s class, you may decide to experiment with self-love. Essentially, in the privacy of your room you can masturbate and then report on your observations. If you would like to have an observer present, that is also an option. Any questions?”“Seeing none, we’ll get started.” She went to the front of the class and pulled down a screen. She flipped on an overhead projector and placed a slide on it, “So here is a very simple question: Why do we want to have sex? Danielle.”“Because it makes us feel good.”“Yes, it does. Brian.”“We have a drive to reproduce.”Dr. Miller walked to the side of the room, “One of our strongest instincts. Sarah.”“Because we are attracted to the other person and we want to be intimate with them.”“Ah. Intimacy. Another strong drive. Hannah.”“Orgasms.”Dr. Miller laughed, “Yes. The elephant in the room. Today we will discuss orgasms.” She put up another slide, “So what is the average time it takes for a man to reach orgasm if he is masturbating? Dan.”“Five minutes.”“Not that long. Greg?”“Four?”“Almost. Rich?”He laughed, “Maybe three?”“Good guess! Three minutes. So how long does it take a woman to reach orgasm if she is masturbating? Bridget?”“I’m guessing. Four minutes?”“Yes, good guess. So what can we conclude from those two numbers. Elizabeth.”“That men and women are pretty close to having the same sexual response if they are stimulated properly.”“Excellent! If you are gay, lesbian, or a virgin, you don’t have to answer this next question. By a show of hands, how many of you know that your partner reaches orgasm during straight sex? Penis in vagina sex.”Of the 25 people in the room, about 18 hands went up.“Please leave your hands up. We have ten men and eight women. Now, how many of You reach orgasm during straight sex?”All the men left their hands up, but only one woman left their hand up.“"Very interesting. So ladies, the men think you are having an orgasm when you really aren’t. Am I reading that correctly?”Several female heads were nodding.“Why is that? Hannah.”“We fake it.”Dr. Miller shook her head, “We fake it. That’s kind of sad. Why? Rich.”“The woman doesn’t want to make us feel bad.”“Yeah. Studies have shown that men’s egos are easily bruised when it comes to sex. Some women also want to boost their partner’s ego. Why else? Anne.”“To get it over with.”There was laughter around the room.Dr. Miller continued, “You laugh, but I think Anne is not making that up.” Anne shook her head. “I think you will find that sometimes straight sex is not pleasant for many women, mostly because their male partner doesn’t know what they’re doing.”“Anyone else? Roxane.”“To avoid being shamed and being thought to be frigid.”“That is a big one. By the way, no woman is frigid. That is a myth developed by men to compensate for their poor sexual performance. One last item. Sometimes a woman fakes an orgasm for non-sexual reasons such as trying to cement a relationship, become someone’s girlfriend or fiancée. Questions or comments?”Dr. Miller looked around the room, “I find all this very interesting. Gentlemen, do you know how to tell if your partner is actually having an orgasm or faking it?”I shook my head. I thought I knew, but now I had my doubts. I looked around and the other guys looked just as puzzled.Dr. Miller said, “Don’t be embarrassed guys. You’ve taken the first step to becoming a much better lover. Carlos, are you ready?”I just realized that there was a guy at the back of the room manning a film projector, “Yes, Dr. Miller.”Female Orgasm FilmShe pointed to a guy near the door, “Sam?” He nodded. “Yes, Sam. Can you hit the lights?”Sam killed the lights and a film began to roll.The title flashed up, “Orgasmic Response in Human Females.” The first scene had a bunch of co-eds walking and talking on a college campus somewhere. A female narrator said, “One of the most misunderstood aspects of human sexuality is the orgasmic response of human females. This film will briefly examine this topic.”The scene changed to a couple making out. “It should be noted that approximately five to ten percent of women are incapable of having an orgasm. This is often due to some physical limitation.”A graphic came up, “There are two types of female orgasm: vaginal and clitoral. The first, vaginal orgasm, is described by women as starting deeper in their body and elicits a full body response. These types of orgasms are caused by objects in the vagina stimulating the walls, Gräfenberg spot or G spot, and cervix.”An anatomical diagram came up. “The G spot is located on the anterior wall of the vagina. When a woman is standing, it can be thought of as the upper side of the vagina.” A red arrow pointed to a spot on the diagram, “In its relaxed state, the G spot is smooth. As a woman becomes more aroused, it becomes wrinkled. The G spot is best stimulated digitally with one or two fingers using a ‘come hither’ motion.”A photo of a woman’s vulva came on the screen, “Clitoral orgasms have a more localized reaction and are caused by stimulation of the clitoris and clitoral hood area.” Red arrows appeared on the screen, “Clitoral orgasms are more intense, but are shorter in duration than a vaginal orgasm."There are several signs that a woman is experiencing an orgasm. Please note that not all women display all these signs.”A photo of a light skinned vulva was displayed, “First, blood will rush to a woman’s skin and in light skinned women, this will be seen as flushed skin. Blood will also rush to a woman’s clitoris, vulva, and vagina. Often the clitoris will become engorged with blood and may extend out of the clitoral hood.”The screen shifted to a photo of a lovely pair of breasts with large, erect nipples, “Second, a woman’s nipples will be erect. Most women experience pleasure when their nipples are stimulated either orally or manually. Although not all women experience hard nipples during an orgasm, most do. Typically a woman’s nipples are hard, erect, and sensitive. In all cases, an orgasm will increase a woman’s heart rate. Often to between 160 and 210 beats per minute."Let’s observe an actual female orgasm. This will be a clitoral orgasm.”The screen shifted to a camera angle that was directly between a young, naked woman’s legs. She had a nice bush, but her labia were shaved. The focus was on her vulva, but the rest of her body was visible in soft focus. She was small-breasted and had applied a small vibrator directly to her clit. Her vagina was slightly open and juices ran across her perineum.“This woman’s orgasm is about to begin. I direct your attention to her vaginal opening, her anus, her nipples, and her face.”The woman began panting, her eyes closed, and her mouth took on the classic O shape. Her pelvic muscles began rhythmically contracting and you could clearly see her vagina and anus pulsing out a steady rhythm. Her nipples were hard and she reached up and pulled hard on one of them.“During her orgasm, all her focus is on the stimulation being directed to her clitoris. She is unaware that her breathing has increased and her eyes are closed. Most women are incapable of vocalizing anything during orgasm. It should be noted that after orgasm, a woman’s clitoris is very sensitive.”“Now let’s observe a vaginal orgasm.”Once again, the screen was filled with a woman’s vulva. Someone was fucking her with a smooth dildo. The angle was upward, striking the top of her vagina. She was rolling both her nipples.“Once again, this woman’s orgasm is about to begin. Observe her vagina, nipples, and face.”As the orgasm began, her eyes practically popped out of her head. She let out a long groan, mouth open. You could see her vagina contracting on the dildo. She came for probably about a half a minute. And then the film was over.Dr. Miller said, “Sam, can you flip on the lights? So what did we observe? Dan.”“In both cases, the woman’s vagina was contracting. On the first one, so was her anus.”“Good observation. Actually, her anus was contracting on the second one, but your view was blocked. I don’t want to say every time since life has no absolutes, but in at least 999 times out of a thousand, the woman’s pelvic muscles will contract during orgasm. Those contractions affect both the vagina and the anus. What else? Sam.”“Neither woman was talking or saying anything.”“Let me ask one of our female colleagues why. Hannah.”“Because you are completely focused on the pleasure. When you’re cumming, you don’t have to or want to say a thing.”“Great point. A sure-fire way to know a woman is faking an orgasm is that she is very vocal. Some of you look surprised. Gents, how many of you say something when you’re ejaculating?” She looked around, “No one. Why is that? Dave.”“My mind focuses on what’s happening with my cock.”There was some laughter.Dr. Miller said, “A little crude, but I like that term   cock.” She said it again with emphasis, “Cock. What else did you observe about the orgasms? Brian.”“Dr. Miller, with the second one, I think that was a dildo, the dildo was at a different angle like it was hitting the top of her vagina instead of going all the way in.”“Excellent. The narrator mentioned something called the Gräfenberg spot or G spot. That is on the roof of the vagina and the dildo was striking it. Is anyone familiar with the g spot? Roxane.”“My boyfriend took your class last semester. He loves to rub mine.”“Who’s your boyfriend?”“Andy.”“I’m glad to hear my class has had a positive impact on your life.”“Life changing Dr. Miller. Mind-blowing.”Male Orgasm FilmDr. Miller chuckled, “We’ll learn more about the g spot next class. Carlos, are you ready with the next film?”“Yes, ma'am.”“Sam, if you please.”The lights went out and the screen lit up. “Orgasmic Response in Human Males”.The screen was filled with four guys in athletic attire walking across a field. A man began narrating, “This film will examine the orgasmic response in human males. Ejaculation is often associated with orgasm in males. While these events often occur simultaneously, they are distinct and separate events. Orgasm is characterized by pelvic contractions, intense pleasure, and release. Ejaculation is the expulsion of semen from the penis. While rare, some men can experience non-ejaculatory orgasms.”The screen was filled with side-by-side pictures of penises, one uncircumcised and the other circumcised. “While each penis is different, they come in two distinct varieties, circumcised and uncircumcised. A circumcised penis has had the foreskin surgically removed. The absence of the foreskin has no impact on a male’s ability to reach orgasm.”There was a close-up of a penis head. “The glans is the most sensitive area.” A red arrow appeared, “The crown of the glans or the edge is filled with countless nerve endings.” Another arrow appeared, “The frenulum is another sensitive area.”Now there was an anatomy diagram, “The prostate gland is another source of pleasure. It can be accessed directly through the anus or massaged by pressing on the perineum.”“Let’s observe an ejaculatory orgasm brought on by masturbation.”The screen was filled with a guy stroking his erection. He had his legs up so that his ass was visible. I was surprised that they selected a smaller than average cock. Then I remembered that this was an academic film and not pornography.“This man has been manually stimulating his penis. His orgasm is about to begin. Observe the pelvic contractions seen at the base of his shaft and at the anus.”Sure enough, there were the contractions and almost simultaneously he let loose a string of cum that shot out of the picture.“Oh!” Several of my classmates responded.Two more shots of lesser amounts came forth. He stopped stroking, “The penis becomes very sensitive after orgasm and often cannot be touched.”The screen shifted to another erection. This time a man was prone with his feet either side of his ass, “This man has manually brought himself to the edge of orgasm. A partner will now digitally stimulate his prostate.”The guy stopped stroking and what looked like a female hand probed his asshole. She slipped two lubed fingers in and began moving.“The prostate is a walnut sized gland located on the anterior wall of the rectum. This man’s orgasm is about to begin. Once again, observe the contractions at the base of his penile shaft and anus.”The contractions began and this time the guy shot his load onto his chest. Four shots total. I was really surprised to learn that you could cum by not touching your cock.Dr. Miller said, “Lights, please.”The lights came back on, “So what did we observe? Elizabeth.”“Both men and women have pelvic contractions when they come.”“That’s interesting, isn’t it. Later in class we will examine how to extend orgasmic response in both men and women. Brad.”“Dr. Miller, the whole prostate thing is cool. I didn’t know I had that.’She laughed, "All part of the price of admission. Roxane.”“The cut versus uncut part. My boyfriend is uncut and he says it gives him a distinct advantage.”“Tell Andy to stop by my office and I’ll reduce his grade from last semester.” Everybody laughed. “He knows better than that. Anything else? Sarah.”“Do we know how much a guy shoots when he cums?”“I direct your attention to two rock bands   the Loving Spoonful and 10CC. Both named after the amount of fluid a man ejaculates. That makes it easy to remember. Our time is almost up. For homework, you have two options. You can do an analysis of today’s class and provide reading notes from the textbook. There is an outline on what that entails in the assignment sheet. If you would like to submit an alternative assignment in lieu of an analysis, also see the assignment sheet. Remember, I can’t require you to do anything sexual. If you choose the alternative assignment, I would like you to masturbate and write a short essay answering the questions in the prompt. You should review the questions before you masturbate so you will be looking for the answers. If you choose to have an observer with you, you will want to include their observations with yours. See you next Tuesday.”Lab Partners After ClassThe woman next to me, Hannah, turned to me, “What do you think?” She had a very pretty face. Her blonde hair framed her face. Her big, blue eyes were warm and kind.I smiled at her, “I’ve already learned so much.”“Did you look at these assignments?”“No.”“Several of them require a partner. Do you have a girlfriend?”Cool. “No. Would you like to be my partner for some of these?”Hannah blushed, “If you told me yesterday that I would be having this conversation with a total stranger I wouldn’t have believed you. Yes, Dan the total stranger, I would like to be your partner.” She smiled.I decided I needed to keep this conversation going, “Hannah, do you have anything after this?”“No.”“Maybe you’d like to do something together so we aren’t total strangers.”Hannah smiled, “That’s a good idea. Are you hungry?”“Sure. A little. Where would you like to go?”“Cafeteria is closed. Maybe get some coffee at the coffee shop?”I nodded, “Can I drop off my books?”“Good idea. Where’s your dorm?”“Carroll Hall.”“That’s cool. I’m in Caroline Hall on the same block. Maybe I can leave my stuff in your room and we can come back and get it later.”“Good idea.”I followed Hannah out the door, checking out her figure on the way. She wasn’t a knockout, but she had a very balanced body. Her breasts provided a lovely curve to her t-shirt and her hips had just the right amount of flare. Her ass had that classic feminine curve that I adored.She turned and waited for me outside the door, “What are you majoring in, Dan?”“Mechanical engineering. You?”We started bundling up for the frigid weather, “Sociology. I’ve had Dr. Miller twice before. That’s how I got into the class. I’d bet that Roxane and I are the only juniors.”It was a clear, brisk, January day with a biting north wind. There was an inch or so of snow on the grass. We both bundled up and headed toward my dorm. I tried to talk, but the wind took my breath away. Hannah looked to have the same problem.A Dorm DateFinally, we tucked inside my residence hall.I said, “I’m on the second floor.”“Maybe we should just make coffee here rather than brave that wind again.”I shook my head, “Don’t have a coffee maker.”Hannah smiled, “I have one. We can go to my room.”We dropped off my books and then proceeded to Hannah’s room, cutting through a building along the way to cut down our outside time. Hannah’s room was on the third floor. Like me, she had a single occupancy.I sat down at her desk while she made coffee.“So Dan, you don’t have a girlfriend now, but you’ve had one.”“Oh, yes. I went with Lisa McDonald for most of the fall semester. Do you know her?”“No. What happened?”“She graduated in December and got a job out in California. Haven’t heard from her since finals.”Since there was only one chair, Hannah came over and sat on the bed across from me, “That sucks.”I shrugged, “It’s okay. It probably wasn’t going to last anyway. How about you? Anyone special?”“I went with Jeff Blankenship for a week, back in November.”“I know Jeff. He’s a mechanical engineer too.”“Well, he had a very mechanical approach to our relationship. No pun intended. He’s pretty demanding too. Wanted me to wear skimpy outfits. Wanted to fuck all the time. I usually told him no, no, and no. The one time we had sex, it was very mechanical. We didn’t last long. Not exactly a very caring guy.”“Sorry about that.”She looked at me funny, “You didn’t do anything.”“It was a sympathy gesture. But, I’m a man and I feel like I need to apologize for my entire sex. Especially after what I learned today.”“Class was pretty interesting.” Hannah agreed; “I kept thinking about being the woman having an orgasm on camera. To have my lady parts being seen in all of Dr. Miller’s classes.”“It’s more than just Dr. Miller.” I surmised. “That film looked like it was produced somewhere else and she just happens to have a copy.”“Wow! Even better.” Hannah squeezed her knees together as she said.“So, you wouldn't like to have been the woman in the film?”“Part of me would,” She admitted with a giggle. ”I think I have a little bit of an exhibitionist streak. Seems so naughty. Do you think that’s bad?”“No. You probably wear bikinis in the summer, right?”“Oh, yeah. I have some very small bikinis. It is a real turn on to watch how guys react to me. I’m such a tease and I enjoy being a tease. I hope you don’t hate me for that.”I laughed, “Some guys might, but I enjoy looking.”Hannah got up, “What do you put in your coffee?”“Just milk, or creamer.”She poured the coffee and prepped mine, “Dan?”“Yes, Hannah.”“I think you and I have to agree that everything we share is just between us. And just like in the class, we are going to treat each other with respect and not shame each other.”I took the coffee cup from her, “I absolutely agree. I imagine some of the things we share may be kinky.”She nodded, “Here’s the first soul-baring moment. Ready?”I nodded.“Having the guys at the beach or at the pool see me in my tiny bikini, gets me wet. Sometimes I go to the ladies room so I can rub an orgasm out.”I nodded, “Will I get to see you in a bikini some day?”She smiled coyly, “I hope so, but let’s get some warmer weather first. Did you read this first alternative assignment?”“No. What’s it say?” My interest perked up.“It says you can either masturbate alone, or have an observer. Would you like to be my observer?” She said, coyly.“I assume you would observe me as well,” I suspected."Seems only fair.” She grinned.I nodded, “Okay. That’s a deal. What else?”“We have to comment on how we got ourselves aroused, how we brought ourselves to orgasm, what we felt during the orgasm, what did the observer see, and what happened afterwards. Doesn’t sound that hard.” She said with perhaps more confidence than I had.“No. Sounds very fun.” I bluffed.Hannah had gotten up and moved to her closet, for no apparent reason. She paused, then with her back to me, she asked; “Here’s a very private question that you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” She paused then asked; “How do you get yourself aroused before masturbating?”I chuckled, “No laughing now. I have a Playboy magazine I look at. I look at the naked women. I know that really women aren’t like that, but it gets me hard. How about you?”Hannah came and sat on the bed again with her coffee. She blushed a deep red.Sensing her discomfort, I assured her again; “I will never tell anyone. Promise.”“Have you seen Breakfast Club?”I nodded.“I imagine being with John Bender, the Judd Nelson character.”“So, you like the bad boys.”“I imagine being Molly Ringwald when she kisses him. Then I imagine taking him home with me. Getting naked with him. Running my fingers through his chest hair. Touching his penis. Sucking his penis. God, that makes me wet just thinking about it.” Hannah averted her eyes, “I would never want to be with a bad boy, but it is so damn titillating to me.”We both fell silent for several moments. Hannah looked up at me, “Rather than looking at a Playboy, would you prefer to look at a real live naked girl? I’m not Playboy material, but I’m real.”“You?” I was shocked.She nodded, “I can’t believe I’m offering that.”I went for it. “Hannah, I’m not Judd Nelson, but you could kiss me. You already took me home with you. I’m real too. You can get me naked. I’ve got a lot of chest hair. I have a penis too!“We both laughed.Hannah took a sip of her coffee, "Is that a deal. Dan?”“Yes. Hell yes.” I said with a beet red face.“I’m scared to death.” Hannah admitted.“I understand that, Hannah, but aren't you also a bit uh, well; horny, just talking about it? We don’t have to do anything. We can call the whole thing off if you want.”“That’s not it. This just seems so clinical.”Silence hung between us for a while. We continued drinking our coffee.I had a thought, “We just need to get comfortable being around each other. I have some homework to do. It isn’t due until Monday, but how about if I go get my work and we could study together.”“That’s a good idea. I’ll bring my stuff and we can study in your room.”“Okay.”I finished my coffee and we got bundled up again.As we were walking down the hall, Hannah took my hand, “I hope you don’t mind.”I looked over at her and smiled, “That’s a very good start.”We went down the stairs holding hands. As we emerged into the lobby, Hannah asked, “Do you think I’m pretty?”I stopped, took both her hands, and looked down into her eyes, “No.” I hesitated for effect, “I think you’re beautiful.”“Really?”I nodded, resolutely. Hannah grabbed both sides of my face, went on tiptoes, and kissed me.She eased off and looked up into my eyes, “That was nice. Not like Molly and Judd, but that was nice. Maybe better since it’s real and not acting.”Hannah started walking again, and took my hand again. We passed through the door and into the cold.She looked over at me, “Just to be fair, I think you’re a really cute guy. I’ve never really known a redheaded guy. Redheaded girls, but not guys. When we’d shower in high school, I’d be jealous of their red pubic hair.”I laughed, “For some reason, in high school, the guys thought I should have dark pubes. They were typically pretty crude about my red pubes.”Hannah looked over at me, “As I was sitting there in the classroom before you came in, I was checking out the other guys. A couple of them seemed nice. Roxane had told me what was going to happen in the class, so I was checking all the guys out for partner potential. When you sat down next to me, I knew I wanted to ask you to be my partner.”“Wow! I’m honored.”“Roxane said she would lend me her boyfriend if I didn’t like anyone, but that seemed really yucky.”“That does seem yucky.” I agreed.She pulled her hand away and stuffed it into her pocket, “No offense, but it’s just so cold.”“No offense taken.”We cut through a dining hall and came through the other side.“Sorry, it’s too cold.” Hannah ran ahead and waited for me inside the main door. She had a very cute way of running. I was enjoying being with this woman more and more.When we got to my room she asked, “What do you need to work on?”“I can read for my lit class or do thermo problems.”“Can we sit on your bed and read together?” She plotted.“Sure.” I grabbed a book from my desk, propped up a pillow, and sat slouching at the head of the bed. I left room so she could sit next to me.“What are you reading?” She eventually asked.“Pride and Prejudice.” I admitted.“I Love that story. Maybe we can talk about it as you get further into it.”“Love to.” I accepted.Hannah sat next to me shoulder-to-shoulder, and started reading.After a few minutes, I realized she was looking at me and I turned to her, “What?”She swung herself onto my lap, straddling me, “I’m being very forward, but I want to kiss you again.” She was perched directly on top of my cock.I set the book down and put my arms around her. Hannah brought her hands up and held my face. She started gently kissing me. I luxuriated in her soft lips.Hannah spoke into my mouth, “I wouldn’t be offended if you were to place your hands on my ass.”“Good to know.”I slid my hands down and cupped her ass cheeks. She groaned a little, then probed with her tongue. Soon we were exploring each other’s mouth. I felt myself stiffening.“I just realized that the way I’m sitting might be awkward. Am I hurting you?” She asked."I’m okay with it, if you’re okay.” This babe was really getting horny & fun.“I feel something on my crotch. Something nice.” She grinned.“Yes. You are having that effect on me. Sometimes I would get embarrassed, but right now I hope you're taking it as a sincere compliment?”Hannah nodded and kept kissing. She ran her fingers through my hair and occasionally wiggled her hips. I soon had a solid erection.She eased off and whispered into my mouth, "Are you hot? I’m hot.”She sat up and pulled her tee shirt over her head, then threw it across the room. She wore a white, underwire bra. She looked down at me with a shit-eating grin. The bra hooked in front and she quickly released it. In an instant her bare breasts were before me. They were well-shaped and not particularly large, but pert. Not a bit of sag. Quarter-sized areolae surrounded two erect nipples.“Would you like to touch them?” She almost begged.I put my hands up and cupped her breasts. I gently rolled her nipples and she closed her eyes.“Would you like to suck on them?” She directed more than asked.I leaned forward, with both arms around her waist, and took one nipple then the other into my mouth, gently sucking each one in turn. I continued moving back and forth. Hannah’s head leaned back and she wrapped her hands behind my head, pressing my face to her breast.“This is so nice.” Hannah climbed off the bed. She kicked her shoes off and pulled her jeans off.She stood there in a pair of white panties, “Can I take off your jeans?” She was definitely horny and moving things along.I unbuckled my belt and had barely got my zipper down when she grabbed & started pulling them off me. I lifted my ass and my boxers ended up at my knees. Flat on my back, now; my erection hanging out for her viewing pleasure.Hannah straddled my legs and got very close to my cock. She ran her fingers through my curly red pubic bush, “Oh, you’re so nice! I love your red pubic hair. As a social scientist I note that you are circumcised and are probably slightly larger than average. Certainly larger than those two guys in the movie today.”She held my shaft up, leaned down some more, and took a long suck, “Oh, that’s nice. I taste something.”“Probably some pre-cum.” I surmised.She looked closely at the head and milked a little fluid from me.She scooped it up with a finger and rolled it between her thumb and forefinger, “That’s right. This stuff is supposed to act as a lubricant. Slippery.” She sucked her fingers, “Maybe a little sweet.”“Hannah, would you bring yourself up here, straddle my face, and let me lick you?”“Only if you lose your shirt.” She bargained. She really wanted us both buck naked right now!I pulled my shirt off and Hannah stripped off her panties. I put a pillow under my head and her silky thighs landed on either side of my face. She had a trimmed blonde bush, shaped like a fan. Her clit was prominent at the top of her slit and her inner labia extended out a little. She had shaved her labia.She looked down at me, “Sounds like you agree that we can save the homework assignment for later.”“Fully agree.” I said. “Absolutely!”Hannah lowered her cunt onto my mouth and I began lapping at her opening, sucking in every drop of her nectar. When I touched my tongue to her clit, her hips started moving. I decided to just keep my tongue extended and let her pleasure herself. I reached up and started rolling her nipples. Hannah entwined her fingers in my hair, her eyes locked in on mine.Back and forth she moved across my tongue. Her soft thighs moved against my cheeks. I made a note that I should make sure I shave off my scruffy beard, so I don’t irritate her sensitive skin. I heard her begin to pant and I placed my finger at her opening. Vaginal contractions! I slipped my finger all the way in and found what I thought could be her g spot. I began rubbing itHannah fell forward, "Ah. Ah.” Her bush pressed into my forehead.After several moments of rubbing, I rolled her onto her back. Her head was crammed against the headboard, so I pulled her body down away from it.I climbed on top of her and she spread her legs for me, “Can I?”She nodded and I placed my erection at her opening. I slowly pressed into her contracting womanhood. Oh my god she was tight! I bottomed out and Hannah’s eyes were wild. She wrapped her legs around me and grabbed my ass as I began slowly swinging my hips, driving my full length into her. Nice steady strokes.My mind was racing. ‘How did that dildo in the movie move? Need to hit the top of her vagina. How to do that? Need a better angle. Pillow!'I rolled off Hannah and placed a pillow under her ass. I kept my body more upright as I reentered her. I intentionally tried to hit the roof of her vagina. The effect was immediate. Hannah’s eyes went wide as my cock struck her g spot. She reached up and pulled on her nipples as her vagina continued contracting on me.“I’m going to cum, Hannah.”She nodded and I thrust up into her as I shot my load. Two, three times. Finally, I fell forward and kissed her. I could still feel her contractions on my cock. She grasped the sides of my face and kissed me, leading with her tongue.I pushed her legs flat and rolled onto my back, pulling her on top of me, my erection still inside her. My hands cupping her ass.Finally, she whispered into my mouth, “Wow.”Asleep In HannahAs I emerged from sleep, I felt Hannah’s breath on my chest. She was sleeping too. I was still in her vagina. My hands were on her ass. I decided to lie there and enjoy the moment. My outside window was still light so we couldn’t have been sleeping too long.I must have drifted back to sleep because when I opened my eyes, Hannah was inches away from my face. The room was darker.She gently kissed me, “That was really nice. That was the first time I had an orgasm with a guy.”“Dr. Miller’s class already paid off.” I observed.“Did you know I still have you inside me?” She whispered.“Yes. Very nice.”  I rubbed her hips.“The sun looks like it went down, given how dark it is getting in here.”I looked at my watch, “About twenty to five.”“We have twenty minutes before the cafeteria opens. Any suggestions?”“I absolutely love being here with you.” I admitted.“Dan, you should know that I’m a pretty practical person. Do you have an extra towel?”I nodded.“Let’s both go take a shower. That way we’ll be clean for our actual masturbation exercises later. Then we can go have dinner. Maybe study a little, then masturbate for each other. You might need to recover.”“Okay,” I smiled.To be continued.By Quinn_McMullen for Literotica.

Dan enrolls in a sexual sociology class.By Quinn_McMullen. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Prologue:It was Chicago, in the mid 1980s. Those were very different times. Fashion and language were different. Technology was quite different. We didn’t have the internet, and cable television was just becoming widespread. Pubic hair was uncut & often not trimmed.. The only sexual fear for straight people was getting pregnant; and the pill mostly took care of that.I was a senior and I needed both a literature class and social science class to complete my general education requirements to graduate. Because of my class standing, I was finally going to be able to register early in the cycle. I filled out several possible registration cards, and waited dutifully in the line. When I got to the registration window, I was pleasantly surprised to find that S O C 3 69 Human Sexuality was still open. I registered for the class and hoped it was everything the rumors made it out to be.As the Spring Semester started, I tried to find out if I knew anyone in S O C 3 69. None of my engineering classmates were interested. And I was disappointed to find that none of my female friends had registered for it either. It had the potential to be less than fun. But I remembered the stories about the course lots of discussion of sex, sex, and sex. It couldn’t be that bad.The class was scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The first class was on a Thursday and I arrived ten minutes early for the first class. The room was already packed. On the front desk were two piles of papers with a sign that said, “Take one of each.” One was the syllabus and the other was a list of assignments with details and due dates.Thursday Pre-ClassI looked around the packed room and saw a seat next to a pretty blonde. “Is this seat taken?”“It looks like it’s perfect for you.” She chuckled.I held out my hand, “Hi, I’m Dan.”She smiled sweetly, “I’m Hannah.”A woman in her forties entered the room and began walking around talking to students. I assumed this was the famous Dr. Miller. She was tall and thin with a nice figure. She was professionally dressed in a skirt, blouse, and blazer. The skirt came to just above the knee and showed some shapely, bare legs. She started working the room.When she got to us, she said, “Hannah, good to see you again. Did you have a good winter break?”“I did Dr. Miller.”Dr. Miller turned to me and extended her hand, “A new person in my class.”I stuck out my hand, “Pleased to meet you Dr. Miller. Dan McDevitt.”“A senior. Mechanical engineering major. Wow! I’m impressed.” She chuckled at herself, “I try to learn about my students beforehand. It isn’t hard if you actually care about people.” She looked at her watch, “Show time.”Dr. Miller walked to the front of the room, “Let’s get started. My name is Dr. Shannon Miller. This class is S O C 3 69, Human Sexuality. If you aren’t registered, you will have to leave. No auditing.”Two guys got up and headed toward the door.She continued, “It isn’t that I want to be a hard ass, but if I didn’t have that limitation, this place would be standing room only. If you are curious how the course was numbered, I asked for it and there was no objection until I was teaching it for three semesters. By then it was too late to change it.”There were some scattered laughs and giggles.“We’ll skip the usual introductions. I think I know everyone. If you don’t know your classmates, I think you will quickly learn about them.”Lecture Begins“As the title suggests, this is a course in human sexuality. I must tell you that this class will get very graphic at times. We will examine the wide range of human sexual activity, from straight sex to some of the kinkiest stuff you can imagine. This may be uncomfortable for some of you. As a class, we can overcome this discomfort by keeping our minds open, being respectful of each other, and sharing our thoughts. Given the number of smiles, that sounds like what a lot of you signed up for."I expect everyone to act as an adult. I don’t want to hear titters and I don’t want to hear anyone shaming anyone else. Respect is our watch word. If you cannot act as a mature adult and show respect to everyone in the room, then I will ask you to leave. If you do not voluntarily leave, I will have campus security remove you. I don’t fuck around with any of that. And yes, I have a potty mouth. I want everyone to feel safe here. This class is like Las Vegas. If someone shares some intimate part of their life, I expect it to stay in this room. Am I clear?Dr. Miller looked each of us in the eye, "Good. Does anyone want to leave?” Again she looked around.“Very well. I will also use a lot of visual aids photos and film. This is not pornography. Since this is a liberal arts college, I am a strong believer that this is a time for you to explore and learn about yourself. I cannot require that you engage in sexual activity. That would be unethical and for many people, immortal. I will provide alternative assignments that you are free to undertake. In the assignment sheet I provide details on how you can fulfill both regular and alternative assignments. For example, after today’s class, you may decide to experiment with self-love. Essentially, in the privacy of your room you can masturbate and then report on your observations. If you would like to have an observer present, that is also an option. Any questions?”“Seeing none, we’ll get started.” She went to the front of the class and pulled down a screen. She flipped on an overhead projector and placed a slide on it, “So here is a very simple question: Why do we want to have sex? Danielle.”“Because it makes us feel good.”“Yes, it does. Brian.”“We have a drive to reproduce.”Dr. Miller walked to the side of the room, “One of our strongest instincts. Sarah.”“Because we are attracted to the other person and we want to be intimate with them.”“Ah. Intimacy. Another strong drive. Hannah.”“Orgasms.”Dr. Miller laughed, “Yes. The elephant in the room. Today we will discuss orgasms.” She put up another slide, “So what is the average time it takes for a man to reach orgasm if he is masturbating? Dan.”“Five minutes.”“Not that long. Greg?”“Four?”“Almost. Rich?”He laughed, “Maybe three?”“Good guess! Three minutes. So how long does it take a woman to reach orgasm if she is masturbating? Bridget?”“I’m guessing. Four minutes?”“Yes, good guess. So what can we conclude from those two numbers. Elizabeth.”“That men and women are pretty close to having the same sexual response if they are stimulated properly.”“Excellent! If you are gay, lesbian, or a virgin, you don’t have to answer this next question. By a show of hands, how many of you know that your partner reaches orgasm during straight sex? Penis in vagina sex.”Of the 25 people in the room, about 18 hands went up.“Please leave your hands up. We have ten men and eight women. Now, how many of You reach orgasm during straight sex?”All the men left their hands up, but only one woman left their hand up.“"Very interesting. So ladies, the men think you are having an orgasm when you really aren’t. Am I reading that correctly?”Several female heads were nodding.“Why is that? Hannah.”“We fake it.”Dr. Miller shook her head, “We fake it. That’s kind of sad. Why? Rich.”“The woman doesn’t want to make us feel bad.”“Yeah. Studies have shown that men’s egos are easily bruised when it comes to sex. Some women also want to boost their partner’s ego. Why else? Anne.”“To get it over with.”There was laughter around the room.Dr. Miller continued, “You laugh, but I think Anne is not making that up.” Anne shook her head. “I think you will find that sometimes straight sex is not pleasant for many women, mostly because their male partner doesn’t know what they’re doing.”“Anyone else? Roxane.”“To avoid being shamed and being thought to be frigid.”“That is a big one. By the way, no woman is frigid. That is a myth developed by men to compensate for their poor sexual performance. One last item. Sometimes a woman fakes an orgasm for non-sexual reasons such as trying to cement a relationship, become someone’s girlfriend or fiancée. Questions or comments?”Dr. Miller looked around the room, “I find all this very interesting. Gentlemen, do you know how to tell if your partner is actually having an orgasm or faking it?”I shook my head. I thought I knew, but now I had my doubts. I looked around and the other guys looked just as puzzled.Dr. Miller said, “Don’t be embarrassed guys. You’ve taken the first step to becoming a much better lover. Carlos, are you ready?”I just realized that there was a guy at the back of the room manning a film projector, “Yes, Dr. Miller.”Female Orgasm FilmShe pointed to a guy near the door, “Sam?” He nodded. “Yes, Sam. Can you hit the lights?”Sam killed the lights and a film began to roll.The title flashed up, “Orgasmic Response in Human Females.” The first scene had a bunch of co-eds walking and talking on a college campus somewhere. A female narrator said, “One of the most misunderstood aspects of human sexuality is the orgasmic response of human females. This film will briefly examine this topic.”The scene changed to a couple making out. “It should be noted that approximately five to ten percent of women are incapable of having an orgasm. This is often due to some physical limitation.”A graphic came up, “There are two types of female orgasm: vaginal and clitoral. The first, vaginal orgasm, is described by women as starting deeper in their body and elicits a full body response. These types of orgasms are caused by objects in the vagina stimulating the walls, Gräfenberg spot or G spot, and cervix.”An anatomical diagram came up. “The G spot is located on the anterior wall of the vagina. When a woman is standing, it can be thought of as the upper side of the vagina.” A red arrow pointed to a spot on the diagram, “In its relaxed state, the G spot is smooth. As a woman becomes more aroused, it becomes wrinkled. The G spot is best stimulated digitally with one or two fingers using a ‘come hither’ motion.”A photo of a woman’s vulva came on the screen, “Clitoral orgasms have a more localized reaction and are caused by stimulation of the clitoris and clitoral hood area.” Red arrows appeared on the screen, “Clitoral orgasms are more intense, but are shorter in duration than a vaginal orgasm."There are several signs that a woman is experiencing an orgasm. Please note that not all women display all these signs.”A photo of a light skinned vulva was displayed, “First, blood will rush to a woman’s skin and in light skinned women, this will be seen as flushed skin. Blood will also rush to a woman’s clitoris, vulva, and vagina. Often the clitoris will become engorged with blood and may extend out of the clitoral hood.”The screen shifted to a photo of a lovely pair of breasts with large, erect nipples, “Second, a woman’s nipples will be erect. Most women experience pleasure when their nipples are stimulated either orally or manually. Although not all women experience hard nipples during an orgasm, most do. Typically a woman’s nipples are hard, erect, and sensitive. In all cases, an orgasm will increase a woman’s heart rate. Often to between 160 and 210 beats per minute."Let’s observe an actual female orgasm. This will be a clitoral orgasm.”The screen shifted to a camera angle that was directly between a young, naked woman’s legs. She had a nice bush, but her labia were shaved. The focus was on her vulva, but the rest of her body was visible in soft focus. She was small-breasted and had applied a small vibrator directly to her clit. Her vagina was slightly open and juices ran across her perineum.“This woman’s orgasm is about to begin. I direct your attention to her vaginal opening, her anus, her nipples, and her face.”The woman began panting, her eyes closed, and her mouth took on the classic O shape. Her pelvic muscles began rhythmically contracting and you could clearly see her vagina and anus pulsing out a steady rhythm. Her nipples were hard and she reached up and pulled hard on one of them.“During her orgasm, all her focus is on the stimulation being directed to her clitoris. She is unaware that her breathing has increased and her eyes are closed. Most women are incapable of vocalizing anything during orgasm. It should be noted that after orgasm, a woman’s clitoris is very sensitive.”“Now let’s observe a vaginal orgasm.”Once again, the screen was filled with a woman’s vulva. Someone was fucking her with a smooth dildo. The angle was upward, striking the top of her vagina. She was rolling both her nipples.“Once again, this woman’s orgasm is about to begin. Observe her vagina, nipples, and face.”As the orgasm began, her eyes practically popped out of her head. She let out a long groan, mouth open. You could see her vagina contracting on the dildo. She came for probably about a half a minute. And then the film was over.Dr. Miller said, “Sam, can you flip on the lights? So what did we observe? Dan.”“In both cases, the woman’s vagina was contracting. On the first one, so was her anus.”“Good observation. Actually, her anus was contracting on the second one, but your view was blocked. I don’t want to say every time since life has no absolutes, but in at least 999 times out of a thousand, the woman’s pelvic muscles will contract during orgasm. Those contractions affect both the vagina and the anus. What else? Sam.”“Neither woman was talking or saying anything.”“Let me ask one of our female colleagues why. Hannah.”“Because you are completely focused on the pleasure. When you’re cumming, you don’t have to or want to say a thing.”“Great point. A sure-fire way to know a woman is faking an orgasm is that she is very vocal. Some of you look surprised. Gents, how many of you say something when you’re ejaculating?” She looked around, “No one. Why is that? Dave.”“My mind focuses on what’s happening with my cock.”There was some laughter.Dr. Miller said, “A little crude, but I like that term   cock.” She said it again with emphasis, “Cock. What else did you observe about the orgasms? Brian.”“Dr. Miller, with the second one, I think that was a dildo, the dildo was at a different angle like it was hitting the top of her vagina instead of going all the way in.”“Excellent. The narrator mentioned something called the Gräfenberg spot or G spot. That is on the roof of the vagina and the dildo was striking it. Is anyone familiar with the g spot? Roxane.”“My boyfriend took your class last semester. He loves to rub mine.”“Who’s your boyfriend?”“Andy.”“I’m glad to hear my class has had a positive impact on your life.”“Life changing Dr. Miller. Mind-blowing.”Male Orgasm FilmDr. Miller chuckled, “We’ll learn more about the g spot next class. Carlos, are you ready with the next film?”“Yes, ma'am.”“Sam, if you please.”The lights went out and the screen lit up. “Orgasmic Response in Human Males”.The screen was filled with four guys in athletic attire walking across a field. A man began narrating, “This film will examine the orgasmic response in human males. Ejaculation is often associated with orgasm in males. While these events often occur simultaneously, they are distinct and separate events. Orgasm is characterized by pelvic contractions, intense pleasure, and release. Ejaculation is the expulsion of semen from the penis. While rare, some men can experience non-ejaculatory orgasms.”The screen was filled with side-by-side pictures of penises, one uncircumcised and the other circumcised. “While each penis is different, they come in two distinct varieties, circumcised and uncircumcised. A circumcised penis has had the foreskin surgically removed. The absence of the foreskin has no impact on a male’s ability to reach orgasm.”There was a close-up of a penis head. “The glans is the most sensitive area.” A red arrow appeared, “The crown of the glans or the edge is filled with countless nerve endings.” Another arrow appeared, “The frenulum is another sensitive area.”Now there was an anatomy diagram, “The prostate gland is another source of pleasure. It can be accessed directly through the anus or massaged by pressing on the perineum.”“Let’s observe an ejaculatory orgasm brought on by masturbation.”The screen was filled with a guy stroking his erection. He had his legs up so that his ass was visible. I was surprised that they selected a smaller than average cock. Then I remembered that this was an academic film and not pornography.“This man has been manually stimulating his penis. His orgasm is about to begin. Observe the pelvic contractions seen at the base of his shaft and at the anus.”Sure enough, there were the contractions and almost simultaneously he let loose a string of cum that shot out of the picture.“Oh!” Several of my classmates responded.Two more shots of lesser amounts came forth. He stopped stroking, “The penis becomes very sensitive after orgasm and often cannot be touched.”The screen shifted to another erection. This time a man was prone with his feet either side of his ass, “This man has manually brought himself to the edge of orgasm. A partner will now digitally stimulate his prostate.”The guy stopped stroking and what looked like a female hand probed his asshole. She slipped two lubed fingers in and began moving.“The prostate is a walnut sized gland located on the anterior wall of the rectum. This man’s orgasm is about to begin. Once again, observe the contractions at the base of his penile shaft and anus.”The contractions began and this time the guy shot his load onto his chest. Four shots total. I was really surprised to learn that you could cum by not touching your cock.Dr. Miller said, “Lights, please.”The lights came back on, “So what did we observe? Elizabeth.”“Both men and women have pelvic contractions when they come.”“That’s interesting, isn’t it. Later in class we will examine how to extend orgasmic response in both men and women. Brad.”“Dr. Miller, the whole prostate thing is cool. I didn’t know I had that.’She laughed, "All part of the price of admission. Roxane.”“The cut versus uncut part. My boyfriend is uncut and he says it gives him a distinct advantage.”“Tell Andy to stop by my office and I’ll reduce his grade from last semester.” Everybody laughed. “He knows better than that. Anything else? Sarah.”“Do we know how much a guy shoots when he cums?”“I direct your attention to two rock bands   the Loving Spoonful and 10CC. Both named after the amount of fluid a man ejaculates. That makes it easy to remember. Our time is almost up. For homework, you have two options. You can do an analysis of today’s class and provide reading notes from the textbook. There is an outline on what that entails in the assignment sheet. If you would like to submit an alternative assignment in lieu of an analysis, also see the assignment sheet. Remember, I can’t require you to do anything sexual. If you choose the alternative assignment, I would like you to masturbate and write a short essay answering the questions in the prompt. You should review the questions before you masturbate so you will be looking for the answers. If you choose to have an observer with you, you will want to include their observations with yours. See you next Tuesday.”Lab Partners After ClassThe woman next to me, Hannah, turned to me, “What do you think?” She had a very pretty face. Her blonde hair framed her face. Her big, blue eyes were warm and kind.I smiled at her, “I’ve already learned so much.”“Did you look at these assignments?”“No.”“Several of them require a partner. Do you have a girlfriend?”Cool. “No. Would you like to be my partner for some of these?”Hannah blushed, “If you told me yesterday that I would be having this conversation with a total stranger I wouldn’t have believed you. Yes, Dan the total stranger, I would like to be your partner.” She smiled.I decided I needed to keep this conversation going, “Hannah, do you have anything after this?”“No.”“Maybe you’d like to do something together so we aren’t total strangers.”Hannah smiled, “That’s a good idea. Are you hungry?”“Sure. A little. Where would you like to go?”“Cafeteria is closed. Maybe get some coffee at the coffee shop?”I nodded, “Can I drop off my books?”“Good idea. Where’s your dorm?”“Carroll Hall.”“That’s cool. I’m in Caroline Hall on the same block. Maybe I can leave my stuff in your room and we can come back and get it later.”“Good idea.”I followed Hannah out the door, checking out her figure on the way. She wasn’t a knockout, but she had a very balanced body. Her breasts provided a lovely curve to her t-shirt and her hips had just the right amount of flare. Her ass had that classic feminine curve that I adored.She turned and waited for me outside the door, “What are you majoring in, Dan?”“Mechanical engineering. You?”We started bundling up for the frigid weather, “Sociology. I’ve had Dr. Miller twice before. That’s how I got into the class. I’d bet that Roxane and I are the only juniors.”It was a clear, brisk, January day with a biting north wind. There was an inch or so of snow on the grass. We both bundled up and headed toward my dorm. I tried to talk, but the wind took my breath away. Hannah looked to have the same problem.A Dorm DateFinally, we tucked inside my residence hall.I said, “I’m on the second floor.”“Maybe we should just make coffee here rather than brave that wind again.”I shook my head, “Don’t have a coffee maker.”Hannah smiled, “I have one. We can go to my room.”We dropped off my books and then proceeded to Hannah’s room, cutting through a building along the way to cut down our outside time. Hannah’s room was on the third floor. Like me, she had a single occupancy.I sat down at her desk while she made coffee.“So Dan, you don’t have a girlfriend now, but you’ve had one.”“Oh, yes. I went with Lisa McDonald for most of the fall semester. Do you know her?”“No. What happened?”“She graduated in December and got a job out in California. Haven’t heard from her since finals.”Since there was only one chair, Hannah came over and sat on the bed across from me, “That sucks.”I shrugged, “It’s okay. It probably wasn’t going to last anyway. How about you? Anyone special?”“I went with Jeff Blankenship for a week, back in November.”“I know Jeff. He’s a mechanical engineer too.”“Well, he had a very mechanical approach to our relationship. No pun intended. He’s pretty demanding too. Wanted me to wear skimpy outfits. Wanted to fuck all the time. I usually told him no, no, and no. The one time we had sex, it was very mechanical. We didn’t last long. Not exactly a very caring guy.”“Sorry about that.”She looked at me funny, “You didn’t do anything.”“It was a sympathy gesture. But, I’m a man and I feel like I need to apologize for my entire sex. Especially after what I learned today.”“Class was pretty interesting.” Hannah agreed; “I kept thinking about being the woman having an orgasm on camera. To have my lady parts being seen in all of Dr. Miller’s classes.”“It’s more than just Dr. Miller.” I surmised. “That film looked like it was produced somewhere else and she just happens to have a copy.”“Wow! Even better.” Hannah squeezed her knees together as she said.“So, you wouldn't like to have been the woman in the film?”“Part of me would,” She admitted with a giggle. ”I think I have a little bit of an exhibitionist streak. Seems so naughty. Do you think that’s bad?”“No. You probably wear bikinis in the summer, right?”“Oh, yeah. I have some very small bikinis. It is a real turn on to watch how guys react to me. I’m such a tease and I enjoy being a tease. I hope you don’t hate me for that.”I laughed, “Some guys might, but I enjoy looking.”Hannah got up, “What do you put in your coffee?”“Just milk, or creamer.”She poured the coffee and prepped mine, “Dan?”“Yes, Hannah.”“I think you and I have to agree that everything we share is just between us. And just like in the class, we are going to treat each other with respect and not shame each other.”I took the coffee cup from her, “I absolutely agree. I imagine some of the things we share may be kinky.”She nodded, “Here’s the first soul-baring moment. Ready?”I nodded.“Having the guys at the beach or at the pool see me in my tiny bikini, gets me wet. Sometimes I go to the ladies room so I can rub an orgasm out.”I nodded, “Will I get to see you in a bikini some day?”She smiled coyly, “I hope so, but let’s get some warmer weather first. Did you read this first alternative assignment?”“No. What’s it say?” My interest perked up.“It says you can either masturbate alone, or have an observer. Would you like to be my observer?” She said, coyly.“I assume you would observe me as well,” I suspected."Seems only fair.” She grinned.I nodded, “Okay. That’s a deal. What else?”“We have to comment on how we got ourselves aroused, how we brought ourselves to orgasm, what we felt during the orgasm, what did the observer see, and what happened afterwards. Doesn’t sound that hard.” She said with perhaps more confidence than I had.“No. Sounds very fun.” I bluffed.Hannah had gotten up and moved to her closet, for no apparent reason. She paused, then with her back to me, she asked; “Here’s a very private question that you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” She paused then asked; “How do you get yourself aroused before masturbating?”I chuckled, “No laughing now. I have a Playboy magazine I look at. I look at the naked women. I know that really women aren’t like that, but it gets me hard. How about you?”Hannah came and sat on the bed again with her coffee. She blushed a deep red.Sensing her discomfort, I assured her again; “I will never tell anyone. Promise.”“Have you seen Breakfast Club?”I nodded.“I imagine being with John Bender, the Judd Nelson character.”“So, you like the bad boys.”“I imagine being Molly Ringwald when she kisses him. Then I imagine taking him home with me. Getting naked with him. Running my fingers through his chest hair. Touching his penis. Sucking his penis. God, that makes me wet just thinking about it.” Hannah averted her eyes, “I would never want to be with a bad boy, but it is so damn titillating to me.”We both fell silent for several moments. Hannah looked up at me, “Rather than looking at a Playboy, would you prefer to look at a real live naked girl? I’m not Playboy material, but I’m real.”“You?” I was shocked.She nodded, “I can’t believe I’m offering that.”I went for it. “Hannah, I’m not Judd Nelson, but you could kiss me. You already took me home with you. I’m real too. You can get me naked. I’ve got a lot of chest hair. I have a penis too!“We both laughed.Hannah took a sip of her coffee, "Is that a deal. Dan?”“Yes. Hell yes.” I said with a beet red face.“I’m scared to death.” Hannah admitted.“I understand that, Hannah, but aren't you also a bit uh, well; horny, just talking about it? We don’t have to do anything. We can call the whole thing off if you want.”“That’s not it. This just seems so clinical.”Silence hung between us for a while. We continued drinking our coffee.I had a thought, “We just need to get comfortable being around each other. I have some homework to do. It isn’t due until Monday, but how about if I go get my work and we could study together.”“That’s a good idea. I’ll bring my stuff and we can study in your room.”“Okay.”I finished my coffee and we got bundled up again.As we were walking down the hall, Hannah took my hand, “I hope you don’t mind.”I looked over at her and smiled, “That’s a very good start.”We went down the stairs holding hands. As we emerged into the lobby, Hannah asked, “Do you think I’m pretty?”I stopped, took both her hands, and looked down into her eyes, “No.” I hesitated for effect, “I think you’re beautiful.”“Really?”I nodded, resolutely. Hannah grabbed both sides of my face, went on tiptoes, and kissed me.She eased off and looked up into my eyes, “That was nice. Not like Molly and Judd, but that was nice. Maybe better since it’s real and not acting.”Hannah started walking again, and took my hand again. We passed through the door and into the cold.She looked over at me, “Just to be fair, I think you’re a really cute guy. I’ve never really known a redheaded guy. Redheaded girls, but not guys. When we’d shower in high school, I’d be jealous of their red pubic hair.”I laughed, “For some reason, in high school, the guys thought I should have dark pubes. They were typically pretty crude about my red pubes.”Hannah looked over at me, “As I was sitting there in the classroom before you came in, I was checking out the other guys. A couple of them seemed nice. Roxane had told me what was going to happen in the class, so I was checking all the guys out for partner potential. When you sat down next to me, I knew I wanted to ask you to be my partner.”“Wow! I’m honored.”“Roxane said she would lend me her boyfriend if I didn’t like anyone, but that seemed really yucky.”“That does seem yucky.” I agreed.She pulled her hand away and stuffed it into her pocket, “No offense, but it’s just so cold.”“No offense taken.”We cut through a dining hall and came through the other side.“Sorry, it’s too cold.” Hannah ran ahead and waited for me inside the main door. She had a very cute way of running. I was enjoying being with this woman more and more.When we got to my room she asked, “What do you need to work on?”“I can read for my lit class or do thermo problems.”“Can we sit on your bed and read together?” She plotted.“Sure.” I grabbed a book from my desk, propped up a pillow, and sat slouching at the head of the bed. I left room so she could sit next to me.“What are you reading?” She eventually asked.“Pride and Prejudice.” I admitted.“I Love that story. Maybe we can talk about it as you get further into it.”“Love to.” I accepted.Hannah sat next to me shoulder-to-shoulder, and started reading.After a few minutes, I realized she was looking at me and I turned to her, “What?”She swung herself onto my lap, straddling me, “I’m being very forward, but I want to kiss you again.” She was perched directly on top of my cock.I set the book down and put my arms around her. Hannah brought her hands up and held my face. She started gently kissing me. I luxuriated in her soft lips.Hannah spoke into my mouth, “I wouldn’t be offended if you were to place your hands on my ass.”“Good to know.”I slid my hands down and cupped her ass cheeks. She groaned a little, then probed with her tongue. Soon we were exploring each other’s mouth. I felt myself stiffening.“I just realized that the way I’m sitting might be awkward. Am I hurting you?” She asked."I’m okay with it, if you’re okay.” This babe was really getting horny & fun.“I feel something on my crotch. Something nice.” She grinned.“Yes. You are having that effect on me. Sometimes I would get embarrassed, but right now I hope you're taking it as a sincere compliment?”Hannah nodded and kept kissing. She ran her fingers through my hair and occasionally wiggled her hips. I soon had a solid erection.She eased off and whispered into my mouth, "Are you hot? I’m hot.”She sat up and pulled her tee shirt over her head, then threw it across the room. She wore a white, underwire bra. She looked down at me with a shit-eating grin. The bra hooked in front and she quickly released it. In an instant her bare breasts were before me. They were well-shaped and not particularly large, but pert. Not a bit of sag. Quarter-sized areolae surrounded two erect nipples.“Would you like to touch them?” She almost begged.I put my hands up and cupped her breasts. I gently rolled her nipples and she closed her eyes.“Would you like to suck on them?” She directed more than asked.I leaned forward, with both arms around her waist, and took one nipple then the other into my mouth, gently sucking each one in turn. I continued moving back and forth. Hannah’s head leaned back and she wrapped her hands behind my head, pressing my face to her breast.“This is so nice.” Hannah climbed off the bed. She kicked her shoes off and pulled her jeans off.She stood there in a pair of white panties, “Can I take off your jeans?” She was definitely horny and moving things along.I unbuckled my belt and had barely got my zipper down when she grabbed & started pulling them off me. I lifted my ass and my boxers ended up at my knees. Flat on my back, now; my erection hanging out for her viewing pleasure.Hannah straddled my legs and got very close to my cock. She ran her fingers through my curly red pubic bush, “Oh, you’re so nice! I love your red pubic hair. As a social scientist I note that you are circumcised and are probably slightly larger than average. Certainly larger than those two guys in the movie today.”She held my shaft up, leaned down some more, and took a long suck, “Oh, that’s nice. I taste something.”“Probably some pre-cum.” I surmised.She looked closely at the head and milked a little fluid from me.She scooped it up with a finger and rolled it between her thumb and forefinger, “That’s right. This stuff is supposed to act as a lubricant. Slippery.” She sucked her fingers, “Maybe a little sweet.”“Hannah, would you bring yourself up here, straddle my face, and let me lick you?”“Only if you lose your shirt.” She bargained. She really wanted us both buck naked right now!I pulled my shirt off and Hannah stripped off her panties. I put a pillow under my head and her silky thighs landed on either side of my face. She had a trimmed blonde bush, shaped like a fan. Her clit was prominent at the top of her slit and her inner labia extended out a little. She had shaved her labia.She looked down at me, “Sounds like you agree that we can save the homework assignment for later.”“Fully agree.” I said. “Absolutely!”Hannah lowered her cunt onto my mouth and I began lapping at her opening, sucking in every drop of her nectar. When I touched my tongue to her clit, her hips started moving. I decided to just keep my tongue extended and let her pleasure herself. I reached up and started rolling her nipples. Hannah entwined her fingers in my hair, her eyes locked in on mine.Back and forth she moved across my tongue. Her soft thighs moved against my cheeks. I made a note that I should make sure I shave off my scruffy beard, so I don’t irritate her sensitive skin. I heard her begin to pant and I placed my finger at her opening. Vaginal contractions! I slipped my finger all the way in and found what I thought could be her g spot. I began rubbing itHannah fell forward, "Ah. Ah.” Her bush pressed into my forehead.After several moments of rubbing, I rolled her onto her back. Her head was crammed against the headboard, so I pulled her body down away from it.I climbed on top of her and she spread her legs for me, “Can I?”She nodded and I placed my erection at her opening. I slowly pressed into her contracting womanhood. Oh my god she was tight! I bottomed out and Hannah’s eyes were wild. She wrapped her legs around me and grabbed my ass as I began slowly swinging my hips, driving my full length into her. Nice steady strokes.My mind was racing. ‘How did that dildo in the movie move? Need to hit the top of her vagina. How to do that? Need a better angle. Pillow!'I rolled off Hannah and placed a pillow under her ass. I kept my body more upright as I reentered her. I intentionally tried to hit the roof of her vagina. The effect was immediate. Hannah’s eyes went wide as my cock struck her g spot. She reached up and pulled on her nipples as her vagina continued contracting on me.“I’m going to cum, Hannah.”She nodded and I thrust up into her as I shot my load. Two, three times. Finally, I fell forward and kissed her. I could still feel her contractions on my cock. She grasped the sides of my face and kissed me, leading with her tongue.I pushed her legs flat and rolled onto my back, pulling her on top of me, my erection still inside her. My hands cupping her ass.Finally, she whispered into my mouth, “Wow.”Asleep In HannahAs I emerged from sleep, I felt Hannah’s breath on my chest. She was sleeping too. I was still in her vagina. My hands were on her ass. I decided to lie there and enjoy the moment. My outside window was still light so we couldn’t have been sleeping too long.I must have drifted back to sleep because when I opened my eyes, Hannah was inches away from my face. The room was darker.She gently kissed me, “That was really nice. That was the first time I had an orgasm with a guy.”“Dr. Miller’s class already paid off.” I observed.“Did you know I still have you inside me?” She whispered.“Yes. Very nice.”  I rubbed her hips.“The sun looks like it went down, given how dark it is getting in here.”I looked at my watch, “About twenty to five.”“We have twenty minutes before the cafeteria opens. Any suggestions?”“I absolutely love being here with you.” I admitted.“Dan, you should know that I’m a pretty practical person. Do you have an extra towel?”I nodded.“Let’s both go take a shower. That way we’ll be clean for our actual masturbation exercises later. Then we can go have dinner. Maybe study a little, then masturbate for each other. You might need to recover.”“Okay,” I smiled.To be continued.By Quinn_McMullen for Literotica.

My name is Jeff Morrison. I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer at the age of 45. My dad is living with prostate cancer and because we talked about it, I got checked. I'm now cancer free. Over the past few years, I've lost a couple of close friends that took their own lives. I don't plan on going through that again. So I'm talking about it and I'm listening. It doesn't matter if you're a Mo-Bro or a Mo-Sista – MOVEMBER impacts everyone. Every year I become more passionate about this initiative and continue to be an advocate for men to start talking about it. Too many men are dying unnecessarily from prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide. It's time to stand up and do something about it. We're in this together, so get involved and start a conversation. Lisa McDonald is the Co-Chair of Movember Kitchener-Waterloo. Since the committee began she has been part of fundraising & awareness campaigns for Movember for the past 14 years. mosista.co/LisaMcDonald #movember #cancerawareness #prostatecancer #kitchenerwaterloo #jeffmorrison #lisamcdonald #livewithcdp #talkshow #radioshow #chrispomay #youtube #facebook #twitter #twitch #linkedin #audio #applepodcasts #spotify #iheartradio #amazonmusic #googlepodcasts #WQEE #barrycullenchevrolet

Why did I invite Lisa McDonald, a certified career coach  to join me for a conversation?  You are not looking for a job, but you are probably looking for employees, And Lisa is probably working with those potential employees, telling them not to apply for a job with your company.  In this lively conversation, we talk about the mistakes employers make starting with job descriptions that don't really reflect the company to interviews that go completely off the rails.  This is one conversation you need to listen to, before you try to hire your next employee. 

Joey Robert Parks started us off by saying he tries to keep an open mind and look for counter-arguments to his existing opinion.   Jim Tam came in next to say that it feels like someone is being lazy when they say “do your own research.” Or maybe they don't really know the answer. He believes it takes a very secure person to challenge their own biases and keep an open mind.   Lisa McDonald pointed out that actual scientific research is about looking for things that say your hypothesis is wrong. But the way it is generally used, people mean “do your own research” and you'll find things that support me.   My frustration with people who insult me with “do your own research” is that there is no data I can bring to the table that is disagreement with them that is “acceptable.” They want me to do my own research but only if I find information that agrees with their existing beliefs.    After we turned the recording off Jim made the point that there are really smart people who think differently than he does and he wonders, what do they know that I don't?   Have “do your own research” been tossed at you as an insult? How do you make sure you get a well-rounded look at a topic before you create your opinion?   Connect with the panelists: Joey Robert Parks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeyrobertparks/ He is a 32-book author and ghostwriter and The DaVinci of Writing. He can write in any style, genre, or topic, and make it sound natural, like he's been an expert in it for decades.   Jim Tam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtam/ Is a Principal Client Director with Korn Ferry's Digital group where he advises organizations on how to improve their sales effectiveness using world-class sales methodology and technology.   Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/ Founder of Career Polish where she is an specializes in career management and executive presence.   Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/ AKA Mental MacGyver. My doctorate is in organizational business psychology with a concentration in sport and performance. I provide luxury level, high performance support and coaching to executives, founders, celebrities and athletes.   Want a summary of Quick Hits plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist in your in-box every week? Let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/   #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.MentalMacGyver.com    

"Can family support ignite addiction recovery? Join us as we talk with Jill Prevas and Lisa McDonald, distinguished BALM family recovery coaches. Jill uncovers family dynamics and their monumental role in the recovery journey, shedding light on denial, awareness, and entrenched patterns. Lisa explores how addiction amplifies pre-existing family issues, emphasizing the importance of a supportive family in long-term recovery.Discover the BALM Recovery Program's transformative potential, empowering families and their loved ones. Explore setting healthy boundaries and navigating judgment and manipulation. Uncover the life-changing power of 'Healthy' unconditional support in the complex landscapes of family dynamics during addiction recovery.As we conclude, delve into the transformative strength of detachment, hope, and resilience in addiction recovery. Witness how non-clinging love and healthy boundaries foster connection and support for families facing addiction. Explore the BALM Program's potential in equipping families with tools for their loved one's recovery journey. Don't miss this enlightening conversation, a comprehensive guide for families seeking strength and support in addiction recovery.Home: Family Recovery Coach | Family Recovery Coaching | Seven Valleys, PA 17360 (familyrecoverysupport.com)Ignite Recovery CoachingBALM® Family Recovery - BALM (balmfamilyrecovery.com)Videos on our YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@RecoveryCollectiveVisit our website!Recovery Collective — Annapolis, MD (recoverycollectivemd.com)Zaw Maw — Recovery Collective — Annapolis, MD (recoverycollectivemd.com)Luke DeBoy — Recovery Collective — Annapolis, MD (recoverycollectivemd.com)(240) 813-8135Check us on Social Media:Facebook:  @RecoveryCollectiveMdYouTube: @RecoveryCollectiveInstagram: @recovery_collective_mdTikTok: @lukederecoverycollectiveThe episodes contain content, including information provided by guests, intended for perspective, informational, and entertainment purposes only. The content is not intended to replace or substitute for any professional medical, counseling, therapeutic, legal, or other advice. If you have specific concerns or a situation in which you require professional advice, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified professional expert and specialist. If you have a health or mental health emergency, please call 9-1-1 or 9-8-8Explore a mindful path with Zaw Maw's coaching—Foster balance, healing, recovery, and meditation in your life's journey through his supportive and wisdom-based guidance.Support the show

Asking someone for help shows vulnerability and trust. But what if you don't ask. Instead, they offer. Does accepting that help create the same kind of connection? My experience says yes. I asked today's panel why they thought that was the case.   Lisa McDonald started us off by talking about the safety that comes from connection and trust.   Dr Peter Economou added that we are communal beings and brought up the difference between how men and women ask for and accept help (ask for directions lately?).   And Laura Agafitei brought in our ability to grow and better ourselves by accepting help.   When I work with teams I will ask if anyone would feel put-upon if a teammate asked for help. The answer is universally no. But when I ask if they would ask a teammate for help, usually the answer is, “I don't want to bother them.”   This conversation is a powerful look at how humans connect by supporting each other and I am really thankful that these three lovely humans helped me talk about it.   What does this question and our conversation bring up for you? Help me out by sharing in the comments.   Connect with the panelists: Laura Agafitei: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-agafitei/ Strategy and design Consultant for the health and wellness industry. Based in Dublin.   Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/ Founder of Career Polish where she is an specializes in career management and executive presence.   Dr Peter Economou: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-j-economou-4b4000a/ With a Ph.D. Counseling Psychology, he is an Executive Growth Consultant, Rutgers University Faculty member and the Director of Athletics Behavioral Health   Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/ AKA Mental MacGyver. My doctorate is in organizational business psychology with a concentration in sport and performance. I provide luxury level, high performance support and coaching to executives, founders, celebrities and athletes.   Want a summary of Quick Hits plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist in your in-box every week? Let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/   #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.MentalMacGyver.com  

Cole Galloway started us off by saying it is easy to be our biggest critic because we know all the “bad” stuff about ourselves. We've been around for all the mistakes. But he added that we can also be our own biggest fan by remembering all the good stuff too.   Lisa McDonald pointed out that we aren't taught to look at the positives. Being your own critic is kind of accepted but if you are your own biggest fan people are going to complain about you being too proud, bragging and being full of yourself. It is an interesting dichotomy to consider.   Coach M J Tollan then juxtapositioned (that's not a verb but I'm using it that way anyway) the expectation of not bragging too much and social media where it is all bragging all the time to the point of people creating a façade of having the perfect life.   For me, I learned to talked to myself they way I was talked to and I have had to unlearn that as an adult.   Why do you think it is so easy to be critical of ourselves?   Connect with the panelists: Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/ Founder of Career Polish where she is an specializes in career management and executive presence.   Coach M J Tolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/motivationalspeakertolan/ Speaker, author and entrepreneur with 35 years experience. He has lived in 12 countries and is the host of the podcast Mission I'm Possible.   Dr Cole Galloway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-galloway-1ba715107/ Recovering academic working in social justice and disability, primarily with babies as the Founder at Go Baby Go   Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/ AKA Mental MacGyver. My doctorate is in organizational business psychology with a concentration in sport and performance. I provide luxury level, high performance support and coaching to executives, founders, celebrities and athletes.   Want a summary of the Quick Hits plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/   #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.MentalMacGyver.com  

Discover Lesley's inspiring journey as she and Brad achieved their goal, and turned their dream house into a reality. Join Lesley as she shares valuable insights and actionable advice on conquering perfectionism and manifesting your aspirations.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co . And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:How having a strong family goal can motivate you to work harder and achieve your goals. Overcoming fear of failure, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome.How Lesley and Brad redefined their goals in order to achieve their dream house. How to get specific on what you want and why you want it.  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox.Be It Till You See It Podcast SurveyBe in the know with all the workshops at OPCBe a part of Lesley's Pilates MentorshipResourcesWatch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable PilatesSocial MediaInstagramFacebookLinkedInEpisode Transcript:Lesley Logan: [00:00:00] It's Fuck Yeah friday.Brad Crowell: Fuck yeah. Lesley Logan: Get ready for some wins.Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.All right. Fuck Yeah Friday. Hi babes. How are you? How's it going? Okay, so this is actually my first recording back since we got back from Korea. And I haven't been able to share a win with you [00:01:00] that happened a couple weeks ago. So, I'm gonna share one of the most amazing wins of Brad and I's entire life with you in just a moment.But first, of course, as always, I share your wins. So if you have a win you want me to announce, I wanna share it, it's so fun. And it also is like the best way to start your weekend, don't you think? So, like Fuck Yeah Friday is actually something that a friend of mine taught us all when I was under my first mastermind years ago.And I was like, yeah, FYF. And I've been doing it ever since, like, I think it's like 2018. And it's a thing we do in AGENCY and it's a thing that we do in OPC and it's a thing we do in eLevate. It's a thing we do in my household and it's hopefully a thing that you're doing because of this podcast and I truly would love to know.So, you know, let me know by sending your wins in. So first win, let me pull this up. We had a couple wins from you guys I wanna share, because actually while I was gone, there's just like a ton of wins that came through. So I'm gonna, I'm going to catch up on a lot of 'em. So the first one is from, we call her UK Claire, Claire Sparrow.This is the [00:02:00] woman, oh gosh, I've known her for years now. She's an agency for a long time and we actually are gonna be at her place in Leads this summer. So I cannot wait to see her in real life. You've also heard her on the podcast, so this is actually someone you've heard before and she's one of our favorite episodes you've all listened to. So, UK Claire, here she is. I've been working. I've been looking forward to sharing this week's win. It's been a corker. It must be a British thing. When I joined AGENCY in August, 2019, we had a dream as a family to own our own cottage in Scotland. With all that I have learned, I was able to take it from a dream to a goal and build the steps in the business that not only fulfilled my mission to help more women with chronic pelvic floor dysfunction, but also earned enough income to make a deposit for our dream cottage.What I realized is that the big win is having a really strong family goal, made me push harder for my business goals, so I actually help way more women than I could have ever imagined. Today, my husband is eight hours from our leads home collecting the keys to our cottage in (...) [00:03:00] Northeast Scotland.Forgive my pronunciation. There are no words for how happy I am and how fueled I am to push further and set bigger goals. That said, I had a goal to write a book after a client said to me last year, you have a voice of hope. You are the voice of hope. She shared how it was my positivity and outlook that helped give the optimism that women can take charge of their pelvic health and that there is a non-surgical solution to prolapse.Confirmed when I did a kickass promotion with existing clients, refer a friend, and out of almost 400 women, one referred their mom. This was so sad because whilst women talk nonstop in my group, they don't talk out with outside the group. It reinforced the need to get a book out there. And to reach more women.So this week I completed the 45,000 word manuscript of my book ready for the Editor to start on Monday. I can't believe it. As a dyslexic, I lack so much confidence in my written work and my need to get the message out was a way stronger. So I have felt all the feels there have been a lot. [00:04:00] She's felt all the feels and there have been a lot. I was invited by Brent Anderson to speak on Pilates Hour podcast in July, which just so happens to be when the book launches, which is great timing. I taught a class for international brand Neom that has just gone live on their Facebook wellbeing group.And asked for help. My goal for the year, my team stepped up without hesitation this week to cover my classes and clients to give me space I need to work on my book and deal with a sudden family illness. My middle son got the cast off his arm and it is healed well. So that is like 17 wins. But I just wanna like highlight a couple things really quickly.She had a family goal she was so specific on, it made her work harder in her own business goals, which helps her help more women with their pelvic floor dysfunction, which helped her find women that told her you should write a book. And then she wrote a book and now she's helping even more women with her mission that she's doing on this earth , and because she has seen her goals, her vision, her mission become reality. She's now even more motivated. So you all, it is so important to have these [00:05:00] goals, and I'll talk about that more in my win. But let me go onto another win because if you're like, what is all that? I don't know, that doesn't relate to me, which I hope it does because my gosh, Claire, way to fucking go.You're phenomenal. And I love your family so much and I cannot wait to hang out with you in July when your book is launching so we can celebrate in real life. Bianca, who's from Canada, Also an AGENCY member. She had two clients buy packages this week, you guys, this was right after our coaching call where she was like, I think I might need to get a part-time job.And I was like, well, what are the things that we're doing? Here's the things you could be doing instead. So she booked two, two clients, bought packages this week. She had a client buy an intro session for next month. So I was like in advance. And now she's in touch with a physiotherapist for competitive athlete, LA athletic client.And it sounds like she wants to come with a long-term plan, incorporating Pilates into her routine. She's fucking put herself out there. Way to go, Bianca. It's not done. She's got more wins. She attended a local women's networking event last night and connect with a few women who wanted her business card.That's humongous. And she's going to Niagara Falls to celebrate her wedding [00:06:00] anniversary with her Hu husband. So love the business, love the personal wins, and also way to put yourself out there, Bianca. I know it's so hard, you guys, it's so hard for your business to grow. Like there's ebbs and flows, ebbs and flows, and sometimes it's like, why am I even doing this anymore?And it's like, get out there again and try again. And. Boom, look what happened. Alright, one more win for you all before mine. So this is Lisa McDonald's. Here it is. Hi Wins. I became C P T certified today and I'm celebrating. It's been a goal of mine since I finished my comprehensive certification with Balanced Body in 2020.It took me so long to sign up and take it. Why? Because of fear failure, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome. Once I took the leap and, and signed up for it, I assumed I would pass given all the awesome education, Balanced Body, comprehensive and eLevate program gave me, and of course, practice personal with some of you and with clients.Glad I took the leap and did it. I didn't get a hundred percent, which kind of upset me. Got to keep working on the perfectionism thing. Old habits are hard to break, so an effort to break the habit [00:07:00] and able to call myself recovering perfectionist. I'm sharing the information with you today, as well as writing so hard.Here's a pass, an exam. Accepting less than perfect. Two wins because perfect is boring, right? Yes, it is boring, Lisa. And also like, who needs a hundred percent on it? No one cares. No one cares. I hate to break this up, all of you, but like, yes, being an N C P T certified instructor is amazing because it does mean that you actually are truly a certified instructor.You took a third party exam, but no one actually cares what your score was. No one's gonna ever ask you. No one has ever asked me to see my certificates in general. But, so I understand as a recovering perfectionist as well, why you wanted to feel that way. I definitely did not get a hundred percent myself either.And so wouldn't you believe it doesn't really matter. But I love that you took the test. I love that you felt the feelings and I love that you are using this experience as a way to like recover from being perfect because it is boring and you're not boring, Lisa. So thank you to all of these members, eLevate an AGENCY for sharing [00:08:00] these wins with everybody so I could share them with our listeners. Alright now. Let me tell you my wins. So my win, it's a big one. And you, you may have already seen it because I did post this early because it happened in between me being able to record and going to Korea.So back in 2020, Brad and I well, we had this opportunity when our entire life, like many peoples was canceled, like our entire schedule was canceled. So a lot of people, you know, they had to work from home instead of going into the office, but like, our entire year was canceled. So all of the countries that we had workshops in, contracts in, all of the retreats after March, we did that one.My studio shut down, which my goals for the year was like, it was in... In March, I knew I was going to give half of my clientele away to my renters and just keep a few of my people. But the fact that I didn't actually get to say goodbye or didn't get to tell them that in person was a little rough.And at any rate, you know, I [00:09:00] know that you're listening to this and you had an interesting 2020 as well, so I know you get this. So in April of 2020, we like sat down and like redefined our goals for our future with this like, new, interesting way of doing things. And we wrote down what we wanted our dream home to be in Las Vegas.We knew how many rooms we wanted. We knew what kind of house we wanted it to be. We knew what each room was gonna do. We did all these things that we like truly like got down and dirty with how much it would cost, how much we could spend, how much we could afford, everything. Right? And we did this with one of my past guests, Kareen Walsh here on the podcast.And then in May, we actually had enough money to make that happen. At least make a deposit, a down payment on a house happen. But we actually didn't have, we didn't have like the history that banks wanna loan money to because we worked for ourselves. No bank wants to get a mortgage to people who work for themselves.And we were for ourselves in the state of California, which means we like [00:10:00] definitely wrote as much off as we could because we truly wanted to hire a team. And so that meant we had to spend a lot of money investing on our team and not in ourselves. So we were not ideal candidates for buying a house.So because of amazing people in this world, we had connected with someone who helps entrepreneurs get into houses. And he does that by doing contracts to deeds or like basically like a rent to own and, sure enough I wanted to move into our house on June 1st, 2020. Like, that was like my deadline. I was like, June 1st, we must move by June 1st.And so we did. We actually found a house nine days before June 1st. And saw it in real life. We drove out. We found it was like exactly like, it was amazing. And by June 1st we were moving in and that was amazing. But we had three years to get a mortgage. We had three years to qualify for a mortgage.And that can sound easy if one of your people in your relationship is a W two. And while we both have W two s, cause we're both employees of our own business, we still run our own business. [00:11:00] And so therefore, still not ideal candidates. And then also like, you know, we're elder millennials, we had student loans, we had debt, we like hello, trying to like survive, you know, nine 11 and recessions and all of that stuff.And so there's a lot that we had to overcome in a very short period of time. And we had an amazing team that we had helping us make every single decision there ever could be around how you spend your money. We had somebody telling us like, like we made sure we evaluated everything. We bought a van, we did this, we got a loan for the business, we did this.We did everything in a way to make sure that we could get a mortgage by the time we needed to. 18 months ago, we started the process of trying to get a mortgage and multiple mortgage brokers, like literally didn't return our calls. I'm talking multiple and we just kept going cause I was like, we can pay.We are paying for this cost for now. Like we can't do it. We are being it till we see it. I am not fucking letting this house go. You don't get to manifest something and then live in it and [00:12:00] then it gets taken away. Like I was like, we were not gonna let this happen. So at any rate, we did find some mortgage broker who believed he could help us and it took him 10 months.I took our CPA multiple filings and we were able to, by the grace of actually like the FHA, the government changing what they would do, like there was a whole process that goes into it. So whenever you see anybody like making the goal happen, I want you to know like they're not lucky. They work their fucking ass off.Okay. And I say that from a place of so much love. I say that from a place of like, just reminding you that you can have what you want. It is preparation and really, truly getting super clear on what you want and why you want it, and not giving up until it happened. So I want you to go back to uk Claire's, even her win.Like that dream that she had, that wasn't luck that got her there. It was hard work of building a team, of [00:13:00] getting people to hear her message and staying on mission. It was, the truth is, is that we didn't just start working 18 months on this. We started working from June 1st, 2020, on getting this mortgage and it took us 18 months to get it.And here, oh my gosh. Here's, okay, so here's the actual win. So we had Meridith's wedding to go to and we came home for 26 hours. We had to sign the mortgage on that day, on May 15th, we had to sign it because we're gonna be gone for what was supposed to be only 11 days, ended up being almost 13 days, and then there was a holiday weekend.So like it would just, the contract would've expired by the time if we had waited any longer. And we, I mean, got ourselves by the last minute or the last client on the last possible day, we could sign this mortgage, sign this mortgage and the house that you have been seeing pictures of, the house that we live in, the house we talk about all the time, the cactuses that Brad talks about.This house is our house. We're not renting this house. There's no deadline anymore. Like we got this house and I'm so [00:14:00] proud of Brad and I, but I'm also so grateful for the massive, amazing team and the effort we put in. I share this one with you because if you can get super specific on what you want and why you want it, I promise you, there's no stopping you.I promise you, there's no stopping you. I promise you won't let anything get in the way. You will move heaven and earth to make that happen. And I share this one with you because I do hope that you do that. I want you to experience moving heaven and earth to have the win that you wanna have to have, the thing that you wanna have to have, the life that you wanna have, cuz you deserve it and you're amazing.Thank you so much for letting me share this FYF with you today. It's a little bit longer one, I apologize, but I needed to share it with you because, because that's like this entire house was being it till we see it, the whole last three years was literally being it till we see it to live in this house.So being until you see it works, thank you so much and until next time, you need to Be It Till You See It. Have a good day. That's all I [00:15:00] got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram.I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See it is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. Brad Crowell: It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan: It is produced and edited by the Epic team at Disenyo Brad Crowell: Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music, and our branding by designer and artist Gianfranco Cioffi. Lesley Logan: Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals and Ximena Velazquez for our transcriptions. Brad Crowell: Also to Angelina Herico for adding all the content to our website.And finally to Meridith Crowell for keeping us all on point and on time.[00:16:00] Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Lisa McDonald started us off strong: “It's not boasting. It's telling your story.” She learned to advocate for herself by getting out of an abusive relationship. She suggests rather than saying, “I'm great in this” say, “here's how I serve someone else.” This is self-advocating because as you're demonstrating how your value impacts other people.   Glady Baradaran went next saying you can have both. “You can be caring, compassionate, loving, supportive. And at the same time, do self-care and advocate for yourself.”   Diane Helbig added that once we know how to advocate for ourselves, we are then in a position to teach other people how to do it. She also asked the question, does there need to be an event, a breaking point if you will, that causes us to say, “no more” and then advocating for ourselves gets easier?   There also has to be a part of you that decides, “I don't care if you think I'm difficult. I've decided that your opinion does not matter enough for me to subvert my needs to make you happy.”   This was such a great conversation. What can you add? How did you learn to stand up for yourself?   Connect with the panelists: Glady Baradaran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glady-baradaran-6238071a/ 15 years of HR experience and a love for organizational development. Based in Canada.   Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/ Founder of Career Polish where she is an specializes in career management and executive presence.   Diane Helbig: Is the founder of Helbig Enterprises where they serve business owners and professionals who want to realize better out comes and greater happiness. She is an author and hosts the podcast Accelerate your Business Growth   Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/ Known as the Mental MacGyver. My doctorate is in organizational business psychology with a concentration in sport and performance. I provide luxury level, high performance support and coaching to executives, founders, celebrities and athletes. Mental MacGyver.com   Want a summary of the Quick Hits plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/   #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com  

Is it only possible for people who already have power or already have a name to be humble?   Being humble might just mean no one ever knows how good you are because if you aren't talking about it no one else is either.   Coach MJ Tolan talked about how humility is really important for leaders. But what does it mean to be humble?   Lise McDonald pointed out that if you need to tell people you are humble, you're not. And further into the conversation she shared that one way to be humble is, instead of thinking about that you're talking about yourself, think about talking about who you serve and how you do that.   “You're not bragging, you're demonstrating your value, that's showing more humility.”   Cole Galloway is always ready to acknowledge that being a white, straight male he, and those like him, have an easier time being humble and still being carried along by the tide.   Sitting back and thinking, “I'll let other people notice and then I will get rewarded” has never worked for me.   Connect with the panelists: Coach M J Tolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/motivationalspeakertolan/ Speaker, author and entrepreneur with 35 years experience. He has lived in 12 countries and is the host of the podcast Mission I'm Possible.   Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/ Founder of Career Polish where she is an Executive Career Coach & Master Mindset Coach who helps people get career happy and life healthy   Dr Cole Galloway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-galloway-1ba715107/ Recovering academic working in social justice and disability, primarily with babies as the Founder at Go Baby Go   Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/ I am Dr Robyn. I am the Mental MacGyver providing luxury level support and coaching to executives, entrepreneurs, celebrities and athletes and the Facilitator of the Quick Hits podcast   Want a summary of the Quick Hits plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/     #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com #humble #humility #bragging  

Lisa McDonald started us off with the metaphor that small talk is an appetizer while a conversation in the main meal.   Bonnie Sussman-Versace agreed and suggested that small talk is a way to keep people at a distance. “I don't know you so I'm not going to share anything important with you.”   Atif Agha had a bit of a different take saying he feels like small talk is a warmup. It lets you get to know someone a little bit and decide if you want to share more with them. He shared a story about chatting with a stranger in a Panera recently.   Deeper into the conversation Bonnie talked about how she used to think that small talk was a waste of time but in recent years she has come to recognize the important role it plays in relationships.   We did notice that if you had a parent who was likely to overshare when someone asked “how are you?” you might be more likely to not be bothered by small talk.   What do you think is the difference between small talk and conversation? Do you find it useful or do you think it's a waste of time?   Connect with the panelists: Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/ Founder of Career Polish where she is an Executive Career Coach & Master Mindset Coach who helps people get career happy and life healthy   Bonnie Sussman-Versace: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bversace/ Re-imaginer at FOCUSED. Where she specializes in developing leaders, building positive and productive workplace cultures, and improving individual, team and enterprise-wide performance   Atif Agha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atifagha/ Technology specialist doing data analytics and avid runner, based in Chicago   Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/ Concierge High Performance Psychologist providing luxury level support to executives, entrepreneurs, celebrities and athletes as well as the Facilitator of the Quick Hits podcast   Want a summary of the Quick Hits plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/     #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com   #smalltalk #conversation

Glady Baradaran started us off by pointing out there are two ways to feel intimidated. One is – this person is so awesome and I want to learn from them. This feels positive even though it's a bit overwhelming. (Like when I met Joe Montana and was so fan-girl I couldn't even say hi.)   The second is when someone acts like they are better than you and you feel intimidated like you don't matter. The example I gave was when I was trying to talk to someone and he was looking around/over me like I wasn't worth listening to.   Diane Helbig realized that when she feels intimidate that she gets quiet, which is not her normal behavior. Perhaps out of a fear that the person will somehow use her words to be unkind and validate that she “should” feel intimidated.   Lisa McDonald added the realization that we can feel intimidated when we are trying to do something new. Fear, excitement, self-doubt and anticipation can all meld together into intimidation.   We talked about a few stories and then Diane shared something really powerful – use it as fuel for articles and posts. Create wisdom and share learnings.   We also flipped the question around and talked about when someone says to us “You are intimidating.”   Is that on us or are they intimidated? Those are different things.   What do you think? What do you do when you feel intimidated and what are the different ways that feeling comes into play for you?   Connect with the panelists: Glady Baradaran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glady-baradaran-msc-od-6238071a/ 15 years of HR experience and a love for organizational development. Based in Canada.   Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/ Founder of Career Polish where she is an Executive Career Coach & Master Mindset Coach who helps people get career happy and life healthy   Diane Helbig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhelbig/ Is the founder of Helbig Enterprises where they serve business owners and professionals who want to realize better out comes and greater happiness. She is an author and hosts the podcast Accelerate your Business Growth   Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/ Concierge High Performance Psychologist providing luxury level support to executives, entrepreneurs, celebrities, dignitaries and athletes as well as the Facilitator of the Quick Hits podcast   Want a summary of the Quick Hits plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/     #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com   #selfworth #intimidating #confidence #worthy

If you were on the bus or in the grocery store and passed by someone speaking loudly on speaker phone, is it intrusive to offer them a thought about their conversation? Or has that person indirectly included you in their conversation?   I once read an article about a woman who works with deaf students. She had to explain to them that if you're a hearing person, then hearing is not something you can choose to do. It's like smelling - if there's a smell in the room, you're going to smell it. And I wonder sometimes if people realize that when they are so loud in a public space.   “We assume a sort of privacy if we're around people we don't know,” says Simon Cole, CEO of Amphora Research Systems and one my guests on this edition of Quick Hits.   “Some people just like to be heard,” added consultant Dr. Bob Choat. “There is that ego thing…But a lot of people are also not self-aware that this is happening and maybe if we let them know, we could help them to tone it down.”   Under what circumstances should we butt in? Are there times when it's merited or does it always invite unnecessary conflict?   Career Polish founder Lisa McDonald suggested that it also matters whether the person you've overheard is having their conversation on the phone or with others physically around him. “If it's in person, I'm more likely to butt in. But if it's on the phone, I'm really good at pretending that I don't hear things.”   I had a wonderful time discussing this tricky subject with these three brilliant minds. I hope you find our discussion engaging and enjoyable.   Are you likely to butt in or pretend you can't hear?   Connect with the panelists: Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fearlesslisam/ Dr. Bob Choat: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobchoat/ Simon Coles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjcoles/ Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/   Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/   #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com   #Quick Hits #Overhearing #LoudInPublic

Planning is definitely useful in both your personal and professional life. But how useful is it to plan for many years in the future? To what extent does it guide you to your goal and to what extent is it just sheer fantasizing?   I discussed this topic with my guests on this edition of Quick Hits — mastermind coach Lisa McDonald; speaker and entrepreneur Coach MJ Tolan; and business consultant Kevin Wash.   They all agreed that long term goals can be very useful, given a number of caveats, such as the personality of that person and the nature of the goal. Plus, we should always pay attention to how we're developing and remember that our goals can change.   “There's so much baggage around goal setting,” Lisa told us. “It's important to recognize where you are and ask yourself, ‘Why do I want this?'”   “Be careful,” Coach MJ advised. “Don't get me started on how many people go emotionally bankrupt by trying to have their business be the all-in of everything.”   Kevin Wash agreed, adding that we shouldn't get too fixated on our goals because “sometimes what you want isn't as good as you think it might be.”   Talking with these three great minds gave me a great deal of clarity on the nature of goal-setting and I hope it does the same for you.   That said, do you think long term goals are useful?   Connect with the panelists: Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fearlesslisam/ Coach M J Tolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/motivationalspeakertolan/ Kevin Wash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-wash-23b90915/ Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/   Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/   #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com   #QuickHits #WorkGoals #LifeGoals #FiveYearPlan

I was raised to believe that as long as I told the truth, it shouldn't hurt someone's feelings.   It took me longer than it should have to realize that just being true isn't enough to keep something from being hurtful. Once someone feels hurt or shamed they are not longer open to what you are saying.   How do you approach those frank conversations — whether it's with a business associate who's holding back the team or a friend who has been behaving in a harmful way — so that the other person really hears what you have to say?   I put this question to the three great minds who joined me on this edition of Quick Hits — Tim Hawkes, the Managing Director of Unlimited Potential; Stewart Wiggins, fractional COO at Induna Advisors; and executive career coach Lisa McDonald. They brought great experience and insight to this conversation that I hope you find helpful when you also need share a hard-truth without hurting someone's feelings.   What tips do you have for being able to say what needs to be said without shutting someone down by being “too much?”   Connect with the panelists: Tim Hawkes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timhawkes/ Stewart Wiggins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewart-wiggins/ Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fearlesslisam/ Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/   Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/   #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com     #StraightTalk #BetterConversations  

Lisa McDonald, a Clinical Naturopath with over 10 years of experience in recovery from Mould Toxicity shares her personal experience, and clinical insights for identifying and recovering from chronic inflammatory response syndrome/mould illness. Tune in here for more…

We chat to the new chair of the Rosslare District Cllr Lisa McDonald as she sets out her vision on housing and the regeneration of the new district high on her agenda

Joining us today is Lisa McDonald, a Clinical Naturopath with over 10 years of experience in recovery from Mould Toxicity. Today we're going to be discussing how gut health impacts and is impacted by mould Biotoxins. About Lisa: Lisa is a Clinical Naturopath, lecturer and Practitioner Board Member of the Australian Register of Naturopaths and Herbalists (ARONAH) in Australia. Lisa has a Bachelor Degree majoring in Psychology from Macquarie University and a Masters of Management from Macquarie Graduate School of Management. She gained her naturopathic qualifications at Nature Care College and is currently completing an Honours Degree in Medicines Management, Complementary Medicine at the University of Tasmania.After personal experience with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)/Mould illness, Lisa became passionate about knowing all there is to know about CIRS/mould illness and all the confounding health issues that tend to come with patients who experience CIRS and chronic illness. She is one of the few naturopaths in Australia who has studied with Dr Shoemaker and has developed a unique process of analysis of patient's health to capture, track and treat multisystem illness like CIRS.Lisa brings together her knowledge of nutrigenomics, psychology, functional medicine, DrShoemaker's and other CIRS thought leaders into her own unique integrated naturopathic systems-based framework to provide individualised treatment.Connect with Lisa:Website: www.indigosagehealth.com.au Email: admin@indigosagehealth.com.auFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigosagehealthShownotes and references are available on your local Designs for health websitewww.designsforhealth.com.auRegister as a Designs for Health Practitioner and discover quality practitioner only supplements at www.designsforhealth.com.auDISCLAIMER: The Information provided in the Wellness by Designs podcast is for educational purposes only; the information presented is not intended to be used as medical advice; please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional if what you have heard here today raises questions or concerns relating to your health

Fianna Fail Councillor Lisa McDonald believes more needs to be done to address antiquated domestic violence protections for victms and explains in detail her proposals.....

Brittany Budd is a mindset and business coach ready to help take women entrepreneurs to the next level. The Babe to Boss podcast supplies tips on how to take your business to six figures and beyond. In this episode, Brittany continues her candid conversations with clients who've applied and started the Audience Incubator cohorts. Lisa McDonald is a guided meditation facilitator who helps professionals take time out of their packed schedules to simply be present and slow down. Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 01:23 - Lisa McDonald How she got into guided meditation Why is guided meditation growing in popularity 05:00 - The work of guided meditation What types of meditation does Lisa do What it looks like for people who participate Why the work is so important to Lisa 15:05 - What was happening before working with Brittany Previous coaching and starting a business from scratch 17:55 - Hesitancies, objections, and sacrifices when investing in yourself Having more than one coach 25:58 - Thoughts and feelings after starting to work with Brittany Excitement for connecting with people from all over and from all different backgrounds 28:44 - What surprised Lisa about Brittany's process Getting the space to listen, learn, ask questions and immediately implement 31:42 - Why Lisa is glad to be working with Brittany and how has paid off Connection and Energy No more fear of using social media and generating engagement 36:10 - Challenges Lisa has overcome Anxiety over imposter syndrome and putting yourself out there Finding your worth 38:53 - Results 40:51 - Advice for people considering taking the next step 42:54 - Outro If you loved this episode, please give it a rating/review on iTunes. As a thank you, I'd love to send you my Millionaire Money Bundle. Including a manifestation guide, a guided meditation and a money mindset training. Just send a screenshot of your review to Brittany@BrittanyBudd.com or DM me at my socials and I'll make sure to send that to you right away. How to connect with me: BrittanyBudd.com/AudienceIncubator BrittanyBudd.com/strategy Facebook.com/groups/babetoboss Brittany Budd on YouTube Grab my freebie - 6 Figure Facebook Groups Masterclass BrittanyBudd.com/groups

The inaugural episode of the PandemicTech Podcast tells the story of how a medical mission to India and an unexpected health emergency led to the founding of a global innovation ecosystem. Drs. Andrew Nerlinger and Lisa McDonald share how their experiences led them to develop a new model for creating global health security: supporting creative problem-solving from healthcare providers within local communities and connecting them with technology innovators around the world. Featured in this episode: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewnerlinger/ (Dr. Andrew Nerlinger) https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaemcdonald/ (Dr. Lisa McDonald) https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmgerwig/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAAD5SRoB86sR7CO8ldb0I7LR4DCCBOiBh1g (Sarah Gerwig) Read the https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oh1cI5msrTK2ZI7SEj9YaFkMNIvQJnVf/view?usp=sharing (transcript of this episode.) Follow the PandemicTech Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts Connect with us on https://twitter.com/pandemic_tech (Twitter), https://www.instagram.com/pandemic_tech/ (Instagram), and https://pandemictech.medium.com/ (Medium) From https://www.pandemictech.com/ (PandemicTech), the world's first innovation ecosystem dedicated to fighting pandemics.

Functional Medicine Providers: What You Will Learn: Lisa's journey into the functional medicine niche How functional medicine providers can identify opportunities for growth as they come out of the crisis Challenges that FM practitioners should be prepared for as they start to explore the new talent pool and begin the hiring process How to position your practice to stand out and attract higher caliber employees Hiring practices that will put an end to the revolving door of employees at your practice Hiring During a Crisis Lisa McDonald is the founder and owner of Integrated Connections, a consultative search and placement firm serving integrative and functional medicine providers. After experiencing the transformative powers of this medicine firsthand, Lisa set out with a vision to change healthcare through her work. She joins us on this episode of The FM Shift to share her journey and talk about the work her firm is doing to support the functional medicine movement. Prepare for Growth When COVID first started, there was a drop in jobs for functional medicine providers. But those jobs are coming back, and in August we were back at equilibrium with August 2019. In October 2020, there is nothing but opportunity in the functional medicine field, and patient demand is going to be driving business now more than ever. There is also a group of doctors that has seen traditional medicine completely fail them during this crisis, so they are migrating toward our movement after witnessing the effectiveness of functional medicine. The industry is booming right now, so functional medicine providers should do everything in their power to prepare for growth. Build a Team That Aligns With Your Vision One of the ways functional medicine providers can prepare their practices for growth is by learning how to navigate the new hiring field in the post-COVID climate. Go digital with your hiring process. Position your practice to stand out and attract a deeper talent pool. Learn how to properly vet prospective employees so you can put an end to the revolving door of staff members at your practice. All of these things will help set you up for success by making sure you're ready to take on every new opportunity with a reliable team behind you. Photo by XPS on Unsplash About Lisa McDonald Lisa McDonald founded Integrated Connections in 2009 with a vision to change healthcare. Integrated Connections is a consultative search and placement firm for Integrative and Functional Medicine. Lisa experienced the transformative powers of this medicine firsthand and remains committed to supporting the Functional Medicine movement. With over 20 years of Human Resources Management experience, and a passion and in-depth understanding of the field, Lisas offers rare expertise that also comes from 10 years of working closely with a variety of organizations to include health systems and small private practices. Her work has given her a unique aerial view of the field as she has witnessed its growing emergence into mainstream medicine. Over the years, Integrated Connections has adapted to the changing climate of healthcare and continued to support the growth of Integrative and Functional Medicine. Their services expanded from recruitment to a career platform in collaboration with The Institute for Functional Medicine, and they recently launched The Integrated Connections Academy, which offers courses for clinicians and employers in the field that support their growth.   How to Connect with Lisa McDonald: Website: https://integratedconnects.com https://icacademy.teachable.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapmcdonald/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/integrated-connections-llc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisapmcdonald/ Twitter: @IntegratedCO

Most podcasters have to pay their dues working in the trenches for years before scoring a big name guest to have on their shows. But word is out about The Gary & Mark Show. We're excited to share this episode where we sit down and chat with Joe Dinan, the co-owner (along with his partner Lisa McDonald) and head brewer of Sanctuary Brewing Company in Hendersonville, NC. The Gary & Mark Show has visited The Sanctuary on a few occasions for research and development of our podcast and we did record an earlier podcast there. But we were in the shadows hoping not to be noticed. Now we were allowed to be front and center and were thrilled that Joe Dinan took time out of his busy day to tell you about The Sanctuary the he and Lisa have created. Their website says they are a “brewery with a heart” and you'll find out why in this episode. Visit the website at: sanctuarybrewco.com.

Have you ever dreamed of opening an animal sanctuary? Owning your own beer brewery? Why not do them both at the same time? Lisa McDonald and Joe Dinan own Sanctuary Brewing Company in Hendersonville, NC. The profit from the beer pays for the animals! Genius! EMAIL: info@sanctuarybrewco.com http://www.sanctuarybrewco.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sanctuarybrewing/ https://www.facebook.com/sanctuarybrew https://twitter.com/SanctuaryBeer Wrap up News of the Day Excuse of the Day: Eating animals is natural Activist Tip of the Day: Post vegan food pics on Google listings The Livegan Podcast Patreon Page The Livegan Podcast Facebook Page

Host Cyrus Webb welcomes back author and media personality Lisa McDonald to #ConversationsLIVE to discuss how she is using various platforms to entertain, inspire and motivate others to follow their goals and dreams.