Podcasts about loudoun county

LMN Washington D.C. Correspondent Daniel Grimes joins Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam in his home district to talk about the impact that data centers can have on a community. Noise pollution, air pollution, and increased utility bills are only a few of the concerns; one Loudoun County resident shows Daniel how the government is planning to build a power line through her property.

David Waldman and Greg Dworkin bring harmony to the chaos. WAR! Donald K. Trump has done all he can to provoke the most un-provokable neighbor a country has ever had. Now he has a new war to lose that America will continue to lose after he's gone. The US Navy continues to lose its war against Trump. The USS Lincoln sailors finally return home to their families, as long as their families haven't yet been abducted by ICE. Navy families evacuated from Bahrain remain stranded. Any of them returning home to Gary, Indiana will be greeted with familiar conditions. Loudoun County, home of KITM World Headquarters, have surrendered to their data center overlords long ago and might be becoming habituated, but in places like Ohio, the centers are now entering with AI and Flock(ish) cameras and an increasingly abusive and silly police state, which are all pretty much supported by Gops, though less so with MAGA, and hence are a midterms problem for Republicans. Democrats are in great shape… as long as they offer complex solutions to complex issues, never overpromise and above all, remain electable. Once the American public becomes fully educated to understand the nomenclature and internal structure behind government processes, Democrats should be a lock. Meanwhile, Dan Sullivan endorses Dan Sullivan to beat Dan Sullivan, who's no Danny Sullivan. Danny didn't win yesterday's finale of America's glorious semi sesquicentennial celebration but probably would have had if he started on the pole.

America has a crisis of young men—and Tony Woodlief believes fatherhood, faith, and stronger communities could be part of the answer. On The Karol Markowicz Show, Karol sits down with writer, political scientist, and author Tony Woodlief for a wide-ranging conversation about fatherhood, masculinity, parenting, faith, politics, education, artificial intelligence, and finding purpose in an increasingly disconnected culture. Woodlief explains why he believes too many young men have been left without meaningful friendships, employment, education, or connections to institutions and communities. He discusses the difference between simply being a parent and intentionally being a father, why modern portrayals of masculinity often miss the mark, and what can be done to help men searching for direction and purpose. Karol and Tony also explore his unconventional approach to politics and federalism, including why he believes massive school districts have weakened parents’ control over their children's education and why breaking them into smaller, locally accountable districts could produce better results. Plus, Tony offers his provocative prediction about artificial intelligence and the future of writing and art, explains why AI may expose rather than destroy bad creative work, and shares the simple daily practice he believes can dramatically improve your life: intentional gratitude. It’s a thoughtful conversation about raising children, becoming better men, strengthening families, reclaiming local control, and finding meaning in a rapidly changing America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader, Cerity Partners Three years after launching his independent RIA, Patrick Larkin merged with Cerity Partners—but not because that was the original plan. He explains how ownership changed the way he viewed enterprise value, optionality, and the future of his business. In Summary Going independent is often viewed as the destination. Patrick Larkin discovered it was just the beginning. Louis sits down with Patrick, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners and former founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, to discuss an unconventional journey: leaving Wells Fargo to build an independent RIA, then choosing to merge that business just three years later. Rather than following a predetermined exit strategy, Patrick shares how ownership fundamentally changed the way he thought about enterprise value. A conversation with a prospective acquirer revealed that buyers weren't interested in purchasing a book of business—they were looking for a business. That realization reshaped how he invested, hired, delegated, and ultimately positioned his firm for the future. The conversation from our Build Grow & Transact series also offers a candid look at life after a merger, from evaluating cultural fit and partnership to balancing autonomy with the resources of a larger organization. More broadly, it illustrates how ownership creates optionality—and why the most valuable decision an advisor makes may not be the one they originally envisioned. The Storyline After spending nearly 15 years building a successful practice at AG Edwards, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo, Patrick Larkin launched Oak Hill Wealth Advisors in 2022 with a simple objective: build a business on his own terms. Like many advisors, he expected independence to be the final destination for a long time. But then there was the realization that ownership changes more than economics; it changes perspective. And it became the beginning of an entirely different way of thinking. As acquisition inquiries arrived sooner than expected, Patrick realized something that fundamentally changed his strategy. Sophisticated buyers weren't evaluating his client relationships as a book of business; they were evaluating Oak Hill as an enterprise. That insight shifted his priorities from maximizing short-term profitability to building a business that could thrive beyond its founder. Just three years after launching, Patrick chose to merge with Cerity Partners—not because he was looking for an exit, but because he believed it strengthened the future for his clients, his team, and his family. Louis and Patrick explore what led to that decision, how ownership increased the value of his business almost immediately, why he compares independence to an IPO, and what advisors should consider if they hope to create options for the future—even if they don't yet know what that future looks like. Topics Covered Building enterprise value versus maximizing annual income Creating optionality through ownership Leaving Wells Fargo to launch an independent RIA Why buyers value businesses more than books of business Evaluating strategic partners and acquisition opportunities The economics of independence and business valuation Life after merging with Cerity Partners Balancing autonomy with enterprise-scale resources Leadership, succession, and building beyond the founder Long-term ownership and partnership models > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why did Patrick decide to leave Wells Fargo? (11:07) Patrick explains why growing frustrations around control, firm priorities, and the ability to build his business eventually outweighed the comfort of staying put. How did going independent immediately change the value of his business? (21:42) Patrick introduces one of the episode's biggest ideas: why launching Oak Hill felt like taking a company public and how ownership increased the firm's value almost overnight. Why did Patrick sell only three years after becoming independent? (20:03) An unexpected conversation with a prospective acquirer completely changed how he viewed enterprise value and accelerated his long-term thinking. What separates a business from a book of business? (21:42) Patrick discusses why recruiting advisors, delegating client relationships, and investing beyond himself made Oak Hill more attractive to strategic buyers. Why Cerity Partners? (26:48) Rather than focusing on valuation, Cerity emphasized culture, partnership, and long-term alignment—qualities Patrick says ultimately mattered most. What is life actually like after a merger? (37:57) Patrick offers an unusually candid perspective on autonomy, leadership, and why he says he hasn't second-guessed the decision once. Key Takeaways Ownership creates opportunities that often aren't visible until after independence. Enterprise value is built by creating a business that can thrive beyond its founder. The first acquisition conversation can be valuable even if no transaction occurs. Cultural alignment may ultimately matter more than valuation when selecting a long-term partner. Independence doesn't eliminate future options—it expands them. Strategic transactions can strengthen outcomes for clients, employees, and owners simultaneously. The goal isn't simply to own a business; it's to create choices for what comes next. https://youtu.be/f7FGLGjBbyo Quotable Moments “The day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public.” “Potential acquirers weren't interested in buying a book. They were interested in buying a business.” “Ownership isn't simply about control. It's about creating optionality.” “The fear of leaving is almost always worse than the actual experience of leaving.” FAQs Why did Patrick Larkin merge with Cerity Partners only three years after launching his RIA? Patrick explains that independence changed how he viewed enterprise value. After learning what sophisticated buyers were actually looking for, he intentionally built Oak Hill as a business rather than simply managing for annual profitability. Why does Patrick compare independence to an IPO? Because ownership immediately transformed the economic value of his practice. Rather than participating in an internal succession model, he owned an independent enterprise that carried substantially greater market value. What changed after Patrick became independent? Beyond gaining control, he began making decisions through the lens of enterprise value—investing in advisors, systems, and infrastructure that would make the business less dependent on him personally. What made Cerity Partners stand out? Patrick cites the firm's culture, partnership model, meritocracy, long-term vision, and ability to combine local autonomy with enterprise-level capabilities. Is this episode only relevant for advisors considering selling? No. The broader lesson is that ownership creates flexibility. Whether an advisor ultimately remains independent or joins another organization, understanding how enterprise value is created can influence decisions from day one. What is the biggest lesson Patrick hopes advisors take away? That independence isn't simply about leaving a firm. It's about creating the ability to choose what comes next on your own terms. Patrick explains that independence changed how he viewed enterprise value. After learning what sophisticated buyers were actually looking for, he intentionally built Oak Hill as a business rather than simply managing for annual profitability. Because ownership immediately transformed the economic value of his practice. Rather than participating in an internal succession model, he owned an independent enterprise that carried substantially greater market value. Beyond gaining control, he began making decisions through the lens of enterprise value—investing in advisors, systems, and infrastructure that would make the business less dependent on him personally. Patrick cites the firm's culture, partnership model, meritocracy, long-term vision, and ability to combine local autonomy with enterprise-level capabilities. No. The broader lesson is that ownership creates flexibility. Whether an advisor ultimately remains independent or joins another organization, understanding how enterprise value is created can influence decisions from day one. That independence isn't simply about leaving a firm. It's about creating the ability to choose what comes next on your own terms. Related Resources From Start-Up to $31B Behemoth RIA: The Catalysts Behind the Growth of Mega-Firm Cerity Partners Ownership Matters: What Advisors Need to Know When Evaluating Firms Top Tips for Setting Your Business Up for Success Years Before a Move Patrick LarkinPartner and Practice Leader Patrick is a Partner and Practice Leader in the Lansdowne, VA office. He is a member of the Lansdowne Practice, where he works closely with families, foundations, and non-profits to help them define and achieve their financial goals with clarity and confidence. With a deep specialization in retirement income distribution planning and complex risk and wealth management strategies, Patrick is known for helping clients simplify complicated financial decisions, reduce uncertainty, and build sustainable, long-term plans. His approach emphasizes fiduciary responsibility, transparency, and personalized guidance — ensuring clients always feel informed and empowered. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Patrick was the founding member of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, where he built a highly respected independent advisory practice that earned the trust of families, professionals, and mission-driven organizations across the region. His leadership was instrumental in shaping a client-first culture that continues today. Patrick's work is rooted in a passion for long-term relationships — guiding clients not just through markets, but through life's milestones such as retirement, business transitions, philanthropic planning, and wealth transfer across generations. He takes pride in being both a strategic advisor and a steady partner to the people he serves. Patrick lives in Bluemont, VA, with his wife Angela, their two children, Paige and Sean, and their Golden Retrievers, Huckleberry and Genoa. Outside of the office, Patrick and his family enjoy an active lifestyle — whether it's hiking and backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, biking the Great Allegheny Passage, or sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. These experiences reflect his belief in balance, resilience, and enjoying the journey — values he also brings to his work with clients. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years A conversation with Louis Diamond and Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader at Cerity Partners.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years. It’s a conversation with Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: Ownership as a way of creating opportunities you can’t always predict. That’s exactly why we created our Build, Grow, and Transact series. Independence isn’t the end of the story. It’s often the beginning of thinking differently about enterprise value, optionality, and what comes next. Today’s guest is Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners, and formerly the founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Patrick spent nearly 15 years building a successful practice at A.G. Edwards, Wachovia, and eventually Wells Fargo before launching his own independent firm in 2022. Just three years later, he merged that firm into Cerity. At first glance, that timeline might seem surprisingly short, but as you’ll hear, the merger wasn’t a change in direction. It was the result of seeing his business differently once he owned it. Yet, it’s this perspective that really brings that thought home. Patrick said the day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public because overnight, what had been viewed as a book of business became an enterprise with substantially greater value, some four to five times the value of what it was worth at Wells. And that realization changed the way he invested, the way he hired, and ultimately the way he thought about the future. Pat and I also talk about something advisors don’t often discuss candidly, what life actually looks like after a merger. How much control do you give up? What changes day to day? How do you know whether you’re joining a partner or simply selling a business? Whether your long-term plan is to remain independent forever or eventually join a larger organization, Patrick’s experience is a reminder that ownership isn’t simply about control. It’s about creating optionality and putting yourself in a position where the next decision is yours to make. So let’s get to it. Patrick, thanks for coming on our show today. Patrick Larkin: Oh, my pleasure. Nice to meet you, Louis. Louis Diamond: You too. So let’s start off basically how we start every interview. Tell us about yourself, your background, and how you found your way into our industry in the first place. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, thank you for asking. I knew I always wanted to be a financial advisor. That part really wasn’t in question, but upon graduating college and being a 22-year-old, I knew that it was probably not practical to walk in and start advising people my parents’ age with their life savings. Probably wasn’t going to be a recipe for success. So I took a quick tour through the pharmaceutical industry first, which ended up being unexpectedly valuable. My employers there pushed me to think like an entrepreneur and within our territories. And honestly, that mindset never left me. It shaped how I built everything that came after. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself in Loudoun County, Virginia in Northern Virginia, and I became an FA trainee with A.G. Edwards, absolutely fantastic firm to start my career. Now, what drew me to this career was pretty simple. I felt like it was one of the professions that we had an opportunity to do so much good for others while simultaneously also doing well for yourself, and those two things aren’t in conflict. I also really loved the idea that in this profession there was no hiding. You don’t get paid to show up. You get paid for what you actually do. And perhaps for me, what was most important, I loved the weight of responsibility. I loved earning people’s trust. I loved the idea of deserving, being deserving of their trust, and being a steward of what they’ve worked a lifetime to build. I never took that lightly, and I still don’t. Louis Diamond: That’s amazing. Yeah, I mean, the number of people I’ve heard, you talked so fondly about A.G. Edwards and there’s a bunch of other firms that have since been absorbed or emerged that are like the regional firms of old. So not surprised to hear you loved it. A.G. Edwards, obviously, became Wells Fargo Advisors or was acquired or merged with Wells Fargo. So I know you’re at Wells and A.G. Edwards until 2022. So give us a quick version. How’d you build your practice from the pharma world into being in FA? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, so as I started with A.G. Edwards, I came in at really just the perfect time. It was towards the end of the financial crisis. And I built the business the old-fashioned way with a lot of cold calling and eventually did some dinner seminars, which I can tell you is a very expensive way to learn how to speak in front of a room. But I made some progress, and I was also in a great office, small enough that some of the advisors there would hand off some of the smaller accounts that they weren’t interested in working with, and got an opportunity to get a lot of reps in working with real life clients and individuals. I knew early on I didn’t have enough talent to win on talent alone, so I made up for it and compensated for that with really hard work. The real turning point came for me when A.G. Edwards was first acquired by Wachovia Securities, and that was about five years into my career. And at that point, my branch manager, who was eyeing retirement, asked me to step in as her partner, and that changed everything. We eventually moved over to a Wachovia Securities office, another really great local office in Loudoun County, Virginia. And from that office, I worked on and became a CIMA, a CFP, worked with the clients, built a business through referrals. And I found at that point in my career when I would go to a meeting with Wachovia, eventually Wells Fargo, as a young 30-year-old, I would look around the room often and realize that I was the youngest person in the room. The funny thing was 10 years later, I would go into that same room and I’d look around and I still was the youngest guy in that room. And those demographics in our industry, and when I came into our industry, ultimately led that office that I worked in with Wells Fargo Advisors, I eventually was the recipient and party to five different succession plans- Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: … at Wells Fargo Advisors. I hoped that I had built a reputation as somebody that these other advisors would entrust with their clients. And over that time period, really, I would say professionally, one of my accomplishments I’m most proud of is all five of those retired advisors that I used to work with, who had an opportunity to see me work with clients, all became clients of mine, I still continue to work with. And it’s professionally just one of the greatest honors that I’ve ever had. Louis Diamond: I mean, that’s a large number of advisors you helped sunset, but I would agree it’s the ultimate proof of concept that they not only trusted you with their clients and their life’s work, but now also with their family’s wealth. So I like that, kind of the full life cycle there. So I’m curious, though, you stayed at Wells through a really turbulent time through the fake bank scandal. There’s a lot of attrition. I mean, obviously, they’re still a powerhouse to this day, but what kept you at Wells for as long as it did before you left in 2022? Patrick Larkin: You described it as a turbulent time. Pretty turbulent might be an understatement. Even before Wells, the transition to Wells, Wachovia Bank had been the first company that we transitioned to from A.G. Edwards. And we, of course, went through the financial crisis during that time period and handholding our clients and helping them get through that time period and dealing with concerns that we shouldn’t really have to be prepared with. “Is my money safe? It’s not what’s happening to the market, but is my money safe in your institution?” But once things stabilized, I found real purpose in partnering with some of the retiring advisors and opportunities that came up. It was a really wonderful climate and atmosphere in our local office. It was really a family-like atmosphere, and I still had a lot to learn. And all those advisors that I partnered with, I’ve joked I’ve never had an original idea in my entire life. I stole all my good ideas from them. And some of them were really ahead of their time, and I learned, adopted, and built my own philosophies by working closely with them. Ultimately, by the time I left Wells Fargo, I was finishing up the fifth sunset program and had only made my way halfway through the sunset before the opportunity presented itself to create my own practice. Louis Diamond: So I’m curious, when did you first seriously start thinking about leaving and what really tipped the scales for you? What was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, it really was a number of small items and ultimately one big one. But for a long time, I’d been content, but as I tried to grow the business beyond what I could do individually, I felt like I kept running into walls. There were it felt like limitations on how I could build out my team and structure the practice the way I envisioned it. Additionally, there were some new policies that also started to bother me. One of them was the platform advisory fee, which in my eyes was less about client transparency and more about replacing a declining revenue source on the firm’s balance sheet. And after dealing with clients and helping them through the bank scandal at the firm, I was concerned that this would come back and hurt me and the relationships that I had with my clients. Incidentally, I just recently onboarded a new client that transferred to us. And for them, looking at their statement, identifying this platform advisory fee- Louis Diamond: Oh boy. Patrick Larkin: … was the last straw for them before they moved about 15 million of assets to us. Also, I thought I would be I would be a better allocator of resources than Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo retained about half of the revenue that I earned for the business. They seemed to think that the best allocation of that money was additional middle management. Whereas, I thought investment in technology, investment in additional personnel, and an investment in marketing were best places to continue to build out my vision. The final straw, and really a thing that crystallized everything for me was when I read a book in 2021 called The Infinite Game, a book written by Simon Sinek. Chapter eight, the title is Ethical Fading. And it uses the Wells Fargo bank scandal as a case study in what happens when a firm loses its moral compass. I read the chapter and thought, “There it is, I have to do something.” That was really the final push I needed. I mentioned earlier I was very fortunate to start my career with a company called A.G. Edwards, a regional brokerage firm. And while I was at A.G. Edwards, there was a research report that came out on A.G. Edwards as a company. And I’m going to paraphrase a little bit on what was said in that report, but ultimately there was a line in there, and it was a criticism, but I took it as a huge positive as being an employee there. The line said, “While management does not necessarily say it, we believe the client is put ahead of the shareholder.” And that was something I was very proud of. And I just, upon reflecting on it, felt confident those were words that I never was going to see go to print about Wells Fargo. Louis Diamond: So you left Wells in 2022 and founded Oak Hill Wealth Partners in Lansdowne, Virginia. Walk us through that decision. Why go independent rather than going to another firm? Patrick Larkin: I really thought moving to another firm, the things that I had grown frustrated with at Wells Fargo Advisors, I would also find at another wirehouse firm. I was ready, and honestly, the simple answer is I thought I could do better. And I wanted control after having what I felt like was very little control. I had grown frustrated with others making important decisions, and I wanted an opportunity to grab the reins and make decisions on my own. I believe at that time, the future of wealth management was going to be built around fiduciary advice, and I didn’t want to watch that from the sidelines anymore. I was watching what was happening in the industry. And as we were trying to hire new advisors, reaching out to college graduates who were studying CFP programs, identified that they were more inclined to want to start employment with an RIA than a wirehouse. What made the timing work really well was Wells Fargo had actually introduced a program to help advisors in the private client group spin off and establish their own RIAs. Now, whenever I tell this to another advisor, particularly ones that are wirehouses, they can’t understand it. And quite frankly, I don’t understand why they helped us do it, but we were about the 30th practice that they helped us through this process and they provided real support. They hired consultants, made vendor recommendations, even referrals to financing so I could pay off my last succession plan before I left. The only really upside for Wells Fargo was that the ask was that we continue to use First Clearing as the custodian. And one of the downsides for me was I was going to leave all of my deferred comp behind with Wells Fargo. Now, all clients had to do to join me was sign a positive consent. And on May 9th, 2020, we turned on our computers in our new office and our clients were already there. That same day, we launched and started a relationship with Charles Schwab. And it was so exciting to be able to start shopping for what I thought was the best FinTech, really feeling like I was stuck with proprietary tools that Wells Fargo advisors had offered. I felt like I was a kid in a candy store. And if there was a cool tool that I identified that would help us serve our clients better, I was all in and I was buying it. I really feel that some of the technology that Oak Hill eventually bought into and some of the tools we’re using now are going to take years and years before they eventually trickle down to where the wirehouses are, if ever. Louis Diamond: Interesting. So it was really it was for the most part an internal move from one- Patrick Larkin: It was- Louis Diamond: … channel to the other. Patrick Larkin: … it was an internal move, but there was no requirement to stay at First Clearing. As a fiduciary, they couldn’t make those demands. And again, they helped us with the financing, which is really unusual that they helped us secure a loan so I could pay off the last retiring advisor. It’s really unusual that a bank will loan money where there is no business at the time, but because of previous experience that financial institution had working with Wells, they helped us facilitate the transaction. And the program is still in place at Wells Fargo, which is absolutely amazing to me after the experience that I’ve just had myself. Louis Diamond: Yeah, it’s interesting. I mean, does it cannibalize a more profitable revenue source? Sure. But if the alternative was all the assets go to Schwab or Fidelity, to me, honestly, it’s smart. I think they played the long game by not being adversarial on it. Patrick Larkin: I think they played a long game and they took the philosophy, and I think they use it as a recruiting tool that if you love them, set them free. And that’s exactly what they did. Louis Diamond: So for the rest of the episode, I want to talk about your eventual, and not that long period of time, transaction or decision to merge Oak Hill with Cerity Partners. This is our Build, Grow, Transact subseries. And I was really struck by your story because you were three years or so into running Oak Hill, and then your merger with Cerity Partners, an amazing RIA closed. That’s a fairly short runway. Usually when I see folks go independent for the first time, it’s 10, 15, 20 years, maybe never, that they decide to merge or sell. I’m curious to understand your thinking about the transaction. Were you looking to do something? Or was it just like right place, right time and the opportunity presented itself? Patrick Larkin: I had started Oak Hill with the intent of eventually down the road, much closer to retirement, looking for a partner. The opportunity and what I learned early on helped change that idea and philosophy, and I adapted and made modifications to take advantage of it. Louis Diamond: Interesting. So you weren’t necessarily planning on selling or merging the business, it just kind of circumstances happened the way they did? Patrick Larkin: Yeah. When we started Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, it was a really pretty short period of time before we started getting calls from larger national RIAs about potential acquisition, much sooner than I expected. Early on, I just brushed them off, but about a year in, I took one of those calls and it really just opened my eyes up. I realized for the first time this small firm, this little practice actually had some real value, way more than I’d given it credit for. That first call, that first exploration didn’t go anywhere. It wasn’t a good fit. But what it gave me was a much clearer picture of what the serious acquirers were actually looking for. And that changed decisions I made at Oak Hill going forward. I really at that point stopped trying to optimize for near-term profit and really thought of my business as a business and started building towards enterprise value, sometimes at the cost of short-term income. And that turned out to be exactly the right call. Louis Diamond: That’s such an interesting perspective. Let’s double-click into that concept. So it sounds almost counterintuitive that if you kind of had this light bulb moment that like, “Okay, maybe I want to transact my business sooner than I initially thought.” I think most people would say, “Let’s become lean and mean. Let’s become as profitable as possible so my EBITDA’s higher.” But you took the different approach. What were the decisions you did to invest more in enterprise value rather than current cash flow? Patrick Larkin: A true business is one that doesn’t need me to be here every day to operate. And when we left Wells Fargo Advisors, it was myself and one other advisor that created Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. I was responsible for about 95% of the assets and revenue. And one of the more significant investments we made is in additional advisors. I recruited three new advisors, all CFPs, to join Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Whereas, before I had been largely managing all the relationships myself. For someone that kind of grew up in the regional wirehouse space, it’s pretty counterintuitive to start moving relationships away from you onto other advisors. You’re trained and built to create a moat around your relationships, and realized that the potential acquirers are not interested, at least the ones I was interested in, weren’t interested in buying a book. They were interested in buying a business. And that just meant every decision we made going forward was not profit-driven, but how can I increase the value of the business? So after that first call, I knew I probably would be looking to move forward with a transaction sooner as opposed to the end of retirement. That information that I got on that first call helped me realize that when Oak Hill Wealth Advisors opened its doors on May 9th, 2022, we effectively had an IPO. I had great familiarity with how the succession plans at Wells Fargo Advisors worked. And on that day that we opened our practice, the value of my business jumped to be four to five times the value of it in a succession plan at Wells Fargo Advisors. Now, I knew going forward that I was going to be able to increase revenue. I was going to be able to increase EBITDA. I was going to potentially have some benefits from a market tailwind. I knew the multiples of EBITDA that the firms use may fluctuate, but the biggest change by far occurred leaving the wirehouse and having the value of my business grow four to fivefold in that same day. So what I really focused on was making sure that I was going to, when I was ready to start looking again after I had worked on improving the practice, really was going to look for a firm that was going to be a good cultural fit for both my clients, my team, and myself. Louis Diamond: That’s such a cool perspective. I’ve never heard anyone say that the day we launched your independent business was like an IPO. But honestly, it’s so true. You’re planting a flag in the ground that like, “Here is real value. This is value that we’ve created that we own rather than it being a book of business and a W-2 paycheck.” And it’s a fascinating perspective. Patrick Larkin: Yep. It really is amazing that the value changed that much on one day and the future value changes. Looking at the equity that I owned in Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, it made sense to consider is there a better way to take some risk off the table for myself and my family and diversify some of the equity that I had in Oak Hill Wealth Advisors with a larger enterprise? Louis Diamond: It makes complete sense. Obviously, everyone would sign up for 4 to 5X increase in value. Patrick Larkin: Sure. Louis Diamond: That’s not the reason most people go independent, but it’s important to know. And also, what I really liked about what you shared is I think a really valuable learning for anyone is those calls come in, whether it’s from annoying people like me or from an acquirer, from a firm, they’re not all noise. You took it as an opportunity to learn. Even though that first person who called wasn’t the right fit, it crystallized something in your mind and it let you make proactive decisions that ultimately paid off in spades when it came time to sign the dotted line for your transaction with Cerity. So I think it’s brilliant. And it’s very big picture, big-business-owner-type stuff that I think a lot of people will just filter out because it’s annoying and I’m young, I’m not looking to sell, but that was the journey. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, that first call changed my opinion about timing of when to move forward with a partnership. Originally, I thought this would be something at the end of retirement. The timing of doing so sooner seemed a lot more appealing after having that conversation and realizing what we had actually built. Louis Diamond: Amazing. So ultimately you decided to merge with Cerity Partners. We’ve had Kurt Miscinski from Cerity Partners on the show. They’re a real heavyweight within the RIA world. Most recently, they were valued at $8 billion in a recap, and it’s a very impressive firm. What specifically drew you to Cerity versus other potential buyers? Like you said, you got a lot of calls. Patrick Larkin: After that first call, I just got to work and focused on continuing to take care of our clients, building a team, adding new advisors, being a mentor to those advisors. But at the same time, we were being approached fairly regularly by that point. And I had a pretty good system for quickly deciding whether something was worth a second look, and most weren’t. But about a year ago, one of the national RIAs caught my attention and I started having conversations with them. And once I had progressed with them, I though, “You know what? If I’m giving this consideration, I really need to cast a wider net.” So I reached out to other RIAs that I had looked at and admired and been keeping an eye on. And ultimately, my longtime business coach, Barbara Kay, suggested I talk with Cerity Partners, a company that one of her other clients had just recently joined. And from the very first call, I could tell something was different. And I talked to many different companies. Cerity Partners, and an individual I spoke with, Geoff Newman, they weren’t leading with valuation formulas or deal structure. They were asking questions about my clients, my team, and how I actually ran the practice. They had a very defined process for identifying partners who were genuinely compatible, not just advisors with books that were transferable. And that distinction mattered greatly to me. They also offered really, in my opinion, the right balance of support and still having some autonomy. And their aspiration to deliver consistent standard of care to clients, whether they be in California or Virginia, so that those individuals get the same quality of experience, resonated with how I was already running things within my practice. That combination of support and autonomy, I really liked the idea of continuing to have oversight over my local practice, over our practice, which included the budget, salaries, and bonuses. It more than anybody else felt like a partnership and not a buyout. And I really appreciate it during that first call, Cerity was the only company that talked about a hundred-year plan. It was amazing to me to hear what their thoughts were. Most of the other firms I spoke with talked about valuations. And very quickly in the process, I found myself on a Zoom call with a Patagonia fleece vest-wearing private equity rep walking me through a valuation. And it was efficient, but it was not a cultural fit for me. And the infrastructure behind us and the combination of autonomy is really harder to find than most people think. As I progressed with Cerity, I remember early on in the process thinking to myself, “My God, I hope they want me, I hope they want me,” because I could tell I’m a very process-driven person They had a process with the way they brought me on board. And ultimately, we had a due diligence trip set up to go to one of their larger offices where I met with one of their leaders, Claire O’Keefe, part of their practice development, and had an opportunity to meet with different leaders within the firm and really get my arms wrapped around the potential that they had. Just the quality of the people I encountered through the whole process just kept reinforcing the decision. And by the time we got to the finish line, it didn’t feel like a transaction. It felt like I was joining something that I was excited to be part of. So just a little bit more about what attracted me to Cerity, their culture is just phenomenal. Cerity Partners uses the word “meritocracy” and they actually mean it. Ownership and influence here track your contribution, not your tenure or how well you play the politics. I just attended my first partner meeting in April, and without exaggeration, it was the most extraordinary professional meeting I’ve attended in my 25-year career. During the meeting, there was open debate about the direction of the firm, and every voice in the room carried weight. You could feel the culture. And that type of culture is built over years. You can’t fake it. Everyone in the room it felt like was rowing in the same direction. And by the time the meeting was over, I was so excited to get back to my team and tell them about what I had just witnessed, I wasn’t looking for the exit. I was looking for the brick wall to run through. I was so excited. And every once in a while I wonder having spent so much time in the wirehouse spaces, the bar just set really low for me when I talked to some of my other colleagues that have been independent for a long time. But it was just an absolutely amazing experience. And I do want to just add, one of the last really important things to me about Cerity Partners is I’ve been very fortunate with my career and in this profession. And part of my goal over the rest of my career is to have a legacy. And my legacy currently exists with the families I’ve advised and the team that I’ve built and have served and led. But Cerity Partners is helping me achieve even a greater legacy in our industry with our shared long-term goals. During my first meeting, they talked about their hundred-year vision of being a worldwide employee-owned professional services firm. And currently, and this is very exciting, the employees are the largest shareholder of the firm. No one else I talked to talked about their long-term goals like this, and it’s a vision I believe in. I want to contribute to help to see it accomplished. And one day when I do retire, I want to look back and see how I contribute it to a company that I believe is going to change the direction of professional wealth management. Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: My partnership with Cerity Partners is going to make that a reality. It’s just an amazing place. Yeah, very happy. Louis Diamond: Honestly, you can’t fake that type of enthusiasm. It sounds like- Patrick Larkin: It’s not- Louis Diamond: … you entered into a transaction, which is it’s like jumping into the deep end. How do you sort through what’s the sales process versus what’s real? How much of this is actually going to translate to my life? But hearing you not that long after the transaction, you still feel that and it’s very cool. In the press release I read, you cited estate planning, private markets access, and cross-border planning as key reasons for the merger. Can you talk about what it was about those? Maybe- Patrick Larkin: Yeah. Louis Diamond: … anything else that was missed? Patrick Larkin: Yeah. Louis Diamond: And were those not things that you felt like you could have delivered yourself as a standalone? Patrick Larkin: I thought that they were going to help me be able to be more effective in delivering those, but they weren’t the complete picture. The capabilities that we cited in the release were genuine gaps I wanted to fill and have available for clients and be able to prospect and go after new additional clients. But being fully honest, there were also deeper drivers. One was my team. Sometimes we get emotional about this. Being someone who’s trusted is really important to me, and that’s something I hold in high priority. There are people that followed me out of Wells Fargo to join me. One of my client associates had delayed her retirement so that she could join me and help us launch for the first three months. One of my other client associates has been with me close to 15 years. These are people that trusted me to do the right thing and to make sure that I wasn’t walking them off the plank. Being able to join Cerity Partners and give them a future that didn’t hinge entirely on my personal longevity was a huge relief. And Cerity Partners is an ownership culture. I’m so happy to say today that every single individual on my team in our practice in Lansdowne is now either an equity owner in Cerity Partners or very shortly will be an equity- Louis Diamond: So cool. Patrick Larkin: … equity owner. So they have a stake as well in what they’re building. It matters. My youngest client associate noticed how much it costs to send to FedEx. And he goes, “Now that I’m an owner, maybe we should rethink about sending regular mail.” Another driver was my family. And I’ve always had the philosophy of trying to prioritize and clients first, team and colleagues, and then my family. And I’ve always made decisions that if I put those others before myself, eventually I’ll be taken care of. And going through this transaction, it was so generous to my family and provided such security. There was a little bit of guilt that, “Am I doing this for all the right reasons?” But being able to secure my family’s future, converting equity in a three-year-old RIA into a stake of a $8 billion-plus valuation with institutional backing, that was a meaningful moment and I’d be less than honest if I glossed over that. I also really wanted to be part of something larger than myself. And the opportunity to help build a legacy in this business with Cerity Partners really gives me the platform to do that. Louis Diamond: Very cool. I can tell that you’re genuine, not just because of the way you sound, the way you’re speaking, but in the very beginning of the episode, you talked about the reason you got into this business was because you thought it gave you the dual purpose of being able to help people, but also being able to enrich yourself or your family. So this answer, it comes full circle. You’re able to accomplish all these goals, which made it the right decision. And I think, look, I say to advisors all the time, “You’re allowed to be greedy, you’re allowed to be selfish as long as the clients are still in the front of your mind as the most important thing.” There’s nothing wrong with doing better for clients, building a legacy in your case, but also reaping the rewards of all your hard work and labor and also all the risks that you’ve taken over your career. I got to ask you, though, from being an employee of Wells, where you were running your team, for the most part, you can run the business within their guardrails the way you want, to then running an RIA, which is really like you’re fully in control of everything, to now being a partner, but you’re not the one who has the name on the door anymore. Patrick Larkin: Right, right. Louis Diamond: Well, how do you think about the giving up control and full ownership of your practice versus owning a very small amount of a much larger entity? Patrick Larkin: There was such continuity. Oak Hill Wealth Advisors and Cerity Partners were so philosophically aligned that I genuinely never felt like I was giving up anything that I wasn’t glad to let go. My wife joined the business shortly before I left Wells Fargo Advisors. And still to this day, on my drive home from work, I call her up and say, “You’re not going to believe this.” And it’s all a positive, good thing. So Cerity has struck the perfect balance of that autonomy and support combination that I was looking for. So I still have control and a say over the way our practice is managed. Very shortly after the merger, my supervisor came down and met me for the first time, and we went out together after the day had ended. And early in the conversation I said to him, “What can I do to make your life easier?” And he said, “Pat, what can I do to make your life easier?” And that set the tone that still exists to this day. I almost cried when he said that because that was so different than what I had experienced up to that point. So the collaboration, the way we work together, it’s just absolutely amazing. And not once for a single moment have I second-guessed my decision. And it’s really weird because I’ve now been part of this organization for nearly nine months, and there just has not been one thing that’s occurred where I said, “That’s a disappointment.” It’s just been absolutely amazing every single day. Louis Diamond: Very cool. To me, there’s different arcs of when you want to ask people the question of, “Hey, any regrets?” And usually you don’t want to ask them too soon because they’re still going through the transition and integration and growing pains. And you don’t want to ask them too far in the future because you forget about what was life before. To be this short of a duration into this new partnership and to have these feelings, that’s absolutely pretty special. I got two more questions for you, Pat, if you don’t mind. Patrick Larkin: Sure. Louis Diamond: First one, economically, to me, one of the hardest things for really any advisor to really grapple with or to fully comprehend or make their own is, “I own 100% of the equity in my business. I get to decide when I want to sell in the future. My business is growing 10% per year. I wait to sell until 10 years from now, my business is going to be much bigger and I get to keep all the cash flow. I get to make all the decisions.” That compared to the path that you took, which was take cash off the table, which everyone understands, to, “Now, I own a much smaller piece of a much larger pie.” How would you talk to someone about the financial trade-off between a hundred percent ownership in their business, full control, full discretion over everything, versus becoming a minority equity partner in a larger entity? Patrick Larkin: You have to look at the valuation of my business, again, the day that we opened our doors as Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. There was such a massive jump in the value of the business. There was not going to be an opportunity for an appreciation at that level. So then, you have to compare what the growth rate is of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors versus a Cerity Partners. And I’m not embarrassed to say that Cerity Partners is and has been growing at a much faster rate of return. The value of the equity that I have retained in Cerity Partners, my ownership stake, I fully expect by the time I transact that business as I get closer to retirement, that’s going to be worth many times more than whatever opportunity I would have had at Wells Fargo with the valuation they would have provided me. Nevermind, very important, the tax consequences of a structure like this is all the retiring advisors that I worked with were taxed at their highest marginal rate. I owned a business and we were taxed at long-term capital gains rates. A significant difference in savings in what as the owner we actually realize. So yeah, I feel very comfortable with the ownership that I have and the control and continued opportunity with the meritocracy culture to increase my share of ownership in the company. Louis Diamond: Okay, and let’s do one more question here. I’ll pick it back up. So Pat, I think it’s a really cool perspective. It’s almost do your homework, and if you find the right horse and the right jockey that can run faster than you can on your own, that the equity value will compound and grow and appreciate in a faster, more efficient way than what you’re doing on your own, which makes complete sense. It’s the ultimate trade-off. And again, it’s like jumping into the deep end. On the one hand, Oak Hill was all you, right? You control the growth, for better or worse, for the good days, the bad days, the good years, the bad years, versus now your growth is diversified amongst hundreds of partners across M&A, across different lead flow channels, et cetera. It makes complete sense. But honestly, if I were an advisor, I don’t know how I would think about it. I think it’s all just fact-and-circumstance-based on where I am in my life and who the firm is and what I’m trying to accomplish. But it’s such a cool perspective because usually the playbook that we see, which is why we did this series, is go independent and there’s a long pause until there is a realization of all the value that’s been created. So seeing you do this in a much quicker timeframe, it seems like it was the absolutely right decision. To me, it just is another path, another way that an advisor or a firm is able to think about their future. Any final advice or parting words for someone who is sitting right where you were in 2021 or 2022 thinking about making the leap? And we’ll say a transition in general, or really anything you want to share to wrap our episode here. Patrick Larkin: Thank you for having me, and this is a great question. Happy to give a thoughtful answer to it. Before I’d left Wells Fargo Advisors through the program and started Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, I had an opportunity to go through a due diligence process and make sure that this was going to be a right move for me. There was no carrot out there that was obvious. I learned after that first conversation that I had built a practice that had some value to it. I was leaving behind the security of something I knew, leaving behind a significant amount in deferred compensation, and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. And through that due diligence process, talked to about five other firms that had recently left Wells Fargo to join this RIA program. I asked them a lot of different questions about what their experience was. And at every point during those conversations, they all said the same thing at different points. And it sounded like this. They said, “I’m working harder than I ever have before, but I wish I had done this sooner.” So my advice to those people, do it. I know that sounds simple, but I mean it. The fear of leaving is almost always worse than the actual experience of leaving. And I understand the inertia of not leaving and the real apprehension of what was on the other side. But what I found was a version of this profession I genuinely didn’t know was possible. One where I could do things the right way on my terms for the people I care most about serving. And not every path is going to look like mine. Some advisors should go fully independent and stay there, and that can be an incredible life. But when it comes time to look for a partner, quite frankly, if Cerity Partners is not on your shortlist, you’re making a significant mistake. And I say that not to sell anything, but because I’ve lived the comparison firsthand and there’s simply nothing else like it. Louis Diamond: So Pat, it’s been really fun, but I don’t think we’ve had anyone on the eight years or so we’ve been doing this show that’s gone through this type of arc or journey that you have. One of my big takeaways or sticking points that this episode brought for me is by going independent and taking control over your future, you created complete optionality for yourself to do exactly what you wanted to do with your business, even if that was different than what you initially planned. So in your case, it was selling within three years of going independent, but by taking action, being proactive, playing some offense, you made the opportunity happen on your terms and your timeline. So this has been fun in so many different ways. I loved your comment about how when you went independent, it’s basically like the day of your IPO, the four-to-five-times increase in value versus an internal succession deal, and even just the way to think about getting equity in a larger entity versus running your own plays only. So thank you so much for doing this. This has been fun. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibility seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firm’s or could a better option exist? Should I Stay or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind? It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively, whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook.   Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years A conversation with Louis Diamond and Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader at Cerity Partners.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years. It’s a conversation with Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: Ownership as a way of creating opportunities you can’t always predict. That’s exactly why we created our Build, Grow, and Transact series. Independence isn’t the end of the story. It’s often the beginning of thinking differently about enterprise value, optionality, and what comes next. Today’s guest is Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners, and formerly the founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Patrick spent nearly 15 years building a successful practice at A.G. Edwards, Wachovia, and eventually Wells Fargo before launching his own independent firm in 2022. Just three years later, he merged that firm into Cerity. At first glance, that timeline might seem surprisingly short, but as you’ll hear, the merger wasn’t a change in direction. It was the result of seeing his business differently once he owned it. Yet, it’s this perspective that really brings that thought home. Patrick said the day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public because overnight, what had been viewed as a book of business became an enterprise with substantially greater value, some four to five times the value of what it was worth at Wells. And that realization changed the way he invested, the way he hired, and ultimately the way he thought about the future. Pat and I also talk about something advisors don’t often discuss candidly, what life actually looks like after a merger. How much control do you give up? What changes day to day? How do you know whether you’re joining a partner or simply selling a business? Whether your long-term plan is to remain independent forever or eventually join a larger organization, Patrick’s experience is a reminder that ownership isn’t simply about control. It’s about creating optionality and putting yourself in a position where the next decision is yours to make. So let’s get to it. Patrick, thanks for coming on our show today. Patrick Larkin: Oh, my pleasure. Nice to meet you, Louis. Louis Diamond: You too. So let’s start off basically how we start every interview. Tell us about yourself, your background, and how you found your way into our industry in the first place. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, thank you for asking. I knew I always wanted to be a financial advisor. That part really wasn’t in question, but upon graduating college and being a 22-year-old, I knew that it was probably not practical to walk in and start advising people my parents’ age with their life savings. Probably wasn’t going to be a recipe for success. So I took a quick tour through the pharmaceutical industry first, which ended up being unexpectedly valuable. My employers there pushed me to think like an entrepreneur and within our territories. And honestly, that mindset never left me. It shaped how I built everything that came after. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself in Loudoun County, Virginia in Northern Virginia, and I became an FA trainee with A.G. Edwards, absolutely fantastic firm to start my career. Now, what drew me to this career was pretty simple. I felt like it was one of the professions that we had an opportunity to do so much good for others while simultaneously also doing well for yourself, and those two things aren’t in conflict. I also really loved the idea that in this profession there was no hiding. You don’t get paid to show up. You get paid for what you actually do. And perhaps for me, what was most important, I loved the weight of responsibility. I loved earning people’s trust. I loved the idea of deserving, being deserving of their trust, and being a steward of what they’ve worked a lifetime to build. I never took that lightly, and I still don’t. Louis Diamond: That’s amazing. Yeah, I mean, the number of people I’ve heard, you talked so fondly about A.G. Edwards and there’s a bunch of other firms that have since been absorbed or emerged that are like the regional firms of old. So not surprised to hear you loved it. A.G. Edwards, obviously, became Wells Fargo Advisors or was acquired or merged with Wells Fargo. So I know you’re at Wells and A.G. Edwards until 2022. So give us a quick version. How’d you build your practice from the pharma world into being in FA? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, so as I started with A.G. Edwards, I came in at really just the perfect time. It was towards the end of the financial crisis. And I built the business the old-fashioned way with a lot of cold calling and eventually did some dinner seminars, which I can tell you is a very expensive way to learn how to speak in front of a room. But I made some progress, and I was also in a great office, small enough that some of the advisors there would hand off some of the smaller accounts that they weren’t interested in working with, and got an opportunity to get a lot of reps in working with real life clients and individuals. I knew early on I didn’t have enough talent to win on talent alone, so I made up for it and compensated for that with really hard work. The real turning point came for me when A.G. Edwards was first acquired by Wachovia Securities, and that was about five years into my career. And at that point, my branch manager, who was eyeing retirement, asked me to step in as her partner, and that changed everything. We eventually moved over to a Wachovia Securities office, another really great local office in Loudoun County, Virginia. And from that office, I worked on and became a CIMA, a CFP, worked with the clients, built a business through referrals. And I found at that point in my career when I would go to a meeting with Wachovia, eventually Wells Fargo, as a young 30-year-old, I would look around the room often and realize that I was the youngest person in the room. The funny thing was 10 years later, I would go into that same room and I’d look around and I still was the youngest guy in that room. And those demographics in our industry, and when I came into our industry, ultimately led that office that I worked in with Wells Fargo Advisors, I eventually was the recipient and party to five different succession plans- Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: … at Wells Fargo Advisors. I hoped that I had built a reputation as somebody that these other advisors would entrust with their clients. And over that time period, really, I would say professionally, one of my accomplishments I’m most proud of is all five of those retired advisors that I used to work with, who had an opportunity to see me work with clients, all became clients of mine, I still continue to work with. And it’s professionally just one of the greatest honors that I’ve ever had. Louis Diamond: I mean, that’s a large number of advisors you helped sunset, but I would agree it’s the ultimate p

Welcome to How to Decorate! Today, Taryn, and Liz are joined by Lauren Wodicka, the founder and principal designer of LBW Studio based in Loudoun County, Virginia. Lauren shares her fascinating career evolution from a classically trained fine artist and gallery owner to a sought-after interior designer. We explore how she applies the principles of oil painting to interior design, the importance of knowing "when to stop," and how to intentionally collect antiques that give a room a lived-in soul. Quick Decorating Takeaways: Treat Rooms Like Paintings: Apply fine art principles like tone, composition, and focal points when arranging furniture and decor. The Power of the Edit: Just like an artist must know when to stop painting to avoid overworking a canvas, a decorator must know when to stop adding objects to maintain a room's intended feeling. Embrace the "Lived-In" Look: Do not fear using natural materials like marble; pieces that get dinged and damaged over time add incredible history and charm, much like ancient Italian palazzos. Invest Wisely: Dedicate your budget to long-lasting statement pieces like beautiful lighting fixtures, antique mirrors, and solid dining tables. You can save money on easily swappable items like lamps, ready-made pillows, or heavily used kitchen chairs. Master the Gallery Wall: When hanging multiple pieces of art, keep your spacing uniform by using a standard three-inch gap between frames to create a sense of visual organization. Go Big in Small Spaces: Powder rooms and small foyers are perfect jewel boxes for bold mural wallpapers, giving you maximum visual impact without a massive square-footage cost. What You'll Hear on This Episode: 00:34 Lauren's background as a fine artist, studying in Florence, and opening an art gallery in Old Town Alexandria. 08:17 How formal training in oil painting directly translates into creating balanced interior design floor plans. 12:12 Tips for editing a room to ensure spaces feel full yet purposefully restrained. 17:28 How to pull design inspiration out of clients who aren't quite sure what their style is. 20:57 Adding longevity and character to your home by mixing fresh new pieces with crusty, gilded antiques. 26:01 Finding affordable antique art and the rules for styling large gallery walls. 30:33 Deciding between a large gallery wall and a mural wallpaper, especially in challenging two-story foyers. 34:25 Why your home should reflect your current season of life, even if that means basketballs and cleats rolling around the entryway. 41:14 Identifying which pieces are worth the investment and which pieces you should save on. 45:18 Simple ways to switch up your decor seasonally, like color-coordinating books, swapping lampshades, or introducing new custom pillows. 52:10 A heartwarming story about Lauren's son asking to learn how to oil paint with her in the studio. Also Mentioned: Lauren's Studio: LBW Studio Instagram: @lbwstudio Send your decorating dilemmas to podcast@ballarddesigns.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Community acceptance may be emerging as one of the most consequential constraints on data center growth. On this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show, DCF Editor in Chief Matt Vincent speaks with Buddy Rizer, Executive Director of Loudoun County Economic Development, and Adam Waitkunas, founder of Milldam Public Relations, about the rising political and community resistance confronting data center development — and what the industry needs to do differently. After two decades working with the world's largest data center market, Rizer said the current level of opposition is unlike anything he has seen before. “The pushback is universal,” he said. “The talking points are fairly standard from community to community, and it has really become next to impossible to do business.” Rizer believes the industry's next major constraint may no longer be purely physical. “We thought it was going to be power, but it may be community acceptance and political durability.” The discussion examines how distrust can overwhelm even strong factual arguments. Rizer noted that Loudoun County's more than 250 data centers collectively use less than 10% of its water system and have generated enormous tax benefits, yet those figures increasingly struggle to break through. “You can't change how people think until you change how they feel,” Rizer said. Waitkunas argues that developers need to begin community engagement much earlier and give residents a meaningful role in shaping Community Benefit Agreements. Those agreements should go beyond financial contributions to schools, parks or community programs and include operating commitments involving issues such as noise, traffic and other local impacts. Rizer agreed that simply complying with regulations no longer demonstrates partnership. “When the noise ordinance says 55 and they come in at 54.5, that to me, that's not partnership.” The guests also discuss industry “unforced errors,” perceptions of secrecy surrounding anonymous LLCs and project filings, the growing influence of organized opposition groups, and the risk of companies waiting until a moratorium is already underway before attempting serious community outreach. For Rizer, developers increasingly need to manage two distinct measures of success. “Economic success and community trust are two different balance sheets,” he said. “Industry has to invest in both.” The conversation also explores the role of local governments, particularly smaller communities encountering hyperscale development for the first time; the value of bringing officials and residents through operating facilities that resemble what is actually being proposed; and whether the data center industry ultimately needs a formal standard for community engagement. Both guests expect conditions to become more difficult before they improve. Waitkunas anticipates more moratoriums without significant changes in industry behavior, while Rizer warned that data centers could increasingly become central issues in local political campaigns. “AI hasn't really created this conversation,” Rizer said, “but it definitely has put it on fast forward.” The central question for the industry is increasingly straightforward: not whether data centers have impacts, but whether developers can understand those impacts, mitigate them, communicate them honestly and build enough community trust to sustain the infrastructure expansion now underway.

It is a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging reuse in our community, providing affordable materials to artists and teachers and all creative minds in the area.这是一个非营利组织，致力于在社区中鼓励废物再利用，为艺术家、教师和该地区所有有创造力的人提供价格低廉的材料。I learned about creative reuse centers over a decade ago, and they really sparked something in me,我在十多年前就了解了创造性再利用中心，它们真的激发了我的灵感，because I'd always been a creative reuse artist, but I didn't know there was a name for it really and there was a community for it.因为我一直是一个创造性再利用艺术家，但我不知道这种行为有名字，也不知道还有一个专门的社区。When I was a lot younger, one of the first inspirations I had was someone was throwing away this baking tin.小时候，我的一次灵感来源于这个别人扔掉的烘焙罐头。And I was like, don't throw that away, I could do something with that.我想，别扔掉，我可以用它做点什么。I didn't know what, but we drilled a hole in the middle and turned it into a clock.我也不知道能做什么，但我们在中间钻了个洞，把它变成了一个钟。I called it my cupcake clock. I like to do a lot of CD mosaics.我把它叫做纸杯蛋糕钟。我喜欢用CD打造马赛克。I did a series of all the local colleges that people seem to really like, and it's on an old like pantry door that got discarded.我用它们做了一系列当地大学的标识，大家似乎都很喜欢，这些作品被画在一扇废弃的老旧食品储藏室门上。And I also make tiny little earrings out of paper like maps, music paper, old books, things like that.我还用地图、乐谱用纸、旧书之类的做小耳环。We are just outside of Leesburg, Virginia, which is kind of the keystone of Loudoun County.我们就在弗吉尼亚州的利斯堡郊外，那里是劳顿县的重点位置。And it is a wonderful community that embraces arts and small businesses.这是一个很棒的社区，它接纳艺术和小型企业。Donations come in very willingly, all kinds of things, fabrics, sewing notions, paper, office supplies, lots of creative things that kids like to use like pompoms and buttons and pipe cleaners.捐赠物品纷至沓来，种类繁多，有布料、缝纫用品、纸张、办公用品，还有很多孩子们喜欢用的创意物品，比如绒球、纽扣和管道清洁剂。All kinds of materials that might otherwise go to the waste, we take in and we try to find a new home for them.我们回收了那些别人会扔掉的材料，并试图为它们找到新的用处。Our center attracts a wide range of people, ages and coming for all types of reasons.我们中心吸引了形形色色的人，年龄各异，来访目的各不相同。Alright Sonya, so what have you made today? I made a house like with flowers and apples and cookies. Is that where the house would go? Yes, but it is a little big.索尼娅，你今天做了什么？我用鲜花、苹果和饼干做了一座房子。这就是那个房子吗？是的，但它有点大。

Virginia's environmental regulator challenged a report on pollution from a self-powered Loudoun County data center. A Politico investigation found the agency's pushback echoed talking points from the data center company itself.

The latest local news impacting D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. Today's stories include: the latest on the son of a former Washington Commanders assistant coach who is now accused of opening fire on his mother inside the family's Loudoun County home.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brandon Aiyuk — still under contract with the San Francisco 49ers, still on the reserve/left team list, still unsigned by anyone — just went on Instagram to announce he purchased a $10 million estate in Loudoun County, Virginia. Right around the corner from the Washington Commanders' practice facility. A team that, as of today, has zero reported interest in signing him.  Also ... LeBron James made his final decision.  Sign up for PrizePicks with code: HMA and get $150 in lineups instantly if your first $5 lineup wins: https://link.prizepicks.com/LME0/DAMON  Snapp AI: Use code "DamonBruceFree" when you sign up at: https://www.trysnapp.ai/  For advertising opportunities: contact@hogmedia.co Support the show by becoming a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcs13VXhiObJg6jGDw2xbZg/join  All Damon Bruce Plus content is available on your favorite podcast platform: https://pod.link/1681177856.  #49ers #brandonaiyuk #nfl #nflnews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Read more from VPM News:  Netflix-inspired camp helps Richmonders build social confidence  ICYMI: Curious Commonwealth asks why Hanover County tomatoes are famous    Other links:  Congress could open Chesapeake Bay oyster sanctuaries for commercial harvest (WHRO)  Alfred Holland Sr., “Give Me the Ball” (Roanoke Rambler)  ‘Whimsical' Chesapeake business turns trash into handmade treasures (The Virginian-Pilot)*  Data center power line dispute sees potential resolution as Loudoun County settlement talks with Dominion Energy progress (WUSA)  Owner's research finds hidden pieces of history (The Farmville Herald)*   Caroline schools celebrate literacy program designed to create a ‘print-rich environment' (Fredericksburg Free Press)  *This outlet uses a paywall.  Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism. 

My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers in America and around the world:What problem does a data-center moratorium solve, exactly? As these warehouse-sized supercomputers face growing public backlash, they're blamed for higher electricity bills and strains on the power grid—all while failing to provide enough jobs or tax revenue. But are they actually the problem, or are they exposing problems that have existed for years in America's electrical grid?Today on Faster, Please!—The Podcast, I am joined by Shuting Pomerleau, the director of energy and environmental policy at the American Action Forum, where she studies electricity markets and energy policy.We discuss New York's controversial decision to pause construction of large data centers, whether AI is really driving up electricity prices, the economic benefits of data centers, who should pay for expanding the grid, and how states should respond to growing demand for power.In This Episode:* New York's Data Center Slowdown (0:16)* Dealing with Demand (7:09)* What is the Right Step Forward? (14:24)* Who is Paying Up? (19:27)* Can Regulation Fend Off Data Center Growth? (23:39)* Where Do Data Centers Go from Here (27:44)A lightly edited transcript of our conversation will appear in my Week in Review issue on Saturday. (Another option is using the Substack auto transcript function.)But here are some edited highlights from the chat:On New York's data center moratorium…My concern is that pausing this will send a very strong signal to investors, data centers and developers, a very chilling signal saying, “you're not really welcome here.” This is such a fast-moving space. One year is actually a lot of time.On what's really driving electricity price increases…What has been really driving the electricity increases mostly in the residential sector is the local distribution system—the maintenance, repairs, upgrades that cost a lot of money. It was almost like a coincidence with the AI data center boom and the sentiment against AI. We see that in electricity prices, but if you look into the real price level changes, it's still quite flat both at the state level and across the country.On the policy challenge of funding AI infrastructure…What is a fair share? That is a question that has always been on my mind. The data centers are not all sitting there across the country doing their own thing separate from the remaining population. They're providing digital services and great services for us, you and me, using AI. So, what is a fair share? How can they pay exactly how much they use?On the economic benefits of data centers…The opposition to AI data centers is probably one of the biggest pieces of misinformation out there. The right way to look at it is these are businesses that are paying taxes; they're paying property taxes. If you look at Loudoun County, about 90% of the county's operating budget comes from data centers.On whether regulation can slow the AI data center boom…I think of the AI data center boom in the United States as a fast-moving train. It's going to move; it's going to happen. I think the New York States moratorium, some of the local opposition across the countries may slow down some of the application of development, but not very significantly. I think what will have a material impact on the pace of AI data center development is all the discussion about who's paying for it.On what needs to happen with data centers…First, permitting reform. It will alleviate the burden off of a lot of people's minds, and a lot of stakeholders' minds. Two is, we really need some reform in our grid, in terms of interconnection. I would say interconnection is your keyword, both on the generation side, connecting to generation sources and to large load customers.On sale everywhere: The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fasterplease.substack.com/subscribe

Cleanup continues across Frederick County after powerful weekend storms left a trail of damage. An attempted armed robbery investigation in Frederick ended with a suspect behind bars just hours after the incident. A suspect has been arrested in connection with the May homicide on Security Road in Hagerstown. Authorities in Loudoun County are searching for a suspect after an attempted abduction and assault on a walking trail Wednesday evening. Frederick County residents will have two chances this September to learn more about how the county regulates data center development. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reality is making a comeback.In this episode of Speak Up! Virginia, Candi Cushman and Victoria Cobb unpack a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming that states can protect girls' and women's sports based on biological sex. What does this ruling mean for Virginia schools, parents, and student athletes? Could it reshape ongoing legal battles over locker rooms, Title IX, and girls' sports across the Commonwealth?The conversation also covers:The Supreme Court's ruling on girls' sports and biological realityWhat the decision means for Virginia and the Loudoun County locker room caseThe legal confusion surrounding Virginia's rushed marijuana commercialization lawWhy governing through the state budget created unexpected consequencesReflections on America's 250th anniversary and the values that have made our nation uniqueThe Family Foundation and the Founding Freedoms Law Center are working every day to defend faith, family, freedom, and constitutional rights in Virginia.Learn more and get involved:

We kick off with three things you need to know — including a Fourth of July firework and fire update, water-wise landscaping saving millions of gallons at the new Utah State Prison, and more. Then we break down the controversial World Cup red card reversal for the U.S. team and what actually happened on the field. We ask whether leisure actually makes us happy (spoiler: often not), and react to Sony's announcement that it will stop making physical PlayStation discs in January 2028 — a move that has gamers fired up. Plus, back-to-school bargain hunting is already underway, and we look at whether EV batteries are outlasting expectations. KSL Investigative Reporter Daniella Rivera joins us in studio to preview part of KSL’s special series, "Beyond Box Elder — The Bet on Data Centers," which takes viewers inside Virginia's Loudoun County, the data center capital of the world, for lessons on what's coming to Utah.   KSL Brightside streams live weekdays 12–3 PM, with a YouTube-exclusive live stream from 12–1 PM and radio + YouTube from 1–3 PM.   Follow KSL Brightside on social media! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KSLBrightside Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KSLBrightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KSL_Brightside TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ksl.brightside

Like most economic activity, data centers promise much and impose costs. Loudoun County, Va, is the Data Center capital of the world with 253 already running and more on the way. Why did Loudoun become Data Center Alley? What impacts have they had? How are they moving forward? What can others learn from Loudoun? Sunil Dasgupta asks Mike Turner, Vice-chair of the county's Board of Supervisors, who has a white paper on the subject: https://t.ly/ui7EO. Music from Seth Kibel's brand new album, Clarinet Without A Net.

This is it, the final episode! Danny gives us his closing arguments, reflecting on all he's learned about the data center fight in communities across the United States. We listen in on Danny's conversation with prolific author and tech critic Cory Doctorow about the centaur/reverse centaur theory of how we use technology and how technology uses us. And, we take another quick trip to some of the communities we've visited along the way: Data Center Alley in Northern Virginia, Davis, West Virginia, and Memphis, Tennessee, to get the latest on their fights. When it's all said and done, the greatest lesson from the data center clashes may be in the value of agency, and that the way to protect communities from harmful data centers is to ensure that technology serves communities, not the other way around.In this episode, we hear from:Cory Doctorow: Science fiction author, activist and journalist whose recent books include “Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse And What To Do About It” and “The Reverse Centaur's Guide To Life After AI.”Nikki Forrester: Helped launch Tucker United, now serves as the director of communications and spokesperson, lives in Tucker County, WV, and is a journalist. Elena Schlossenberg: Our local tour guide, and deeply involved in grassroots organizing in Prince William County and Loudoun County. She has a deep knowledge of land-use management and serves as the executive director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County.Amber Sherman: Local policy organizer in Memphis.Delegate John McAuliff: Recently elected Delegate for Fauquier and Loudoun counties in Northern Virginia, flipping the seat by running largely on data center regulation. Samuel Black: Award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist working with More Perfect Union. He covers tech, labor, energy, finance, housing, and U.S. politics. Resources:Corruption is Driving Up Your Electricity Bill  Cory Doctorow's blog, CraphoundSamuel Black's More Perfect Union coverage from BoxtownLocal coverage from Tucker County about Fundamental Data's visit, and how local leaders reactedThe latest updates from Prince William County about the Data Center Gateway caseA tool tracking every data center moratorium

Season 3, Episode 14: Pinehurst & Gens Cup Preview, New Country Club Membership, Summer Season RecapIn Season 3, Episode 14 of the FairwayFit Fit Golf Podcast, the hosts preview a busy golf stretch including major number two at Tot Hill Farm and the upcoming Pinehurst Gens Cup 2026 trip with 36 friends, featuring The Cradle and rounds at Pinehurst Nos. 1, 4, 8, and the iconic No. 2. Greg announces he has joined Stoneleigh Golf Course and Country Club, removing his “no time to play” excuse, and the duo discusses course difficulty, combo tees, and family perks like the pool. They recap week one of their eight-week summer season, including a Hail Mary “double up” attempt, a 76 (net 72) at Stoneleigh with strong stats, and an 89 (net 76) with putting highlights but low greens in regulation. The episode also recaps a three-day Lansdowne Member-Guest format, flights, playoffs, and a third-place finish.00:00 Podcast Kickoff00:33 Pinehurst Preview01:40 Joining Stoneleigh03:00 Country Club Life08:22 Summer Season Begins09:18 Hail Mary Front Nine12:00 Greens Over Everything17:02 Greg Back Nine Struggles21:54 Sponsor Break22:44 Lansdowne Member Guest24:26 Flights and Format27:07 Playoff Format Breakdown28:20 Day One Beatdown30:28 Dinner Vibes and Rally32:32 Divisional Playoff Chaos35:38 Horn Rule Controversy36:55 Member Guest Takeaways39:55 Gens Cup Pinehurst Preview42:12 Course Rundown One Four Eight Two46:04 Tot Hill Farm Major Two48:54 Mindset and Trip Prep52:42 Sponsor Plug and Wrap UpFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"FAIRWAYFITBOGO get your 2nf hour FREE!24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

Loudoun County, Virginia is known as Data Center Alley, the longtime epicenter of the data center industry and home to one of the world's largest concentrations of digital infrastructure.As communities across the country debate the impact of data centers on water resources, Loudoun Water offers a rare look at what happens when a utility has decades of experience planning for and serving the industry.The episode features conversations with utility leaders Brian Carnes, Alton Echols, and Mark Peterson, who discuss water impacts, management processes, and advice for other systems.Despite the presence of more than 200 data centers, the utility says the sector currently accounts for about 15% of its total water use, supported by significant treatment capacity and a growing reclaimed water program.Today, roughly 40 data centers are cooled with highly treated reclaimed water instead of drinking water, using about 700 million gallons annually. The approach helps reduce nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay while providing data centers with a lower-cost and more resilient water supply.Loudoun Water says growth-related infrastructure is paid for by new customers, while detailed monitoring helps the utility understand water demand, wastewater flows, and operational impacts.At the same time, utility leaders emphasize that Loudoun's experience is not necessarily transferable elsewhere. Its extensive infrastructure, reclaimed water network, available supplies, and long history with the data center industry make it a unique case study as utilities nationwide navigate the rapid growth of AI and digital infrastructure.This episode is sponsored by SewerAI. From inspection to rehabilitation, SewerAI provides the tools you need to manage your entire sewer infrastructure.waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.

Back to Golf: Belmont Recap, Pinehurst Plans & FairwayFit Summer Season RulesThe hosts return from a week off to focus on golf, shout out Back Nine Golf of Leesburg's indoor simulator facility and FairwayFitBOGO deal, and recap Greg's round at Belmont Country Club, where he had no warmup, started triple-triple, made a long birdie putt, and finished with an 89 on a shot-maker's course with large, undulated greens and cart-path-only conditions. They discuss recent rounds at Stoneleigh, playing with family, inconsistent scoring despite solid ball striking, and upcoming events: a Pinehurst Gents Cup trip with The Cradle and rounds on Pinehurst 1, 4, 8, and 2, plus a new major round at Mike Strantz-designed Tot Hill Farm. They cover an unplayable-lie rule option, preparation plans, a member-guest tournament, and the return of their eight-week summer season competition with points, Hail Mary bonuses, and extra-point achievements.00:00 Welcome Back Intro00:50 Sponsor Back Nine Golf01:33 Greg Plays Belmont04:24 Course Strategy Greens07:13 Range Cart Path Jokes10:51 Back Nine Sim Ad11:17 Recent Rounds Kids13:36 Pinehurst Trip Preview15:22 Pinehurst Greens Rule16:51 Unplayable Lie Hack17:46 Greens and Tee Shot Worries18:46 Driving Iron Temptation20:06 Major Two Tot Hill Farm23:42 Trip Prep and Practice Plans25:14 Member Guest Stakes27:27 Summer Season Returns31:51 Family Trip and First Rounds33:07 Next Episode and Sponsor PlugFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"FAIRWAYFITBOGO get your 2nf hour FREE!24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

Bridget sits down with Xi Van Fleet, author of Made in America: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Enabled Communist China and Created Our Greatest Threat. Xi is a survivor of China's Cultural Revolution and traces the eerie parallels between Mao's revolution and today's woke ideology. She draws on her own experience — growing up under the CCP, enduring re-education in the countryside, and eventually escaping to America — to argue that cultural Marxism is not a foreign threat but a homegrown one, and that American elites have been enabling the CCP's rise since the 1920s. They dig into the difference between economic communism and cultural Marxism, the red-green alliance between the Left and Islamism, how political correctness becomes speech control and eventually control of the mind, China's bot farms and information warfare operations, the social credit creep in the United States, why the enemy within is far more dangerous than the one overseas, why studying American history might be what saves us, and Xi's assertion that Communism is a virus that has killed hundreds of millions of people, it won't disappear, and it always needs to be fought against. Get Made In America here: https://amzn.to/4vGzbDg#CulturalRevolution #CulturalMarxism #walkinswelcome #BridgetPhetasyTopics covered: Xi Van Fleet, Made in America book, Cultural Revolution vs woke ideology, CCP history, America enabling communism, cultural Marxism vs economic communism, red-green alliance, surveillance state, social credit scores, information warfare, DEI, silent majority, Loudoun County school board

President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the United States will launch additional attacks on Iran after Tehran downed a U.S. Army Apache helicopter and claimed Iranian negotiators dragged out talks on the peace deal. Trump also revealed that the U.S. military secretly moved more than 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.“This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz - NOT Iran,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to Cuba, telling troops the United States seeks a positive relationship with Cuba but warned that it should not seek weapons that could strike the U.S. homeland or naval base in Guantanamo Bay. Hegseth also visited U.S. Central Command headquarters, praising troops for their efforts amid the war with Iran.“Central Command will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard,” he said.Lawmakers grilled superintendents from Loudoun County, Virginia, Chicago, and San Francisco at an Education and Workforce Committee hearing. They say their policies sideline parents, push radical gender ideology on young children, and violate religious liberty.

Tips from the Pros (With a Twist): Building a 4-Day Golf Fitness Plan + Member-Guest Recap | FairwayFit Podcast S3E12In Season 3, Episode 12 of the FairwayFit Fit Golf Podcast, the hosts welcome Greg and Stevie P for a “Tips from the Pros” episode with a twist that shifts the focus from swing tips to golf fitness. Greg shares a four-day-per-week training outline built around lower-body power, upper-body power and mobility, strength and rotational force, and a movement/explosiveness day, including exercises like box jumps, hang cleans, front squats, trap bar deadlifts, landmine rotations, Pallof presses, dead bugs, and mobility work for hips, T-spine, and shoulders. Stevie recaps playing his club's Member-Guest with his dad, winning their flight and reaching the shootout, and discusses how golfers warm up and train on the mini tours, including seeing runners with parachutes and golfers wearing weighted vests. The episode also promotes Back9 of Leesburg's grand opening and a public tee time FAIRWAYFITBOGO code.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:49 Garage Move Update02:29 Member Guest Recap06:16 Sponsor Back9 Plug07:24 Masters Lottery Talk12:45 Tips Twist Setup14:40 Steve Fitness Baseline17:37 Four Day Program18:55 Day One Lower Body21:12 Day Two Mobility Power22:17 Upper Body Power Moves23:38 Core Control Dead Bugs24:17 Back Nine Facility Plug24:43 Time Efficient Training25:44 Day Three Strength Rotation26:36 Trap Bar Deadlift Talk28:36 Day Four Movement Prep31:36 Saturday Speed Mobility33:41 FairwayFit Program Access34:56 Tour Fitness Then Now42:12 Wild Warmup Stories45:07 Closing Shoutouts EventsFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"FAIRWAYFITBOGO get your 2nf hour FREE!24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Judge Glock, director of research and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor at City Journal, about the growing debate over data centers in Missouri and across the country. They discuss why some communities are banning data centers while others are welcoming them, how Loudoun County, Virginia became the global epicenter of data center development and what it has meant for local tax revenue, whether concerns about noise, aesthetics, and energy use are valid, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Toby receives an unexpected package. Woman goes viral for her entitled behavior on a plane. Have you witnessed someone act so immature that you wondered, who raised you? MYM...A Loudoun County high school is giving students hands-on experience with the kinds of skills they’ll need long after graduation. CALLS...Sneeze related injuries. 79% say allergies make them drive unsafely.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Memorial Day Golf Grind + Back Nine Leesburg Review (Full Swing Sims, PuttView, and “Stick” Talk)On the FairwayFit Fit Golf Podcast, Brad and Greg are joined by special guest pro Stevie P for a Memorial Day episode recapping a golf-heavy weekend and reviewing Back Nine of Leesburg, an indoor golf facility they visited Saturday. They discuss Greg's busy moving weekend, Steve's stretch of playing and practicing nearly every day, and each golfer's current form, including frustrations around greens and GHIN differentials after course rating changes. They define what it means to be a “stick” in golf, debating handicaps versus the ability to do what you want with the ball. The group highlights Back Nine's upscale ambiance, spacious and private bays, PuttView putting green, BYOB/food flexibility, and especially the Full Swing simulator experience, then close with humorous stereotypes for spotting skilled versus inexperienced golfers.00:00 Memorial Day Welcome00:41 Weekend Projects And Golf03:06 Stevie P Golf Grind05:27 Sponsor Back Nine Promo06:14 Red White Blue Round08:22 Handicap Differential Rant09:50 Icebreaker What Is A Stick16:22 Back Nine Facility Review16:59 Ambiance And Bay Space23:06 Full Swing Simulator Impressions28:33 Private Bay Setup29:35 VIP Lounge Vibes31:34 PuttView Green Talk32:23 Membership Perks33:46 Back Nine Recap35:05 Golf Stick Stereotypes36:22 Bad Golfer Tells39:37 Good Golfer Signs47:14 Gear Bag Clues49:08 Sponsor Wrap UpFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"FAIRWAYFITBOGO get your 2nf hour FREE!24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

Are data centers the devil? On this episode, Matt welcomes land-use expert and County Commissioner for Jefferson County, West Virginia, Cara Keys to unpack the truth behind their impact on our communities.Data centers are popping up everywhere, and with them come mixed feelings. On one hand, they bring jobs and revenue; on the other, they raise concerns about noise, energy consumption, and community impact.In places like Loudoun County, Virginia, data centers have transformed the economy, generating billions in tax revenue. But what about the long-term effects? It turns out, this is a complex topic. Let's dive into the pros and cons. Knowing how they operate can help us make informed decisions about our neighborhoods.#DataCenters #CommunityImpact #TechTrends #LocalEconomy #SustainableDevelopmentSubscribe to Matt Lewis on Substack: https://mattklewis.substack.com/Support Matt Lewis at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlewisreels/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.Buy Matt's books: FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416TOO DUMB TO FAIL: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Revolution-Conservative/dp/0316383937Copyright © 2026, BBL & BWL, LLC

Fixing Golf in 30 Minutes: Overrated vs Underrated, Hot Takes, and What We'd Ban/Add | FairwayFit Golf Podcast S3E10In Episode 10 of Season 3 of the FairwayFit Fit Golf Podcast, Greg and Brad catch up on limited recent play, upcoming member-guest season, and a Pinehurst trip, plus Greg's ongoing garage buildout for a golf sim and training space. They shout out sponsor Back Nine of Leesburg and its June 5 grand opening, highlighting Full Swing Pro 2.0 simulators, a PuttView green, 24/7 access, and the FairwayFitBOGO code for a free second hour. The episode centers on “fixing golf” through rapid-fire overrated/underrated takes (460cc drivers, par-3 courses, rangefinders, lessons vs equipment, private clubs, seven woods, influencers), quick debates (breakfast balls, LIV vs TGL, overrated course, scariest shot, favorite swings, worst training aids), and lists of what they'd ban (expensive range buckets, tight tee times, cart fees/slow play/cooler rules) and add (more lateral drops, pro shot clocks, relaxed dress codes, night golf, and specialty carts).00:00 We Fixed Golf00:23 Podcast Welcome00:45 Garage Studio Updates03:00 Trips and Tee Times03:59 Sponsor Back Nine05:13 Overrated Underrated07:23 Gear and Gadgets12:11 Clubs and Influencers15:34 Sponsor Ad Read16:19 Rapid Fire Debates16:54 Breakfast Ball Rules18:06 LIV Versus TGL19:43 Overrated Courses22:02 Pressure Shots23:28 Best Swings Ever24:34 Pro Am Swing Praise24:58 Worst Training Aids27:24 Three Things To Ban31:59 Banning Slow Golf32:41 Three Things To Add34:04 Shot Clocks And Pace35:26 Dress Code Debate38:43 Night Golf And Fun Carts41:27 Hot Takes Gloves Covers43:04 Wrap Up And PromosFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"FAIRWAYFITBOGO get your 2nf hour FREE!24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW! The individual plaintiff behind the explosive Virginia gun ban lawsuit joins Armed American Radio LIVE to break down the legal battle that could reshape the future of the Second Amendment nationwide. John Crump — AmmoLand writer, Virginia resident, and named plaintiff in the newly filed lawsuit — explains why gun owners in Virginia are fighting back against what he calls “tyrannical” and “draconian” anti-Second Amendment laws. The discussion dives deep into the constitutional strategy behind the lawsuit, the political climate in Loudoun County, Virginia, and why this fight could become one of the most important 2A legal battles in America. The conversation covers: • Virginia gun ban lawsuit• Second Amendment legal strategy• Virginia Constitution gun rights protections• Loudoun County politics and gun control• AR-15 bans and SCOTUS implications• Harmeet Dhillon and DOJ involvement• Heller and Bruen Supreme Court precedents• Constitutional rights vs election politics• Gun rights activism in Virginia• Anti-gun legislation and legal challenges• Virginia Democrats and firearm restrictions• Why gun owners are fighting back NOW

Today's episode dives into one of the wildest news cycles yet — from rumors surrounding Tulsi Gabbard and the CIA to major wins from Donald Trump's China negotiations involving fentanyl, oil, and Iran. We also break down viral moments from Elon Musk in China, the shocking overturning of Alex Murdaugh's conviction, and the latest updates involving E. Jean Carroll.Plus: explosive discussion surrounding the New York Times controversy, Rand Paul's whistleblower claims involving Fauci and the CIA, Gavin Newsom's prison scandal, Karen Bass backlash over free dental care for addicts, and the escalating feud between Benny Johnson and Marjorie Taylor Greene.The second half dives into cultural and political flashpoints including Megyn Kelly's comments on Islam, Alex Soros' anti-hate funding, alarming concerns about data centers and eminent domain, the Loudoun County school controversy, and viral TikTok clips fueling the culture war debate online.SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Register now for Bulwark Capital's FREE “Impact of Energy" live webinar May 21st at 3:30pm Pacific. https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comFor a limited time, get two FREE gifts when you buy the Pocket Hose Ballistic—a 360° rotating Pocket Pivot and a Thumb Drive Nozzle—just text CHICKS to 64000, message and data rates may apply.Lock in under $10/meal while beef prices climb with Backyard Butchers at https://BackyardButchers.com/Chicks  Code CHICKS auto-applies for 30% off first order + 2 free 10-oz ribeyes + free shipping!Feel the difference of truly fast, modern antivirus protection — for a limited time, save 60% when you go to https://Webroot.com/Chicks Subscribe and stay tuned for new episodes every weekday!Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramTikTokXLocalsMore InfoWebsite

Building a Garage Golf Simulator & Surviving the Shanks | Fairway Fit Golf PodcastOn this episode of the Fairway Fit Golf Podcast, Brad and Greg catch up after a week off and talk about balancing work and parenting with golf while planning at-home practice setups. They compare their garage practice builds, including Brad's plan for a full simulator with a SkyTrak Plus, projector, side TV, and a fold-away PRx home gym system, plus recovery with a cold plunge, and Greg's simpler garage net/launch monitor setup to keep golf going through winter without spending $50–$100 per visit. They recap a memorial scramble tournament played with Bryan and Stevie P/CBP, where the team shot 59 despite leaving birdies out, and discuss how tough range sessions—including Brad's severe shanks—affected confidence before eventually settling into the round. They also share upcoming practice plans, a quick nine-hole score, and shout-outs including kids' personal-best tournament rounds.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:36 Golf Season Reality01:51 Garage Gym Sim Plan03:12 Gregs Garage Setup04:20 Build Specs Gear List09:13 Back Nine Golf Promo09:56 Scramble Tournament Recap10:35 Range Prep Check In13:49 Brutal Shank Session19:40 Troubleshooting the Shanks22:04 Garage Shank Therapy22:45 Bucket Balls and Rain Grind23:46 Back Nine Sponsor Spot24:40 Range Nerves Before Scramble26:47 Scramble Rhythm and Score29:31 Playing With a Stick31:46 Wedge Cheat Sheet Goals33:11 Family Golf Updates34:44 Weekend Plans and Practice37:42 Simulator Plug and SignoffFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

Trump loses patience with the media during a heated press moment, Pete Hegseth clashes with Democrats in explosive hearings, and the New York Times faces major backlash over a controversial Israel-related column. We break down the viral clips, media outrage, October 7th reporting fallout, and the internet's reaction to claims surrounding the NYT article.The political commentary doesn't end there. We also cover Spencer Pratt's epic campaign, Sam Harris discussion on Islamist manipulation of the left, Megyn Kelly explains her shift on Israel, Project Veritas drops new undercover clips, Loudoun County faces another school scandal, and Seattle's teachers union controversy grows.Plus, China trip updates, Todd Blanche on leaks, Thomas Massie drama, Kevin Warsh rumors, Javier Becerra's awkward interview, Demi Moore backlash, TikTok culture reactions, and more.SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Fresh Pressed Olive Oil gives you a FREE full-size $49 bottle for just $1 shipping—no commitment. Taste the difference at https://ChicksLoveOliveOil.comDon't change your dog's food—just add Ruff Greens. Get your FREE jumpstart trial bag (cover shipping) with code CHICKS at https://RuffChicks.comShop for Father's Day! Visit https://Bruntworkwear.com and get $10 off  at BRUNT when you use code CHICKS at checkout.Support your heart health, circulation, and healthy cholesterol levels in one simple gel pack. Visit https://Healthycell.com/Chicks and use code CHICKS20 to save 20% on your first purchaseSubscribe and stay tuned for new episodes every weekday!Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramTikTokXLocalsMore InfoWebsite

School Safety, Gender Policy, and Political Outrage Collide in Loudoun County New Allegations Surface in Controversy Over School Bathroom Access Rules Parents, Politics, and Policy Clash as Loudoun County Back in Spotlight Bathroom Policy Debate Reignites After New Reported School Incident “This Should Never Happen”: Loudoun County Incident Sparks National Debate DESCRIPTION A renewed political and cultural firestorm erupts after new allegations from Loudoun County, Virginia, involving a student-related misconduct case inside a school bathroom setting. The commentary reignites national debate over school safety, gender identity policies, parental rights, and administrative accountability. The discussion also revisits past controversies in the district, including protests, law enforcement involvement, and political fallout tied to school board decisions. HOOK “When school policy, politics, and safety collide — one county becomes ground zero for a national culture war… again.” KEY TOPICS Alleged repeated misconduct incident reported in Loudoun County schools Debate over bathroom access policies in schools Accusations of administrative mishandling and delayed response Re-examination of prior Loudoun County school controversies Claims of law enforcement involvement in past protests Broader national debate over gender identity policies in education Political tensions surrounding school boards and parental rights SEGMENT BREAKDOWN SEGMENT 1 — THE LATEST LOUDOUN COUNTY CONTROVERSY The episode opens with discussion of newly surfaced allegations involving student misconduct in a school bathroom setting. The commentary frames it as part of an ongoing debate over school policy and student safety. SEGMENT 2 — SCHOOL POLICY AND SAFETY DEBATE The hosts pivot to broader concerns about school bathroom access policies and whether current rules adequately protect students. The segment highlights conflicting perspectives between administrators, parents, and political leaders. SEGMENT 3 — FLASHPOINT: PARENTS VS. SCHOOL BOARDS A look back at previous Loudoun County school board protests, including heated public meetings and national media attention. The discussion revisits how local disputes escalated into a national political issue. SEGMENT 4 — LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC TRUST CLAIMS The commentary references past accusations involving law enforcement presence during school protests and questions about how authorities responded to public demonstrations and community concerns. SEGMENT 5 — NATIONAL CULTURE WAR IMPLICATIONS The episode broadens the lens to a national level, framing Loudoun County as part of a larger debate over education policy, gender identity in schools, and political polarization across the country. SOUND BITES “This thing that ‘never happens' keeps happening again.” “Parents feel shut out of decisions about their own kids.” “School policy has become a political battlefield.” “This isn't just local anymore — it's national.” “People are asking who schools are really accountable to.” SOCIAL MEDIA TEASER

Today's show dives into the biggest political and cultural stories making headlines right now. From Trump's latest comments on Iran and ceasefire negotiations to Democrats spiraling over Supreme Court battles, the chaos keeps escalating.We bring you all the political commentary around John Fetterman calling out members of his own party, Scott Jennings sparking controversy over Mark Kelly, and Bill Maher weighing in on the growing political divide. Plus, AOC faces questions about a potential presidential run while Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats continue raging over the latest legal and political developments.The second half of the show focuses on the exploding Candace Owens vs Nick Shirley drama. Candace continues targeting Erika Kirk and Hillsdale while Nick Shirley fires back publicly on X. The feud gets even more intense as JD Vance, Charlie Kirk, and honorary doctorate controversy all become part of the fallout.Also included:- UFO discussion sparks debate- Loudoun County bathroom controversy- Katie Porter defamation concerns- Trump's “Trumpy” ceasefire comments- Cultural reactions and internet insanitySUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Lose meaningful weight healthily with LEAN—get 20% off and free rush shipping at https://TakeLean.com using code CHICKSTurn simple routines into moments of true comfort and ease with Cozy Earth. Visit https://CozyEarth.com/Chicks and use code CHICKS for 20% off.Switch to real eye care with Van Man. Visit https://VanMan.shop/chicks with code CHICKS for 15% off your first order—real ingredients, no exceptions!Take Cheers Restore and wake up feeling at least 50% better — or your money back. For a limited time get 20% off their entire order visit  http://cheershealth.com/COTR Subscribe and stay tuned for new episodes every weekday!Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramTikTokXLocalsMore InfoWebsite

Welcome to Building Local Power's “The Data Centers Are Coming,” where we journey to some of the most active places in the cross-country battle over data centers in our local communities. We start at the epicenter: Data Center Alley in Loudoun County, Virginia. This once semi-rural community has now been transformed by Big Tech's sprawling data centers, sparking a fight for land, autonomy, and transparency from local residents. What does it feel like living there now? How is it impacting home values, affordability, energy and water usage, electric bills, and the overall well-being of the people who live nearby? We took a road trip to find out. In this episode we hear from:  Elena Schlossenberg: Our local tour guide, and deeply involved in grassroots organizing in Prince William County and Loudoun County. She has a deep knowledge of land use management and is the Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County.Greg Pirio: A longtime Sterling, VA resident, Greg's home literally sits across the street from a Vantage data center. Greg is an artist and has become an unlikely activist, organizing his neighbors to advocate for local solutions and demand accountability for the relentless noise pollution impacting their daily lives. 

Up & Down Secrets with Stevie P + 3 Must-Do Golf Fitness Exercises (Fairway Fit Golf Podcast)Brad and Greg catch up on a busy stretch of moving, family activities, and youth sports, then recap a recent match at Stoneleigh where nobody played great but Shores impressed and Brad's side won. They highlight the upcoming Back Nine of Leesburg facility, featuring Full Swing 2.0 simulators, a PuttView green, 24/7 access, and founding memberships at thebackninegolf.com/leesburg, plus Instagram @B9GolfLeesburg. In “Tips from the Pro,” Stevie P explains getting up and down by matching short-game mechanics to the full swing, managing expectations and margins for error, choosing higher or lower loft based on slope and landing area, and improving consistency through ball position and strike, suggesting practice games like “playing par” and drills such as using a hula hoop or towel target. The episode closes with three must-do golf fitness exercises from each host, including squat variations, deadlift variations, cable archer rows, and medicine ball slams/rotational throws.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:41 Life Updates Busy Season01:50 New House Projects03:45 Packed Weekend Sports04:59 Youth Golf Tournaments05:50 Recent Match Recap06:37 Simulator Lounge Promo07:50 Stevie P Returns11:46 Why Up And Down Matters12:46 Match Short Game To Swing14:38 Realistic Chip Expectations17:44 Course Example Number Seven21:42 Loft Choices By Slope25:18 Best Drill For Chipping26:22 Ideal Chip Shot Goals27:45 Bounce and Ball Position31:45 Practice Games for Pressure34:17 Sponsor Back Nine Leesburg35:46 Must Do Golf Exercises37:23 Squat Variations for Power42:44 Posterior Chain Deadlift Work47:30 Rotation Rows and Med Balls51:44 Wrap Up and Final PlugsFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

In the 8 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Bethany Mandel discussed: INTERVIEW: Ian Prior: Senior Advisor at America First Legal and Loudoun dad on a Virginia transgender substitute teacher who was arrested for allegedly plotting a chilling “murder spree” at a Loudoun County school — and bragging online about having a disturbing hit list. INTERVIEW: Nile Gardiner: Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation and former aide to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on King Charles’ visit and our “special relationship” with Great Britain. King Charles in Congress: King Charles gave an address to Congress yesterday during which he joked about Great Britain and the USA’s “special relationship.” Riley Gaines’ Hospital Bills: Riley Gaines on social media questions why she is still receiving hospital bills 7 months after she gave birth to her baby. Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @JGunlock, @PatricePinkfile, and @HeatherHunterDC Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Website: WMAL.com/OConnor-Company Episode: Wednesday, April 29, 2026 / 8 AM HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WMAL GUEST: IAN PRIOR (Senior Advisor at America First Legal and Loudoun Parent) on the arrest of a transgender substitute teacher in Loudoun County who allegedly plotted a murder spree and documented a disturbing hit list online. WEBSITE: AmericaFirstLegal.org SOCIAL MEDIA: X.com/ianDPrior Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @JGunlock, @PatriceOnTheAir, and @HeatherHunterDC Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Website: WMAL.com/OConnor-Company Episode: Wednesday, April 29, 2026 / 8 AM HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 5 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Patrice Onwuka discussed: Virginia Referendum Analysis: Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli appears with Jake Tapper on CNN and says the Virginia Supreme Court may unanimously rule against redistricting. Violent Loudoun Teacher: A substitute teacher in Loudoun County has been arrested after authorities say they made threats of violence against a local high school. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) announced that Hadyn Dollery, 19, of Chantilly, was taken into custody on April 20 following an investigation into concerning statements reported through the Safe2Talk app. (Isabel Soisson) WJLA ABC 7’s Nick Minock reports that the teacher is a biological male who identifies as a woman. Over in Fairfax: ICE arrested another illegal immigrant in Fairfax County after Sheriff Stacey Kincaid ignored ICE's detainer and released him back into the community. Court records show Steve Descano dropped several charges against the accused child predator. (Nick Minock, WJLA ABC 7) Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @JGunlock, @PatricePinkfile, and @HeatherHunterDC Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Website: WMAL.com/OConnor-Company Episode: Friday, April 24, 2026 / 5 AM HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stoneleigh Match Recap + 10 PGA Tour Stats That Shock Amateur Golfers | Fairway Way Fit Golf PodcastBrad and Greg return to the Fairway Way Fit Golf Podcast, joke about Greg's “couch surfer” recording setups, and talk about unpredictable April weather affecting youth sports. They recap a 2v2 match at Stoneleigh against Anthony and Matt, played as combined best ball with the usual 5-5-5 game while giving their opponents 10 shots; despite an ugly front nine and Brad dealing with a back spasm, they changed the order on the back, played better, and won to move to 1–0, with another match coming tomorrow on opposite teams. They highlight sponsor Back Nine Golf of Leesburg—an upcoming 24/7 indoor facility with Full Swing Pro 2.0 simulators and a large PuttView green—then play a “PGA Tour stats that shock amateurs” fact-or-myth game covering approach proximity, putting percentages, fairways and GIR averages, course strategy, and the scoring gap between scratch golfers and tour pros.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:27 Gregs Moving Setup01:34 Wild April Weather02:14 Rainout Baseball Weekend03:37 Match Challenge Setup05:24 Sponsor Back Nine Leesburg06:30 Simulator Practice Talk08:12 PuttView Storytime09:51 Match Recap Stoneleigh15:37 Putting Struggles Fixes17:38 Next Match Plans19:16 Golf Stats Quiz Begins23:05 Elite Putting Benchmarks24:17 Fairways Accuracy Myth26:51 Wedge Proximity Reality27:43 Long Putts Percentages29:05 Bogeys Happen on Tour30:34 Distance and Greens Stats33:46 Aim Center from Rough36:41 Scratch vs Tour Gap42:01 Sponsor and SignoffFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

In the 8 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Cassie Smedile discussed: INTERVIEW: KT McFarland: Former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Trump and author of “REVOLUTION" on the latest developments with the Iran blockade. INTERVIEW: Mercedes Schlapp: CPAC Senior Fellow on the rally in Loudoun County today with former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Larry O’Connor. The rally looks to encourage voters to vote no against the Virginia Redistricting referendum. Clarence Thomas: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Wednesday delivered a televised broadside against progressivism, a political philosophy he described as an existential threat to America and the principles that founded it 250 years ago. (ABC News) Lt. Gov. Murder/Suicide: Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife inside their Virginia home and then killed himself, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. (CNN) Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @JGunlock, @PatricePinkfile, and @HeatherHunterDC Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Website: WMAL.com/OConnor-Company Episode: Thursday, April 16, 2026 / 8 AM HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 7 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Cassie Smedile discussed: INTERVIEW: George Taplin: Chair of the Loudoun County Republican Committee on the Voting No gerrymandering effort in Loudoun County and the big rally this afternoon. Great American State Fair: Freedom 250 announced on Wednesday that the Great American State Fair will run from June 25 through July 10, spanning from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument. Iran Blockade: CENTCOM releases what the US Navy is telling EVERY TANKER even THINKING about breaching President Trump's Iran blockade. Plus, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessant talks about the “Strait of Vermouth.” Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @JGunlock, @PatricePinkfile, and @HeatherHunterDC Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Website: WMAL.com/OConnor-Company Episode: Thursday, April 16, 2026 / 7 AM HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 5 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Cassie Smedile discussed: Virginia Redistricting Vote No Rally: Larry O’Connor to take part in a rally in Loudoun County today with former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and CPAC’s Mercedes Schlapp. The rally looks to encourage voters to vote no against the Virginia Redistricting referendum. NOVA Illegal Immigrant Crime: An illegal alien from Guatemala with 25 prior charges has been arrested for an attempted rape outside the Whole Foods in Clarendon, Virginia. ICE announced it is asking Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Arlington officials not to release him. Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @JGunlock, @PatricePinkfile, and @HeatherHunterDC Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Website: WMAL.com/OConnor-Company Episode: Thursday, April 16, 2026 / 5 AM HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Masters Recap + Our Major #1 Match at Stoneleigh (Season 3, Ep. 6) | Fairway Fit Golf PodcastIn Episode 6 of Season 3, Brad and Greg recap a dramatic Masters week, congratulating Rory McIlroy on winning back-to-back majors and discussing scoring, putting, par-5 play, and broadcast coverage. They also preview and then recap their own “Major #1” match at Stoneleigh, including course conditions, stats, and key turning points: Brad shoots 38–37 (75) with two birdies and wins 6&5, while Greg struggles with penalties and eight three-putts (50–48). They discuss lessons on lag putting and short game, share alignment and swing-thought strategies, and check their “level of positivity” toward season goals.00:00 Welcome and Masters Buzz01:03 Final Round Breakdown03:47 Broadcast Notes and Augusta Dreams04:21 Sponsor Back Nine Leesburg05:24 Merch Drop and Episode Setup06:10 Thursday Night Major Prep07:59 Practice Plans and Life Chaos11:14 Neck Pain and Fitness Tune Up17:39 Stoneleigh Major Recap Begins19:12 Front Nine Scores and Stats25:27 Lag Putting Lessons31:27 Back Nine Highlights and HIO Talk34:18 Greg Back Nine Struggles34:35 Round Stats Breakdown35:03 Hole 14 Turning Point36:04 Fixing Alignment Issues39:00 Match Result Recap41:16 Positivity Check In42:51 Swing Thoughts And Tempo47:47 Goals Reality Check51:29 Course Plans And Access53:30 Sponsor Back Nine Leesburg54:40 Masters What If Debates58:21 Scramble At Augusta Talk01:02:49 Wrap Up And PromotionsFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

Season3, Episode #5 (#55)- Masters Week & Major Prep: Practice Plans, Mobility, and Tips From the Pro (Stevie P)The Fairway Way Fit Golf Podcast celebrates Easter and Masters Week while the hosts gear up for their own “major number one” match play round on Friday, discussing recent practice, workouts, and mobility work. One host returns from back spasms focusing on hip mobility, tempo, and 75–80% swings, while the other has played multiple rounds, battled inconsistent putting, and highlighted junior golf experiences during travel. They spotlight sponsor Back Nine of Leesburg, a 24/7 high-end golf simulator facility with Full Swing Pro 2.0 simulators and a PuttView green, offering founding memberships with a Fairway Fit Golf discount. Resident pro Stevie P joins for “Tips from the Pro” on building a structured 60–90 minute practice plan emphasizing wedge warmups, distance control, quality reps, short game, and putting drills. The episode closes with Masters apparel promotion and Masters picks (Rahm and Scheffler).00:00 Welcome to Fairway Fit00:25 Masters Week Buzz01:28 Augusta Dreams and Lottery02:21 Back Nine Leesburg Sponsor03:22 Major Prep Kickoff04:09 Brad Back Spasms and Practice07:11 Greg Travel Golf and Putting12:23 Mobility and Injury Fixes16:03 Range Routine and Tempo Drills19:31 Putting Drills and Feel25:32 Handicaps and Sponsor Ad Break27:04 Stevie P Returns28:07 Why Practice Needs Structure31:08 Wedge Warmup Basics33:13 Dialing Wedge Distances37:38 Full Swing Quality Focus42:49 Tee Club Fairway Targets45:11 Short Game Par Challenge46:14 Putting Drills Pressure48:07 Adjusting Practice Priorities53:26 Masters Week Wrap UpFeatured Sponsor: "The Back Nine Leesburg"24/7 Access: The only facility in Loudoun County offering year-round, round-the-clock access via secure, keyless entry.Join the Founding Member interest list now to secure exclusive rates and priority access before the grand opening! Link on website belowFollow Back Nine: https://thebackninegolf.com/leesburg-va/Facebook - "The Back Nine Golf - Leesburg VA"Instagram - "@b9golfleesburg"Check us out: Follow FairwayFit Golfwww.FairwayFitGolf.comYoutube:@FairwayFitGolfPodcastTwitter: @FairwayFitGolfIG: @FairwayFitGolfTik Tok: @FairwayFitGolf

In Season 3, Episode #4, we're diving into a full recap of the 2026 FairwayFit Cup — breaking down the biggest moments, standout performances, and everything that made this year's event unforgettable.From clutch shots to competitive matchups, we cover:

In the 8 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Cassie Smedile discussed: WMAL GUEST 8:05 AM - INTERVIEW - KT MCFARLAND - Former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Trump and author of “REVOLUTION" SOCIAL MEDIA: https://twitter.com/realKTMcFarland TOPICS: Iran Mexico Cartel Violence Reaction to Trump’s State of the Union Maryland Democrats Have Surrendered on Gerrymandering WMAL GUEST 8:35 AM - INTERVIEW - LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF MIKE CHAPMAN TOPICS: Loudoun School Board Discusses Chapman’s Proposal for SROs in Elementary Schools Fairfax Co. police arrest, charge man with stabbing woman to death at Hybla Valley bus stop Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow the Show Podcasts on Apple podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile, @CMSmedile and @heatherhunterdc. Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Show Website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ How to listen live weekdays from 5 to 9 AM: https://www.wmal.com/listenlive/ Episode: Thursday, February 26, 2026 / 8 AM Hour See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A trans man in Rhode Island opens fire at his son's senior night hockey game, killing two and taking his own life. Dana breaks down his social media history and his severe mental health. Dana reacts to a viral tweet by Congressman Randy Fine which said “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one” following a NYC Muslim leader saying we must give up our dogs because "NYC is coming to Islam". A UPS driver is hilariously chased by wild turkeys A Mexican-American Tiktoker SLAMS American values and claims “We came to make money”. Virginia parents are furious after a new trans school counselor begins seeing kids at a Loudoun County elementary school. Germany implements a racist policy by stopping train ticket checking for people who look like they “might escalate” a situation following the murder of a train conductor by an illegal immigrant. A Scottish production is remaking the “Joan Of Arc” and casting black actress Mandipa Kabana to explore the “power of youth-led change”.More social media posts show the Rhode Island sho*ter revealed his gender surgery was nearly fully covered by health insurance. Spike Lee's outfit at the NBA All-Star game sparked controversy after sporting a Gaza flag themed jacket. Gavin Newsom gets a community note because he claims Ted Cruz called him illiterate when he actually said he was “historically illiterate”. An Australian influencer claims Billie Eilish got him 'deported' from the US over his mansion joke. Former TX State Senator Don Huffines joins to react to the media going after him for buying the San Rafael Ranch YEARS ago that was previously owned by Epstein.Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…Bank on Yourselfhttps://BankOnYourself.com/Dana Bank on Yourself offers tax-free retirement income, guaranteed growth, and full control of your money. Receive your free report.Noble Goldhttps://NobleGoldInvestments.com/DanaThis is the year to create a more stable financial future.  Open a qualified account with Noble Gold and receive a 3 oz Silver Virtue coin free. Relief Factorhttps://ReliefFactor.com OR CALL 1-800-4-RELIEFTry Relief Factor's 3-week Quickstart for just $19.95—tell them Dana sent you and see if you can be next to control your pain!Patriot Mobilehttps://PatriotMobile.com/DANA or call 972-PATRIOTSwitch to Patriot Mobile in minutes—keep your number and phone or upgrade, then take a stand today with promo code DANA for a free month of service!Humannhttps://HumanN.comGet simple, delicious wellness support when you pick up Humann's Turmeric Chews at Sam's Club next time you're there and see why they're such a fan favorite!Byrnahttps://Byrna.com/DanaMake 2026 the year you protect your family with solid options—Get the Byrna today.WebRoothttps://Webroot.com/DanaTake your cybersecurity seriously! Get 60% off Webroot Total Protection for a limited time.Subscribe today and stay in the loop on all things news with The Dana Show. Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramXMore InfoWebsite

Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddGet the new limited release, The Sisterhood, created to honor the extraordinary women behind the heroes. Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeMinneapolis: Some Demons Can Only Be Banished By Prayer & Fasting // ICE! Run, kids  -- oh, wait // Would Jesus Embrace the “Catholic Occupied Government?” Nick Fuentes Wants?Episode Links:Meet Chad Malinowski, a Chicago area nurse. Chad appears to suggest letting ICE agents bleed out and call on nurses to target them. He also says hospitals should fire all MAGA employees because they're racists. Chad works at Midwest Express Clinic and Carle Hospital according to his LinkedinBREAKING UPDATE: Chad claims he's been fired and is almost in tears, trying to backtrack his statements. We reached out to the clinic to confirm and will update when they respond.ICE protesters confirm Minneapolis law enforcement is allowing them to stop vehicles and run their plates at their blockadesWhile Seattle's so-called public schools were staging a walk-out on behalf of illegal immigrants, two students were shot at a bus stop near Rainier Bearch, a notoriously gang-ridden, cartel-run part of the City. Major public school board simulates parent ‘terrorist' attack after fatal accident kills student; The parental terror attack training session came just hours after a Loudoun County high school student was killed in an accident involving an employeeNick demands we have a Catholic Occupied Government instead of a ZOGISRAEL - Catholics successfully defend their church from Zionist extremist group 'La Familia', who attempted to sieze Mar Elias Monastery by force . In recent months, priests have been stabbed and assaulted, cemeteries desecrated and churches set on fire in Israel

Newt talks with Xi Van Fleet about her new book, “Made in America: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Enabled Communist China and Created Our Greatest Threat” co-authored with Yu Jie. Her book explores the historical connections between the United States and the rise of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), emphasizing the role of the U.S. in enabling China's current global ambitions. Xi is a prominent anti-communist voice and gained national attention with a speech to the Loudoun County, Virginia school board comparing critical race theory to Mao's cultural revolution, highlighting the dangers of Marxist ideologies in America. They discuss the parallels between identity politics in the U.S, and class divisions in Maoist China, warning of the potential loss of freedom if these ideologies continue to spread. They also discuss the indoctrination occurring within American educational institutions. They conclude with concerns about the CCP's influence, and the internal threats posed by communist ideologies within the United States.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.