Podcasts about Margin

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Vasanta Pundarika built her career inside healthcare investment banking before launching Lotuspring, an advisory firm focused on women's health and behavioral health. She spent nearly 20 years advising healthcare systems, treatment providers, and growth stage companies on mergers, financing, and operational strategy while watching the industry repeatedly misunderstand the people it claimed to serve.The conversation starts unexpectedly with anthropology, bread, and language. Vasanta explains how she spent years changing the pronunciation of her own name to make other people comfortable before eventually reclaiming it. That thread opens into a much larger discussion about adaptation, identity, and what institutions quietly train people to tolerate.From there, the discussion moves into behavioral health, women delaying care, and the invisible labor that healthcare business models routinely ignore. During COVID, Vasanta noticed men's behavioral health units refilled faster than women's units. The reason had nothing to do with demand. Women were still home managing caregiving responsibilities, children, aging parents, and households while their own mental health collapsed in the background.The episode examines what happens when healthcare companies become “snazzy big brands” before building real clinical substance underneath. Vasanta describes the tension between mission and margin inside healthcare startups, private equity backed care models, and behavioral health expansion. The conversation pushes on who benefits when healthcare scales aggressively, who absorbs the operational pressure, and how patient trust erodes long before executives notice it on a dashboard.They also discuss patient advocacy culture, anthropology as systems analysis, healthcare capitalism, prior authorization, investor language, and why some clinically excellent companies never survive long enough to scale.RELATED LINKSVasanta PundarikaLotuspringWomen's Health HorizonsSakhi for South Asian SurvivorsNACDPrinceton University Anthropology DepartmentFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are joined by one of my wonderful coaching clients, Lisa Lantz, the brilliant owner of The Getup—a community-focused resale store that sells everything from newborn and adult clothing to accessories, kids' gear, and toys. Lisa is just a few short weeks away from graduating from the Inventory Genius program, and she has made absolute leaps and bounds over the past year. We have never had a guest on the show with this specific type of inventory-based business model, and the breakthroughs she has made with her numbers are going to blow you away. Whether you run a traditional retail boutique, a resale shop, or even a dropshipping business, Lisa's journey holds some massive gold nuggets for you. Key Takeaways from This Episode: Consignment vs. Buy-Outright: Understand the financial risk of buying inventory outright from your customers versus running a traditional consignment model, and why your margins must reflect that risk. The Fear of Policy Changes: Why we need to "stay out of our customers' pocketbooks" and make business-first decisions without letting fear dictate our financial policies. Cracking the Cash-to-Credit Ratio: How tracking the exact ratio of cash payouts to in-store credit (which, for Lisa, sits consistently at 70% cash and 30% credit) allows for highly accurate cash-flow planning. Data-Driven Curating: Moving away from buying inventory just because "it's in good shape" to hand-curating based on high-margin, fast-turning categories (like discovering women's wear drove over 50% of Lisa's sales!). The Power of One-Dollar Levers: How focusing on just one simple lever—like raising your average ticket size by a small margin through employee training—can bridge massive sales gaps. Inside the Conversation 1. The Cash vs. Credit Conundrum Because The Getup is a buy-outright resale store, Lisa's customers can choose between cash or in-store credit (which now offers 10% more value) on the spot. When we first started working together, this model created a lot of cloudiness around her COGS (Cost of Goods Sold). We realized Lisa was paying up to 40% back in cash just to support her community and keep inventory coming in. But when you buy outright, you take on 100% of the risk if that item doesn't sell. We adjusted her payouts down, and despite her fear that she'd drive people away, not a single customer complained. "We hold off on making really important financial decisions out of fear of what people will think or say, and a lot of times, that story is only created in our head." 2. Finding the Ratios and Taking Control of Cash Flow Once we started digging into the data, we discovered a highly consistent pattern: 30% of her buyouts were store credit, and 70% were cash. Knowing this ratio changed everything. Instead of guessing, Lisa can now accurately map out her open-to-buy plan and know exactly how much hard cash she needs on hand each month. No more putting out daily financial fires! 3. Curating with Intention (and Saying "No" Gently) In resale, your inventory is a daily surprise. Lisa used to accept items simply because they were nice. Now, she uses her category data to make smart buying decisions. When she realized women's apparel made up over 50% of her sales, she knew exactly where to focus her efforts. We also talk about the delicate art of saying "no" to individual black-bag drop-offs without making it personal. 4. Moving the Needle on Average Ticket Size Our latest project is bridging a big sales growth gap not by wishing for random traffic, but by focusing on average ticket size. Lisa shares her strategy for bringing her part-time team into the numbers conversation, recording training videos, and why she is temporarily stepping back onto the sales floor to spot the operational puzzle pieces herself. Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe

We are joined by one of my wonderful coaching clients, Lisa Lantz, the brilliant owner of The Getup—a community-focused resale store that sells everything from newborn and adult clothing to accessories, kids' gear, and toys. Lisa is just a few short weeks away from graduating from the Inventory Genius program, and she has made absolute leaps and bounds over the past year. We have never had a guest on the show with this specific type of inventory-based business model, and the breakthroughs she has made with her numbers are going to blow you away. Whether you run a traditional retail boutique, a resale shop, or even a dropshipping business, Lisa's journey holds some massive gold nuggets for you. Key Takeaways from This Episode: Consignment vs. Buy-Outright: Understand the financial risk of buying inventory outright from your customers versus running a traditional consignment model, and why your margins must reflect that risk. The Fear of Policy Changes: Why we need to "stay out of our customers' pocketbooks" and make business-first decisions without letting fear dictate our financial policies. Cracking the Cash-to-Credit Ratio: How tracking the exact ratio of cash payouts to in-store credit (which, for Lisa, sits consistently at 70% cash and 30% credit) allows for highly accurate cash-flow planning. Data-Driven Curating: Moving away from buying inventory just because "it's in good shape" to hand-curating based on high-margin, fast-turning categories (like discovering women's wear drove over 50% of Lisa's sales!). The Power of One-Dollar Levers: How focusing on just one simple lever—like raising your average ticket size by a small margin through employee training—can bridge massive sales gaps. Inside the Conversation 1. The Cash vs. Credit Conundrum Because The Getup is a buy-outright resale store, Lisa's customers can choose between cash or in-store credit (which now offers 10% more value) on the spot. When we first started working together, this model created a lot of cloudiness around her COGS (Cost of Goods Sold). We realized Lisa was paying up to 40% back in cash just to support her community and keep inventory coming in. But when you buy outright, you take on 100% of the risk if that item doesn't sell. We adjusted her payouts down, and despite her fear that she'd drive people away, not a single customer complained. "We hold off on making really important financial decisions out of fear of what people will think or say, and a lot of times, that story is only created in our head." 2. Finding the Ratios and Taking Control of Cash Flow Once we started digging into the data, we discovered a highly consistent pattern: 30% of her buyouts were store credit, and 70% were cash. Knowing this ratio changed everything. Instead of guessing, Lisa can now accurately map out her open-to-buy plan and know exactly how much hard cash she needs on hand each month. No more putting out daily financial fires! 3. Curating with Intention (and Saying "No" Gently) In resale, your inventory is a daily surprise. Lisa used to accept items simply because they were nice. Now, she uses her category data to make smart buying decisions. When she realized women's apparel made up over 50% of her sales, she knew exactly where to focus her efforts. We also talk about the delicate art of saying "no" to individual black-bag drop-offs without making it personal. 4. Moving the Needle on Average Ticket Size Our latest project is bridging a big sales growth gap not by wishing for random traffic, but by focusing on average ticket size. Lisa shares her strategy for bringing her part-time team into the numbers conversation, recording training videos, and why she is temporarily stepping back onto the sales floor to spot the operational puzzle pieces herself. Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe

On the #amwriting podcast's Margin Notes, host Jennie Nash talks with Caroline Bicks, Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine and co-host of the Everyday Shakespeare podcast, about her book Monsters in the Archives: A Year of Fear with Stephen King. Bicks describes how she became the first invited into King's Bangor archives after King called to meet her, and how her sabbatical became a year of researching five formative works (including Carrie, Night Shift, The Shining, Salem's Lot, and Pet Sematary) to understand how horror language creates lasting fear. She explains choosing a first-person narrative that blends literary criticism, archival discovery, and her own anxiety, including eerie moments in the archive and insights into King's word-level edits, literary influences, and Shakespearean foundations, especially The Shining's ties to Hamlet.#AmWriting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Read the Book* Monsters in the Archives by Caroline BicksTranscriptJennie: [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Jennie Nash, and you're listening to the #amwriting podcast, the place where we help writers of all kinds play big in your writing life, love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most. Welcome, everyone. This is Margin Notes, the part of the podcast where we're talking about the big decisions writers face in their work and creative lives.I'm here today with a super special guest. I'm so excited to speak with Caroline Bicks. She is the Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine, where she teaches courses in Shakespeare, early modern culture, and horror fiction. And she's the author of all kinds of very cool books ... about Shakespeare, including one on cocktails.Um, and, uh, is the co-host of the Everyday Shakespeare podcast, and we are here today to talk with her about her new book called [00:01:00] Monsters in the Archives: A Year of Fear with Stephen King. Welcome.Caroline: Thank you. Thanks for having me.Jennie: So this is gonna be the strangest interview you've probably ever done. ICaroline: don't know.Because- I've talked to a lot of people around the world about this Stephen King book.Jennie: I couldn't read your book. I, I couldn't read it. I can't read horror. Yeah. Which listeners of this podcast are gonna laugh about, ‘cause I'm actually coaching someone live and they're writing gothic horror, and they're probably like, “All you talk about is horror, Jennie.”But, um, it's actually the reason why I wanted to talk to you, because you made a decision in the writing of this book that I thought was super cool. Mm. Which was you put yourself in it.Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: And you're a scholar.Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: And you've written scholarly books, and you approach this with a scholarly perspective, but you, you really put yourself in it.And, and so [00:02:00] I was reading it for that part of the story and I had to skip over huge chunks of, of the, of the work. Because what you're doing in this book is you're getting at this question of- W- what, what is scary in writing? Like, how does it actually work? How does it act- what is the magic or the function that makes us feel this thing?And you actually feel it yourself while you're going through it, and I found it quite terrifying actually. So, um, that's kinda what I wanted to talk about is how did you make the decision? Well, first of all, you were the first person, I wanna make sure I get this right, ‘cause this is very cool. Yeah. You were the first person who was invited to the archives, the Stephen King archives.Caroline: Yeah. I mean, it's, it's a bit of a story, so I won't spend too much time on it, but just the mo- Oh, no, do. It's good ... when I ch- when I took this position... So I've been a Shakespeare professor my whole adult life, ba- as soon as I graduated from grad school in the late ‘90s, [00:03:00] and I was at Boston College for 15 years.I took this position at University of Maine nine years ago as a Shakespearean. Um, so it is an endowed chair in Stephen King's name because he's our most famous alum. So when I took the position, I, it was because I'm a Shakespearean, not because I'm a horror specialist. Um, I had always been a Stephen King fan since I read him when I was 12, and he scared the beje- Jesus out of me, um, with The Boogeyman story.Jennie: Right.Caroline: Um, so when I took this position though I was told, “You're never gonna meet Stephen King. Don't even make contact with him.” I'm like, “Fine, you know, this is still a great job. I'm excited.” Um- ThanksJennie: for the money. Yeah.Caroline: Thanks for... You know, no, it's a wonderful fund. It was funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation, and it's to support the public humanities, which is an incredible mission.So, um, I get to give money away to people. You know, it's a great, great position, but I was not a horror specialist. And particu- a- and as an adult, I actually wasn't reading horror because it scares me too much. You know? Yeah, yeah. Um, but it had grabbed me when I was a teenager. So it was about four years into the [00:04:00] job when I got a call at home from Stephen King, which just, uh, uh, my jaw hit the floor.And he said, “You know, I think it's time we meet.” I'm like, you know, I, I really fan-girled because I really, I have so much admiration for him and respect. Um, I invited him to come talk to our students. He was brilliant, generous, funny, kind, and I felt so at ease that I felt like I could ask... You know, and I got to know him professionally.We had a good professional relationship that developed from there. When I had a sabbatical year coming up the next year- I could have written another Shakespeare book. I had another one in my head. I've written a bunch of them but I knew that he and Tabitha had just collected all of his manuscripts and put them in a climate-controlled space attached to their home in Bangor, and I thought, “You know, this is an incredible opportunity.I would love to dig in there and be the first one in there, and just read those early drafts of the books that scared me so much when I was a teenager, and try to just explore why. Why were they sticking in my head still?” Um, again, I am not a specialist in... I'm not a cognitive scientist. I'm not a [00:05:00] specialist in horror literature, but I'm obviously highly trained in how to do literary analysis and how to do archival work, not Shakespeare, because we don't have any of his works, but, you know, I, I understand what that process is.So back to your question about why I wanted to bring myself into it, which was, you know, I had been experimenting with first-person storytelling after I got tenure. You know, ‘cause it's a long process, Kate. Right. And most of my writing had been academic writing, but I really had always loved storytelling And I got a piece into the Modern Love column.I started to have some success with publishing my first-person stories, and I was like, “You know, I love this.” So when I had this opportunity to go into his archives, they generously said yes, was amazing. I thought, “You know, I really wanna tell this story. I don't wanna write an academic book. I want this to be the story of a literature scholar, but really the story about a scared kid.”Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: You know, you, you never lose that scare, you know, I don't... This is the thing. Fear has stuck with me with those stories [00:06:00] for 40 years. So I was fascinated, and I just wanted to understand how he had crafted the language so that it was sticking in my head still. Because when I was talking to people around, you know, whenever you mention Stephen King to people, you know, if they've read him, they remember specific lines and specific words, and I was like, “That's an extraordinary, um, 50 years on to have that power.”So, um- Well- Anyway. Yeah. Go ahead. I, I could talk about this forever, so you tell me- Oh, no, it's- ... where you wanted to pick up from this.Jennie: It's so good. Well, I have to tell you this funny anecdote, which is that my college roommate was from Bangor, Maine, and babysat his kids in that house.Caroline: Oh, that's insane.Jennie: So when I went to visit her, she drove me by that house.There you go. And I was like, “Oh, hell no- Yeah ... would I ever babysit in that house.” Like, it's-Caroline: It's ‘cause it's like a gothic, it's like straight out of Haunting of Hill House ...Jennie: actually, and like these spiderweb gates that, and you describe that in the [00:07:00] book and, and the- Yeah ... archives are in that house. They'reCaroline: in the house.They're attached to the back. I know. And it, it was so, it was, it was insane. It was like a full-on 360 experience writing this book. Um, and I, I knew, like, so I did the research for a year. I didn't even know if this would be a book. I just knew I wanted to have the opportunity to be in there because it, I knew it was a great opportunity, and I was so curious, you know?Yeah. So I, I came out of the year with just tons of notes and observations, but I didn't have a book, you know? Yeah. And then I started experimenting with writing a chapter, and I just, the storytelling just came forward and then when I got an agent and she, you know, s- I, I, I was able to get a contract based on a proposal and that one chapter I had written and I was really fortunate to have a fabulous editor, David Ebershoff, at Hogarth, who is just such a wonderful writer himself, and he really encouraged me to bring my voice in and bring my story in even [00:08:00] more.Um, so that's- And- ... that's the story of that.Jennie: Was it hard for you as a scholar to do that?Caroline: You know what? It was so freeing and so fun that it actually wasn't, you know? Because I, I knew this wasn't going to be an academic book, so once I let go of that- Yeah ... um, I was like, wow, I have the, and yet I have this skill set I can bring forward, and I knew that's what would make this unique.Um, but I can combine my two favorite ways of writing, ‘cause I do actually love writing literary criticism. Like it's, I get a thrill out of it. I wouldn't be doing it this long if I didn't get a thrill out of it, but I also love telling my own stories and drawing a reader in. And so for me it was like just a circus carnival.Like it was so fun to be able to do it. Once I had the permission and I had a contract, I was like, fine, you know? I, I, who am I writing this book for? I'm writing it for me, you know? Like this is just something I wanna do because I'm so passionate [00:09:00] about it and I, and I love Stephen King. And, um, once I got into it that way and wasn't thinking about who's gonna criticize me for this, like how will academics view this, I was like, I don't care.I just don't care. I know I've got a great story to tell that people are gonna love to read because there's so many people that love not just Stephen King, but people who love reading about how great books get written, you know? Yeah. And so that was the audience I had in my mind when I, when I was crafting it.It was really, in my mind, anybody who cares about books and writing. It doesn't have to be... So when you say, you're not the first person who's said to me, “I can't read your book,” or, “I can't read-” Oh, I'm so glad. “... Stephen King books,” you know, and I'm like, “That's okay. You can skip, you know, the parts that really scare you,” because there's plenty about just like that first chapter I wrote about Pet Sematary, just his sticky notes back and forth with his copy editor, which is so fun I think.You know, it's just like, wow.Jennie: Totally. Yeah. But the thing that you do is you- Allow yourself to confront that fear-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: [00:10:00] that, that I feel that the people can't, that can't read horror feel. You know, anybody that even allows themselves to be scared feels. And-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: and you, you do some very specific things, um, which I, I found fascinating, including tracking down on eBay the original copy of that book you read as a- Yeah, I wanted-as a teenager.Caroline: Yeah, that was part of the process for me, was I wanted to make sure I was reading... So before I would go into the archives for each work, and I'd spent like two... I only picked five, because I wanted to... First of all, I knew I wanted to make this personal. Um, and those were the five that scared me the most when I was a teenager.So I grew up in the ‘70s and the ‘80s as a teenager, so for me, it was in real time when the books were coming out practically. So it was- Yeah ... Carrie, Night Shift, The Shining, Salem's Lot, Pet Sematary. Um, I'm forgetting one of course. Uh, but I went -Jennie: The other one.Caroline: The other one. Had a huge impact on me. [00:11:00] So it was those five, and I, I knew those were the ones I was gonna do a deep dive into, and that I wanted to really re-engage with, and bring my whole self to.So I wanted to find the copies that I had read in the ‘70s and the early ‘80s. And fortunately, it's pretty easy to find them. Uh, so yeah, but eBay sometimes I had to go on, or go into a used bookstore and, you know, find the like actual 1979 paperback, you know.Jennie: Um- I mean, that- Um ... I just, there's some, there's so much to say about that because-Caroline: YeahJennie: like, I just, um- We, we just had a new bookcase built, um, which is something I've wanted to do well for eight years in this house. But it's a thing I've always wanted to have, which is like a grand bookcase, and it just was finished last week, and we had all the books packed up in storage, and we brought all the books back.Then we went through this discernment process of what goes [00:12:00] on those shelves. And I, you know, I had all those books from when I was a kid, even when I was a kid-kid, and they're yellow, and moldy and falling apart, and the covers aren't on, and they're taped and-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: eh, but I cannot let them go-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: because those...that was the object.Caroline: That's the object. This is what I feel sad for kids now, because they're not gonna have those same memories, um, of books. Yes. You know? And I don't think they stick in your head the same way if you don't have the full sensory embodied experience with a book.Jennie: Right. You know? Even when you open...I read on Kindle, which I love for so many reasons. Yeah. But you don't even see the cover.Caroline: You don't see the cover, right. And for me, it's so much. Like, I remember going to the Scholastic Book Fair and being like- Yes ... “I'm getting Summer of My German S- Soldier because Christy McNichol's on the cover,” you know?Yes. Yes. So yeah, that was part of the journey for me was I did wanna just [00:13:00] reconnect with those books again, try to h- and as much as you can, you know, reexperience the feelings of f- like The Shining, I actually... the only one I still have from 1977 is the actual Shining that I read. Um, and that's, for me, that woman in room 217.Well, I know you haven't read it ‘cause you're probably... What? But, um, it, that particular one I still have from, from when I was growing up. Um, and I love that I still have it, and it still has the photo... You know, it's the version that has the photo inserts that includes the Kubrick film photos. Oh, okay.Jennie: Okay.Yeah, yeah.Caroline: And I read it before I saw the film, so I remember being- 15 reading it and then seeing the pictures and being like you know? And that's part of the experience, but it wasn't, it's different than seeing the film, you know? And I really, I wanted to write this book as a love letter to language and to books, and not to film.Like, there's, that's a whole other category I think that enters people's brains in totally different ways. It's a very different experience. For me it's about, like going back to your original question [00:14:00] about like why, why, why do stories cause fear, and like what's the value perhaps in that? Yeah. That was something I came to after this long journey really, and talking to people and thinking about why.And also by understanding and reading more about Stephen King's books and talking to him about them, and realizing for him how much these stories are rooted in personal experiences or fears of grief and loss. And- Yes ... that was really profound for me. And like The Night Shift, which is the ur-text that I start with, ‘cause that's the one I read when I was 12, and that's his first collection of short stories.It came out in 1978. It's 20 short stories. But he ends it with a story about his mother dying, and it's, I mean, it's thinly veiled autobiography. It's about a man who's watching his mother die in the hospital. Um, but it's clearly a mirror of his own experience losing his mother when he was 26. And I'm like, wow, what's that doing in a collection of horror stories?[00:15:00] And it's like, what? ‘Cause that is of course, at least for me and I think for a lot of people, that's the core fear we first have, is that where's mommy, right? Yeah. Right? You lose the person who's in charge of taking care of you, and if you're lucky, does it well and with care. Um, but even if it's not, like Carrie, you know, the more I was looking through the Carrie drafts, I was like, right, he's really homing in on Carrie calling out for her mother even though her mother's terrible and abusive to her, right?So it's, there's just this, I don't know. It's a long way around to say I think horror, and he writes about this really eloquently, is a way for us to metabolize our deepest fears. Um, and to look at trauma not head-on but sideways. Um, and he writes about that, um, a number of different places in a really powerful way.He's just such an extraordinary human. You know, he's been thinking about this and for so long.Jennie: Yeah. Yeah. So, so your willingness to [00:16:00] confront that, those particular fear, fears in your own self and on behalf of the reader, really puts you in it. I mean, like you, there's a really lovely moment where you are reading I think it's, I think it's Pet Sematary, reading the actual book, and you have to turn it over so you- Yeahdon't see, like on your nightstand so you don't see the cover. I'mCaroline: scared, I'm scared of the cover, right, still.Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: And then there's moments, se- several where you're driving And you're sort of holding your breath while you drive past a place that he writes about or, or- Mm-hmm ... you know, um, well you have to tell the story, I'm sure every interviewer asks you about the, um, the doorknob in the archive.You have to, like, I was-Caroline: Yeah, not too many people have asked me about that, but I'm like, that to me was the scary moment-Jennie: Wait, shut up ... the most, theCaroline: most sturdy. I'm like, wh- uh, why did that happen? But of course, I mean, there's a reason why it happened. It's, it's, it [00:17:00] automatically locks if, you know, the, if you- Okaydon't lock it So let's, let's play- So but it just happened that we were inside the archive room. It was me and, and Julie Ugli, who is their assistant, who was helping me through this whole process. And I know, and I was, like, literally holding the first page of the first draft of The Boogeyman, the story that had scared me so badly when I was 12, about a monster that comes out of closets, and we're like in this room.And the, the archive room, it actually, it almost feels like a closet. It's not huge at all. You know, it's just-Jennie: Yeah ...Caroline: top to bottom, ceiling to floor stacked shelving with, you know, boxes of materials. And yeah, and we were in there, and I'm holding the first page, and the lock closes on its own. It just goes...And I'm like, I'm looking at Julie, I'm like, “What is, what's happening?” We don't have our cell phones with us. I'm like, “Are we stuck in here? Like, what's gonna happen?”Jennie: In the scary archive- In this, I was terrified ... in the back of the scary house. Like-Caroline: I know, I know. It was like, you can't make this stuff up.That's why I was like, I [00:18:00] couldn't wait, when I finally got a chance to write the book and sit down and write, I was like, I can't wait to tell these stories, because they just... I, I'm not a fiction writer. Like, I, I have such mad respect for- I don't know about that ... well, I've m- We'll see I don't know. I have mad respect for people who can write fiction.For me, I only can write what I know and exper- So I'm like, ah. But these stories were just so amazing. Or like when I was reading The Shining, like the first draft of The Shining, which is crazy. I mean, it's so different from the published version. And like getting to the woman in room 217, and like reading th- and literally my head w- like I thought I was having a stroke.Like it was like, like... And it's like, and then I find an interview where Stephen King writes about how he was scared to go back to that scene when he was revising it, the book, because he was dreading it. And I was like, oh, my God, have I just like had some kind of telepathic experience with Stephen King?Like- Right ... across time, space, and yeah, it was amazing.Jennie: Well, yeah. I mean, [00:19:00] it's just, um, uh, I actually made myself go through the whole book skipping giant chunks.Caroline: I feel so badly I put you through this.Jennie: I know. I, I feel like why, I kept saying, “Why? Why did I think this was a good idea?” Um, and it- I mean, even just tangentially, I, I don't know.It's interesting. I have, I'm sure you have this too, anybody who reads a lot or spends a lot of time with words, you have a capacity to sort of pay half attention, if that makes sense.Caroline: Mm-hmm.Jennie: Um, like you c- could sort of look at it without letting it all the way in. Yeah. But I, I just was, I just was riveted by the thread of, of your story and your putting yourself through that as a scholar and a human.But, but then some really cool things happen, and I, and I have flagged, um... Do you, [00:20:00] w- would you mind reading a tiny piece? It's- No, not at all ... it's on page 82, and it's the p- the paragraph that starts, “These manuscripts.”Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: That would be amazing.Caroline: Absolutely. So this is actually the moment I just described to you, where my head was like, I got...Oh, actually, I had just discovered the last 150 pages of the original Shining manuscript in a random folder in the archives, and I was like, “What is this doing here?” And I was getting obsessive about the manuscripts at this point, clearly- Yeah. Yeah ... just like the main character in The Shining, Jack Torrance, who gets obsessed with the manu- with the papers in the basement of the Overlook Hotel.But here we go. “These manuscripts are definitely getting into my head, and not just its rational part. In his memoir, when King describes books as being a uniquely portable magic, he doesn't specify what kind of magic. What if manuscripts can absorb and store more than just ink and words? [00:21:00] What if their pages can pass on dark energy along with dark stories?Ghosts have more than one way of making sure their stories are heard, of ensuring that the past is not forgotten, but rather pressed into our minds, even if we wrench our heads off the pillow and refuse to listen.” And that last is a reference to my, I used to see a ghost when I was five, and I write about that in the book too.Jennie: I mean, when I read that, I was like, “That's, that's me.” Like, these ghosts and horrors are pressing themselves into my mind, and I'm refusing to listen, and they still, they still do. And, um, King's stories in particular are so iconic, you can't really escape them. Like, you, you know the scenarios, you know the characters, you know-Caroline: YeahJennie: you know. And, and so it was interesting for me reading this book that that described my [00:22:00] experience where I was both repelled and magnetized at the same time.Caroline: That's beautiful the way you just put that. I mean, I think that is exactly our relationship also, of course, to our own fears. You know, again, what makes these stories endure, and I didn't go into this book thinking like, “This is a book about promoting Stephen King,” and, you know- Rightlike, I don't work for Stephen King. I just want to put that out there. Right. He, you know, he graciously agreed to let me go into the archives. He's been very generous about answering all my questions I had about the manuscripts, but he never at any point was like, “You can't say this,” or, “This is how you're supposed to say this.”So, but what I came away with after this process was exactly what you're describing, why we need these stories, why they endure, actually, is because they tap into our very real human fears. It's not about the monsters. It's about the grief and loss that's coming for all of us if we live long enough, you know?So you, and you have to at some point confront that, you know? So if it's- Yeah ... you can [00:23:00] try to run away from it, but it's coming, and that's part of being human. That's the human experience, obviously. Not to be glib, but it's like-Jennie: Yeah ...Caroline: you will experience loss. You will experience grief. And if these stories help you metabolize that or have a cathartic experience with that feeling without having to actually experience your worst fear, right?Um, like Aristotle says, it's cathartic, right? It's you watch a play, a, a tragedy because you experience a catharsis.Jennie: And did you, did you get to that in your own process?Caroline: That's a really good question. Um- You know, I, I think I became more aware of it. You know, I am, you know, and I write about this very openly in the book, that I was an extremely anxious little kid, um, which is part of why I think the boogeyman triggered me in the particular way it did, you know.Um, and that I grew into a pretty [00:24:00] anxious adult, you know? Yeah. I think anxiety is one of those things that, you know, I... Again, I was born in the ‘60s, so we didn't have this language for this back then. Like, my parents wouldn't have known to call me an anxious child, you know? Right. They probably would've said, “Oh, she's shy,” or, “She's whatever.”Um, so I think I, you know, like, and I as an adult, I think I've, I've found ways to manage it pretty well, but I am definitely a control freak. Like, that's part of how I manage it. I shouldn't use that language, but you know, it's like I, I like to just control what I can control, and that makes me feel that I can put the anxiety at bay.So I will say I think it's been interesting for me, Nick, now when I have those moments that are my worst fear moments that sometimes still will creep up on me just even though when I think I've figured it out, like doom s- doom scenarios. I tend to go to doom scenarios. So, like, if I can't reach... Uh, I will say Life360 has been, like, the best invention on the planet for me-with my two kids [00:25:00] and my husband. I'm like, “I know exactly where everyone is.” Yeah. It has saved me a lot of worry. Sometimes Life360 doesn't work, or sometimes a person still doesn't answer the phone, and then I have to manage my anxie- And then it's like... So I will say it's been interesting going through this process and having to confront or revisit the core of what scares me and, like, why that impacts, you know, why certain moments come forward for me still.So I think, yeah, I think it has helped me to a degree. Like, I can recognize it more clearly now. I'm like, “Oh, right, that's why I'm scared of that,” you know? Um-Jennie: That's so cool.Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: And it feels like that's the, the, um, the transformation in the book is you're exploring how that actually works and the language and the stories.Mm-hmm. But you're, you're also exploring how it works in your own self, how it did when you were young, how it does now- Yeah ... these moments when you're scared. So it- Mm-hmm ... there's such [00:26:00] a depth to it and, I mean, I just, uh, even in my half reading of it, I just loved it. Thank you. And, um, there's something that happens That's kind of crazy, which is, so you're a Shakespeare scholarCaroline: Mm-hmmJennie: And I ha- I, I know from reading Steve, a- about Stephen King, from reading his book On Writing, of course, and, um, interviews and such that, uh, I'm, I'm probably gonna say this in a disrespectful way, and I don't mean it to be so, but the, the easiest way I can describe it is that he's always had sort of a chip on his shoulder that he's just a popular writer and not taken seriously in a literary way.Mm. I don't know if that's, if that is fair to say, but that's how I'm saying it. Uh,Caroline: yeah.Jennie: And, um, what, what I found incredible was that [00:27:00] here comes this Shakespeare scholar into his archives doing proper scholarly archiver, arch- archival work, and there's this moment when you begin to see Shakespearean themes in his, in his work, and you can't ignore it, and particularly in, in Carrie and- Yeahparticularly around exactly the thing you were wrestling with, which is like a young girl's- I don't know, sense of, of not being fitting in the world or, um-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: right? And so that, um, there's, on page, since you have the book in your hand, um, I think it's pageCaroline: 202. Mm-hmm.Jennie: And it refers back to that passage you just read about portable magic.It's the one that's I remembered.Caroline: [00:28:00] Right. Okay. So this is going back to when I first was, um, I was in the final round of the job for the Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, and I was working on a book about Shakespeare's, the girls in Shakespeare's plays and world and teenage girls and their cognition.Like, the how were people during Shakespeare's day thinking about girls' brains? Yeah. So I'd been working on this for 10 years. Um, and then I was getting ready to give my job talk. This was the first time Stephen King and Shakespeare came together for me, and it was getting ready, and this, again, this is an authentic story, like write what you know.So I was getting ready for the job talk. I remembered that King's 1974 novel, Carrie, featured a 16-year-old girl whose telekinetic powers are unleashed when she gets her first period in the school shower. I started rereading it, and within a few pages came across an uncanny phrase. When she's walking home after being dismissed early, Carrie feels her brain flexing in a new way, [00:29:00] as if her powers have been waiting below the surface for her to reach, quote, “mental puberty.”I couldn't have wordsmithed this dynamic cognitive change better myself. In the last part of my job talk, I used the phrase to connect the brain work of Juliet Capulet, who's described as being two weeks away from seeing the change of 14 years, to Carrie's newly activated adolescent mind. It felt like a moment of pure portable magic between Stephen King, Shakespeare, and me.Jennie: Ugh, so beautiful.Caroline: Oh, thank you. Yeah. I mean, that was just so gobsmacking. Like, when that happened, I was like, I ca- I can't believe it, but yeah.Jennie: And then, now I may be getting some of the things wrong here, but then you- You realize, is it Carrie that, that you realize he was, you thought he was emulating a play, a Shakespeare play?Caroline: I think you're thinking of Shining. I mean, definitely at the end of the Carrie [00:30:00] chapter I return to, I did notice echoes of Macbeth, and I was convinced that that must have been what he was thinking about. And, and what's funny is, so one of the conversations I got to have with him, I mean, he's so generous with his time, one of my last conversations with him was about the end of Carrie, and that's a book that he actually doesn't like very much.You know, it was his first published novel, he was 26, and he's like, “I think that was written by a young man who thought he knew more than he did.” So he's, it's not a book that he goes back to. He recognizes it's important, and it's important to him, but, ‘cause it started his whole career, his whole trajectory.Um, but he didn't particularly, he hasn't returned to it. Yeah. So that was a fun chance for me to sort of talk to him and say, “Hey, you know what? I think you should maybe go back,” ‘cause it's it's, there's a lot of Shakespeare in there. Anyway, but the Shining chapter, what was fascinating, so there's this first draft, which I, I write a lot about, called The Shine, that's in the archives, with a totally different ending.Um, and when I looked at it, [00:31:00] he'd also divided it into acts and scenes, like Roman numeral acts and little- Mm ... Roman numeral scenes. And I was like, “This, what is this? This is like a Shakespeare play.” Like, that's what it looked like. And then sure enough, I found out he was imagining, he was thinking of a Shakespeare tragedy when he wrote The Shining.And that was the first moment where I was like, “What? This is insane.” Like, this- Yeah ... like, ob- obviously that became, for me, the story I wanted to tell about that particular set of manuscripts, was sort of uncovering, like, what's the Shakespeare play? Like, what's the tragedy? And I didn't wanna ask him because I didn't want- I wanted to go in with my mind clear, like, of any outside influence.I just wanted to see what my Shakespeare brain, because I'm so embedded in Shakespeare. I also have a Shakespeare podcast I do with my best friend. Like, we're, I'm always thinking about Shakespeare and how it relates to everyday life. You know, and so I'm like, “Well, how does it relate to The Shining?” Which is, like, an ur-American text.Like, this, like, say what you want about horror, [00:32:00] like- I'd be shocked if people don't know what The Shining's about, even if they haven't read it even if they haven't seen the film. Like, you probably know something about The Shining, right? Right. So I was like, if there's a Shakespeare tragedy at the foundation of this, you know.And here's the thing about Stephen King that I came to learn, again, reading all of his notes and finding these edits, and I did find traces of Macbeth in the first draft of The Shine, um, that he ended up taking out. So I was like, “Oh, is it Macbeth? It feels like it could be Macbeth.” There's so many things it has in common with it, with hallucinations and with baby bashing.And, you know, all of these horrible things that are in Macbeth are certainly in that book. Um, but I really wanted to go in, like, just on an adventure, like, see what I saw. So I didn't ask him which chi- tragedy until I was fully done with all my research and I felt like I had it all done. And that's when he drops that he was thinking of Hamlet.And once he said that, of course, it became so ... I mean, I [00:33:00] had seen traces, there were references to Ophelia that also didn't make it into the final published draft. So you wouldn't know this. This is the beauty of archival work, like you're gonna see things that other people will never know about unless you tell the story.That's why I felt so passionate about this. Like, “I need to tell people-” Yeah ... “that Ophelia was in the first draft, that he was thinking of Ophelia.” ‘Cause of course, you know, again, even if you don't know The Shining, the woman in the tub, the woman in the bathtub, like a drowned woman in a tub, like ah, Ophelia.Yeah. Like Ophelia's another one of those ur, like she's so, she's such a part of our cultural air, right? I mean, like no matter what country you're in. Right. There's a reason Taylor Swift has a whole, you know, song The Fate of Ophelia. Like people know what that means. Um, so I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is, this is incredible.This is even deeper than I thought it was gonna be.” Um, but also it made me appreciate how much that book is about intergenerational trauma. Um, and it's not ... So he doesn't like the Kubrick film [00:34:00] for reasons that, you know, a couple different reasons. One is that it flattens out the character of Jack Torrance, and Jack Torrance is an abused child himself, and he passes on that abuse to his son, Danny, right?Um, but you wouldn't know that from Kubrick's film. While Hamlet, of course, is about a father's ghost coming forward. Like, “The past is a ghost,” King writes, which is so f- powerful, right? Um, here's this ghost saying, “You need to kill for me.”Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: Yeah. And that's what happens to Jack. Yeah, so anyway, that's a long way to say that wasEach chapter was my favorite in different ways, but that one I loved being able to do the deep Shakespeare dive.Jennie: And was that ... You know, so I started that question by saying I, I had heard or understood or maybe inferred that, um, you know, King himself had this sort of desire- Okay ... to be taken more seriously.Was that, that must have been, I don't know, powerful for both you and him, uh, to [00:35:00] come to that? Not like, “Oh, you're the only person that's ever made him feel that way” or-Caroline: Yeah,Jennie: no,Caroline: I agree ... or agree with that, but. Like I, yeah. And, um, I mean, I will say I think part of the reason he was always really ... I mean, first of all, he's just so generous, and any writer who's ever worked with him has the same experience.Like he just gives his time. He just loves writing and writers so much that he will just, he'll just t- like any email I would send him, he'd write back in like an hour with a response. The part about how he feels about academia, you know, and I never directly asked him that because I didn't wanna ... You know, if he wanted to bring it up, great.But I think- Yeah ... my, after going on this journey with him, he clearly loves talking about- literature. He's the most well-read person I've ever met. I'm just gonna say that hands down. Like, the guy reads- Really? ... cons- constantly and if you read his early works, like even when he was 17, he wrote The Long Walk, okay, which just came out as a film, [00:36:00] and in that, he's citing T.S.Eliot, he's cit- he's citing Poe at 17. Okay? So he's, he, he, this, he comes by this honestly. He's not just trying to seem smart. Like, he literally is constantly reading and it's clear when you read his manuscripts or when you read his published books, he's making references to all, whether it's Shirley Jackson or Wallace Stevens or, you know, uh, he's so capacious in his knowledge of literature.And, like, just a couple months ago, he sent me an email, I don't, I can't remember, we were talking about something about Salem's Lot, and he was like, “Yeah, when I was writing Salem's Lot,” which again, this is 1975 when he's writing Salem's Lot, so that's a long time ago. He's like, “I was really into James Dickey's poetry.”Jennie: Whoa.Caroline: You know, who was an American no, you know, poet laureate. Uh, he's like, “And I was reading everything I could read of, of his and then I read Deliverance, and then I went back to his poetry, and that really impacted how I wrote the chapters [00:37:00] about the Lot,” which if you've read Salem's Lot, has some very lyrical, poetic chapters about the town, like, “The town knew about darkness.The town had its secrets and knew how to kept it.” And then he, like, sends me the entire poem that he was thinking about that James Dickey wrote. So I mean, it's, he's, and it's not performative. He's not, like, he has nothing. He doesn't need to prove anything to me, you know?Jennie: Right, to anyone, yeah.Caroline: He just literally loves, he loves literature.Like, this guy, he loves poetry. I mean, he actually writes poetry. He wrote poetry as an undergraduate. Uh, it was actually the core start for him of The Stand, was a poem he wrote called The Dark Man one day when he was, like, hungover in the school, like, cafeteria. Like, so it's like he, he's been thinking about literature and living with literature and, uh, since he was a teenager, if not earlier.His mom brought him, uh, Bram Stoker out of the public library when he was nine, so I mean, the guy- Whoa ... ‘cause he asked for it. He asked for Dracula. [00:38:00] I wasn't reading Dracula when I was nine. Were you? I mean-Jennie: No,Caroline: no. I was reading Little House on the Prairie. I mean-Jennie: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Wow. Wow. So- I mean, this book, again, it's called Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Carolyn Bicks.It's just incredible, whether you're a King fan, whether you're a horror fan, um, but for sure for all writers, which are all our listeners. If you can, if you can bear it.It's very specific, um, a very specific- specific exploration of, of how good writing works really. Yeah. Right. And, and how you... You know, there's always that perennial question of how do you get emotion on the page? How do you make your reader feel something? And you, you show it very specifically, and I wanted so badly [00:39:00] to, to get into the details, and I, and I, I just, I just couldn't.Um, maybe someday, but, um, I just, I just can't recommend it enough for, for, um, this audience and, um, you know, anyone who's interested in any of these things we've talked about.Caroline: Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. And I will say, like, the Pet Sematary chapter, which is the first one, that was the first day I was in the archives.One of the things I discovered about him day one was how much attention he pays to word sounds. So I think for any writer interested in sort of doing a deep dive into, like, how one word change, right- Yeah ... can make a difference, you know? Yeah. And I didn't appreciate that about his writing until I went in there and saw his notes to the copy editor where he's like, “Nope, the word's clitter, not clatter.This is why.” You know? Like,Jennie: he's- There's a, um- Yeah ... yeah, there's a book I love, it's probably right behind me, um, called The Artful Edit by Susan Bell, in which she [00:40:00] shows examples of that kind of very careful change in, um, The Gre- The Great Gatsby and The English Patient and various works of, of literature, and your, your whole book is like that.It's, it's just amazing. Um- Thank you ... so is the next book gonna be the Shakespeare one you had thought of before? Or are you gonna- ... go in the, in the personal direction?Caroline: You know, it's such a good question. I think right now I'm just taking a break, you know, because I'm the kind... Like, I immerse myself in a project, and this has been so all-consuming.Um, and I'm back to doing my Everyday Shakespeare podcast, which I love and I missed. Um, so I'm doing that. And I, I really don't like to think too far ahead about what I'm going to write. I like to have it come organically.Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: Um, so I could go back into the archives. I could write another one of these kinds of books, but I don't know if that's the [00:41:00] right thing for me right now.Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: Um, I want to make sure whatever I write next- You know, I loved writing this book so much. It's my favorite... I mean, it's, it was such a powerful experience for me, um, because I could bring my personal experiences into it and my scholarly self into it. I don't... You know, it's gonna be hard to recreate that.Yeah. I think it can be done, but I don't wanna force it. Yeah. So I'm gonna wait and see what the next, what the next oneJennie: is. Don't you, don't you love the interviewer who's like, “Hey, congratulations. You wrote a book. What, what's your nextCaroline: one?” What are you working on now? What are you doing now? I know. And I get that.I'm like-Jennie: So mean ...Caroline: I'm just, I'm just reading books I wanna read. I'm doing my laundry. I'm getting to know my dog again. You know?Jennie: Oh, wow. Well, thankCaroline: you. But, you know, it's a fair question. Yeah.Jennie: Yeah, yeah. Thank you for coming and chatting about this, and for writing such a cool book. And- Thank you ... um, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next.Caroline: Thank you, Jennie. It was a [00:42:00] pleasure.Jennie: Well, for our listeners, until next time, stop playing small and write like it matters.The #amwriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perilla. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output because everyone deserves to be paid for their work This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Months before Graham Platner ended his campaign, EMILY's List publicly warned Democrats that nominating him would make it harder—not easier—to defeat Senator Susan Collins. In this episode, Jen Taylor-Skinner sits down with Jessica Mackler, president of EMILY's List, to discuss what the organization knew at the time, why it believed Platner was the wrong candidate to take on Collins, and what this series of events reveals about candidate vetting, electability, and the growing influence of "vibes-based" politics. Their conversation explores: Why EMILY's List took the unusual step of speaking out during a Democratic primary. The difference between a candidate being "human" and being disqualifying. How political media and online echo chambers can manufacture momentum around a candidate. Why women candidates continue to face different standards than men. What Democrats should learn from the Maine Senate race heading into the 2026 midterms. The Margin is a special midterm election series from The Electorette and URL Media, hosted by Jen Taylor-Skinner. If you found this conversation helpful, like this video and follow @electorette for more political midterm coverage, election analysis, and nuanced discussions that go beyond the headlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the seventh episode of season five, Vin and Zach revisit the key asset/liability management themes from the second quarter, as well as assess what ALCOs should be focusing on as the third quarter progresses. The guys dive deep into industry margin tailwinds and headwinds, deposit growth and retention strategies straight from the boardroom, what proprietary DCG pricing metrics are indicating, and data-driven lending trends.For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Smarter Ecommerce Promotions with RevlifterKey takeaways:Blanket discounting often reduces profitability and can negatively affect customer experience.Intent-based personalisation enables retailers to engage shoppers with more relevant messages at the right moment.Personalisation isn't only about promotion; it can also support education, reassurance and product discovery.Smarter popup strategies can increase conversions while significantly reducing unnecessary discounts.Premium brands can use behavioural targeting to improve customer experience without relying on discounts.Creative gamification offers opportunities to increase engagement beyond traditional prize wheels.Measuring incrementality through robust testing is essential for understanding the true commercial impact of personalisation.Granular A/B testing and audience segmentation help retailers continuously optimise campaigns and maximise performance.In this episode, we explore how ecommerce brands can move beyond blanket discounting to deliver more relevant, profitable customer experiences. The conversation focuses on why traditional promotional strategies often frustrate shoppers, how intent-based personalisation is changing the way retailers engage customers and how brands can measure the true impact of their campaigns.Our guest is Dan Bond from Revlifter. Revlifter's technology helps retailers personalise onsite marketing campaigns based on real-time customer intent rather than relying on broad promotional tactics.A key theme throughout the episode is the downside of poorly targeted promotions. Irrelevant offers can damage trust and create frustration; for example, when loyal customers are excluded from incentives designed only for new shoppers.We cover (rant about) the common mistakes retailers make, the commercial impact of those decisions and why brands need to create more intelligent promotional strategies.We also discuss the growing importance of customer intent signals. Instead of treating every visitor the same, Dan explains how retailers can identify whether a shopper is actively ready to purchase or still in the discovery phase, allowing brands to tailor messaging and offers accordingly.Moving beyond discounts, the discussion highlights how intent scoring can also power non-promotional experiences, such as providing buying guidance, product advice and reassurance during more complex purchasing journeys. This demonstrates how personalisation can improve customer experience without sacrificing margin.Dan shares a real-world success story from Sportshoes. Discover how a refined popup strategy delivered a 7% uplift in conversions while suppressing more than 2,000 unnecessary discounts, resulting in savings of approximately £25,000. Our attention then turns to premium brands, where discounting is often less appropriate. Using examples such as Radley, we discuss how exit-intent campaigns can be used across product listing pages, product pages and the cart to deliver value through personalised messaging, product recommendations or reassurance rather than price reductions.Another topic is gamification, challenging the assumption that engagement begins and ends with the familiar "spin-to-win" mechanic. The discussion explores alternative campaign formats and creative approaches that ecommerce teams can test to increase engagement and conversion while maintaining brand value.

Work With Me - Click HereGet The Subcontractor's Edge Book - Click Here(Book comes with the free audiobook and a full video masterclass)- 0:00 The lie killing your construction profit margin- 0:33 What every losing subcontractor project has in common- 2:16 What a mentor in Iraq taught me about real margin- 3:11 Two electrical subs, same $10M job only one made money- 5:00 Margin isn't priced. Margin is managed.- 5:23 Pre-award: how to negotiate a contract worth signing- 6:57 Post-award: the day-one habit that protects every variation- 8:27 Why the best subs bid lower than you and still win Most construction business owners think their profit margins get locked in the day the contract gets signed. They don't. The subcontractors winning the bids you can't compete with and still making money figured this out years ago.In this video, Cian Brennan breaks down the lie quietly killing margins on subcontractor jobs: the idea that margin gets priced. It doesn't. It gets managed.

Summary:In a restaurant, food and labor account for 60 to 65 cents of every dollar spent, and there are a lot of ways to lose money when you're not watching them closely. Most back-office tools only tell operators what went wrong after the fact; today's company gives them a clear picture of what's happening right now, and what it will cost them if they don't do anything about it.David Cantu is the CEO of Craftable, one of the hospitality industry's leading SaaS profit management platforms. He's been in the industry for approximately 35 years — starting in operations at P.F. Chang's, co-founding HotSchedules, and most recently serving as CEO of Black Box Intelligence.Today, David walks us through how Craftable works, what they're most focused on as they look to automate the back-office workflow, and why you can't manage costs at the expense of the customer experience.Highlights:Hooked from the first shift (2:08)From P.F. Chang's to HotSchedules (2:52)How David came to Craftable (6:40)The back-office workflow, explained (9:21)Scale and ideal customer (11:40)Staying operator-first (13:40)Actual vs. theoretical (17:37)Cost discipline vs. guest experience (20:09)Texas Roadhouse and playing the long game (23:18)What's next for Craftable (24:29)Links:David's LinkedInCraftable LinkedInCraftable WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, joe@lowerstreet.co

An intriguing story of the stocks of passion, and the bonds of death. After a tough day at work, a Manicurist and a barber talk about living a better lifestyle.…

Tired of fighting with low-quality subcontractors in your home service business? In this episode I break down exactly why I run my painting business with 14 W-2 employees across 4 crews — the pros, the cons, and the hiring system that keeps my best people loyal for 9+ years.I own Premium Painting, and my goal was never a $10M company — it's a $2M–$2.5M business with 47–52% gross margins that runs like a franchise I collect dividends from. W-2 employees are how I got there.But it's not all sunshine and rainbows, so I'm giving you the real trade-offs subcontractors vs employees, and the systems that make W-2 actually work.Whether you run a painting company, HVAC, roofing, landscaping, cleaning, or any home service or trades business, this is the W-2 vs subcontractor breakdown I wish I had when I started.

Had an AHA or Insight? Share it:Why That Number Isn't What You Should Be Asking?What does the market bear? What does your competition charge? What do you think you can get away with? These are the three questions most founders ask when they set a price, and Ed Lee has spent the last decade watching them lead people straight into underpricing themselves.Ed is the author of The Last Mile of Trust and has worked with over two thousand companies on how they price what they sell. For years he watched founders carry the same insecurity into every pricing conversation, shrinking the number the moment a client hesitated. Then he started to see that insecurity eroding the very thing that made his clients worth paying for.In this conversation, Ed makes the case that what someone pays is directly tied to what they believe they are getting, not to what the comps say. A consultant pricing at $3,000 because that is what the market shows, while delivering $50,000 worth of transformation, does not read as a deal. It reads as a mismatch, and mismatches make buyers walk away, not the quoted price. Ed shares how to find the right number for your business. It's not the number he says, it's how much they trust you.Ed and I have worked together for the last year, and what stands out about him is that he is unapologetic about needing time with his family. His business supports his life, not the other way around, and I watched him live with that friction and resolve it one step at a time. The friction he feels when charging what he is worth is the same friction he faces every time he puts his family first. It's an investment for him. If you are tempted to price something by asking what everyone else charges instead of what you are worth, this episode is worth a listen. You will walk away with a way to find your number, and proof that facing friction instead of running from it is what makes the number hold.Chapters:00:00 Cold open — Pricing builds trust, not just numbers.00:46 Intro — Beate welcomes Edward Lee, author of The Last Mile of Trust.03:32 The friction myth — How “frictionless” can erode your secret sauce.04:52 Price as identity — Your number signals value, impact, and trust.08:39 Adobe case — Subscriptions, AI add‑ons, and when features backfire.12:40 Pricing as a filter — Qualify ideal customers; repel discount‑seekers.14:41 Values and balance — Family, presence, and the workout analogy.23:33 Evolving the offer — How Ed reshaped Hello Advisor's pricing and model.27:14 Book + key takeaway — Where to get it, toolkit bonus, and why price is the last mile of trust.About  Ed Lee Ed Lee is the founder and CEO of HelloAdvisr, a pricing strategy consultancy, and the author of The Last Mile of Trust. He has advised more than 100 high-growth companies on pricing and monetization, with a combined valuation exceeding $1.4 billion. He teaches at UCLA, serves as expert-in-residence at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, and hosts the Margin for Error podcast.Connect with Ed LeeWebsite | LinkedIn | X | Instagram |Instagram _____________________We appreciate you, thank you for listening. Let us know in the comments what resonated in this episode, we want to hear from you. Leave a comment, like, share with one person who needs to hear the message our guest shared. Take our QUIZ and find out what your talent is worth in this market:  What's Your Talent Worth (http://WhatsYourTalentWorth.com)Follow us on Instagram:Check us out on Tik Tok: Work With Us

The business world is shifting in ways that most mainstream financial media is failing to capture. From Microsoft launching a consulting arm to Starlink eyeing your cell phone and Europe refusing to adopt air conditioning, the stories shaping our economic future are being misread at every turn. The Pirate Street Journal exists to fix that by examining these stories through a category design lens, revealing what is actually happening beneath the surface of the headlines. This is just one of the topics that Pirates Christopher Lochhead, Eddie Yoon and Bri Clark discuss on this episode of Pirate Street Journal. Each week, the Category Pirates pick three headlines worth paying attention to and break down the category underneath. You're listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let's go.   Microsoft Bets on Humans to Sell AI Microsoft launched a new company called Microsoft Frontier, backed by $2.5 billion, with the goal of sending engineers directly into client organizations to make AI actually work. On the surface, this looks like the world’s highest-margin software business voluntarily stepping into one of the lowest-margin businesses in tech. Wall Street called it a stumble. It is actually a masterstroke. The real reason Microsoft is doing this comes down to a simple problem. Most enterprises have run AI pilots but have not reoriented their businesses around the technology. They are stuck, not because of technical limitations, but because they lack the vision for what AI could actually do for them. Microsoft is bridging that gap the same way early software companies always have, by pairing smart people with customers to find the use cases that matter before building the products that serve them.   The Consulting Industry Failed First The fact that Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic are all standing up consulting operations is not a sign of weakness. It is a signal that the legacy consulting firms and professional services startups have massively failed to step into this moment. There is no modern version of the great internet-era consulting firms helping enterprises think through AI as a business strategy first and a technology second. The incentive structure of traditional consulting firms makes transformation from within nearly impossible. Senior partners earn significant cash compensation but lack the equity upside that a technology company can offer. That means the talent most capable of driving real enterprise AI transformation is sitting in firms that are too slow, too legacy-focused, and too comfortable to lead the charge. Microsoft has the opportunity to change that by recruiting those senior partners directly and giving them the equity that their current firms never could.   What This Means for the Future of Enterprise AI The company that owns the business agenda around AI in the enterprise will ultimately win the market. This has always been true in technology. The high-order bit in enterprise selling is never the technology itself. It is the business transformation narrative that wraps around the technology and gives customers a reason to fully commit rather than just run another pilot. Microsoft is essentially acting like a startup right now, using consultants to learn from customers, discover real use cases, and generate the category insights that will eventually shape its software roadmap. This is the same playbook that built some of the most successful technology companies in history. The irony is that it is a $3 trillion company that is playing the startup role, because no actual startup has yet been bold enough to do it first. To hear about the other topics in this week's The Pirate Street Journal, download and listen to this episode. You can also read more Pirate Street Journal entries in the Category Pirates newsletter.   We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!  

Mort's in Norway, so you know what that means: Mortgan appears. Club talks US flop, red card orange man, soft Puli, and less! Long and good....Get stuck in!#Crew96 #R96TS Check links below: Disrespected: www.thedisrespected.comPursuit: @pursuityourselfHanif Abdurraqib: @NifMuhammadBird: @cgmaciel.bsky.socialCapyBrava: @capybrava.bsky.socialhttps://ahernandezart.comBecome part of the Discord family: discordecke.soccerSupporter Supply: https://www.supportersupply.co/  Code for free delivery:  upper90boyz (that's boys with a Z)Minnows: https://linktr.ee/minnowshttps://sirkbook.com/https://nordecke.com/Podcasts are available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and all podcast apps. Now on YouTube, with video, and the faces!  Not seeing us somewhere? Email us Check us out on our Social Media Platforms and feel free to email us! We're totally literate and will 100% read anything you send, promise.Songs by Nick Tolford and Company https://ntac.bandcamp.com/track/boys-night-outSIGN UP TO BE PART OF THE NORDECKE!  Here - https://nordecke.com/Subscribe to our channel for more soccer content:-Email us:  podcast@upper90club.com-Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Upper90ClubPod-Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/upper90clubpod-Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upper90clubpod/-Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upper-90-club/id1647214221-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1xnYAtnQ8tThdn5JWX6c24-Linktree: https://linktr.ee/upper90clubpod#VamosColumbus | #Crew96 | #Upper90Club | #R96TS#SoccerPodcast #Podcast #ColumbusCrewPodcast

Schedule a Free Financial Assessment with an experienced professional:https://bit.ly/YMYWassessCThe margin loan debate continues today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 589. Jack and Jill recently moved from the UAE to Australia and want a sanity check on using margin loans (AKA pledge loans) to build and live off their portfolio. Joe and Big Al spitball whether borrowing against stocks and never paying tax on the gains, the Buy Borrow Die strategy, is smart, or a fast way to blow yourself up. They also recap the spicy comments on the episode 585 margin loan discussion. Then the fellas flip the script for Forest and Jenni in Virginia: does a reverse glide path, investing conservatively now and getting more aggressive as you age, actually hold up? And finally, Jack and Diane in New Jersey are retiring this year, selling the house, and moving to Florida, so Joe and Big Al stress-test their Roth conversion plan before they pull the trigger. We're making fun of finance over here on YMYW, the financial planning podcast that won't put you to sleep. Tell a friend.Free Financial Resources in This Episode: https://bit.ly/ymyw-589 (full show notes & episode transcript)Withdrawal Strategy Guide - free download: https://purefinancial.com/white-papers/withdrawal-strategy-guide/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=whitepaper-withdrawal-strategy-guide&utm_content=ymyw-pod-ep589-description-whitepaperRetirement Sabotage! 12 Post-Retirement Money Mistakes to Avoid - YMYW TV: https://purefinancial.com/ymyw/episodes/retirement-sabotage-12-post-retirement-money-mistakes-to-avoid/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ymyw-tv&utm_content=ymyw-pod-ep589-description-tv-s10e08Financial Blueprint (free, self-guided):https://bit.ly/YMYWblueprintCREQUEST your Retirement Spitball Analysis:https://bit.ly/YMYWaskCDOWNLOAD more free guides:https://bit.ly/YMYWguidesCREAD financial blogs:https://bit.ly/YMYWblogCWATCH educational videos:https://bit.ly/YMYWvidsCSUBSCRIBE to the YMYW Newsletter:https://bit.ly/YMYWnewsletterCConnect With Us:Subscribe on YouTube and join the conversation in the comments:https://bit.ly/YMYW-YTSubscribe or follow YMYW in your favorite podcast app:https://lnk.to/ymywLeave your honest reviews and ratings in Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-money-your-wealth/id312900254Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast01:53 - Margin Loans, Buy-Borrow-Die, and PFIC Risk: Sanity Check (Jack & Jill, Australia)13:11 - Why I Love Margin: NYC Tax Math (Bones1999, YouTube)14:29 - 8% Margin Loans to Buy Stocks: Bad Math! (Tom, YouTube)19:39 - Reverse Glide Path at Retirement: Does Starting Conservative Make Sense for Us? (Forest & Jenni, VA)35:43 - Retiring to Florida: SEP IRA Bridge, Home Sale Timing, and Roth Conversions (Jack & Diane, NJ)43:18 - Outro: Next Week on the YMYW Podcast

Does rising margin debt really signal an imminent stock market crash? Not necessarily. Lance Roberts examines why many commonly cited margin debt charts can be misleading, which measures deserve investors' attention, and how leverage should be interpreted within the context of liquidity, economic growth, and market trends. 0:00 INTRO 0:50 - July 4th Recap, FIFA Soccer, & Earnings Season Launch 5:31 - Market Set up for July 9:46 - Market Futures & Economic Surveys 12:23 - Wage Growth as a Leading Economic Indicator 15:10 - Correlation of Wages to Inflation 20:13 - Real Wages' Effect on Economy 22:44 - Margin Debt Risk - The Ratios that Mislead 28:02 - Margin Debt Makes Great Clickbait 30:00 - Margin Debt & Market Cap 33:33 - Indicators that Matter (to the markets) 35:52 - Net Credit Balances 39:11 - Margin Debt vs Personal Savings (cash) 41:16 - What Year-over-year Change Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/qz2YPAd-qPI ------- Watch our previous show, "The Widow's Penalty in Social Security" https://youtube.com/live/iHJLWOZY4NQ ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "Margin Debt Risk: The Ratios That Mislead Investors," https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/margin-debt-risk-the-ratios-that-mislead-investors/ "Wage Growth As A Leading Inflation Indicator" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/wage-growth-as-a-leading-inflation-indicator/ "Mag 7 Stocks: Risk Or Opportunity In The Making?" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/mag-7-stocks-risk-or-opportunity-in-the-making/ --- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/insights/real-investment-daily/ ------- * REGISTER for our next Candid Coffee, "Narrative Busters: Market Stories Investors Should Approach With Caution," Saturday, July 18, 2026: https://streamyard.com/watch/RfJtCj2byfDr --- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN --- Subscribe to SimpleVisor : https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new --- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #StockMarket #Investing #EarningsSeason #MarketOutlook #SP500 #MarginDebt #Investing #MarketAnalysis #FinancialPlanning

Does rising margin debt really signal an imminent stock market crash? Not necessarily. Lance Roberts examines why many commonly cited margin debt charts can be misleading, which measures deserve investors' attention, and how leverage should be interpreted within the context of liquidity, economic growth, and market trends. 0:00 INTRO 0:50 - July 4th Recap, FIFA Soccer, & Earnings Season Launch 5:31 - Market Set up for July 9:46 - Market Futures & Economic Surveys 12:23 - Wage Growth as a Leading Economic Indicator 15:10 - Correlation of Wages to Inflation 20:13 - Real Wages' Effect on Economy 22:44 - Margin Debt Risk - The Ratios that Mislead 28:02 - Margin Debt Makes Great Clickbait 30:00 - Margin Debt & Market Cap 33:33 - Indicators that Matter (to the markets) 35:52 - Net Credit Balances 39:11 - Margin Debt vs Personal Savings (cash) 41:16 - What Year-over-year Change Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/qz2YPAd-qPI ------- Watch our previous show, "The Widow's Penalty in Social Security" https://youtube.com/live/iHJLWOZY4NQ ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "Margin Debt Risk: The Ratios That Mislead Investors," https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/margin-debt-risk-the-ratios-that-mislead-investors/ "Wage Growth As A Leading Inflation Indicator" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/wage-growth-as-a-leading-inflation-indicator/ "Mag 7 Stocks: Risk Or Opportunity In The Making?" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/mag-7-stocks-risk-or-opportunity-in-the-making/ --- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/insights/real-investment-daily/ ------- * REGISTER for our next Candid Coffee, "Narrative Busters: Market Stories Investors Should Approach With Caution," Saturday, July 18, 2026: https://streamyard.com/watch/RfJtCj2byfDr --- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN --- Subscribe to SimpleVisor : https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new --- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #StockMarket #Investing #EarningsSeason #MarketOutlook #SP500 #MarginDebt #Investing #MarketAnalysis #FinancialPlanning

July 5th 2026 Low margin leads to high stress. In this message from our Happy Healthy Families series, Pastor Tim explains why healthy families intentionally create margin in their time, finances, and spiritual lives. Discover how making room for God and prioritizing what matters most can bring greater peace, stronger relationships, and lasting joy to your home. Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 4:8–10, Ephesians 5:15–16, Proverbs 21:20, Proverbs 15:16, Matthew 6:33, and Psalm 127:1. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is make room.   https://www.lifechurchwilm.com/

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of Fair Elections Center, joins The Margin to examine why this moment may be the most consequential for American democracy since Reconstruction. Using the All Roads Lead South march in Selma, Alabama, as a starting point, this conversation explores why today's fight for voting rights feels fundamentally different—and why many civil rights leaders believe the South is once again at the center of the nation's democratic future. Caruthers shares the remarkable story of her great-great-great-great-grandfather, who was enslaved, emancipated after Juneteenth, and went on to found a town in Texas. His extraordinary journey becomes a powerful lens for understanding Reconstruction, the violent backlash that followed, and what that history reveals about the unfinished work of American democracy. In this episode: Why Selma feels like the beginning of a new civil rights movement What America's 250th anniversary reveals about the unfinished work of democracy The parallels between Reconstruction and today's political moment The impact of recent Supreme Court decisions on voting rights Why Black political representation has reached Reconstruction-era levels What history teaches about democratic backsliding—and how to prevent it Why today's generation refuses to lose another century of civil rights "It took 87 years for Black folks to get their rights back. I'll be damned if we're gonna take another 90 years to get our rights back." — Rebekah Caruthers The Margin is a special midterm election series from The Electorette and URL Media, hosted by Jen Taylor-Skinner. If you found this conversation helpful, like this video and follow @electorette for more political midterm coverage, election analysis, and nuanced discussions that go beyond the headlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelli Jenkins, senior product manager at Vitamix, and Derek Clayton, the company's corporate chef, join QSR Uncut for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from back-of-the-house foodservice trends to the skill gap in restaurants to understanding why a piece of equipment built to last can make all the difference. We roll through pressing realities and where you can turn to get ahead of what's coming next.This episode is brought to you by our partners at Vitamix. 

Generative AI features are pushing startups from fixed compute costs to variable per-token billing, which pressures margins and complicates pricing. Public 2024 price sheets listed OpenAI's GPT-4o at about $5 per 1 million input tokens and $15 per 1 million output tokens, Anthropic's Claude 3 Opus at about $15 and $75, and Google's Gemini 1.5 Pro at about $7 and $21. Larger context windows and multimodal inputs increase consumption, and enterprise access through Azure OpenAI Service, AWS Bedrock, and Google Vertex AI consolidates procurement while preserving token costs. Margin outcomes hinge on usage patterns, with document-heavy workflows potentially exceeding $90 per seat per month at premium rates. Teams manage spend through prompt compression, retrieval augmented generation, model routing, caching, and embeddings. Some evaluate self-hosted inference on Nvidia GPUs at scale, while many adopt pricing that combines per-seat plans with metered AI allowances and caps to protect gross margins.Learn more on this news by visiting us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast, where we explore financial services together with an eye on technology, innovation, emerging models, and changing expectations. I'm Tearsheet's editor in chief, Zack Miller. Fintech just lived through four distinct ages — pioneers, growth-at-all-costs, the 2021-22 hype cycle, and the brutal reset that followed. Now we're in a fifth: bigger, more profitable, and more disciplined than any version that came before it. Stripe's reportedly eyeing a six-figure-billion IPO. Fintech listings tripled investor appetite this year. And yet talk to anyone who lived through 2021 and they'll tell you this doesn't feel anything like that boom. To make sense of that contradiction, I sat down with the authors of a new joint report from McKinsey and QED Investors — two firms that sit on opposite sides of the table from the fintechs they study. Max Flötotto is a senior partner at McKinsey, where he leads the firm's global retail banking practice and coordinates its fintech work across Europe. Mike Packer is a partner at QED, leading growth-stage investing globally for a firm that's been backing fintech since its earliest days, nearly two decades now. We dig into the report's biggest findings: why the simplest version of banking — collecting deposits, making loans — is structurally at risk if customers start letting their own AI agents shop for the best rate; why fintechs have, for the first time, actually overtaken incumbents on trust in Europe, even as banks have closed much of the product gap; and the massive spread in how seriously banks are actually taking AI, from "talking about thinking about it" to rebuilding their entire operating model around it. We close with each of them picking the one trend, out of six in the report, they think matters most for the next decade. Max, Mike, welcome to the show.

On this episode of What Are Your Thoughts, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Downtown Josh Brown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael Batnick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are back to discuss: why Wall Street's earnings forecasts may be entering a "steroid era," the broadening bull market rally beyond mega-cap tech, whether Strategy's massive Bitcoin bet has become a systemic risk, growing signs of excessive speculation across leveraged markets, and why some software stocks could emerge as AI winners and not just casualties. Plus, Josh makes the case for Toast, Michael brings another mystery chart, and special appearance by Spencer Jakab of the WSJ! This episode is sponsored by DBM⁠⁠⁠F. To learn more about the Alts solution for the model revolution check out: ⁠www.DBMF.com/WAYT ⁠ Sign up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Compound Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss out! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/thecompoundnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/thecompoundnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-compound-media/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thecompoundnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Investing involves the risk of loss. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be or regarded as personalized investment advice or relied upon for investment decisions. Michael Batnick and Josh Brown are employees of Ritholtz Wealth Management and may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this video. All opinions expressed by them are solely their own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of Ritholtz Wealth Management. The Compound Media, Incorporated, an affiliate of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ritholtz Wealth Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, receives payment from various entities for advertisements in affiliated podcasts, blogs and emails. Inclusion of such advertisements does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof, or any affiliation therewith, by the Content Creator or by Ritholtz Wealth Management or any of its employees. For additional advertisement disclaimers see here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ritholtzwealth.com/advertising-disclaimers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. Any mention of a particular security and related performance data is not a recommendation to buy or sell that security. The information provided on this website (including any information that may be accessed through this website) is not directed at any investor or category of investors and is provided solely as general information. Obviously nothing on this channel should be considered as personalized financial advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. See our disclosures here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ritholtzwealth.com/podcast-youtube-disclosures/⁠⁠⁠⁠ DBMF Disclosure: The Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory and summary prospectuses contain this and other important information about the investment company, it may be obtained by visiting ⁠www.imgp.com⁠.  The iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF is distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Markets are super-saturated in speculation.An important sign of this is that margin debt is at all time highs, and being used to purchase leveraged derivatives."This will end in tears" warns portfolio manager Lance Roberts.We discuss the why & when of it, as well as the latest capital rotation underway, new risks to the AI bubble, oil prices and future inflation, Bitcoin's troubles, and of course Lance's firm's latest trades.For everything that mattered to markets this week, watch this Market Recap.WORRIED ABOUT THE MARKET? SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEW with Thoughtful Money's endorsed financial advisors at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com#marketcorrection #bitcoinprice #aistocks _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It's important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer's unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.All the details on Thoughtful Money's relationship with the financial advisors it endorses, many of whom regularly appear on this program, can be found in the following documents. We highly recommend you review these documents as they cover the terms that will apply should you choose to work with one of these firms at any time after watching this video.Thoughtful Money Disclosure Document: https://thoughtfulmoney.com/disclosureThoughtful Money Agreement: https://thoughtfulmoney.com/agreementIMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security's or a firm's past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

On this special crossover episode between RETHINK Retail and Retail Razor, guest host Ricardo Belmar — founder of the Retail Razor podcast network — sits down with Aidan Mittra, Co-founder of OrderGrid, to explore how retail innovation is reshaping grocery operations, tackling margin constraints, and leveraging data to unlock the massive opportunities presented by AI and retail media networks. Key Takeaways - Acute operational and resource pressures remain: Margin constraints, high staff turnover, and shifting customer expectations create an incredibly complex environment where grocers must operate leaner than ever. - Clean data is required for emerging tech: Advanced solutions like AI-based pre-trip meal planning rely entirely on real-time, accurate inventory and product data foundations. - Isolated point systems must be connected: Novel solutions like robots, sensors, and electronic shelf labels generate useful data, but they lack the operational connectivity needed to orchestrate real-time daily tasks for overwhelmed store associates. - Stores are evolving into omnichannel hubs: Physical stores remain essential but are shifting to blend digital channels with experiential upgrades, such as utilizing smart carts, apps, and backroom fulfillment. - In-store retail media opens incremental high-value revenue: Grocers possess an invaluable goldmine of first-party customer data that can be activated inside the store to build a meaningful new income stream with real bottom-line impact. - Three factors separate future market leaders: Success hinges on structuring organizations around the customer rather than separate physical/e-commerce P&Ls, establishing strong data foundations today, and fiercely owning the customer relationship through loyalty. This episode digs deep into how a clean data foundation and operational connectivity position grocery operators to lead an increasingly complex and fast-moving retail landscape.

What happens when 57 airmen — most with zero combat experience — are handed the keys to a top-secret mission and told to go start a war?

It's Big 12 Championship or bust.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins The Margin to discuss her campaign for governor and the challenges facing Michigan—from housing affordability and economic growth to protecting voting rights in an increasingly polarized political climate. Benson reflects on defending Michigan's 2020 election in the face of election denialism, explains why she believes states must step in as federal voting protections continue to erode, and discusses the role Democratic governors can play as a constitutional check on presidential power. The conversation also explores her plans to increase housing affordability, support small businesses, grow wages, and strengthen Michigan's economy. The Margin is a special midterm election series from The Electorette and URL Media exploring the issues, races, and ideas shaping the 2026 elections. If you found this conversation helpful, like this episode and follow @electorette for more political midterm coverage, election analysis, and nuanced discussions that go beyond the headlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Landon Swan of LikeFolio breaks down Darden Restaurants (DRI), pointing to Olive Garden as a value play and LongHorn Steakhouse as the key growth driver. He highlights strong demand and steady dividends but warns the stock's proximity to all-time highs could reflect elevated expectations. Swan also flags margin pressure from beef prices and how the K-shaped economy is impacting different parts of the restaurant industry.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

The FTC just notched its second win against the biggest roll-up in anesthesia history. Welsh Carson settled first. Now USAP. So who actually won, and who pays next? Joe Rodriguez sits down with Randy Moore and Gary Keeling for the kind of conversation that usually happens at the bar after the conference, not on the record. No "where did you go to school" warm-ups. Just three operators reading the headlines everyone else is misreading. Gary drops the frame that defines the episode: this is two Goliaths at war. Private equity built 70 percent market share with borrowed money. Insurers answered with the No Surprises Act and rate cuts. Now IDR is swinging back, hospitals are eating the shortfall through subsidies, and the FTC just stepped into the ring. Anesthesia providers are standing in the middle of all of it. Then the gloves come off on the anesthesiologist assistant fight. Sixty bills in thirty years. Gary says there's enough work for everybody and braces for the hate mail. Randy makes the case that should worry every workforce planner in the country: this shortage isn't a cycle anymore, it's structural, and it's not normalizing for five to seven years. Joe closes with the contrarian bet he's making with his own money. If you book the cases, staff the rooms, or sign the subsidy checks, this episode is your briefing. Takeaways The FTC win is a settlement, not a verdict. USAP admitted no fault and the terms are still being executed. The real signal is that the roll-up playbook now carries regulatory risk that didn't exist a decade ago. The Goliath framework: insurers wanted fragmented anesthesia markets they could play against each other. PE consolidated to fight back. The NSA flipped leverage to insurers, IDR is flipping it back, and hospitals absorb every swing through subsidies. PE's debt structure is the tell. Buy with borrowed money, load the debt onto the asset, run admin on a skeleton crew, jettison through bankruptcy when it breaks. Margin expectations beyond 6 to 15 percent in a service business are the warning sign. AA legislation has a 30-year losing record. Roughly 60 attempts, 47 straight failures from 2010 to 2019, and only 5 of 40 passed in 2025 during a historic shortage. If it was going to break through, that was the year. Randy's call: the workforce shortage is structural, not cyclical. Every CRNA program is expanding cohorts and demand still outruns supply. No meaningful normalization for five to seven years. The pipeline counterweight: 147 nurse anesthesia programs with 17 more coming. Joe's on the record preparing for demand growth to slow. Cycles always turn. Gary's operator test: the 2 percent of groups with excess staff aren't lucky, they built culture and systems. Everyone else is churning providers and renting locums at whatever price locums name. Want more Dr. Joe Rodriguez? Tik Tok: @jrodcrna21 Instagram: @jrod.crna & @abouttherestpod YouTube: @AboutTheRest Thanks for my co-hosts: Randall Mooore, DNP, MBA CRNA are Executive VP of Strategy and Chief Anesthetist Officer, former AANA CEO. Gary's is VP of Anesthesia Services, Revenue Cycle Management To Learn More about Human Content Visit: ⁠⁠⁠http://www.human-content.com⁠⁠⁠ To Learn More about About The Rest Visit: www.abouttherest.com Got a Question? hello@abouttherest.com Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack and T.J. discuss a loss to open the White Sox series which saw Cleveland score 5 runs but lose it in the 9th. The Guardians are operating with little margin for error given their injuries, but is there anything they can do to make this stretch without Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez more bearable?

Margin Notes is a new book club podcast from the team behind Classical Et Cetera! Join Paul Schaeffer and three undergraduate students—each educated with Memoria Press curriculum—as they tackle great books and why they matter. We're starting with Wendell Berry's "Fidelity," a short story about a farming community in rural Kentucky. At its heart, this story is about what it means to belong somewhere: both to a place and to a people. It's a beautiful and moving piece of writing, and it made for a great first conversation. Purchase the book right here! https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/mcp/fidelity/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=MARGINNOTES&utm_campaign=001 #classicaleducation #highlandslatinschool #notredamecollege #lipscomb #bayloruniversity

Tokenisation represents an “operating system upgrade” for the investment industry, says Theo Golden, Baillie Gifford's new head of digital assets. In this episode, they explain what it involves and how it should deliver a better experience, both by reducing the number of middlemen between you and your investments and making your holdings more “useful”. Background:In this conversation, Theo Golden tells Short Briefings… host Leo Kelion about how tokenisation can reduce costs and complexity – and pave the way for providing clients with new services that better fit their needs. Tokenisation means taking an asset – such as a fund – and turning it into a line of code. This lives on a blockchain: a shared digital record that no single party owns or controls. The investment itself doesn't change, but what does are the ways that ownership is recorded and transferred. Instead of a chain of intermediaries, each keeping their own set of books, everyone can work from one shared record. As Golden puts it, it's “the same but better” – the same investments, on faster, lower-cost, more flexible rails built for the internet age. It also paves the way to new capabilities. Among those Golden discusses are making it much easier for clients to use the funds they invest in as collateral for loans, and the development of “agentic wealth management” – AI bots that autonomously plan and, potentially, update an individual client's portfolio based on their risk appetite and changing circumstances. Baillie Gifford's first steps with tokenisation involve fixed income, but in time the ambition is to “build across our investment universe,” Golden says. “So be ready for Baillie Gifford on chain.”  ResourcesBaillie Gifford digital assets hubDr Ian Hunt: Replicating Legacy is Squandering the Promise of Tokenisation: We Are Building a Faster HorseShort Briefings on Long Term Thinking podcast archive Timecodes:00:00  Introduction01:40   “A world with less friction”02:15   The lesson from losing it all04:50  From Bloomberg to bonds06:35  Defining tokenisation and the blockchain08:20  Same assets, better system09:35  One golden source of truth12:35   Making assets more useful16:10   Turning assets into “Lego bricks”19:20   Stablecoins, regulation and new decision-makers24:00  Managing crypto risks26:25  The ‘same but better' rule28:00  Starting with fixed income29:20  Meeting clients where they are30:27  Book pick Glossary of terms (in order of mention): Trading volumes: The amount of buying and selling taking place in a market over a period of time. Blockchain-based tokenisation: The use of blockchain technology to create digital tokens that represent ownership of assets. Self-sovereign: Controlled directly by the owner, rather than depending entirely on a bank, platform or intermediary. Custody: The safekeeping of assets. Self-custody means holding and controlling the asset directly yourself. Counterparties: The other parties involved in a financial transaction or agreement. Multi Asset: An investment approach that can invest across several asset classes, such as shares, bonds, currencies and infrastructure. Catastrophe bonds: Bonds that transfer insurance-related risks, such as natural-disaster losses, from insurers to investors. FX rates: Foreign exchange rates. Smart contract: Computer code that automatically carries out agreed rules when certain conditions are met. Token: A digital representation of an asset or ownership right on a blockchain. Walled garden: A closed system where users can only operate within the rules and limits of one provider or platform. Fixed income fund: A fund that invests mainly in bonds or other debt instruments that typically pay interest. Growth equity fund: A fund that invests in companies expected to grow faster than the wider market. Vehicle for transfer: The system or method used to move ownership or value from one party to another. Rails: The underlying infrastructure that allows transactions or transfers to take place. Reconciliation: The process of checking that different records match each other. Shareholder registry: The official list of people or organisations that own shares or fund units. Transfer agency register: A fund-administration record that tracks investor ownership and transactions. Wallet: A digital tool used to hold and manage blockchain-based assets. Finality: The point at which a transaction is considered complete and cannot easily be reversed. Unitisation: The process of dividing a fund into units so investors can buy and sell a share of the fund. Inert: Hard to move, transfer or use in other financial activities. UK gilt: A UK government bond. Margin call: A demand for more cash or collateral when the value of an investment or position has fallen. Interoperability: The ability of different systems, assets or pieces of software to work together. Composability: The ability to combine digital assets or software components, like building blocks, to create new services. COBOL: Common Business-Oriented Language – an older computer programming language still used in some legacy financial systems. AI agents: Software that can act semi-independently to carry out tasks on behalf of a user. On-chain books and records: Official ownership and transaction records kept on a blockchain. Stablecoin: A digital asset designed to track the value of a traditional currency, such as the US dollar or pound. Fiat currency: Government-issued money, such as pounds, dollars or yen, that is not backed by a physical commodity such as gold. USDC: A stablecoin issued by Circle that is designed to track the value of the US dollar. FCA: The Financial Conduct Authority, the UK regulator for financial services firms and markets. Burn a token: Permanently cancel or destroy a digital token so it can no longer be used. Remit a token: Re-issue a token to a new wallet. Neobank: A digital-first bank, usually operating mainly through apps or online services.

This Podcast was previously released June 24, 2025: John Finkelde has over 40 years of experience in ministry. He has done it all when it comes to leading a healthy church. As lead pastor at C3 Church Hepburn Heights, Perth, Australia, John led the church through a generational renewal that saw it grow, while also planting a new church every three years and moving to a purpose-built, multi-million-dollar worship centre.In 2012, John founded Grow a Healthy Church and has conducted over 170 on-site and online church consultations in Australia, the UK, Europe, and New Zealand to glowing reviews.John joins Dale on today's 95Podcast to discuss the importance of taking care of your physical and mental health, along with emphasizing the value of financially planning for retirement.Show Notes: https://95network.org/95podcast-343-summary-pastoral-rest-that-lasts-how-dale-sellers-john-finkelde-help-pastors-build-a-sustainable-rhythm-days-off-sabbath-vacation-margin-episode-343/Support the show

Join the Wealthy Practitioner Tour with Dr. Stephanie Wigner this August! Visit the Wealthy Practitioner Tour to get your tickets today.   It's time to build your family's future on a foundation of true health and freedom. Join us at Future Foundations—because your future generations deserve the best start to the mission that will outlive us… Check it out here. Use code FREEDOM25 for 25% off!    Whether you're looking for tinctures, topicals or teas or a deeper connection to your INNATE healing capacity, Noble Task Homestead is here to serve you. Join the movement. Visit NobleTaskHomestead.com/noblestan today and enjoy a 10% discount on your order.   San Diego area residents, take advantage of our special New Patient offer exclusively for podcast listeners here. We can't wait to experience miracles with you! Welcome to a new episode of the Future Generations Podcast! In this conversation, Dr. Stanton Hom sits down with Dr. Stephanie Wigner, chiropractor, owner of five health and wellness clinics, and founder of The Wealthy Practitioner, a coaching company for purpose-driven practitioners. Together, they unpack what it really means to create generational health and generational wealth, move from activist burnout into aligned abundance, and build a business that serves both your family nervous system and your mission. If you're a health and wellness practitioner, especially a parent or spouse navigating business and purpose, this episode will challenge your beliefs about money, impact, and what you're really here to build.   Highlights: "I want to help people who are impactful as is become more impactful, because when they're living in their purpose, everybody around them benefits."    "Wealth to me is the love and time we get to spend together, the experiences we get to share, and the opportunities we get to try as a family."    "All business problems are personal problems. That's the harder thing to fix, so most people don't want to, and that's why they experience chaos in their business."    "Your mission and my mission are the same mission. We try to make it about health, or about money—it's the same mission: elevating people to a new level."    Timestamps:  00:02 Why Stanton Almost Didn't Interview Steph 01:04 Five Clinics and a Soul-Aligned Coaching Business 02:47 Generational Health and Generational Wealth 04:17 The "Wealthy AF" Hat and Money Triggers 08:55 COVID Chaos: Two Clinics and a $40K Overhead 11:45 Choosing a New Reality: Buying a House in Florida 13:24 Priming the Mind for Quantum Leaps 15:25 Abundance, Opinions, and Emotional Triggers 23:44 Business, Family Nervous Systems, and Margin 36:34 The Wealthy Practitioner Live in San Diego   Resources:   Remember to Rate, Review, and Subscribe on iTunes and Follow us on Spotify!   Learn more about Dr. Stanton Hom on:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstantonhom    Website: https://futuregenerationssd.com/  Podcast Website: https://thefuturegen.com  Twitter: https://twitter.com/drstantonhom   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanhomdc   Stay Connected with the Future Generations Podcast:   Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futuregenpodcast   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/futuregenpodcast/     About Dr. Stephanie Wigner: Dr. Stephanie Wigner is a chiropractor, entrepreneur, and founder of The Wealthy Practitioner. She owns five health and wellness clinics on the East Coast and runs a coaching company that helps health and wellness practitioners build businesses that are aligned with their soul, values, and family life.   Rooted in a mission of generational health and generational wealth, Stephanie is obsessed with activating people into their highest potential so they can expand their impact, income, and freedom without burning out. Through her clinics, coaching programs, and live events, she blends identity work and mindset with practical strategy, guiding purpose-driven practitioners to create businesses and lives that actually feel as good as they look. The desire to go off grid and have the ability to grow your own food has never been stronger than before. No matter the size of your property, Food Forest Abundance can help you design a regenerative layout that utilizes your resources in the most synergistic and sustainable manner. If you are interested in breaking free from the system, please visit www.foodforestabundance.com and use code "thefuturegen" to receive a discount on their incredible services.   Show your eyes some love with a pair of daylight or sunset (or both!) blue-light blocking glasses from Ra Optics. They have graciously offered Future Generations podcast listeners 10% off any purchase. Use code FGPOD or click here to access this discount, and let us know how your glasses are treating you!   One of the single best companies whose clean products have supported the optimal wellness of our family is Earthley Wellness. Long before there was a 2020, Kate Tetje and her team have stood for TRUTH, HEALTH and FREEDOM in ways that paved the way for so many of us. In collaboration with this incredible team, we are proud to offer you 10% off of your first purchase by shopping here.   Are you concerned about food supply insecurity? Our family has rigorously sourced our foods for over a decade and one of our favorite sources is Farm Match and specifically for San Diego locals, "Real Food Club PMA". My kids are literally made from their maple breakfast sausage and the amazing carnitas we make from their pasture raised pork. We are thrilled to share 10% off your first order when you shop at this link.   Another important way to bolster food security is by supporting local ranchers. Our favorite local regenerative ranch is Perennial Pastures. They have the best nutrient-dense meats that are 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised. You can get $10 off of your first purchase when you use the code: "FUTUREGENERATIONS" at checkout. Start shopping here.

Taylor Jung on how Zohran Mamdani uses media, messaging, and policy to shape public perception Zohran Mamdani has been mayor of New York City for less than a year, but his influence already extends far beyond the five boroughs. In this episode of The Margin, Taylor Jung, a journalist with Epicenter NYC, joins host Jen Taylor-Skinner to discuss Mamdani's first months in office, the excitement surrounding his inauguration, and why his approach to politics has captured national attention. The conversation explores the policies Mamdani has begun to roll out, from housing to childcare, the challenges of governing after running on a bold progressive vision, and the growing role of content creators in shaping political narratives. Jung also discusses how Mamdani's team has used social media and highly produced digital content to build a national audience, the evolving relationship between journalists and influencers, and what it all means for political communication in the digital age. As Mamdani's administration takes shape, the conversation offers a window into the opportunities—and challenges—of governing in a rapidly changing media environment. If you found this conversation helpful, like this video and follow @electorette for more political midterm coverage, election analysis, and nuanced discussions that go beyond the headlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just one year after Zohran Mamdani's rise to City Hall, New York City voters are headed into one of the most consequential primary elections of the 2026 cycle. With more than 200 offices on the ballot, the results could reveal whether the coalition that helped propel Mamdani to victory—a multiracial alliance of young voters, immigrants, and progressives—has the power to reshape New York politics for years to come. In this episode of The Margin, host Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Mitra Kalita, co-founder and CEO of URL Media, former Senior Vice President for News, Opinion and Programming at CNN Digital, and founder of Epicenter-NYC. Together, they unpack the races drawing national attention, the candidates aligned with—and challenging—the city's political establishment, and the growing influence of issues like immigration, affordability, and economic justice on local elections. They also explore what some are calling the "Mamdani Effect": the emergence of a new generation of candidates, a changing Democratic coalition, and whether New York's political transformation offers a roadmap for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms and beyond. Topics include:• The candidates and races to watch in New York City's primary elections• Zohran Mamdani's endorsements and political influence• Immigration, affordability, and economic justice in local politics• The future of progressive politics in New York• What New York's elections could signal for Democrats nationwide Mitra Kalita is the co-founder and CEO of URL Media, a network of Black and Brown community news organizations. A veteran journalist and media executive, she previously served as Senior Vice President for News, Opinion and Programming at CNN Digital and has held leadership roles at The Wall Street Journal, Quartz, and the Los Angeles Times. She is also the founder of Epicenter-NYC, a community-driven local news outlet serving New Yorkers. If you found this conversation helpful, like this video and follow @electorette for more political midterm coverage, election analysis, and nuanced discussions that go beyond the headlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Book a free strategy call with CertainPath to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/4b0wLaZ Or call us at: (214) 453-1591  He started plumbing at 19. Last year he sold $800,000 in residential plumbing — and installed every job himself. This is his exact playbook. Payton Sword is a plumbing technician at Steve Huff Plumbing, Heating & Air in Kingsport, Tennessee — and a 4x Crown Champion at CertainPath, the program's top sales tier. Last year he sold roughly $800,000 in residential plumbing. No sales/install split, no handing the job off: every technician at Steve Huff sells the work and does the work. Payton was hired at 19 — at the same shop his dad worked for back in 1996. The company put him through 15 months of ride-alongs, trainings, and schools before he ever got his own truck. Today the shop's 12 plumbing technicians train four days every month: full service-call roleplays with homeowner personalities, DISC profiles, and a "switch method" that swaps techs mid-roleplay to keep everyone sharp. In this episode, Payton walks Bob Houchin through his entire service call, start to finish — from the drive-time research to the same-day install. In this conversation, you'll discover: • The $800K reveal — and why he installs every job he sells • The at-the-door credibility statement he delivers on every single call • Why he never asks permission to run the whole-house safety inspection — "it's a value creator" • Builder-grade vs. professional fixtures — and the restaurant question that sells Totos • The four-option presentation with everything on the top option • Present the top option, ask for the business — then go silent • "Is it only the money?" — his answer to "I should get another bid" • The authority close: "What were you expecting to spend today?" • Why the shop trains four days a month — and why it produces Crown Champions  Whether you run a plumbing company, manage a service team, or you're a tech chasing Crown Champion numbers — Payton's process is a masterclass in trust-first, education-driven selling. Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle. About the Show The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. Meet the Host Bob Houchin has spent 20+ years immersed in the home services industry — listening to, learning from, and serving the people who run it. As host of The Successful Contractor, he's interviewed hundreds of the brightest minds in the trades. Beyond the mic, Bob is a Senior Strategist at CertainPath, building the training, onboarding programs, keynotes, and playbooks used by 1,200+ residential service companies. His motto: smart contractors learn from their mistakes; wise contractors learn from the mistakes of others. About CertainPath CertainPath is a business coaching and training organization that has built successful home service businesses for more than 25 years. We serve 1,200+ member companies across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing with professional coaching, training for every role, software solutions, and a vendor partner network that delivers millions in member rebates every year. Doubling your sales with a 20% net profit and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible. With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information.

Stijn Schmitz welcomes back Colonel Douglas Macgregor to the show. Douglas is a Retired U.S. Army Colonel and a Decorated Combat Veteran. In their discussion, Macgregor assesses the leaked 14-point MOU between Iran and the United States as an admission of strategic defeat, signaling that Iran has emerged victorious from the conflict. He emphasizes that the war is not over, predicting Israel will soon resume its offensive, prompting an Iranian counterattack and forcing President Trump to reengage militarily, albeit briefly, before ultimately disengaging. Macgregor argues that the United States was doomed to lose due to Iran's mastery of integrated surveillance and strike capabilities, which render traditional naval and air superiority ineffective without robust ground forces, a capability he claims the U.S. currently lacks. Shifting to economic implications, Macgregor advises a focus on energy, metals, minerals, fertilizer, and food as the only secure investments in the current climate, dismissing AI and SpaceX as speculative bubbles. He warns that the Strait of Hormuz remains at risk, ensuring oil prices will surge again as global demand outpaces supply, with countries racing to build strategic reserves. The depletion of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the potential for further conflict will drive inflation and economic instability, likening the coming effects to a tsunami. He foresees a structural reset where American military hegemony retreats, leading to the collapse of artificial state boundaries in the Middle East and the rise of Iran and Turkey as dominant regional powers, which will reshape alliances and likely end Israel’s long-term viability. Macgregor also discusses the financial front, projecting that gold will reemerge as the ultimate reserve currency, with prices potentially reaching $10,000, while Bitcoin may serve as a transactional alternative to the dollar. He underscores that the geopolitical shifts will redirect American focus inward, forcing a painful but necessary reorientation toward domestic prosperity and core industries. Overall, his analysis presents a bleak near-term outlook marked by military defeat, economic disruption, and profound global realignment. Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:45 – Iran US MOU Assessment 00:06:00 – Energy Metals Commodity Focus 00:08:50 – Oil Prices and Reserves 00:11:50 – Rise of Iran & Turkey 00:20:14 – Trump Pressures & MOU 00:23:30 – Gold and Bitcoin Outlook 00:27:56 – U.S. Strategic Petro Reserve 00:31:38 – Sulphuric Acid, Urea, & Ag. 00:34:47 – Use of Ground Forces? 00:37:08 – Gold In A Tsunami 00:38:50 – Purchasing Power Gold & BTC 00:40:01 – Substack and Final Remarks 00:42:11 – Concluding Thoughts Guest Links: Website: https://douglasmacgregor.com X: https://x.com/DougAMacgregor YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@douglasmacgregorTV Articles: https://breakingdefense.com/author/doug-macgregor/ Substack: https://substack.com/@coloneldoug Douglas Macgregor is a decorated combat veteran, an author of five books, a PhD, and a defense and foreign policy consultant. Macgregor was commissioned in the Regular Army in 1976 after 1 year at VMI and 4 years at West Point. In 2004, Macgregor retired with the rank of Colonel. In 2020, the President appointed Macgregor to serve as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, a post he held until President Trump left office. He holds an MA in comparative politics and a PhD in international relations from the University of Virginia. Macgregor is widely known inside the U.S., Europe, Israel, Russia, China and Korea for both his leadership in the Battle of 73 Easting, the U.S. Army's largest tank battle since World War II, and for his ground breaking books on military transformation: Breaking the Phalanx (Praeger, 1997) and Transformation under Fire (Praeger, 2003). Macgregor's recommendations for change in Force Design and “integrated all arms-all effects” operations have profoundly influenced force development in Israel, Russia and China. In 2010, Macgregor traveled to Seoul, Korea to advise the ROK Ministry of Defense on force design. In 2019, Transformation under Fire was selected by Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, Chief of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), as the intellectual basis for IDF transformation. His fifth book, Margin of Victory: Five Battles that Changed the Face of Modern War from Naval Institute Press is available in Chinese, as well as, English and will soon appear in Hebrew. In 28 years of service Macgregor taught in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point, commanded the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, and served as the Director of the Joint Operations Center at SHAPE during the 1999 Kosovo Air Campaign for which he was awarded the Defense Superior Service medal. In January 2002, at Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's insistence the USCENTCOM Commander listened to Colonel Macgregor's concept for the offensive to seize Baghdad. The plan was largely adopted, but assumed no occupation of Iraq by U.S. Forces. Macgregor has also testified as an expert witness before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and appeared as a defense analyst on Fox News, CNN, BBC, Sky News and public radio. He is fluent in German.

The state of public education is a mess. At the heart of it is a real struggle about a fundamental question: How much tech should our kids be exposed to daily in the classroom?Contrary to what parents have been told by public schools nationwide, there is no single one-size-fits-all solution for kids and that includes the use or non-use of tech tools like artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms.Also, did those high-tech school districts warn you your kid's basic math skills would erode so much that she/he would be tethered to a tech device for the rest of their lives?Priten Soundar-Shah, author of Ethical Ed Tech: How Educators Can Lead on AI and Digital Safety in K-12, shares a better way forward based on the intelligent and deliberate use of technology that fosters better engagement in our public schools this week on Spirit Gym. Learn more about Priten and his much-needed work in the non-profit sector at his website. Listen to his podcast, Margin of Thought with Priten, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen to them. You'll find him on social media via Instagram, Linkedin and TikTok.Read the opening chapter of Priten's book, Ethical Ed Tech, for free at this website. Buy his book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Bookshop and upload your receipt, and you'll receive several free resources, including an exclusive bonus chapter and video course.Timestamps7:39 Living the life of a non-profit entrepreneur, tech tool-builder and teacher.19:14 The conversations about the role of tech in schools moved from teachers to big tech companies.26:03 Reading a book on how to read inspired the name for Priten's podcast.32:26 How do know what red is if you don't experience it?44:36 How do you persuade kids to eat vegetables and learn things too?50:19 Making things happen faster and easier — what tech does best — is often not the best environment for learning.58:00 Paul's crashing conversation with Claude about generating faulty AI art.1:02:47 There is no one-size-fits-all solution for improving education and that includes the use/non-use of tech like AI.1:11:40 Gamified engagement versus learning engagement.1:18:06 Are we so dependent on technology that your kid's basic math skills have been “downloaded” to a digital calculator on a cell phone?1:25:30 The case studies featured in Ethical Ed Tech provide scenarios and options for the ethical use of tech in schools, not absolute solutions.1:33:17 One unintended consequence of tech dominance in schools: A fixation on measuring and controlling every aspect of them (including reading and test scores).1:46:11 There's no community consensus on the purpose of schooling.1:53:36 The real-world limits on how much schools can solve external factors like personal flourishing, contributing to the world and how a kid feels about herself/himself away from school.2:03:21 Priten hopes schools will deal with AI faster than they did cell phones (10-15 years).ResourcesAI and the Future of Education: Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Priten Soundar-ShahPedagogy FuturesAcademy 4 Social Civics The work of ConfuciusPaul's podcast conversations with Dr. Jared Horvath and Elizabeth NelsonThe Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids' Learning — And How To Help Them Thrive Again by Jared HorvathThe Living Soil and the Haughley Experiment by Lady Evelyn Barbara BalfourFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesPique LifeSpirit GymCHEK InstituteWe may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

One of the most common—and least examined—words in politics is authenticity. We hear it constantly when discussing candidates, campaigns, and electability. But who gets to be seen as authentic? And are all candidates judged by the same standard? In this episode of The Margin, Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with political strategist Maya Rupert, author of The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Racism Makes Us Less Authentic. Together, they explore how race, gender, and unconscious bias shape perceptions of authenticity in politics—and why those perceptions can have real consequences for candidates and campaigns. Drawing on examples ranging from Kamala Harris and Barack Obama to Donald Trump and Jasmine Crockett, Rupert argues that authenticity is often less about honesty than about who voters and the media are willing to see as credible, relatable, and trustworthy. As the 2026 midterms approach and attention begins to shift toward 2028, this conversation offers a timely look at the hidden standards that continue to shape American politics. The Margin is a special election series from The Electorette and URL Media exploring the races, issues, and voters that will shape the future of American democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The episode explores why golfers should not expect to feel fully comfortable on the course, especially under pressure, and how accepting nerves, bad swings, or lingering fears can help keep a round together. There is also a debate about whether golfers should tee the ball up on par threes, which is tied to a larger conversation about margin for error, reducing big mistakes, and testing what works best for your own game. Finally, the episode covers how on-course personality affects performance, and why finding the right balance between focus on the ball and staying relaxed between shots can be a major unlock for both scoring and enjoyment. Thanks to our show sponsors Lagoon Sleep, For Wellness, Strike Wedge, Rhoback, Ridge, and LMNT Lagoon Sleep helps you find the right pillow for your sleep position and body type with a quick two-minute quiz, giving you a more personalized setup for better rest and recovery. Their adjustable pillows are trusted by elite athletes and can help with neck support, cooling, and waking up without aches or pains. Sweet Spot listeners can get 15% off by going to lagoonsleep.com/sweetspot and using promo code SWEETSPOT. • Golfers who care about their game should care about taking care of their bodies too. The Good Stuff from For Wellness is a small scoop that can be added to coffee, smoothies, or protein shakes, with ingredients like collagen for joint support, L-theanine for focus, MCTs for energy, cinnamon for antioxidants, and Himalayan salt for minerals and electrolytes. For Wellness conducted an IRB-approved study showing up to an 85% reduction in joint stiffness in 60 days, and the brand has over 12,000 five-star reviews. Sweet Spot listeners can get the best price on a 90-day subscription and welcome kit at ⁠⁠⁠⁠forwellness.com/sweetspot⁠⁠⁠⁠ with promo code SWEETSPOT for an extra 10% off. • Most golfers don't need more swing thoughts — they need better feedback on impact. That's what I like about Strike Wedge: it's a simple, portable training aid that helps you work on the three things that matter most for better ball striking — low point control, path, and strike location. You can use towels, bottles, and other DIY setups for some of this, but Strike Wedge puts it all into one tool that fits in your golf bag and makes your practice more organized. If you're trying to improve your contact without overcomplicating your swing, this is a smart training aid to check out. Go to ⁠⁠http://strikewedge.com/sweetspot⁠⁠ to get 15% off • Rhoback makes some of the best golf apparel we've worn. Their polos are incredibly comfortable with moisture-wicking fabric, plenty of stretch, and a crisp collar that works on and off the course. They're got a couple of new releases for spring - the Highlands Hoodie—lightweight with great mobility for golf—and the Brookline Vest, a perfect layering piece for cooler tee times. Get 20% off your first order ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rhoback.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ using promo code SWEET. • As the weather gets warmer, staying properly hydrated on the golf course becomes even more important. LMNT's new Lemonade Iced Tea flavor combines electrolytes, magnesium, and potassium with no sugar or questionable sports drink ingredients, plus caffeine from black tea extract for a steadier energy boost. Because the caffeine comes from tea, it's naturally paired with L-theanine and polyphenols, which can feel smoother than the spike-and-crash effect of many energy drinks. For golfers looking for hydration and a little back-nine energy, this is a great option to try. With any purchase you're going to get a free sample pack. To claim your special offer visit ⁠⁠drinklmnt.com/sweetspot • The Ridge Wallet is a slim, modern alternative to bulky leather wallets, designed to fit comfortably in your front pocket while still holding up to 12 cards and cash. Made with premium materials like aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber, Ridge wallets include RFID-blocking technology, a lifetime warranty, and over 50 colors and styles to choose from — making them a great Father's Day gift. For a limited time, get up to 40% off during Ridge's Father's Day Sale at Ridge.com/sweetspot, and after you purchase, let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Voccola, CEO of Simpro Group, explains how SMBs are using AI to boost efficiency, turning 5–7% margins into over 25% through optimized scheduling and job management. He highlights how AI acts as a digital workforce, helping smaller businesses scale profitably while larger enterprises face disruption from AI-driven efficiencies.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

What if the secret to a business that actually sets you free has nothing to do with your idea, your hustle, or your vision, and everything to do with a number most entrepreneurs never pay close enough attention to? In this episode of The Happy Hustle Podcast, I sit down with Omar Zenhom, co-founder of the legendary $100 MBA Show podcast and the man behind Webinar Ninja, a SaaS company he built from zero to over 30,000 users and eventually sold in 2024. Omar is an educator turned entrepreneur, the kind of guy who left a decade of teaching to go all in on business, built something real over ten years, and came out the other side financially free and still hungry for the next chapter. His podcast has racked up over 300 million downloads and consistently ranks among the top business shows in more than 30 countries. He's not flashy about it. He's just sharp, honest, and genuinely good at what he does. This episode matters because Omar is one of those rare entrepreneurs who's actually done it. He built, he scaled, he burned the candle, he sold, and now he talks about all of it, including the parts that surprised him. If you're a business owner trying to build something that gives you more freedom, not less, this conversation is going to hit. Here are the biggest lessons from this one. Margins aren't the most important thing in business. They're the only thing. Omar opened with something he says constantly on his own show, and it bears repeating here. If your margins aren't healthy, you can't hire great people, you can't delegate, you can't step back, and you definitely can't build a business that serves your life. He says sixty percent is the floor, and anything below that puts you on life support. Software, digital products, service businesses built on systems, these are the models that get you there. Get the margins right first, then build everything else on top. Stop trying to find a diamond in the rough when it comes to hiring. Omar went looking for the most expensive engineer he could find on Upwork, a former engineering exec at Yahoo, because his software needed someone elite. That one person did in ten hours a week what five cheaper engineers couldn't. You pay for it upfront or you pay for it later in messes, rewrites, and wasted time. The same goes for editors, videographers, anyone whose taste and skill directly affects the quality of what you're putting into the world. One great hire changes everything. Validate before you build. Before Webinar Ninja was a real product, Omar and Nicole pre-sold it. One hundred and fifty spots in 48 hours, just on the promise of a solution four months out. That told them everything. People don't just say they want something when they put actual money down. If you're sitting on a business idea right now and haven't tested whether anyone will pay for it yet, that's the only thing that matters next. Embrace the struggle as part of the deal. Omar grew up watching his Egyptian immigrant parents rebuild their lives from scratch in America. That foundation gave him something money can't buy, a high tolerance for discomfort and a genuinely low floor for what counts as failure. He says his fondest memories from ten years at Webinar Ninja are the hard moments, the fires, the pivots, the times he had no idea how he'd get out of something. That mindset isn't just feel-good advice. It's a practical edge. When you stop treating struggle as a sign something's wrong and start treating it as the job, you get a lot harder to shake. AI is not optional anymore, and using it to figure out how to use it better is the move. Omar is building new software on weekends using Claude and Windsurf, no code, no development team. He's using Claude to write his prompts before he even opens the builder. What used to take years now takes a few weekends. He's clear that the people who are thriving right now aren't just using AI, they're building the habit of reaching for it first, staying curious about its limits, and using it to multiply everything they already do well. If you're still on the fence, he'd tell you that fence is expensive. We also get into what it's actually like to sell a business, the 16 months it took, the emotional whiplash of feeling relief and then feeling lost, the NDA that keeps him from saying the number but also the fact that he blinked twice. Omar and Nicole's story of co-founding a company as husband and wife while staying married is one for the books too, and his 70/10/10/5/5 money formula is the kind of simple framework you'll want to write down. The closing of this episode is one of the most grounding things I've heard in a long time. Omar's billboard isn't a quote. It's a mirror. Because every time he was stuck, every time he hit a wall, the common denominator was him. Not the market, not the economy, not bad timing. Him. And once he stopped running from that and started taking full ownership, everything shifted. That's the energy Omar brings, direct, honest, and genuinely fired up about the game of business and the life you can build through it. If you want more of that, go listen to the full episode at https://caryjack.com/podcastin/ It just might be the reset you didn't know you needed. Connect with Omarhttps://www.facebook.com/ozenhomhttps://www.instagram.com/omarzenhom/https://www.youtube.com/@100mba/videoshttps://x.com/TheOmarZenhomhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/omarzenhom/ Find Omar on this website: https://100mba.net/ Connect with Cary!https://www.instagram.com/caryjack/https://www.facebook.com/SirCaryJackhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cary-jack-kendzior/https://twitter.com/thehappyhustlehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDNsD59tLxv2JfEuSsNMOQ/featured Get a copy of his new book, https://www.thehappyhustle.com/book Sign up for The Journey: 10 Days To Become a Happy Hustler Online Course @ https://thehappyhustle.com/thejourney/ Apply to the Montana Mastermind Epic Camping Adventure @ https://thehappyhustle.com/mastermind/ “It's time to Happy Hustle, a blissfully balanced life you love, full of passion, purpose, and positive impact!” Episode Sponsors: If you're feeling stressed, not sleeping great, or your energy's been kinda meh lately—let me put you on to something that's been a total game-changer for me: Magnesium Breakthrough by BiOptimizers. This ain't your average magnesium—it's got all 7 essential forms that your body needs to chill out, sleep deeper, and feel more balanced. I take it every night and legit notice the difference the next day. No more waking up groggy or tossing and turning all night If you're ready to sleep like a baby, calm your nervous system, and optimize your recovery, go grab yours now at https://www.bioptimizers.com/happy and use code HAPPY10 for 10% OFF. =================================================================== My Green Mattress If you've been waking up with back pain, feeling stiff, or just not getting that deep, quality sleep. This might be what you're missing: My Green Mattress. It's made with clean, non-toxic, and eco-friendly materials, so you're not just sleeping better, you're sleeping healthier too. The comfort and support are on another level, and you can really feel the difference night after night. 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The Wisconsin Senate Democratic Leader on childcare, affordability, and the fight over Trump's anti-weaponization fund. Wisconsin is once again at the center of American politics. In this episode of The Margin, Wisconsin Senate Democratic Leader Diane Hesselbein joins me to discuss her effort to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to compensate January 6 insurrectionists and fake electors through the Trump administration's proposed anti-weaponization fund. We also discuss Wisconsin's childcare affordability crisis, the looming expiration of childcare support programs, rising costs facing working families, and why Democrats believe they have a real opportunity to win a blue trifecta in Wisconsin this November. The Margin is a special midterm election series from The Electorette and URL Media examining the races, issues, and communities that will shape the 2026 elections. Topics:• Trump's anti-weaponization fund• Wisconsin fake electors• Childcare affordability• Cost of living and family budgets• Wisconsin state politics• 2026 midterm elections• Democratic strategy in battleground states Follow The Electorette:https://www.electorette.com Subscribe to The Electorette on Substack:https://electorette.substack.com Watch episodes of The Electorette & The Margin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@electorette #TheMargin #Electorette #WisconsinPolitics #Midterms2026 #StatePolitics #Democrats #BattlegroundStates #Election2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Financial Assessment (Meet with an experienced professional):https://bit.ly/PureAssessmentFree Financial Resources in This Episode: https://bit.ly/ymyw-585 (full show notes & episode transcript)Today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 585, Joe and Big Al spitball for folks who are already winning and thinking about getting fancy with it. Reno in Oregon is 50, and his pension is so big he's not sure how to invest or why he would need to convert to Roth. Michael is considering taking out a half-million-dollar margin loan to juice investment returns. What do the fellas think? Tune in for the surprising debate. Husker Fans just pocketed two million from selling their business here come the product pitches: should they buy annuities, set up a charitable trust, or just swallow the tax? What do the fellas think of whole life insurance? And finally, John and Lib on Waltons Mountain - or rather, the Catskills - aren't sure if they've saved too little or too much. Can they bridge the gap until their pension?Emotionless Investing Guide - free download:https://purefinancial.com/white-papers/emotionless-investing-guide/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=whitepaper-emotionless-investing-guide&utm_content=ymyw-pod-ep585-description-whitepaperFinancial Blueprint - free, self-guided:https://purefinancial.com/financialblueprint/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=financial-blueprint&utm_content=ymyw-pod-ep585-description-blueprintRetirement Rebound: 5 Plays to Help You Score a Comeback - YMYW TV:https://purefinancial.com/ymyw/episodes/retirement-rebound-5-plays-help-score-comeback/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ymyw-tv&utm_content=ymyw-pod-ep585-description-tv-s10e11REQUEST your Retirement Spitball Analysis:https://bit.ly/AskJoeAndAlDOWNLOAD more free guides:https://bit.ly/PureGuidesREAD financial blogs:https://bit.ly/PureFinBlogWATCH educational videos:https://bit.ly/PureEdVideosSUBSCRIBE to the YMYW Newsletter:https://bit.ly/YMYWNewsletterConnect With Us:Subscribe on YouTube and join the conversation in the comments:https://bit.ly/YMYW-YTSubscribe or follow YMYW in your favorite podcast app:https://lnk.to/ymywLeave your honest reviews and ratings in Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-money-your-wealth/id312900254Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast00:58 - How Should a Pension-Rich 50-Year-Old Invest? Should They Even Bother with Roth Conversions? (Reno, OR)10:30 - Should I Borrow $500K in a Margin Loan to Invest? (Michael, VA)23:01 - We're Getting $2M From Selling the Business. Annuity, Charitable Trust, or Bite the Tax? What About Whole Life Insurance? (Husker Fans, Nebraska)34:14 - Can a Frugal Mountain Couple Bridge the Gap to a $60K Pension? (John & Lib, NY Catskills)41:13 - Outro: Next Week on the YMYW Podcast

Moses could get Israel to the Promised Land, but he couldn't get them in. To cross the Jordan, Israel needed a new leader with a familiar name: Joshua. Discover why the transition from the Law to Grace is the only way to claim your divine inheritance. Summary: In this episode, we study the Book of Joshua. We move beyond the battles and the trumpets to find the deep spiritual transformation required to stop wandering and start inheriting. Filling the Shoes of a Giant: We analyze the transition from Moses to Joshua—and from Peter to Jesus—exploring how God stays with the successor just as He was with the predecessor. Crossing the Jordan: We look at the "dry ground" miracle at the Jordan River and how the priests had to step into the water before it parted. Strange Strategies: We discuss the "foolish" tactics used at Jericho. Why does God ask us to do small and simple things—like family prayer or scripture study—that seem unrelated to the "walls" we are trying to bring down? The Valley of Achor: We look at the cautionary tale of Achan and how "one man's sin" can affect an entire community, and how God turns our "valleys of trouble" into "doors of hope." Choose You This Day: We conclude with Joshua's final plea at Shechem. We learn that our obedience lasts only as long as our memory, and why we must choose—every single day—whom we will serve. Call-to-Action: Joshua told the people that the stones of the altar had "heard" their promises. What "witnesses" have you set up in your life to remind you of your covenants? Share your thoughts in the comments! To keep your faith "Unshaken" as we enter the era of the Judges, please like, subscribe, and share this video. Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 5:31 Joshua, filling shoes 16:37 Preparing for the Promised Land 34:05 Rahab in Jericho 53:34 Crossing the Jordan River 1:08:02 Magnifying, Memorializing, and Renewing Covenants 1:30:19 The Battle of Jericho 1:46:45 Achan the Accursed 2:19:53 The Battle of Ai 2:25:42 The Gibeonites' Trick 2:37:11 God Fighting Battles & Lengthening Days 2:53:11 The Conquest Continues & Caleb Stakes a Claim 3:10:28 Inheritances in Israel 3:30:15 Mainstream & Margin, Exceptions & Rules 4:12:59 Conclusion

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