Podcasts about matt it

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 73:28

An episode that hyperfixates on SPINS!Here's what's in store for today's episode: * In this episode, we dive into autistic special interests (SPINS) and the joy they bring us.* Our hosts start off by talking about how fiction can be an escape for autistic individuals from challenging childhoods.* Matt and Angela dive into their first SPINS—Frankenstein and Star Wars for Matt, and Bob Geldof and philanthropy for Angela.* We talk about director's cuts of movies and the autistic tendency to look up films on Wikipedia or IMDb while watching.* Additionally, we dive into Angela's SPIN for the band Crowded House and explore how touring for a band can radiate autistic energy.* We then discuss how the early internet was super autistic and how it helped us find our people to hyperfixate on our SPINS with.* ABA culture suggests we can only have our special interests if we're "good" and earn them, but that's not true. Our special interests are a natural part of who we are and shouldn't have to be earned or justified.* We talk about having a career built around special interests and how This Is The Way for autistic people.* Our special interests help us enter flow states, where we become deeply focused and productive, unlocking creativity and success.* Finally, we discuss how autistic SPINS can foster deep, meaningful connections, creating beautiful mutual friendships where shared passions and understanding strengthen bonds.“[My special interests] were the things that got me through it. I identified more with the fictional world than the real one because friends, family, and fictional characters.” - Matt“Now, why would you wait and watch the whole movie while instead, you could be looking things up on IMDb or Wikipedia and making your own director's cut in your mind?” - Angela“We train our children young. You must train your children in your special interests to increase emotional regulation through special interests. The children we love most accept our special interests as their own. These are the rules.” - Angela“Back in the day, the Internet was limited to the people who were really, really autistic as hell. Because you were like, ‘I absolutely need to talk about Star Wars with somebody. I will find people to talk about Transformers with, all this. And you found your people.” - Matt“We cannot enter a flow state through coercion. We cannot enter a flow state when people say, ‘hey, read this thing'. We cannot squeeze this into our head - partially because of PDA, partially because we just can't do it because that's not how our brains work. But if we have some sort of breadcrumb that gets us interested, we will go all the way and learn everything there is to know about it.” - Matt“When you find the thing that really, really comes together for you, you just kind of fall into it and that becomes your thing.” - Matt“It feels like unlocking a secret code when you meet somebody and you're able to mutually info dump about the thing that you're really passionate about, because you just hype each other up. And it is a type of relationship that I don't think neurotypicals understand.” - MattDid you enjoy this episode? We explored the power of autistic special interests (SPINS) and how they shape our lives, from hyperfocus to creating mutual friendships. Tune in as we dive into how our SPINS fuel creativity, career paths, and deep connections with others. Share your thoughts in the comments and use #AutisticCultureCatch to connect with us and share your experiences!Show Notes:Angela's SPin Studybit.ly/spinstudyFollow us on InstagramFind us on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyLearn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPPJoin Matt's Autistic Connections Facebook GroupLearn more about Angela at AngelaKingdon.com Angela's social media: Twitter and TikTokOur Autism-affirming merch shop This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com/subscribe

Autistic Intimacy (With Kate McNulty) (Episode 114)

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 69:37

An episode that uncovers the intimate side of autism.Here's what's in store for today's episode: * Our hosts explore autistic intimacy in this episode, beginning with the unique challenges of dating as an autistic person.* There are countless preconceived notions about autistic people and intimacy—that's why we've invited autistic sex and relationship therapist Kate McNulty to join us for this episode!* Autistic adults have only recently begun speaking out and being taken somewhat seriously. Before this, parents were the ones speaking for their autistic children, which has left autistic sexuality largely unexplored and misunderstood.* It seems that autism parents focus on teaching life skills—but understanding sexuality and relationships is one too.* Much of the lack of research into autistic sexuality is, unfortunately, rooted in eugenics.* On the other hand, 5% of the autistic community is asexual, meaning they experience intimacy in a different way.* We also dive into the idea of couples therapy and how it can support autistic relationship dynamics.* In addition, we discuss the unfortunate reality of masking in relationships—how many autistic individuals feel pressured to suppress their true selves to meet societal or partner expectations, and the emotional toll this can take over time.* Autistic people tend to be much more accepting of unconventional relationship structures—an interesting contrast, given that they also highly value sameness and consistency.* We also explore how SPIN sharing—bonding over special interests—can be a crucial component of autistic intimacy.* In addition to this, we also discuss the diversity of autistic intimacy and the strong presence of LGBTQ individuals within the community.* Sensory overwhelm can be a real challenge in the bedroom for autistic individuals, so we discuss effective strategies for managing it.* Plus, we talk about how to create a sensory-friendly bedroom environment to help facilitate a more comfortable and intimate experience.* There's nothing sexier in an autistic relationship dynamic than a partner who is accommodating and flexible.* Finally, we explore autistic joy and the profound impact it has on our intimate relationships. We discuss how embracing the things that bring us joy—whether it's special interests, shared experiences, or moments of connection—can deepen emotional bonds and create a more authentic, fulfilling dynamic in relationships.“The majority of the people that I've worked with are adults. I've worked with some teenagers who are now in their 20's. And every once in awhile, I get a parent who signs their teenager or 20 something or 40 something up for therapy. And they want their autistic child to have ‘life skills'. But when you come into relationships and sex, all of a sudden, it's like ‘my God, no, we can't do that!”, because they're still under the impression that their kid who has trouble making food or getting a job or something is never going to have a healthy relationship.” - Matt “It is a major turn-on to see someone very intensely sorting and categorizing their rock collection.” - Matt“We want to do all we can to make the bedroom a sensory-friendly environment. That oftentimes means getting clutter out of the way, making sure the sheets are clean, getting rid of any fragrances from laundry or soap or body products, anything that's gonna interfere. It's important to be candid with one another about that and not take it personally.” - Kate“There are some things about autistic nervous systems that are unlikely to change. We don't become desensitized. We can try to be flexible and match our partner's desires, but we can only take it so far. And that's a can't, not a won't.” - Kate “I will confirm that there's nothing sexier than a flexible partner.” - Matt“Part of autistic intimacy is knowing that there's room for all kinds of imaginative play, sharing weird fantasies or quirky ideas, and being in that space together, that psychological space you share of imagination and anything being possible.” - MattDid you enjoy this episode? We explored the intersection of autism with various aspects of life, diving into the unique experiences of autistic intimacy and relationships. Tune in as we discuss the challenges of sensory overwhelm, the diversity of autistic experiences, and how couples therapy can support autistic relationship dynamics. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and use #AutisticCultureCatch to share your experiences!Show Notes:Angela's SPin Studybit.ly/spinstudyLook for a KINK MUNCH - Find a MunchFind a Munchhttps://findamunch.comCarol Queen - Exhibitionism for the Shyhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/0940208350I Love You, Don't Touch Me: Sex and Sensory Processing ...YouTube · Pink Therapy690+ views · 4 years agoKate McNulty LCSWGottman Certified Relationship Therapistwww.portland-counseling.comAASECT Certified Sex Therapistwww.sexpositivetherapist.comAutistic Therapistwww.autistictherapist.comScheduling link:https://kate-mcnulty.clientsecure.me/Related Episodes:Kink is AutisticFollow us on InstagramFind us on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyLearn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPPJoin Matt's Autistic Connections Facebook GroupLearn more about Angela at AngelaKingdon.com Angela's social media: Twitter and TikTokOur Autism-affirming merch shop This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com/subscribe

Autistic Sleep Problems (Episode 112)

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 66:54

An episode that tosses and turns!Here's what's in store for today's episode: * Autistic people struggle greatly with sleep, and while it's not in the DSM, it definitely should be.* Many autistic traits overlap with factors that could contribute to sleep issues.* For example, sleep apnea is common in autistic individuals but often goes undiagnosed. Factors like muscle tone differences, sensory sensitivities, and co-occurring conditions may contribute, yet research on this connection remains limited.* A major factor leading to autistic burnout is not getting the physical rest we need, which ultimately contributes to exhaustion and burnout.* Autistic individuals also often experience delayed sleep phase onset, meaning we tend to be naturally late risers and stay up later as well.* Sleep issues are a common part of everyday life for autistic individuals, but they can be even more challenging for autistic children, who have less control over their routines.* One of the most common sleep problems is simply taking more than two minutes to fall asleep after lying down, a struggle that many autistic people face.* Additionally, both insomnia and hypersomnia are very common among autistic individuals.* Our interoceptive abilities are impaired, so while they may signal that something is wrong, they don't always let us know when we're tired.* Also, our bodies are also hypersensitive to environmental factors, making sleep even more difficult.* Autistic people struggle with transitions, making it difficult to both fall asleep and wake up.* One of the best ways for autistic people to reduce sleep problems is by embracing a low-demand lifestyle.* Sleep isn't optional—it's essential. Prioritizing good, healthy sleep is crucial to supporting your needs.* The best way to combat autistic sleep troubles is by creating a lifestyle that aligns with your needs—this means reducing unnecessary demands, honoring your natural sleep-wake cycle, managing sensory inputs, and building routines that support rest rather than force it.“We autistic people have meat bodies that just fall apart. And without good, restorative sleep, our bodies don't get the rest they need in order to rebuild. ” - Matt“Without good sleep, our bodies deteriorate, we might get fibromyalgia, it raises our cortisol levels, it can lead to epigenetic changes, it can be a factor that leads into POTS and lupus - a decreased immune response, or an increased immune response because we're on high alert all the time.” - Matt“It's not the kid's fault. It's not the parent's fault for how you wake up. It's society's fault for waking you up when you should not biologically be awake.” - Matt“I could have gone to a doctor's appointment every day for my narcolepsy, and they would have tried to find a cure. The cure was creating a low-demand lifestyle where I was unmasked and accepted that I am a part of a beautiful, rich tapestry of autistic culture. And then my narcolepsy went away, no drugs included.” - Angela “God, the obsession with melatonin. How about a life that you don't need melatonin from?” - AngelaDid you enjoy this episode? We explored how sleep challenges impact autistic individuals, from delayed sleep phases to sensory sensitivities and struggles with transitions. Tune in as we unpack why sleep issues are so common in autism and how they contribute to burnout. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and use #AutisticCultureCatch to share your experiences!Related Episodes:Fairy Tales are AutisticChess is AutisticReady for a paradigm shift that empowers Autistics? Help spread the news!Follow us on InstagramFind us on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyLearn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPPJoin Matt's Autistic Connections Facebook GroupLearn more about Angela at AngelaKingdon.com Angela's social media: Twitter and TikTokOur Autism-affirming merch shop This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com/subscribe

Anne of Green Gables Is Autistic (Episode 107)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 68:31

An episode that Anne'-swers all your questions!Here's what's in store for today's episode: * We kick off this episode by diving into autism misdiagnoses and the controversy surrounding Kanye West.* We explore how neurotypical stigmas surrounding autism contribute to misdiagnoses, leading to misunderstandings, overlooked diagnoses, and incorrect labels that impact autistic individuals' lives.* Autistic people are often the best at recognizing and diagnosing other autistic people—real recognize real.* We then dive into the heart of our episode—Anne of Green Gables—and explore how this beloved story is delightfully autistic in all the best ways.* Anne, our protagonist, is the quintessential outsider—she doesn't fit in and doesn't care to. Sound familiar?* Anne Shirley is constantly told she's 'too much'—too talkative, too dramatic, too imaginative, and always just a little outside the norm* The original Anne of Green Gables was written in 1908, during the Industrial Revolution—an era of chaotic transition for many, including autistic individuals, who were beginning to adjust to life in a rapidly changing capitalist society.* A lot of autistic people are drawn to turn-of-the-century fiction, like Anne of Green Gables or Little House on the Prairie, because it evokes a time when life felt less complex and the world seemed more predictable.* Anne Shirley is an orphan, and many autistic people can relate to that feeling of being an outsider or disconnected, much like the concept of Wrong Planet Syndrome that Angela discusses—where autistic individuals feel as though they're from a different world entirely.* The book experienced massive critical and commercial success over the years, spawning sequels, a Disney movie, an anime adaptation, and more.* Anne of Green Gables holds a huge cultural impact and status in Japan, a country that embodies many facets of autistic culture, from its deep appreciation for routine and order to its rich traditions of storytelling and introspection.* We discuss Anne's author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and how she based the character of Anne on her own life, highlighting the autistic-coded traits that are reflected in Anne's personality and experiences.* In addition, we also analyze some of Anne's inherently autistic traits, like her use of echolalia, infodumping, and her intense "spins"—those passionate, often over-the-top moments where she loses herself in her thoughts and imagination.* Matt and Angela dive into the concept of internalized ableism, exploring how it often takes significantly more effort and output for autistic people to achieve success, as they navigate societal expectations that aren't built for neurodivergent minds.* We discuss how unschooling often gets bad PR, while also examining how factory schools were created during the Industrial Revolution to train students to work for 8 hours a day in factories, shaping the education system we know today.* Next, we explore the neurodivergent friendship dynamics in the series, such as the unique bond between Anne and Gilbert, which is built on an intellectual connection with little to no small talk, showcasing other neurodivergent tendencies like deep, focused conversation and mutual understanding.* Additionally, talk about the importance of echolalia and neurodivergent-coded language processing in Anne's character and how it shapes her communication style.* Autistic people have a different structure of language; we use the same words but approach concepts in unique ways. When we communicate with other autistic people, there's a shared understanding that transcends typical language norms.* We talk about Anne's physical stimming and how people in her town of Avonlea were not pleased with it, often misunderstanding or criticizing her behavior.* Anne has sensory issues aplenty, including ones that influence her choice of dress and what she wears, highlighting her sensitivity to certain fabrics and styles.* Finally, we touch on how Anne struggles with masking and is constantly pressured to fit in, highlighting the challenges of trying to conform to societal expectations while staying true to herself.“This is the thing - the people who are good at diagnosing autism might not be as neurotypical as they think they are. The neurotypicals tend to be very bad at diagnosing autism.” - Matt“When I picture Anne of Green Gables, I picture her surrounded by Kermit the Frog dressed as Clark Gable.” - Matt“It's all very well to read about sorrows and imagine yourself living through them heroically - but it's not so nice when you really come to have them, is it?” - Anne Shirley“There's such a lot of different ands in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person.” - Anne Shirley“I have always lived in a world of imagination; I kept it shut up within myself for fear of ridicule.” - Lucy Maud Montgomery“This is why we get thrown into ‘social skills groups' and ‘social skills training' - because neurotypicals want us to be like them instead of acknowledging that we are different and accepting our differences because it's colonization b******t.” - MattDid you enjoy this episode? We dive into the neurodivergent themes in Anne of Green Gables, exploring Anne's traits, sensory issues, and the challenges she faces in Avonlea. We discuss how her unique communication style and physical stimming set her apart, while also reflecting on how society views neurodivergence. In the comments, let us know what resonated with you, and use #AutisticCultureCatch to share your thoughts on social media and connect with other listeners!Show Notes:Reddit Discussion: Anne Shirley—Anne of Green Gables and AutismA Reddit thread where users discuss the possibility of Anne Shirley being autistic, citing her creativity, emotional experiences, and social interactions.https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/w1om6v/anne_shirleyanne_of_green_gables_and_autism/YouTube Video: Autism in Anne of Green GablesA video analysis exploring the autistic traits of major characters in Anne of Green Gables.Article: Autistic-Coded TV and Film CharactersAn article that includes Anne Shirley-Cuthbert from Anne with an E among characters interpreted as autistic-coded.https://thewyrdsisters.co.uk/autistic-coded-characters/Medium Article: Characters That Ping Our NeuroScopesA piece discussing various characters, including Anne Shirley, who exhibit traits that resonate with neurodivergent experiences.https://medium.com/@autisticlouzanna/characters-that-ping-our-neuroscopes-2c42437410efPubMed Article: Lucy Maude Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables: An Early Description of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderAn academic article analyzing Anne Shirley's behaviors in the context of ADHD, which shares overlapping traits with autism.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28697270/Facebook Post by Kristy Forbes—Autism & ND SupportA post discussing the portrayal of Anne in the series Anne with an E, highlighting traits that may align with autism.https://www.facebook.com/inTunePathways/posts/recently-i-started-watching-anne-with-an-e-its-a-series-based-on-the-novel-by-lu/985985522010541/Related Episodes: Dimensions of Autistic CultureOnly Murders is AutisticCommunity is AutisticReady for a paradigm shift that empowers Autistics? Help spread the news!Follow us on InstagramFind us on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyLearn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPPJoin Matt's Autistic Connections Facebook GroupLearn more about Angela at AngelaKingdon.com Angela's social media: Twitter and TikTokOur Autism-affirming merch shop This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com/subscribe

Fighting Internalized Ableism (Episode 104)

Riding Shotgun With Charlie

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 68:58

An episode that's processing all the right ideas!Here's what's in store for today's episode: * In today's advocacy episode, we tackle the beast that is internalized ableism. We all experience it—but how do we overcome it?* Due to the social model of disability, many autistic people say, "But I'm not disabled!"—when in reality, this is internalized ableism at work.* Our autistic meat bodies get exhausted just from processing stimuli and existing. The world is built for neurotypical survival—yet when we struggle, we're met with, “Have you just tried suffering?”* There is nothing wrong with being disabled—but at the same time, a huge part of our success is out of our control and depends on access to accommodations.* It can be hard to find the balance between doing your best and pushing your limits through masking—which, while it may reveal what you're "capable" of, can also be utterly torturous.* Our hosts discuss the dangers of masking to your limits and how it inevitably leads to burnout.* Due to our bottom-up processing, we're constantly taking in way more information at once than neurotypicals. In Uno terms—it's like we're always drawing a Draw 4 card.* We dive into skill regression and how burnout can hit you like a freight train out of nowhere.* In this episode, Matt and Angela discuss internalized ableism, the dangers of masking, and how burnout and skill regression can hit unexpectedly.* Our hosts discuss mourning the opportunities, friendships, relationships, and job prospects lost when burnout hits.* We discuss the subtle discrimination that arises when neurotypicals judge us as lazy or perceive us negatively due to burnout, without understanding the crucial context of our disability.* Coming out of the neurocloset is so important, though it often comes with immense fear of being judged.* In addition to this, we discuss the right to privacy regarding one's diagnosis, considering the judgment from neurotypicals and the fact that certain states, like Indiana, have autism registries—leaving us uncertain about their intentions.* You might not even realize you're autistic until you have an autistic child or reach burnout. The world is definitely set up for neurotypicals, and many people don't realize they're not neurotypical until they examine the systems they've created for survival in a neurotypical-dominant world.* We talk about how internalized ableism fuels unnecessary infighting within the autism community, such as disputes over functioning labels and levels.* Matt and Angela discuss non-speaking autism and how, contrary to neurotypical opinions, AAC devices actually facilitate speech rather than prevent individuals from ever learning to speak.* Guess what? Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) are actually often just autistic, with it being a rebrand of Asperger's, especially among women.* Internalized ableism is often passed down through your autistic lineage, creating patterns that you need to actively work to break. You may slip up and engage in ableist behavior, but it's important to recognize that and know how to address it within yourself.* Angela and Matt talk about their own autistic children and how, for them, doing the work against internalized ableism means making the world better and safer for their kids, while advocating for them.* We talk about autistic pride and how important it is—be proud that you're a zebra, and don't let the world beat you up for not being a horse!* The more you learn about your own needs, the more leeway you can give yourself—whether it's wearing big sunglasses, turning off the bright lights, using the little spoon, or whatever else helps you thrive.* Accommodating yourself and learning more about your own needs is one of the best ways to combat internalized ableism, build a happy, healthy autistic life, and advocate for the community as well.“Due to the social model of disability, we autistic people are disabled. And if you say, ‘but I am autistic and I am not disabled', then that actually is the internalized ableism.” - Matt“When you think, ‘everyone else can do this, why can't I?' - it's the same as a person in a wheelchair saying, ‘everyone else can use the stairs. Why can't my legs work?” - Matt“It requires a certain amount of therapy & personal exploration to identify, ‘what are my actual limits?' Like, where am I disabled? What are my things, versus where should I maybe not be giving up so quickly on certain things?” - Angela“Every machine has limits. A bulldozer can push more than a Camaro. And if you try to make a bulldozer act like a Camaro or vice versa, it's going to damage either machine.” - Matt “For me, the booby prize of having a major burnout episode is that I can't - I literally can't do it anymore. And I'm like, ‘where did it go? I used to be able to do that. Where did it go?'” - Angela“Neurotypicals look at [burnout] and say, ‘wow, how lazy of him not to be at work for a month. There must be something wrong with him. He must be crazy.' And then there's all sorts of discrimination based on that.” - Matt“We can't come out of the neurocloset and be ourselves if we can't be publicly proud of who we are. We're going to judge ourselves based on this artificial standard. Because if they're going to judge us, we say, ‘then in that case, there's a reason that they're judging me.' Because again, we're very reason-oriented people. We have the data, we have the logic. And it's incredibly hurtful to carry around this guilty secret that we can't say to people.” - Matt“We are the autistic culture. We come from a long line of autistic people. We see the traits better than a lot of neurotypical people with many degrees. We live the life. We know what it is. And we are people, same as any other. We're not worse than other people. We're not better than other people.” - Matt“Don't be so judgmental - of yourself, or others. And I think you'll live a longer, happier life.” - MattDid you enjoy this episode? We dive deep into internalized ableism, the challenges of burnout, and how masking can lead to exhaustion. We also touch on the importance of autistic pride and how to accommodate yourself for a healthier, happier life. In the comments, let us know what resonated with you, and use #AutisticCultureCatch to share your thoughts on social media and connect with other listeners!Related Episodes:Bad Autism DiagnosisReframing DSM DiagnosisReady for a paradigm shift that empowers Autistics? Help spread the news!Follow us on InstagramFind us on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyLearn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPPJoin Matt's Autistic Connections Facebook GroupLearn more about Angela at AngelaKingdon.com Angela's social media: Twitter and TikTokOur Autism-affirming merch shop This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com/subscribe

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RSWC #201 Meet The Pressers

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 47:39

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #201 Matt Mallory & Klint Macro Meet The Pressers It's always a great time to run into Matt & Klint from Meet The Pressers. We filmed a show at SHOT in 2020. And they let me use their car to film a couple other shows. This year we were able to film another show on SHOT's Range Day. Since our last show, Matt has been busy getting and giving training with Public Safety & Education, his training company. He offers several of the NRA and USCCA courses. But he is also a Master Instructor for SABRE Pepper Spray and for the TASER Civilian Course. He travels the country teaching these classes. Of course, he also offers several other training opportunities. Since the Bruen decision in June 2022, he's been doing the 18, yes EIGHTEEN, hour course to get a carry permit in New York. The NY Governor signed the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, or the Concealed Carry Improvement Atrocity as he calls it. He was able to take topics and lessons from his other courses to meet the 18 hour requirement and qualification. Some states like Massachusetts, have approved courses. States like New York have approved content in the course. Another new course is the Build Your Own 2A BeAR. You can build your own AR-15 style rifle, with a pinned magazine, which makes the rifle not an “assault weapon”. Matt offers about 95 different courses through PS&Ed, including teaching at the local police academy. Other than that, Matt and I have been doing a LIVE show on our YouTube channels. We're honored that Mantis and Next Level Training are our sponsors of the show. And we give away a Mantis X10 and a SIRT pistol every month. Klint is holding his own in the keeping busy department. He's had LASIK surgery on his eyes. Yes, it may seem weird to talk about eye surgery on a gun show. The reason he did it is because if someone broke into his home, got into a confrontation, and swiped his face and knocked his glasses off, he wouldn't be able to see them anymore. This is the outside of the box thinking that Klint does. He's also a consultant with the USCCA. They have him training the trainers all around the country. As a consultant for the USCCA''s official partners, he helps instructors build a training path for their clients. Some duties include helping with marketing and retaining clients. He's been working with them for years, but they offered him a position he couldn't turn down. He's also been able to keep his training company, Trigger Pressers Union, offering courses. He's doing classes with Personal Defense Network, running National Train a Teacher's Day, president of Allegheny County Sportsman League. He's the Vice President of Firearm Owners Against Crime. The most challenging part of all Klint's gigs is keeping his hats separated and on correctly. He can't speak for one group when he's representing a different one or speaking to a different group. Klint talks about how after the government lockdowns of 2020, there were lots of people making purchases and seeking out training. This was very different from previous generations of gun owners. People want to buy firearms and take some training not because its required, but because they want to know how to use their new guns safely. Often he'll tell folks to offer a basic course on having a firearm in the home and teach people how to be better consumers. Matt and Klint have a lot going on, individually and as a team. Between the courses locally and around the country, they're always on the go. You should take a course with either of them when they're in your area. And tell them Charlie said Hello! Favorite quotes: Matt: “It's a corrupt government in New York state… It's legalized crime.” Matt: “I'm not going to let them walk out with a certificate if they can't keep their finger off the trigger when it's important.” Klint: “All the stuff I had in place would mean nothing if you knocked off my glasses.” Klint: “I believe my purpose is to help empower my fellow Americans to exercise that Right to protect themselves and their families and to be their own first responders.” MTP Website https://meetthepressers.com/ MTP YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/meetthepressers MTP FB https://www.facebook.com/MeetThePressers/ MTP IG https://www.instagram.com/meetthepressers Trigger Pressers Union https://triggerpressersunion.com/index.html Trigger Pressers Union https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063643621298 Trigger Pressers Union https://www.instagram.com/trigger_pressers_union/ PS & Ed Website https://psanded.com/ PS & Ed IG https://www.instagram.com/psandeducation/ PS & Ed FB https://www.facebook.com/psanded/ Second Amendment Foundation https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms https://www.ccrkba.org/ Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters. Buy RSWC & GunGram shirts & hoodies, stickers & patches, and mugs at the store! http://ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com/rswc-shop/ Dennis McCurdy Author, Speaker, Firewalker http://www.find-away.com/ Self Defense Radio Network http://sdrn.us/ Buy a Powertac Flashlight, use RSWC as the discount code and save 15% www.powertac.com/RSWC SABRE Red Pepper Spray https://lddy.no/1iq1n

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Neil Gaiman is Autistic (Episode 65)

guide babylon eminem superheroes tim burton sandman neil gaiman autistic stardust doom patrol good omens interceptions gaiman amanda palmer world fantasy awards lpp autistics angela lauria matt it

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 69:00

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast:Podcast hosts, Matt Lowry, LPP and Dr. Angela Lauria, discuss Neil Gaiman and his recent post identifying himself as autistic. Topics include:* Interception difficulties, etymology fun, and how left-handedness relates to autism.* Gaiman's prolific writing including: “Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion,” “Good Omens,” “Constantine,” “Coraline,” “Doom Patrol,” “Stardust,” and “Babylon 5.” * Sandman: one of the first graphic novels to reach the NYT Best Seller's List. Plus, how Neil Gaiman welcomed a whole new demographic (women) to comic books.* Amanda Palmer: Gaiman's chaotic, quirky, punk, ex-wife who might just be a high masking autistic woman.* Bonus: Neil Gaiman's surprising best friend!Episode Quotes:“He brought a newfound legitimacy to comics.” —Matt“It became very, very ethereal and created this grand mythology that was beyond what other comic writers were doing at the time and created a giant template that brought in a whole new audience.” —Matt“This issue was the first and only comic to ever win the World Fantasy Award for short fiction in 1991, before they changed the rules to make sure comics could never win it again. He broke the system to where they had to patch the hole, because he's so good.” —Matt“If you are autistic—especially as a woman—and you have been masking and scrounging to survive, often there is trauma associated with it.” —Angela“But, I think a lot of it is a trauma response of not knowing how to love her neurodivergent brain.” —AngelaAre you “Team Gaiman” or “Team Palmer”? Tell us in the comments and use #AutisticCultureCatch to share your answer on your social media and connect with other listeners!Show notes and resources:Neil Gaiman's TumblrONTD Original: A timeline of Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer's relationshipOther episodes to check out if you liked this one:Episode 19: Eminem is AutisticEpisode 28: Superheroes are AutisticEpisode 41: Tim Burton is AutisticReady for a paradigm shift that empowers Autistics? Help spread the news!Our links:* Instagram* Apple podcasts and Spotify* Matt Lowry, LPP* Autistic Connections Facebook Group* AngelaLauria.com and Difference Press* Twitter and TikTok* TACP's merch shop This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com/subscribe

#229 EXODUS STEVE “ZETRO” SOUZA ERA

Metal Nerdery

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2024 80:29

As of this episode, we will have covered each and every era of every EXODUS vocalist, from Paul Baloff to STEVE “ZETRO” SOUZA to Rob Dukes (and back again) to ZETRO. As the 2nd vocalist for EXODUS, STEVE SOUZA's voice gave the band a distinct sonic ferocity which set them apart from their “Big Five” counterparts, spewing forth some of the most brutally savage lyrical imagery in all of thrash. While we've already touched on a couple of ZETRO era albums in earlier episodes (which you can locate in the “sizably girthy” Metal Nerdery Archives), we thought a brief refresher might be in order before proceeding onward through the remainder of the catalog. It's time to find out what the best “new R.E.M. Podcast” has in store before we flip “the whole script” and get “waterboarded” after unveiling which Pink Floyd tune had the biggest influence on Jonathan Davis's singing style. Prepare to reckon with “The TMZ of Metal”, learn which day is “the taint of the week”, discover exactly how Kirk Hammett and Metallica factor into Exodus lore, and be ready to take it “right in the face, tits, and balls, all at the same time” when you JOIN US for a look back on the STEVE “ZETRO” SOUZA ERA of EXODUS. Visit www.metalnerdery.com/podcast for more on this episode Leave us a Voicemail to be played on a future episode: 980-666-8182 Metal Nerdery Tees and Hoodies – metalnerdery.com/merch and kindly leave us a review and/or rating on the iTunes/Apple Podcasts - Spotify or your favorite Podcast app Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your Podcasts. Follow us on the Socials: Facebook - Instagram - Twitter Email: metalnerdery@gmail.com Can't be LOUD Enough Playlist on Spotify Metal Nerdery Munchies on YouTube @metalnerderypodcast Exodus on the Interwebs https://exodusattack.com/site/ Show Notes: (00:01): “That popped right in there…”/ #RussellsReflectionsShitfacedEdition / “You could be a sponsor…”/ #cigaretterehab / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***/ #RussellsReflectionsCocktailRecipeASMR / #saltednutroll / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode ***IF YOU WANNA SKIP TO #THEMEATOFTHEEPISODE GO TO #THEDOCKET*** / #collegedropout #fivepointthreeABV / #hookersandblow / “I'm gonna five it…”/ #123123 #onetwothreeonetwothree / “That would be hell…”/ “Didn't that dude sing for Megadeth, man?”/ “There's not even one you like?” / #NO / “We're changing formats, bro…”/ ***If you wanna send us your shit-tah to be played on a future episode, please email us at metalnerdery@gmail.com or hit us up on the socials at #metalnerderypodcast ***/ “The worst song Slayer ever did…?” (“Aren't they the TMZ of metal?”) / #notourpresidentASMR / “I guess I'm an old person…” / #doesthatcount / #waterboarded / #metoo / #Slayer FINAL SIX / “It's the whole choking on my spit thing, man…” / “Check it out, we have at least ONE female listener…” / #Sheila / ***GO CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR EPISODES ON THE #YOUTUBE ***/ ***Please go check out the BUNKERPOON GIFT SHOPPE at metalnerdery.com/mech *** (16:42): “I could do the joke if you wanna hear it…” / #alphabetcommunity (To #peenthepoon or to #poonthepeen ) / #BruceCaitlyn (“It's all about the touch…”) / “I don't know how you can do it on yours…” / #RussellsReflectionsLSDEdition #Opal #claymation / #PinkFloyd SEVERAL SPECIES OF SMALL FURY ANIMALS GATHERED TOGETHER IN A CAVE AND GROOVING WITH A PICT #psychedelicsoundtrackASMR #usethoseheadphones / “This came out of somebody's mind…” / #quickinsert / “If you wanna make Black Sabbath more eviler…so it sounds like SLAYER” / “He drowns girls when he comes…” / #Nein / “I'm gonna be there…just for that.” / #erectionyear / “Let's just start paying #Congress $2.13 an hour and let them figure it all out on less than minimum wage…” / “That's what I call it when I…” / #fairuse / #teaser regarding #DoomSickle / “My right arm is my dominant arm…” / #boobs (“It's not the same…”) (29:52): #TheDocket METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: EXODUS – THE SOUZA ERA / ***Go check out our prior #Exodus episodes !!!*** / #coitalsweating / “Wait…what are we doing?” / “We don't get to eat or drink anything that makes us happy to be alive?” / “I wanna be able to go down an escalator without breaking a sweat…”/ #TheSouzaPackage / CHEMI-KILL (from Pleasures of the Flesh – 1987) / “It's got a sidewinder feel to it…” / DERANGED (“Would you hand me that ashtray?”) / “It never gets old…” / “Is she single?” / #thegreatesthits #thedeepcuts (“I'm trying to get some new material…”) / THE LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE (from Fabulous Disaster – 1989) / “Am I my brother's keeper?” / #alltheballs / “Right in the face, tits, and balls, all at the same time…” / #BruceCaitlyn (“Is that its name?”) / “Every opening song is always killer.” (42:17): IMPACT IS IMMINENT (from Impact Is Imminent – 1990) / “Right in her cervix…” / LUNATIC PARADE (“That's fuckin' S.O.D. all day!”) / “It's like S.O.D. meets Slayer…” / THRASH UNDER PRESSURE (“Get some of THAT!”) / #chromaticdeath (“I was so close…”) / “Cream cheese was made for one thing…” / Guidance for #jalapenopoppers / #pepperjam / DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP (from Good Friendly Violent Fun – 1991) (50:43): Force of Habit – 1992 / “This is the taint of the year…”/ #thetaintoftheweek / “Have you ever seen people literally fucking in public?” / “I gotta be comfortable…” / “I got the whole script and everything…” / #slideitin / #cleanyourplate / GOOD DAY TO DIE (“More heavy than thrashy…”) / THORN IN MY SIDE (“I wonder if this is when Gary Holt had #dayjobhair ?”) / “You might get laid…”/ #steampunk #twirly (“That could be your 2024 Matt…”) / “It's called the standard American diet…”/ “Did you guys know…? / #decriminalized #scheduleII (“Ironically, it's #saferthanalcohol …”) (58:48): Tempo of the Damned – 2004 / “Andy Sneap produced this album…” / “You're not still in your 40's…grow up!” / “You've gotta be ultra talented to be in metal…” / SCAR SPANGLED BANNER / “What's the #cokeline inventory look like?” / BLACKLIST (“Metal guitar should sound like this…”) / “He's always had a very unique sound…” / IMPALER (***See also Bonded By Blood and/or TRAPPED UNDER ICE***) / “I actually like it…a little better.” / #thefamilytreeofthrash (1:07:41): Blood In, Blood Out – 2014 / #killeropener BLACK 13 #usethoseheadphones (“That's distorted on purpose, right?”) / “I still hear a little something in there…”/ “What the fuck is that?” / SALT THE WOUND (“It just went away…”) / “It's back…” (1:12:10): Persona Non Grata – 2021 / #killeropener PERSONA NON GRATA #holdmybeer / THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE (UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES) #leadoffsingle / “We can't put him on the album, Brian…” / “I think that's Metamucil gone wild…”/ #backhole / #SouzaCentricExodus / “What's your favorite Exodus #Era ?” / “This will be our 5th Exodus episode…”/ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! / #nowaterboarding #untilthenext / ***COME ON DOWN TO THE BUNKERPOON GIFTSHOPPE AND PICK UP YOUR METAL NERDERY PODCAST MERCH AT metalnerdery.com/merch *** / #outroreel #snoutnoisesASMR

BONUS Episode: When Angela Met Matt...

apple thrive autism trouble spectrum sesame street autistic aba two sides teepublic temple grandin autism speaks autism spectrum disorder asd lpp autistics matt it tacp autistica

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 69:48

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast:One of our own podcast hosts, Matt Lowry, LPP, was interviewed on Meg Ferrell's podcast, “Two Sides of the Spectrum,” about strengths-based autism diagnoses. Listen in to find out why this interview a) made Angela cry, and b) became the catalyst for TACP!Matt draws from his personal and professional experience working with Autistic children, teens, and adults to criticize how the traditional autism diagnosis process focuses on deficits as compared to neurotypical norms. He contrasts this with his strengths-based diagnoses, which focuses on natural variations in autistic people.He advocates for diagnosticians to learn about autism as a cultural difference, not a disorder. They should be knowledgeable about diverse presentations in women, trans people, and racial minorities. Autism awareness is inherently flawed and harmful without this understanding.Meg: And what you're describing is neurotypical evaluators who haven't done their work to understand Autism.Matt: It's essentially a cultural difference.Meg: Yeah.Matt: Because if a white evaluator approaches a person of color, and tries to talk about their deficits in not being white, that's horrifying. And to say, ‘oh, you don't communicate in the same way that I do. You don't have the same cultural touchstones that I do'—that is ridiculously, horrifyingly racist—and it's the same approach with Autism.Matt outlines his model of Autistic-centered therapy which focuses on interpersonal skills, trauma, advocacy, and taking care of our “meat bodies,” with sleep and other forms of self-care. This form of therapy for Autistic individuals centers the mental health and wellbeing of the Autistic person, rather than focusing on compliance with neuronormative standards.He strongly cautions against ABA for autism as destructive and points out that it is aimed at making autistic people indistinguishable from peers at the expense of the autistic individual's mental and emotional well-being.Matt reads an early version of the allegorical legend, "The Legend of Autistica," which tells the story of an Autistic warrior freeing people from the oppressive demands of neurotypical society.The key takeaway is that autism should be approached as a cultural difference requiring mutual understanding, not as a disorder to be fixed. Diagnosticians and therapists should affirm autistic strengths.Amazing Meg was culturally respectful in this interview. Did you catch some of the green flags? Tell us about it in the comments and use #AutisticCultureCatch to share your answers on social media and connect with other listeners!Show notes and resources:Original Two Sides of the Spectrum episode on Meg's Learn, Play, Thrive website.More on Autistic Centered Therapy.Matt's strengths-based diagnostic criteria. Related episodes…Learn about the opposite of a strengths-based autism diagnosis: Episode #36 Bad DiagnosisListen to the updated version of our Autistic origin story (now, complete with dragons!): Episode #25 The Legend of AutisticaReady for a paradigm shift that empowers Autistics? Help spread the news!Check us out on InstagramFind us on Apple podcasts and SpotifyLearn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPPMatt's social media: Autistic Connections Facebook GroupLearn more about Angela at AngelaLauria.com and Difference PressAngela's social media: Twitter and TikTokTACP's Autism-affirming TeePublic merch shop*Note: Transcription technology is still new on this platform. We are aware of the gaps and errors in the transcript and are dedicated to editing it for accuracy as soon as the new technology allows. We appreciate your patience as we work to expand accessibility as quickly as we are able.**TACP is an autism podcast that recognizes that ABA for autism is harmful to autistic mental health. We reject the use of ABA therapy and pathologizing language like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and associated functioning labels as well as the harmful organization Autism Speaks. To learn more, please listen to: Episode 20: Sesame Street is Autistic and Episode 24: The Trouble with Temple Grandin. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com/subscribe

s5e63 The Marketing Secret Sauce :: Finding Off-Market Real Estate Deals with Matt Kamp

Get Traction Real Estate Investing

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2023 39:10

Matt Kamp is the Vice President of Partnerships at DealMachine, the highest-rated and most- reviewed mobile app to find off-market real estate deals. Today, Matt joins the show to discuss the many features of DealMachine, and how they are achieving their goal of helping real estate investors find deals. Matt and Tom talk about the numbers game that is Marketing, the importance of consistency, and overcoming the paralysis by analysis mindset.Key Takeaways01:02 – Tom introduces today's guest, Matt Kamp, who joins the show to discuss DealMachine, the highest-rated mobile app to find off-market real estate deals 05:31 – Driving for Deals 09:31 – How DealMachine works 15:02 – The postcard feature 17:38 – The unglamorous secret to Marketing 21:07 – Matt's route tracking process 24:43 – The overall goal and focus of DealMachine 27:55 – Advice Matt would give to those considering DealMachine 33:22 – Matt announces some great giveaways to listeners 36:32 – Tom thanks Matt for joining the show and lets listeners know where to connect with himTweetable Quotes“Deal Machine, in general and from a high level, you can really think of us as a tool to help you find off-market deals. That's really what it comes down to.” (02:29) (Matt) “Our view on technology is that it should be enabling you to better do your job. And, the right actions to take that are gonna get you to deals is finding people who are motivated to sell, getting in contact with them, and actually having a conversation.” (04:33) (Matt) “In the end it's a numbers game, and it comes down to taking the right actions consistently and building out a system to do that.” (09:05) (Matt) “If you're actively doing this, you can re-drive areas every six months or so and find fresh opportunities. So, that data is super helpful.” (24:08) (Matt) “It truly is about mindset. You have the playbook in front of you and you know it's worked a ton of times. It's easy to feel like you need to know everything before you get out the door and take that first step...but, unless you get out there and take action, it's not gonna translate.” (32:34) (Matt)Guest ResourcesTom's LinkedInTom's WebsiteTom's Training programMatt's LinkedInMatt's EmailLink to The 3-Step Playbook to Find Deeply Discounted Off-Market DealsLink to DealMachine Free Trial: Use Promo Code ‘TRACTION'This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

marketing vice president partnership driving deals secret sauce kamp real estate deals marketing secrets chartable off market dealmachine matt it step playbook

222: Even AWS is Hit by Inflation, and is Passing that on to you – the Customer

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2023 62:16

Welcome episode 222 of The Cloud Pod Podcast - where the forecast is always cloudy! This week we take an in depth look at the latest earnings reports from all the major players, changes to IPv4 costs (inflation), Healthscribe, and all the news (in cybersecurity) that's fit to print. Titles we almost went with this week:

218: The Cloud Pod is a Sucker and Shifts Left

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 51:16

Welcome to episode 218 of The Cloud Pod podcast - where the forecast is always cloudy! Today your hosts Justin, Ryan, and Matt discuss all things cloud - including migration services, AppFabric, state machines, and security updates, as well as the idea of shifting left versus (or in addition to) shifting down. Titles we almost went with this week: The Cloud Pod Prefers to be Bought by Anyone but IBM What Does the F(in)O(ps)X say? The Cloud Pod Leverage appFabric for your SaaS Security A big thanks to this week's sponsor: Foghorn Consulting, provides top-notch cloud and DevOps engineers to the world's most innovative companies. Initiatives stalled because you have trouble hiring? Foghorn can be burning down your DevOps and Cloud backlogs as soon as next week.

amazon google ai technology news zoom left microsoft ireland san diego security shift tokyo nfts web shifting cloud cd large expanding launching integration ibm saas react shifts slack bought monitoring import titles audit gpt aws dropbox initiatives conversely managed export devops azure rails asana google docs miro llm squarespace deep learning s3 sucker deploying p2p sla ams 6b okta zendesk splunk jira mandarin chinese webex gcp csv virtual machines smartsheet m365 foghorn apptio public preview matt it west us ryan yeah cloudability ryan so cloud pod foghorn consulting

216: The Cloud Pod is Feeling Elevated Enough to Record the Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2023 30:53

Welcome to the newest episode of The Cloud Pod podcast - where the forecast is always cloudy! Today your hosts are Jonathan and Matt as we discuss all things cloud and AI, including Temporary Elevated Access Management (or TEAM, since we REALLY like acronyms today) FTP servers, SQL servers and all the other servers, as well as pipelines, whether or not the government should regulate AI (spoiler alert: the AI companies don't think so) and some updates to security at Amazon and Google. Titles we almost went with this week: The Cloud Pod's FTP server now with post-quantum keys support The CloudPod can now Team into your account, but only temporarily The CloudPod dusts off their old floppy drive The CloudPod dusts off their old SQL server disks The CloudPod is feeling temporarily elevated to do a podcast The CloudPod promise that AI will not take over the world The CloudPod duals with keys The CloudPod is feeling temporarily elevated. A big thanks to this week's sponsor: Foghorn Consulting, provides top-notch cloud and DevOps engineers to the world's most innovative companies. Initiatives stalled because you have trouble hiring? Foghorn can be burning down your DevOps and Cloud backlogs as soon as next week.

amazon google ai moving news data batman microsoft holy team keys record cloud prevent ip i am ability package titles api bard reuters python ui aws initiatives amplify workflow apis managed dod elevated devops google cloud s3 sql git avp nist sdks ftp rds reinforce ci cd cli responsible ai invoke ssh eic new set sql server elasticsearch rdp cliffsnotes amazon s3 ipv4 ec2 week no foghorn language warning bigquery fips sftp deepmind ai general availability amazon rds matt it sqs inforce cloudwatch aws security hub matt hey aws transfer cloud pod foghorn consulting

212: The Cloud Pod Wades into Microservices vs. Monoliths

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2023 41:27

Welcome to the newest episode of The Cloud Pod podcast! Justin, Ryan, Jonathan, Matthew and Peter are your hosts this week as we discuss all things cloud and AI, Titles we almost went with this week: The Cloud Pod is better than Bob's Used Books The Cloud Pod sets up AWS notifications for all The Cloud Pod is non-differential about privacy in BigQuery The Cloud Pod finds Windows Bob The Cloud Pod starts preparing for its Azure Emergency today A big thanks to this week's sponsor: Foghorn Consulting, provides top-notch cloud and DevOps engineers to the world's most innovative companies. Initiatives stalled because you have trouble hiring? Foghorn can be burning down your DevOps and Cloud backlogs as soon as next week.

amazon fear australia google ai china science news ms australian focus microsoft ireland preparing san diego memory software spot cloud amazon prime customers prime ecommerce windows scaling oracle chips quantum prioritize real world titles api storage shapes od accelerate prime video aws initiatives linux github vader ri representing dod alternatively devops azure le mans regions gpu s3 sql asp rds differential microservices whoo ruby on rails never again soa monoliths consolidate tcp tumult bq sql server dhh nvme wades ec2 foghorn scholastic book fairs bigquery us west never be cognito irap us east cloudfront iops public preview david hansen differential privacy werner vogels matt it j2ee google support peter it justin yeah cloud pod foghorn consulting

207: AWS Puts Up a New VPC Lattice to Ease the Growth of Your Connectivity

NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Development

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2023 31:18

AWS Puts Up a New VPC Lattice to Ease the Growth of Your Connectivity AKA Welcome to April (how is it April already?) This week, Justin, Jonathan, and Matt are your guides through all the latest and greatest in Cloud news; including VPC Lattice from AWS, the one and only time we'll talk about Service Catalog, and an ultra premium DDoS experience. All this week on The Cloud Pod. This week's alternate title(s): AWS Finally makes service catalogs good with Terraform Amazon continues to believe retailers with supply chain will give all their data to them Azure copies your data from S3… AWS copies your data from Azure Blobs… or how I set money on fire with data egress charges

growth news public hands transition disasters cloud large honestly preview ip models enterprise ease supply chains nlp cv puts bi api generally python aws ml java vpn amd azure connectivity invent pipes blob s3 ddos kubernetes firewalls alb asp rds runtime tls terraform gcp lattice vs code datadog powershell ipv6 etl redis 2gb hdd eks aks jetbrains ec2 accountability act itsm nlb general purpose amazon ec2 bimi guard duty ssl tls matt it azure sql database west us amazon cloudfront service catalog aws batch amazon guardduty amazon elasticache aws service catalog cloud pod aws migration hub

083: Personal Stories on Awareness, Fair Housing, and Bias with Robert Morris and Matt Difanis

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2023 66:35

In this episode we welcome Matt Difanis and Robert Morris. April is Fair Housing Month, as people know, and we gratefully, as an organization, are getting more education and more awareness on the need for us to be more systemic, and more attentive, in order to provide excellent care to all who come to us. Matt Difanis and Robert Morris have been instrumental at the national level with course materials, ethics reconsiderations, and other conversations that are helping us pay more attention. They teachboth the At Home with Diversity course and Bias Overide. They are grateful to be sharing these classes and this information with our members. In this episode, they share their stories on what has led them to be so committed to getting the message of Fair Housing out to others. Matt: [1:40] Let me start by saying none of this was on my radar up until just a few years ago. [2:00] I had the privilege of serving as the 2018 President of the Illinois REALTORS® and that meant I was on the leadership teams starting in 2016. And 2017, the year I was President-Elect, Illinois, like a lot of other associations, including NAR, was prepping for 50-year Fair Housing Act retrospectives and commemorative activities. [2:20] As Illinois prepared, I got my first bit of exposure to the absolutely awful history of our industry's involvement in housing discrimination [2:59] So, I went from unaware to aware, not just of our history of housing discrimination but also the hangover effect that still exists. [5:09] And so when you look at people who make it through to leadershp, it's important to recognize, they've had to be the minority of the minority who were willing to just go find a battering ram and just find a way to break through it. [5:28] And then, I had the opportunity after my time on the Illinois REALTORS® leadership team, I had the opportunity to serve as the 2020 President of the NAR Pro Standards Committee. [5:46] We were doing things virtually. And George Floyd was murdered on viral video, and the country was on fire, and we had a proliferation of hate speech. [6:04] Because of numerous requests made to them, President Vince Malta kicked over a request to my committee to look and see if there was a possible code of ethics solution. [6:57] You don't get to be a REALTOR® and engage in bigoted hate speech anywhere. [7:17] That led to the opportunity to do speaking and training. So, it's a genuine passion of mine. Robert: [9:23] “Now mine's a little bit different. As you guys know, I consider myself, maybe it's just my opinion, a Southern Gentleman, and I have been reared in the South my entire life. And so, as an American who happens to be Black, living in the South, it has always been an adventure. [10:28] So, my walk has been that way the whole time. I've gotten into this particular arena because I want to change hearts and minds. [10:59] And the other part is the fear factor that has always been associated with things that are different, things that people don't necessarily understand. [11:16] And so, my philosophy is that I meet people where they are because everybody's at a different stage, they've been exposed to different things, and depending on the culture that they've been reared in, depending on the influences that they've had. [11:38] One of the things I talk about is how culture affects us and that if we were reared in a culture by people that trusted us or by people we trusted and we loved, and they taught us things, based on their point of reference. [12:21] So I'd ask the question, “Why do you feel the way you feel about me if I have never done anything to you?” [13:06] So how are you going to respond now, based on what that is? So I think that discovery is important. [13:26] And my mission — and like Matt, I have been blessed to be exposed to tens of hundreds of people, to share thoughts with them. [12:53] So, in that walk that I've had, now for probably 20 years — that has been the mission, that I want people to have a better understanding of all of us and where we are, and just understanding that we are all just human beings. [14:41] I've never heard a person on a donor's list make that sort of request. They just want to live and we're more alike than we are different. Monica: [15:33] And now you're talking about something that is even more near to you. I'll briefly share my story as well because I came into it very differently and my experience is more international. [16:05] When I got older, I went to New York City, and then, ultimately, I went to live overseas, in another culture. [16:38] I was looking around, looking at the way people were talking to me and treating me and the way they did things, and I said, “These people really do not view the world and think about things the same way I do. [17:09] My mother was a Swedish immigrant. But the Swedish culture wasn't that different. It is kind of different from the Southern culture. But I'd always been in kind of a multicultural situation without realizing it. This really opened my eyes. [19:44] I call myself a hobby sociologist because I find so much of this fascinating. But then there came a time when I became more involved. [20:41] After seeing the memorial park in Tulsa,things opened up for me even more, and then, of course, the journey that Matt described about so many of the changes that happened in 2019 with the Newsday report (on housing discrimination). [22:22] People need to be exposed to different stories, and different journeys, and when they are… just like me, to grow and then finally find a place to speak what I had learned. [22:52] This journey has been fun in many respects. I feel very grateful to have had it. But isn't that the perspective that we all want to take, hopefully, when we go through something that's hard or different, that it changes us for the good? Discussion: [23:57] Monica stresses Robert's point about fear and his question, “Have I caused you to feel that way? Has anybody actually caused you to feel that way in a personal engagement?” [24:36] People are not born prejudiced. In their formative years, they were taught it or observed it from the people that mattered the most to them. [30:18] Robert teaches that the construct has been put together for those who were in authority and power. Robert talks about meeting people where they are. The Fair Housing Act covers everyone. [34:10] They discuss equity and equality. [49:11] Robert says we need to revisit constructs that are not equitable, and that involves changing hearts and minds. [53:31] Robert explains the terms Black American and African American. [58:04] Matt shares two favorite books. [1:01:41] Matt's last words: Matt was very trepidatious about going into unfamiliar spaces where he was going to be the outlier. Most of White America don't take that opportunity. Matt invites you to seek out and enter unfamiliar spaces as a listener. [1:02:56] Robert says, with Dr. King, I'd love to get to a place where I'm not judged by the color of my skin but by the content of my character. In America, if you work hard, you should be able to experience the American Dream. Tweetables: “And then [I] looked at the lack of inclusion that I was oblivious to, but like in 2017, the Illinois REALTORS®Board of Directors, the whole board: 100% white and 68% male! Home to a city many of you have heard of, Chicago. We didn't look like the state at all!” — Matt “It's not just about Black and White. There are a lot of different pieces to that puzzle.” — Robert “We need to be able to give people targeted resources to offset structural disadvantages that we collectively as an industry inflicted on large swaths of our population.” — Matt “As human beings, mindwise, you might say, ‘Yeah, it's bad, but I kind of like the gig I've got.' and … ‘I don't necessarily want to give up that.' That's human nature.” — Robert “We're not that much different. … All of the things that you would want in your family are what all families would want. And hopefully, we can find a way as we travel this journey that we can become closer and better in those respects.” — Robert Guest Links: Robert Morris — Linkedin.com/in/robertmorrisseminars Harvard Implicit Bias Test — Project Implicit Implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/agg/blindspot/indexrk.htm Matt Difanis Website — Mattdifanis.com The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, by Richard Rothstein Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee NAR Resource Links Nar.realtor/fair-housing Nar.realtor/fair-housing/fair-housing-compiled-resources Fairhaven.REALTOR Additional Links: Micro courses found at Learning.REALTOR. Use the coupon code PODCAST to obtain 15% off the price of any online class! Crdpodcast.com Learning.REALTOR for NAR Online Education Training4RE.com — List of Classroom Courses from NAR and its affiliates New! Home Finance Resource (HFR) Certification crd@nar.realtor Host Information: Monica Neubauer Speaker/Podcaster/REALTOR® Monica@MonicaNeubauer.com MonicaNeubauer.com FranklinTNBlog.com Monica's Facebook Page Facebook.com/Monica.Neubauer Instagram Instagram.com/MonicaNeubauerSpeaks Guest Bios Robert Morris Robert Morris has been actively involved in real estate sales and training since 1985. He recently received the Tennessee REALTORS® Educator of the year award for the second time and served as President of the Middle Tennessee Association of REALTORS® from 2020‒2021. Robert graduated from the NAR Leadership Academy in 2022 and serves as a NAR Director from Tennessee REALTORS® for 2022‒2024. He has also been inducted into the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC) Hall of Fame for 2022. Robert is an international speaker, certified instructor, and professional development consultant on the Dynamic Directions, Inc. team and he is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of every person he meets. Matt Difanis Matt considers himself the world's most improbable DEI and fair housing evangelist. Matt served as the 2018 President of the 50,000 member Illinois REALTORS® trade organization. During his four years on the state leadership team, he went from unaware of any of these issues to aware, then concerned, and eventually outraged. In the last few years, he has developed a reputation for building bridges to historically marginalized groups that have been impacted by housing discrimination — particularly the Black community. Matt served as the 2020 Chair of the National Association of REALTORS® Professional Standards Committee, which is charged with updating and interpreting the NAR Code of Ethics. During his time leading that group, he advanced a series of proposals that eventually became Standard of Practice 10-5 in the Code of Ethics — a ban on discriminatory hate speech by REALTORS®. That journey has landed Matt in the pages of The New York Times, in a Bloomberg Businessweek feature about housing discrimination, as a live guest on Bloomberg Quicktake, and as the exclusive guest for a full hour on the Tavis Smiley Show on KBLA in Los Angeles. Matt is a full-time practitioner and multi-office broker-owner in Champaign, Illinois, where he leads a highly inclusive real estate team. On Sunday mornings, you can find him in the tech booth of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, a historically Black church, where he runs sound and the live stream, as well as doing volunteer photography. Matt earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and his juris doctor from the University of Illinois.

How to Trade With Your Spouse - 144

The Option Genius Podcast: Options Trading For Income and Growth

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2023 59:19

Allen Welcome passive traders to another episode. Today, I have a big announcement. And I have a first for the podcast, which is really interesting. I'm going to tell you the first before we get into the announcement. The first is that for the first time we are having a husband and wife, team, actually, we're going to find out if they're a team or not. But they're both traders. And they're both doing well. And they've been doing it for a while. So I wanted to get their opinion on how trading works in a family how trading works in a relationship, how to not get on each other's toes. So I have today, Mr. And Mrs. Matt and Margaret Ambrosi. Welcome, guys, thank you for doing this. Matt Thanks. Thanks. Thanks for having us. Allen Now, the big announcement, we probably should have done it better and differently. But Matt is now full time as an option genius coach. So we are very happy to have Matt on board. And he's already made a big difference in several people's lives. He's getting more, more happy comments, or, you know, people coming together to have a wonderful he's doing he's getting more than I am. So I think I got the right person for the job. And if you if you see Matt, or you hear the voice, and it's kind of familiar, we did do an interview with Matt back in episode 110. So 110, and that he actually gave us a story of how he got started what he was doing. And at that point, his job, his role, or his, his goal of trading was mainly to replace his current income through trading options. So I think he's, he's come a long way since then, as a trader, and just emotionally and as a person. So, guys, welcome. And Matt, thank you again, for coming on board the team, it's been really awesome to work with you and to see you take the reins, and you know, it's only made the company stronger and better, and our customers are loving it. So they're really excited. Matt I really appreciate that Alan, you know, I couldn't be more excited. I mean, I have a real passion for this. And it's a real dream to, to do a job and and really fulfill that passion. So thank you. Allen Yep, yeah, I mean, you know, one of my mentors had told me he's like, you know, in your programs, you should have a lot more interaction with the, with the students. And I'm like, I don't have time for that. He goes, well, then you need to get a coach, we need to get some other coaches on board. And I'm like, Okay, where do I find these people? They're like, don't you have students? I'm like, yeah. You know, but they're all trying to retire. Like, they'll try to quit their jobs. He goes, No, I bet you there's some that are really good at teaching. They're really love people. And they would be happy to do this on a full time basis, or even like a part time basis, and just help other people. And I was like, huh, and I thought about that about and Matt was like almost one of the first people I thought of and I'm like, Hey, let me give him a call. And I'm sure he came out of the blue for you. And you were shocked. Matt So I mean, I really enjoy, I really enjoy helping people at the core of my being. And, you know, I just love seeing the light go off in people's minds when they see a trade and they see it work out and they see that everything's a possibility, just like it was for me. So I'm really excited to be part of it. Cool. And then Margaret a this question is for you. So he comes, he comes to you and says, Hey, you know, I've been working at Costco for I don't know, what, 1415 years or something. Yeah. And he's like, he's like, I just got this other job offer. I'm gonna What do you think? Yeah. Margaret There's a whole story. There's a whole nother story. When he got that call, because I mean, we were definitely both shocked. But I think what you just said reminded me of what a good coach Matt was before he even worked at Option Genius. Because when we we started at let's say, when we got married seven years ago, we we were both on the same page about being financially free. And what what does that look like? Matt was definitely more of a researcher in terms of he would read a book, he would, he would give it to me. And so I think we were on, we've been on board on the same page, what to do. And then when we found you, and started learning your methods, we both latched on to it. So when you caught him, I think I was just excited because I knew it was something he really wanted to do. I had already seen him in a coaching role with me and his mom and his sister of trying to like the backend stuff, right? The things that are the charts, the systems, getting your platform set up. Those are things that are challenging and takes a lot of time. And so I was like, I think I was super excited. I knew he could do it. I knew it'd be great at it. And so I just thank you for giving him the opportunity because it's really been wonderful for him to do this thing that he loves anyway. I mean, he was already before he worked for you, in the mornings before he would go to work. Its full time job was studying and learning. And so, yeah, it just was really exciting. Thank you for that. I guess we had the trust, right. The trust was already there. So. Allen Okay. Yeah, now he's doing wonderful. And, you know, he's gonna be trading at the hedge fund as well when that happened. So that's going to be exciting. So a whole new level. So awesome. Cool. All right. So let's get into you guys. All right, so the trading couple and it's not just I know for Matt, you know, he's not just a trading couple. He's got the whole trading family going on there. He told me that he and his wife and his mom and his sister all get together and have trade night. What is that? Matt So it just kind of started, you know, my, my parents live in South Carolina, we're in Georgia, and my sister is up in Massachusetts. And it was a good way. They were always interested in what I was doing. And they always wanted to learn what I was doing. So it just became natural that I would say, hey, let's just have a call. And we'll talk about it. And then I showed them how to, you know, do the platform, and you know, they had all their feelings about whether they're going to do it correctly. And all the all the fears, just like I had when I started, and I was like, Okay, well, we just started going through it. And we started meeting kind of regularly on Fridays. And it was usually Friday, like, nine 930 in the morning. And we'd meet for about an hour and we talk about it. And then it just kind of progressed and was like okay, let's do this next Friday, okay, let's do the next Friday, let's do the next Friday, next Friday, and then just became we'd call it trade top Fridays. And you know, and then started being like, if we miss one, you know, let's say my sister couldn't make it. She'd be upset, like, Oh, I gotta I gotta make it or my mother missed it, she would be upset. So we, we were there every day, you know, and then Margaret would come in here and there and it just kind of evolved. So it was really a really great experience. And then it kept us really connected. I mean, in ways that I wouldn't think you know.. Margaret And you get to learn other parts of your family members and their personalities that you didn't know before. Allen Mm hmm. I can imagine. Yeah. I mean, people's personality comes out when they're like, frustrated, or when they're Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You were saying that a little bit earlier that your mom kind of surprised you, you know, going all aggressive on you. Matt She still does. I mean, there's like, I'm just like, you know, she'll tell us like, Oh, she did something. And then she'll like, say to my sister, oh, I got out of this trade. She's like you did? What? How do you get out of that trade? You didn't tell me about it? And it's like, yeah, they're like, they go back and forth. But it's all in solid, good. You know? Margaret Yeah, once she has the parameters, then she, she'll get a little bit more risky that she said, a differentiated, she told us it's like she's at a different age where she feels like she can take a little different risk than we can. Yeah. So it makes it makes a difference. Matt That's interesting. It also goes back and forth. I mean, my sister, she put on a trade, she was getting into a new trade that we're doing. And then my mother was like, kind of hesitant about getting into it. And my sister just went ahead and did it. And then my mother's like, Oh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, like hours later, she she's like, I'm like, what happened? She's like, Oh, I put a trade on. Like, because my sister went ahead and did it. So they kind of play off each other. So Allen that's cool. Because normally, it's the opposite. You know, it's like, the older you get, the more conservative is like, oh, no, I don't want to lose that or lose. The younger people take more risk, but over here are flipped. That's pretty cool. Yeah. Yeah. But that I love it, how you're using something to bond, you know. And it's so rare nowadays, especially everybody's spread out across the country. It's like, oh, yeah, we get together on Thanksgiving. Yeah. Okay. Great. You guys get together every week. That's I love it. That's, that's wonderful. Yeah. I think more families need to find something in common like that. And like trading? Yeah. I mean, because the way we do it, everybody can find their own little niche, you know, yeah. Everybody can be conservative or aggressive or whatever. And yeah, I love it. Cool. So, um, how did you guys get into trading? Matt Oh, well, I mean, it was always long term for me. So I was learning about long term investing through reading and then while we actually, Margaret yeah, since you were 29, he started investing. And then we went to one seminar together. And there was a man who was sitting next to us, and he said, uh, you could self manage your portfolio. And we looked at each other and we're like, never worry, That's too scary. It's too risky. We gotta leave that to the professionals. There's reason that people get paid money to do that. And he made it seem like it was no big deal at all. And I think he was he, yeah, that was a pivotal point. And then after that, We went to a couple other seminars together. And then I think the the really the one that we learned about options was three years ago. And at that one, we I had never even heard the term option. I didn't know what an option was. We went to go find out about long term investing and how to value stocks in order to know if it's a good purchase or not. And then at that seminar, we just sat back and because they showed us how to do an option, and and then after that we met found you and he because he was looking for people who did a similar strategy. And then it after we Yeah, so that's how we got into it. Matt Right. And they, they basically started this seminar off with an option. And we're like, Oh, I thought we were coming here to long term invest. And I didn't, you know, we didn't know anything, how options work. We're trying to figure out how it did right there. And then this guy's like, Oh, I just made $7,000. And you're like, show me how you're just like, whatever you just did, like you have my attention. How did you do that? And I was like, on a, I was possessed to figure it out. I mean, Margaret, she's smarter than I am. In some ways, yes, definitely. She was like, this is a funnel, like, marketing, marketing funnel and Margaret figure it all out. And thanks for just calm down. Matt It's just she sat back, I'll relax. And I was like, I'm trying to figure it out. And but we progressed. And, you know, it really opened the whole a whole new world, really. And then, you know, we met you. Margaret And it's just a progression to back up to because that's where we started trading with our family with his mom and sister. So after we learned that strategy, and we were all trading together, that's where the, the trade top Fridays came from. So that was kind of a cool thing that came from that. Allen Okay, so from the beginning, you guys were like, Okay, we're doing this together. It's not like, you know, because Margaret, you have your own company. And if anybody wants to know, she does great videography, and photos for real estate agents, and you guys are located where? Margaret Just north of Atlanta. Allen Just north of Atlanta. So if any realtors are out there. Margaret And I'm glad you mentioned that, because honestly, the reason I want to trade is because I am getting older. I've been a creative for 20 years, and the old body isn't getting any younger. So at some point, I will not be able to schlep video gear and photography gear around, and I want to have some home, what gives me the security and knowing that I can bring in my paycheck that I'm accustomed to it on my own. But we definitely talk about our strategies together. Allen Right, exactly. So, okay, so But you said like, okay, so he's working full time you have your business, but you guys still decided, hey, we're gonna go this road together, we're gonna learn together, we're gonna go the seminars together, we're gonna talk about it. And then do you guys trade in the same account together? Or is it separate? How does that work? Matt We kind of did in the beginning. And then we realized that it was best to have separate accounts, we do everything we talk about everything together. It's just I think that's really smart. Everyone's different. But I think for us, it works that we have separate accounts, because it kind of gives you the flexibility for the trading the fit your personality, and everyone's personalitie's different, you know, even though we're married, we're different personalities. So that reflects in that account, I think. Margaret And the cool part is, we both fund each other's accounts. So when there's money that we have to put into the account to get it started, we weren't going at an equal pace, if that makes sense. Matt Right. So like, for example, I would get a bonus from Costco, I'd split that bonus, put it into our account separately, she would get a bonus, she would put that money into our accounts, and then we're trading the strategies under those two accounts. Allen Okay, so do you have any joint money like a joint account? Margaret Not for not in a brokerage account? No. I mean, we're, we're each other's beneficiaries. But yeah, right. And I think part of that, too, Alan comes from me at I was not married for 36 years, and I am very customed to taking care of myself and producing my own income, and having my own money, you know, just to be quite frank about it. I want to make sure that I can take care of myself if anything ever happened to Matt, but we definitely we know what each other's logins are. We know what the money's in there. So that part's very open. It's not like they don't share the information. But I think that's a good point about having a different trading style because I am a little more aggressive than Matt is, and we learned that we didn't know that going in, but I will jump into things a little quicker than he does and he wants to be Yeah, wants to have all the information. Matt Those are things we learned about it To think that I was not as conservative as I am. But I realized that I'm a very conservative trader. I like to know everything about everything before I jump in, and sometimes that can hinder you, Margaret, she's like, let's get to it. Let's figure it out. And she jumps in. And I'm really admire that part of her. I really do. Margaret And as long as it works out, Matt she's I say she's measured, you know, she doesn't just jump into things. She's measured about it. Allen Yeah. But like, Margaret, what you said about the, you know, having, I guess, I don't know, for for a lot of women, it's a it's a fear. But it's also about a sense of security. And a lot of our customers are, you know, are the customers that come to us, and they come in, they're like, you know, my spouse doesn't want me trading, or when my spouse would rather have me working, because that paycheck comes in regular. I remember when I first started, even, even though I was, in the beginning, I was horrible. I lost a lot of my wife's money. But after I got good at it, she still was not comfortable with the trading, because she would be like, Okay, I don't know, if you're going to make money every month, you know? Because that's just the way it is. And so she's like, Can you do something pleased to have something regular come in? And that's probably the biggest motivation behind the company option genius. Was that, hey, even if I have a little bit, you know, obviously, I'm supposed to be a small little one person company. And is like, even if I have a little bit like, like a, you know, like, five $6,000 coming in a month. Okay, cool. She'll know that, you know, because she still wanted to work. So she knows something's coming in. But that's, that's just, I think it's ingrained in a lot of spouses that are not generating an income on their own that, hey, I need some consistency. So that's been a big for a lot of people. That's a big, you know, switch. Like to go from Yeah, my wife my husband makes or my wife makes x dollars per month to Yeah, I don't know, if he's gonna make any money. Margaret Yeah, I can see how that would be difficult. Because I mean, we're still both bringing in incomes and trading at the same time. Yeah. Matt Yeah, it's a big shift, a mindset shift. But I think the thing about trading is that, you know, when you're working a static job, you have that income, like you said, it's coming in monthly, you can rely on it. But the real benefit of trading, I think, is that you don't see used to see money as you exchange your paycheck for time. And in trading. You can just, you can just make money, and you don't have to sit there for that time. No, it's, you look as money is finite, in your mind, okay? When you look at trading, you work with trading, it's like, it just opens up to you. Margaret It's more of an energy like it goes out comes and goes out. Exactly. Yeah. Matt So I'm trying to say, Allen interesting. That's a good way to look at it. Yeah. So then have this written down? Okay, I'm gonna ask it or I don't know if which one of you is a better trader? Margaret So how do you define better? Allen I guess, who makes the most money? Matt I will say that I wrote this in a lot of books. And I believe that to be true as a women's are much better emotionally, as traders, I believe that I really do because guys are gonna over are like our macho, we just gotta just get in there and do it. And, you know, but in general, I think women are much, much better emotional trading style. Margaret I will just say last year, Matt made more money than I did. But this year, I've made more money than Matt did. So there you go.. Matt But I'm built for the long. Nothing short term with me. We actually nickname each other Margaret's short term, and I'm on long term, Margaret Yeah, I like short term, you know, I'm an entrepreneur. So I like to see things happen in a timely fashion. I live and breathe it, you know. And so I had do struggle with the long term stuff. One day, I would be curious to see what it would like be like to do long term put that. We'll see about that, you know, I like I like the shorter term gains. Matt But yeah, I mean, that's all part of your personality. So we I think we play off each other very well, you know? Yeah. Allen Yeah. It seems like you guys have a good balance. So then, like, if there's a disagreement, then how do you guys handle that? Or is it just, you know, you do whatever you want your account? I'll do whatever I want to my account. Margaret Yeah, well, we talk about what strike prices we're going to be at, and where, you know, kind of idea of what we both want to do. And then we may be a couple points different from each other. Matt Yeah, but we stay within the rules. And I think you know, the great thing about the strategies that you teach and that we've learned is that there's some flexibility in that, okay, as you get better as a trader, it's just not the rules, right? You know, it's just not like, Oh, get out here. And that's it, there's a little bit of flexibility, I think as you get better as a trader, you get more experienced behind you, you're able to kind of fudge the lines a little bit, if you will, not in a bad way, but be like, okay, you know, I know this, I have a little more experience, I can become a better trader. So it's like, that's the whole flexibility part. Margaret Right. And I think, too, just just thinking about how sometimes Matt will stay in a trade longer than me, and I'll get out quicker. Here's a good example. So this month, in our oil trading, I have tripled up, I've gotten in and gotten out three times, and he stayed in the whole time. You know, and I know, during the classes, there's a couple of other people in our class, when we're on the queue that do the same thing. And then some people will sit and so I think it just depends, and I don't know that it would work as well. For us, if we had one account, I just love having our separate accounts, where we get to talk about what we're gonna do and then have the freedom to.. Matt I think the key is that we talk about it. Yeah, I mean, if you don't talk about things between each other, it's just not gonna work. Yeah. So you're like, Okay, you're gonna go that at least I know about it, right. And then you can see how it works out, right. And then at least you know, what, what's going on, you know, it's different, if you just have a count, and you're just doing your own thing, and you're not talking about it. Margaret The, the emotions part is very real. And I don't think you can really understand that until you start to become a trader, and you see where the trade is. And you get to know yourself better, where in the beginning, we were a lot quicker to get out of a trade if it went a certain way. And now we've learned a little bit more of the rhythms, we know each other's rhythms. And so we don't we don't freak out either way, quite as much. Matt: But you got to look at it. Like in totality. I mean, nothing's the end of the world. Right? And with trading, you may lose money, and you probably will, okay, everybody's lost money. And experience is not cheap. Right? With that happening. It's, it's okay, you know, if nothing is, you treat money as, okay, you can be lost, and it can be one. And the whole idea of trading is getting consistent as a whole thing. And it's like, as you get better and better as a trader, I really believe in my core, you try everyone's trying to build that consistency. Okay, and you have to match your personality to that consistency Margaret: Do you also mean make money? Because that's my goal. Matt: Yes, consistently, or us to make money. But you need to be consistent to do that. Allen: So yeah. Well, like I say, In the beginning, it's not about making money. In the beginning, it's just about not losing money. So knowing what you do properly. And like, even if you don't make any money, that's okay. But you don't lose it month after month after month. Okay, I know, it's annoying, but that's a good thing. And then, you know, we could just do a little tweak here and there, and then then the the profits start taking off. So I totally agree with that. And see, because a lot of people that sell options, they'll tell you, Oh, yeah, you know, I have great months, and then I have a big loss. And then I have good months and have nobody wants to be on that roller coaster. Because eventually you're like, man, what am I doing? Matt: I mean, do you want to go make money in the beginning of the year, at the end of the year, you've lost money or just break even? It's, that's frustrating, you know? So the whole goal is to, you know, especially what you said in the beginning, it's very true. Yeah. Allen: So now you guys said that communication was key. So do you have any rules around that? Do you have like, do you like get together and say, okay, besides the trade trade talk, you know, when you have that, do you actually sit down and be like, alright, half an hour debrief, what do we do this week? How are we going to improve? Or is it just, Matt: I think I know what you're gonna go to. I think, I think, for us, and this is just for us, but a big part. And a lot of people think it's a dirty word. But a budget, we always had a budget always kept us in line, you know, and it's like, whenever we've kind of rapidly spending, you know, and aren't talking about trading, we're just talking about life and your budget, it always get us back on the road, so to speak. So that was a big piece of our communication. So it's just knowing that we're kind of on the road. So I think that flows into your trading and it flows into your communication. So I think that's a really big piece. Margaret: Yeah. And I would say like specific rules about communicating around trading, we've never said anything. It's just kind of happened organically. And we will, you know, there's there certain parameters that you teach in your class and we get in at a certain time and when we do that, we will talk to each other that day, and then we check it both together, generally in the morning, and we'll just kind of go Oh, or Yeah, and commit Write together or celebrate together. And then that I think, I guess that's the organic piece. We just check in with each other in the morning. Matt: Be like, Fine, quick text during the day, you know? Yeah. Margaret: Yeah. Because Matt is watching it for his day job. And he'll text me if something, you know, hey, keep your as open. This is happening or, but yeah, so I guess that's it like we wake up in the morning. We look at it, we chat about it, and then throughout the day, he'll text me. Or maybe if I'm doing something, I'll text him and say, Hey, have you seen? And he always says yes. But yeah, that's it. Okay, Allen: Cool. So what happens when one of you wins and the other loses? Matt: That's a good question. Well, yeah, I've lost before I've lost my I lost. I lost before. And oh, yeah. Oh. Yeah Margaret: Jog my memory. Okay. So I'm going to just tell myself here in the beginning, before we found your class, and I'm not just saying this, because this is true. So it's just true. We cannot say how much of course we lost $5,000. So $5,000 is, is a lot of work for me. And I, I am the one who had funded it that month, to the account, and Matt lost it. And we we realized then, that that was really tough. That was tough on me, it was tougher on me than it was him. And actually, our trade talk Fridays, were really good, because they had also lost the money. And I had lost a little bit, but not as much. We were all just really disheartened and frustrated. And I think I think I was a little mean was a little mean, Matt: Slightly slightly. Are you sure you can do this? Well, yeah, feel the weight of that. Right. Yeah. I mean, if you're not, your wife's out there, she's, she's busting her butt to bring in money, and then you just lose it. It's a lot of you feel the way that, you know, you gotta really dig deep and be like, okay, emotionally and you know, everything about to have the confidence to keep going, right? And you got to search and really believe in yourself that you can, you know, like I said, it's not the end of the world, but you have to get through there gonna be times like that. That happened. Margaret: It made me quit trading for a couple months. Yeah, I got really nervous. And then I said, okay, and then actually, that's is that that's about the time we found oil, wasn't it? Like we found oil sometime after that? It seemed to be a little exactly what you're talking about earlier, it wasn't as much of a roller coaster. And that has changed it for me. Allen: Okay, so was there anything else besides finding that strategy that was able to get you through it? Because like, I mean, emotionally, that's a it's a big hit. Right? And did anything change between the way you guys communicated the way you guys traded? Matt: No, I think Margaret took a little hiatus. I'm the type that I never, I never give up on thanks, I will just take it to the death, you know. I'm like, I just keep going no matter what, just get out of my way. No matter how many hits I take, I just keep going. And I leave it all on the table. So I just I knew I was going to keep going. But again, the key and I don't be, Margaret: but you. You did try it a little more conservatively? Didn't you? Matt: Sure. Yeah. I mean, you learn your lessons, you get burned out a little bit, you start to kind of, you know, you remember and you're like, Okay, I don't want to have those same feelings. But let me cautiously kind of figure it, learn from your mistakes, if you will, you know, and treat a little bit more conservative pay a little more attention. What can I learn from that experience? And I think that changes everything. Of course, you know, the strategies that we do, are a lot better, like I'm able to manage our trades so much better. I think that's important. Margaret: I think that's key. And I think that's key for me, knowing interesting that we have better management strategy now makes me feel a lot more secure, and a lot less emotional, and more. What's the word? I'm looking for sure. That Matt and I can both do the trades and not lose that $1,000 chunks anymore. Matt: More confident? Yeah. And I think I've read this before, and I really believe it is that you are your first really job is to become your risk assessor. And then you're a trader. Yeah. So it's like it's really important that you this all we do is assess risk all the time. So I think it's really important to, to focus on that. And once you get better at assessing risk and managing, just become a better trader, but you just kind of have to go through those things. I mean, when I first started trading, they're like, Okay, your first loss is your best loss. And I was like, what does that mean? They don't want to lose you. And like, they said it all the time, like, Oh, your first last year about like, Who is this person? Like, why did he say that to me? I don't want to lose. But it is true. Like, it teaches you things that you just, you think, you know, you like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna get out of that trade, I know what I'm doing. And then you get burned. Everyone's got to touch the stove, apparently, at some point, you know, it's like, Oh, don't touch the stove. It's hot. But of course, we gotta go touch it. But that's just life. I mean, and it's how you react to those situations, I think. And you don't you don't tell yourself that you're not? How are you going to respond to that? Is very important. You know, in all aspects of life as a trader anything. Allen: I mean, a lot of people, you could say that, but it's not as easy when you're going through it. You know, the first time Oh, first time you do it, it's like, ah, people behave in all crazy different ways. Matt: Yeah. Yeah, it's just, you're gonna have to, I guess this, the best way is to do the best you can to bring people through that experience. All right, you can tell them that it's it probably will happen. But how you react to that situation? It's good to kind of tell your future. Margaret: We're model citizens is that? Allen: Well, I mean, they say that, you know, most divorces are caused because of money issues and problems. Yeah. You know, and a lot of people do not see eye to eye on money. And they don't talk about it before they get married. They don't talk about their goals, visions, whatever, or even how to balance it, you know, like, oh, yeah, one is a budget person. One is a non budget, I'm going to spend whatever I can, but it's like, a lot of people have these issues. And it's, it's great to see that you guys are same page, you know, same goal, same like, okay, hey, you guys talked about it ahead of time. Yeah, like, this is our vision. This is the goal. How do we get there, we'll change you know, like, we'll go on a different path. And we'll try and we'll try this. And like, you guys first started with the passive trading course. Right? It puts in the calls and, and then you say, Okay, let's graduate to something else. So then you guys added the oil program. And then you guys have been doing that. So you just added to something. Now you guys have even you know, got you got your own Airbnb now. So congratulations on that. Margaret: Thank you. Allen: So you're diversifying? So yeah, you're trying different things. And nobody says that you can't right. So you should you should work and in us every strategy available to get to whatever your your dream is. So in that sense, you guys have done a bunch of different things. How do you handle it when you disagree? Margaret: Like disagree on? Allen: On the path, disagree on maybe a tray disagree on let's say, you guys did the Airbnb? Maybe Matt would be like, yeah, no, I don't want to do that. And I want to put more money into trading account. Because we already know we're doing well here. Matt: I hate to disappoint. But I don't think we disagree on too much. If we do, it's like, you know, we do. I'm not saying it's easy enough. I mean, marriage is not easy. But we have their situations, I think it's important to you just you take a pause. You kind of realize how you're dealing with it personally, how you're, what you're thinking, what you're you're feeling, and then you come back to that person and you talk about it. Margaret: I think to just thinking about our investments so far, we do things that we are confident in our knowledge base around so I've had a real estate license for five years. And I shoot real estate and I understand real estate. So when I said Hey, Matt, let's buy this, Airbnb. He was like, Okay, sounds like a good investment. You've done the numbers. I trust you. Matt: Yeah, I do. I trust that she's, I've seen it, she's she's in that field, she does the work. She's always trying to figure it out. And I, their word really is trust. I trust her that she's going to do the best she can with it. Margaret: And I think it's about Yeah, I think it's likewise to you, because I trust that he's, he's read. If you could say our library of books, it's literally every book I've ever heard of on finance and investing. And multiple copies probably down. And so I think, I think it all comes back down to we, we because we both feel like we have studied different things. You know, and now Matt learns more about real estate and I, I give him all the credit because I always was interested in retirement and investing but I didn't know where to get started. And so because he had a knowledge base, he kind of brought me up a little bit faster than if I had then what I was able to do on my own right. So that's powerful. And then because I already trusted him so much and then we got to go to all the seminars together. It just build that built that foundation and so now we really don't disagree on Matt: I think part of also is like, I never wanted to push that on Margaret. Yeah, like my interest, right? I have interest in finance. I never wanted to push that it's an interest of mine. Real estates and interests of her. She doesn't push that on me. I don't push that on her. So it was, it becomes organic when you are you, you're interested in yourself, right? You're like, okay, you know, Matt's doing something. I'm interested in that I want to see a little bit more, but it comes from her. It doesn't come from me telling her Oh, you got to check this out. You should check this out. Yeah, that's important. But ultimately, it's gonna be her decision. Right? Yeah, Margaret: You start to for me, I started doing the numbers. Whoa, you can make this on a trade in two minutes. And I make this on how many? How many hours? Does it take me? Yeah, that's a no brainer. Allen: Cool. Okay, so now, so a lot of our customers they've been through. And unfortunately, like, they've gone on a path similar to yours. But I would say that you guys, you know, if you've, if you only started trading, like three years ago, you guys have taken a shorter route than a lot of our customers. Really? Yeah. So they've been trading for multiple years, still trying to figure out like, Hey, how can I make this work? How can I become consistent, profitable, I've tried, you know, XYZ strategy, and this and this, and this, and they've bought cores, and they've been videos and seminars, and, and they still are looking for that something, to get them over the hump, to get them to be like, Oh, finally, I'm actually making some money. Finally, like you said, they're confident that they can, you know, the month is going to start, I have a strategy that works. I'm confident I'll probably make money this month. But they're still not there yet. And because of that, because of them, you know, trying and investing in course, investing in Seminar investing in another doohickey. You know, they have all the things you can buy, like, Oh, hey, you know, that you can buy this indicator, and the indicator will tell you exactly when to buy and when to sell is only $3,000. You know, they're like, Okay, I'm gonna get that, you know, they get it and then they don't doesn't work. And then the wife or the other or the husband, either way, the spouse is like, I can't believe you're wasting all this time, all this energy, all this money on this trading stuff when he doesn't frickin work. You know, you've been trying for years, and it's just not working. It's all a big scam. Right? And that's the big girl. Yeah, it's a big scam that nobody can do this. So what advice or tips or anything? Would you suggest for a trader in that position where their spouse is maybe not very receptive to them continuing to trade? Where the spouse is like, you know, can you just give this up? You know, just spend time with me? Just, you know, Matt: Yeah. I'm gonna let you go first. And I'll go after. Margaret: Okay? Because we, we were not in that specific scenario, I just keep going back to it has to be the trust. So how are you going to build trust with your partner, not when they don't know what you're going through? And then I would say you would have to have some sort of mentor, and to be honest, that is you that that is you for us. Right? So we I remember, when I got the calculator that you sent out of this is where if you this is what you need in order to make the monthly income that you want on the percentage of money, and this is how much money you need in your account. And you've done it, like you've gone before us, we know it can be possible. So we're trusting that what you say is true. And we've seen it and especially now that that works for you. So I think finding somebody that you can put that trust into and having if your partner is not going to be in that with you, at least show them who that is that you're learning from or what they've done. And if if it's if it's not Alan Sama, then make sure that they've got a good record of what they've done. So that, that your partner can have trust in that you're learning from somebody that is credible. You know, the first thing we learned from had learned down the road from somebody who had learned from Warren Buffett, and so, you know, I don't really care about names of people, that doesn't impress me, but when you actually know something that impresses me, and that gives me the assurance to bet on myself. And that's what I would say, would be my advice. Matt: Yeah, I mean, I always went into investing, especially as I, you know, started to learn about options. I was like, I don't want to hear about oh, you can make all this money. You can do all this and everything's going great. I wanted to go and be like, show me how to do it. Right. And then once you show me how to do it, I believe you. And that's just who I am. And I think most people maybe are like that they want proof and they but more importantly they want to be be able to do it themselves, some people don't. But if you're into this and you want to learn, and you have to go into mindset be like, show me how to do it. And then you get the confidence that you can do it yourself, and then you can be able to teach other people. Allen: Okay, nice. Next question I have here is that you guys have been doing this for a little bit together? Are there anything thinking back that you would do differently? So basically, the question is, like, you know, are there any tips that you would give to a couple starting out? Or lesson or something that you felt? You know what, we didn't do that? Right? Maybe we should have done it differently? Margaret: I would. I know that $10,000 was a lot for us, when we bought into your class. It was 100% worth it. And I wish that we would have done that first. Matt: Yes, I think in this world, you know, you don't want to believe it, but you really pay for what you get. You know, it's a hard truth. Lots of people want to be like, oh, I want this for, you know, low money, or I want this, but you got to really look at is it? What's the worth of it? Right? Is it going to be? Margaret: And are you willing to do the work? Matt: Are you willing to do the work? That's a lot of people like, I think the advice I give people is like the least tell yourself before you think something is not worthy, or it doesn't go up to your expectations, at least go through and do the work of what has been laid before you. Okay, so you have all these lessons, and you have all everything, but you have to can you really tell yourself that you put on all the work, when you haven't gone through the class, when you haven't gone through all the, you know, really dug deep to get everything out of it, then you can say whether you want to continue or not, whether it was a failure, whether it was not at least do that. And I think it's important for people that start out, set aside a small amount of money, right? And maybe agree that, okay, if you lose this small amount of money, it's a good idea. Fine, it didn't work out. But at least you agreed on that. And then give it a shot. Yeah. Right. And then maybe if it didn't work out, and you want to go further, we examined it at that point. That way, you know, it's not like a, I lost everything. And it's the end of the world type scenario. At least I gave it a try. You know, I followed my dreams to figure out this on my own. And if you at least put in the effort, you can tell yourself, Margaret: I would like to give your wife major kudos. Since you said you lost a lot of money in the beginning. That's a good woman to keep if she kept supporting you to go forward. Allen: Yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm very blessed. I am amazingly blessed. So I just give you a short version of the story. I had just been laid off. And so the question was, and we had just been married recently. And so the idea was, Okay, do I go and get another job? Or do I try something else? And, you know, I had been dabbling with trading. But I was like, maybe I could do this full time. So she's like, Okay, if you think you can do it, go for it. And, of course, I did not have any money. She had money from that she had saved up from working for several years before we got married. So she's like, you know, I have all this in savings. You know, try it. And so then she got a second job to support us. So because I wasn't making anything, so she got the second job. And she's working. She was a nurse. So she was working like three days a week at the at the hospitals, 12 hour shifts. And then on the other day, she would be, they have this thing called home health, where the nurse actually shows up to your house. So she would be driving around town, going from place to place to place, you know, giving injections and IVs and medicines and all that stuff. So very draining, especially with all the traffic and everything. And yeah, and I proceeded to try everything like day trading and futures and forex and commodity options and everything is like nothing was working. And I was down over 40 grand. When I finally actually, I think what turned it around was that she found out because I was hiding it from her. Like I wasn't telling ya that she came on to check the mail. She checked the statement. She's like, where's all the money? Oh, like, oh, yeah, about that. So it was either Yeah, you know, it's like, okay, either go to go get a job right away. Turn this around. Or, you know, if you don't do one of those things, we're probably getting split, right. So I was planning like, I was getting my resume ordered together. And then I found selling options. Like I discovered that Hey, there, there was a trade I did that was actually it worked. And I'm like, Well, what is this? Let me follow up more and then I got into it and I showed her how to do it. She was like, Okay, you have something here. So you'd like you said I did Didn't I put like all the money aside? You know, I stopped playing with all the money. And I took a small amount. And I'm like, Okay, let me see if I could just do something with this, instead of the big amount. And that gave her pause, like, okay, fine, you know, he's not gonna lose all the money. And if I lost that money, then yeah, go get another job. And that's it, end of story. But luckily, I showed her she understood it, it started working. And then you know, then the rest is history from there. Margaret: I can imagine there's some pretty real feelings going on around that. That's Allen: Very stressful. Yeah, very, very stressful. Because she wanted to know what I was doing. But she didn't have any background in finance. You know, her family never talked about investing or anything. So she didn't really know anything about it. Slowly, slowly, I started telling her. And then the funny part is, she would come home, like, and she'd be like, Oh, hey, she got interested, right? And she would come home and she goes, Hey, I checked the news and the markets up today. And I'm like, Yeah, but I'm, you know, I'm in. I'm in calls today. Oh, there she goes, Oh, no, oh, that's too bad. You know? And then two days later, she'd be like, Oh, look, I checked in the markets down today. I'm like, No. I mean, Puts today. She would like she did, she wouldn't know if I'm gonna be happy or sad. But she was nuts. But yeah, so and then after a while, then it got good. And like I said, you know, she wanted that stability. She didn't want that up and down. She's like, I need something stable income, so I can quit the second job, take okay. And then she was able to quit the first job. And then so it worked out. But yeah, it was a long, hard road. And I did not have the mentor that you mentioned, you know, so that was one of the probably the biggest things that if I could have found somebody that could have just pulled my hand be like, here, this works, just follow this plan. Margaret: You know, that's why we got to shortcut it. Yeah. Allen: But.. Matt: I think that is a hard thing. Because you're always trying to search for, you know, they're always there numerous or many mentors out in the world, it's like, is trying to find who's true, right? That's it's very difficult. And you you have a guard up, everyone's got their guard up. And they're always kind of like, is this person trying to take me or, you know, I don't feel right about this person, I maybe feel right about this person. I mean, just look at FTX. I mean, that guy that was like darling, and crypto. And then they find out he's, he's, you know, a Bernie Madoff. So it's like, it happens over and over again. So that's kind of how I got into trading. I was like, show me how to do it, and see if it worked, right. And you're not only a mentor, but you show people how to do it. And then you can build trust in yourself, rather than, you know, of course, a mentor is wonderful. And it will shortcut that process. But you can learn about this stuff. And then you, you make yourself your own mentor in a way, you know, it's like you just kind of be like, Okay, I have the confidence now. And then you can go on. Allen: Yeah, I think it all comes down to confidence too. Because like, if I look at it, you know, we have several students that in any strategy that you pick one strategy, and then there's somebody there that's been like, Oh, hey, I did you know this much percent? And I'm like, wow, that's better than me. And there's another strategy. Oh, I did this much. And I'm like that better than me. And I know that, like, what everybody's doing better than me what's going on? You know, but I think that's part of it is the confidence. There's like, and this will tell you something about me, like, you know, I came up with the rules, right? So I came up with the test and testing it and failing, and I forgot what they call it. But it's like, you know, you, you try something and then you fail, and you try and you're failing, you chaired it. So in my mind, you know, all these rules are made by me. Right? So I was like, I don't know how much I can, you know, like, really? I'm gonna trust myself. I don't know. It's scary. But then somebody else comes and goes, Oh, Allen, you know, he's the man. He knows what he's doing. I'm just gonna go 100%. And they do. They do better than me. And I'm like, I don't get it. Matt: redo my rules. Allen: I just need to, I just, like, forget it. I just give you guys my money's like here. Matt: But I mean, in all seriousness, as well, I mean, people, they come in these programs, and everyone has so much to add. I mean, that's how you get better. I mean, there's people that are just like, oh, yeah, I did this way. And you're like, Oh, I didn't think about that. And it's like, if you're open to that, and you receive that, then it makes everything better for everybody. And I've seen that over and over again, where somebody will just say, Oh, I found this way to do this easier. It's like it's constant learning. All of us are constantly learning constantly getting better constantly trying to achieve and go go better. And that's a wonderful thing. Allen: Yep. Yeah, we had an hour. Just recently, we in our passive trading group, somebody had put like, Hey, I don't know how to do this. And I'm pretty sure it's in it's in the core somewhere. But then another student was like, oh, here, let me make you a video. And he just made a video. Yeah, this is how I did it. It's like, Oh, wow. And they asked another Oh, how about this, he made another video. It's just, you know, everybody's helping each other because we all have the same goal. And it's like, Let's just all work together. And, you know, we're all on the same path. Matt: Yeah, it's like, it's always true, you surround yourself with the right people, and good things will happen. I mean, it's just just got to be able to do that, Allen: you know, it's like, amazing, we had some really cool students, helpful, you know, just to go out of the way for each other. It's really, really nice. So then, okay, so my last question for you guys. And I don't know, maybe you guys like, maybe this is a problem that we've seen people have, but I don't know if you guys are gonna be able to answer it. But how can a trader have their spouse support them in their trading? So like, you know, if, you know, one of you is the trader, or you want to do something, how can you get your spouse to have that confidence in you? That you can do it? Does that make sense? Yeah. Because like, I know, with my wife, in the beginning, she didn't have any confidence. And then later on, you know, the numbers kind of spoke for themselves. But one of the things I did was when the back testing software came out that we that we use a lot, I showed it to her. And she was like, Oh, cool. I want to learn this, too. So we would sit there, and I gave her the rules. I think we were talking about credit spreads at the time. It's like, okay, so this is kind of how we find a trade. And I didn't have like, first set out rules yet. It was just, you know, ideas. I try, sometimes they do this way, that way. And so then I had her and I told her what it was. And we would look at a chart and be like, okay, hey, what do you what's the trade? And so she would pick her trade? And then, you know, we would we would go through it. And then I had already done it my way, you know, and it would always come out where she was actually more profitable than me. Same trade, same stock, same timeframe, if we had done it her way, we would have made more money. That's the thing about the confidence. He knows, like, when you see your wife who doesn't know anything, she just numbers, you know, she doesn't matter. It's like, I don't know, maybe I'm not cut out for this. But then, but then later on, there was a time where I got into like, a, like a rut, you know, so I wasn't I wasn't following the rules, the discipline became a problem. Because our trading doesn't take a lot of time. And so when you're just, you know, stuck, you don't have anything else to do, you kind of start over trading, and you're messing around with stuff. And so I had her, and she came, she's the one that came up with this. She's like, you know what, every single trade, you're going to write it down. And you're going to tell me, and I'm going to come upstairs at one o'clock every day, I'm going to ask you questions about every single trade, you know, and I forget exactly what they were. But it's in one of our products. It's like, you know, what's the goal? What's the plan? You're going to adjust it or you're going to get out when you're going to do it? Where's it now? And why haven't you done what you're supposed to do? You know, and so because of that, because I knew she was going to come? Right? I would have everything ready before she came in. So if I had to get out of a trade because it was down or I needed to do an adjustment, it will already be done by the time she got in. And so that degree of holding me accountable. It really I mean the results just went skyrocketing higher. That's really smart. So that was.. Margaret: something that you said yesterday on our call on our oil call really has stuck with me about every day that you wake up you have a decision to stay in that trade or get out so that's the day that you're making a decision. And it's not Yeah, so that it just hit me this morning because we had the the market was down a little bit this morning. And we talked about it like what what are we going to do so I like that idea of having an accountable Matt: Well, it's important because you're you yourself are going to be emotionally different each day for whatever reason, just as you as an individual that but now you have your wife or someone who was account recording accountable is going to come in and keep you straight. I think what every what everybody needs Allen: Yep. Either either spouse or buddy or accountability partner or something like that, that you can trade with. Trading buddy, I like that. Cool. Okay. Is there anything else that you guys wanted to share with our audience? Margaret: Hmm, you can do it. You can absolutely do it. I think if I could have told myself which I had zero knowledge background in how what what was a brokerage? Let's just start with the simple step. I did not even know the difference between brokerages I did not understand what a brokerage account was. So if I could Tell Margaret, even just five years ago, what I will be doing today, I would not have believed it. And that once you start looking at your money, you know, everybody always says nobody cares about your money more than you do. I think our age group needs this knowledge. Because with the advent of you having to figure out your own retirement and not having pensions, it is extremely important for us to know that and we didn't have any knowledge that is out there. You know, we didn't we weren't 20 and Tiktok. And Instagram rails were out there where you could learn some of this stuff. You know, we're where we're younger people already know so much more than I knew when I'm in my 20s. I think there's a group of us that needs the hope that comes from knowing that you can manage your own money, and you can make money and you can help your retirement, it doesn't matter if you're in your 40s. Matt: No matter really what age you are, I mean, my mother's 80, right. And if she was, you know, I used to stay at Costco all the time. And I said this many times where they're, they're older people that give out samples or they're in the job. And there, you can see that they're in pain. They're standing all day long, and they're like 70, and 80 years old. And if they just knew if they knew how to do a simple strategy, or trade or just learn it, in which they totally can, yeah, or be shown that and, you know, they can believe in it, that would change their life. And they change their comfort, not later on and be right now. Yeah. Which is so powerful. So it's really it goes to, that's what I love about trading, it can help all age groups. Yeah. Right. And you're right. No one cares about your money more than you do. And I look at like, life's risky. Everything's at risk. So you owe it to yourself. You think trading is risky. Give it a shot. Everything's risky. Yeah. Right. So you got to overcome your fears. See how things work? Believe in yourself. And just go for it. Yeah, because we're only on here one turn, you know, Margaret: Why not? Give it a shot? Allen: Well said Well said, you guys, I really thank you for this. This has been a pleasure. And I really appreciate your time and spending some time and sharing intimate details about your lives and your relationship with us. It's it's been a blessing. Thank you so much. Margaret: Thank you for asking us. Yeah.

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Completely Conspicuous 605: Playing the Role

Completely Conspicuous

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 73:23

This week, I'm joined by guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the resurgence of role-playing games. Show notes: - Recorded in Salem, Mass. - Last time we recorded for the show was two years ago - Time is passing quickly - Jay: Going into the office once a week now - Matt: It was an extrovert's world for a long time - Matt's still writing YA books - Matt has been running Dungeons & Dragons games since pandemic started - Unprepared for the number of people who wanted to jump in - Matt: Didn't have enough friends to play in high school - Was going to start doing it for corporate retreats when COVID hit - A legal dispute over licensing with Hasbro - Jay: Was a total comics nerd in high school - D&D made a comeback thanks to Stranger Things - A D&D movie is coming out with Chris Pine - Tom Hanks starred in Mazes & Monsters, a "Satanic panic" movie about D&D - Stopped buying comics when there were bills to pay - Matt: Plenty of non-D&D role-playing games are popular - Played Vampire: The Masquerade in the '90s - Matt does a podcast called The Ravenfolly Institute that follows D&D campaigns as they happen - Matt's super-productive in his spare time - Working on an "adult" gritty fantasy book - Book industry is in "dire need of reform" - The first of Matt's books is getting an audiobook - Struggling to get through Dune (the book) - Matt's learning how to play a Dune role-playing game - Listens to a lot of RPG podcasts; helps you learn the game - D&D has had peaks and valleys of popularity since the mid-70s - On its 5th edition; went back to older style but streamlined - The stigma of being a nerd is gone now - Board games in general have become popular again - You get what you put into playing RPGs - A lot of mystery-themed games - Matt: Storytelling is storytelling, whether it's books or RPGs or podcasts - Matt's the D&Dealer - Gotta have the "math rocks" - Also does sister podcast Characters & Class Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review! The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Return to the Office vs. Remote: What Can Employers Legally Enforce? [e321]

Legally Sound | Smart Business

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2023 36:14

In 2020, we saw a lot of employers permanently switching to work remotely. While some have slowly brought their workers back into the office, Goldman Sachs's CEO, David Solomon, has been labeled as anti-remote. However, this wasn't always the case – in fact, he once argued that having employees working from home was "the new norm". On this episode, Nasir and Matt take a look back at how Goldman Sachs's response to the pandemic has changed throughout the years. Full Podcast TranscriptNASIR: Yes, we're talking about Goldman Sachs – the return to office for them. Why Goldman Sachs? Well, they are a huge company. We wanted to talk about tracking them through the COVID response going back all the way to 2020. MATT: You'll give up the ending to this podcast already, but… NASIR: Well, yes, that's true. This is Legally Sound Smart Business where your hosts – Nasir Pasha and Matt Staub – cover business in the news and add their awesome legal twist. Legally Sound Smart Business is a podcast brought to you by Pasha Law PC – a law firm representing your business in California, Illinois, New York, and Texas. Here are your hosts, Nasir Pasha and Matt Staub. NASIR: Welcome to Legally Sound Smart Business! Our episode locally here in Houston. Matt has joined me to talk about Goldman Sachs, right? Welcome to Houston! MATT: Thanks! It's good to be here. I always like these in person. NASIR: I feel like I caught you off-guard. MATT: That's fine. NASIR: Let's start the podcast, by the way. We're talking about Goldman Sachs – the return to office for them. Why Goldman Sachs? Well, they are a huge company. They have basically 40,000 employees worldwide. We wanted to talk about tracking them through the COVID response going back all the way to 2020 – February to March of that year – they started locking down through today where now they have more than 65 percent of their workforce back in the office. MATT: You'll give up the ending to this podcast already, but… NASIR: That's true. Well, we're done, right? MATT: Yes. The big reason is their CEO – David Solomon – was pretty well-documented and took a big stance in getting people back in the office quicker than most companies out there, particularly on Wall Street. NASIR: Yes. In fact, depending upon who you ask, some would say he was actually leading that charge and a visionary in that respect. Others would say that he was being too aggressive. Another interesting thing about Goldman Sachs is that, on one hand, they have been on lists of some of the best places to work. One of the reasons is they have huge high-compensation packages for a lot of their employees. On the other hand, they are also criticized for being unethical. You have people complaining about 100-hour workweeks and things like that. Goldman Sachs in its nature is in the forefront of a lot of different issues – employment issues, especially, but also regulatory and these kinds of things as well. MATT: It's not surprising that their CEO took this bold stance in getting people to go back to work quicker than some companies that haven't come back to work – a good amount of them. NASIR: Yes, and everyone has heard in the news. We're talking about companies like Google and Facebook or Meta. I don't think Meta are coming back. MATT: A permanent option. NASIR: There have been others like Spotify and so forth. Especially a lot of the tech companies, they have made a permanent shift. That is something that Goldman Sachs has definitely not done. Frankly, depending upon the company, the industry, what states you are in. I know we have talked plenty of times about when we are dealing with clients in California versus Texas. It's just such a different paradigm. That's really shone itself during COVID because the conversations that you and I were having with California clients about the workforce and COVID was like, “What are some of the things that we can do to make it more comfortable for them to go home to work?...

covid-19 ceo new york spotify california texas google office illinois wall street remote employers goldman sachs legally enforce david solomon matt it matt you matt yes matt thanks nasir pasha

Life of a Fellow Niche Internet Micro Celebrity with Matt Margolis

Screaming in the Cloud

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 36:36

About MattMatt is the head of community at Lawtrades, a legal tech startup that connects busy in-house legal departments with flexible on-demand legal talent. Prior to this role, Matt was the director of legal and risk management at a private equity group down in Miami, Florida. Links Referenced: Lawtrades: https://www.lawtrades.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmattslaw/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsmattslaw Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItsMattsLaw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flattorney/ duckbillgroup.com: https://duckbillgroup.com TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: If you asked me to rank which cloud provider has the best developer experience, I'd be hard-pressed to choose a platform that isn't Google Cloud. Their developer experience is unparalleled and, in the early stages of building something great, that translates directly into velocity. Try it yourself with the Google for Startups Cloud Program over at cloud.google.com/startup. It'll give you up to $100k a year for each of the first two years in Google Cloud credits for companies that range from bootstrapped all the way on up to Series A. Go build something, and then tell me about it. My thanks to Google Cloud for sponsoring this ridiculous podcast.Corey: This episode is sponsored by our friends at Logicworks. Getting to the cloud is challenging enough for many places, especially maintaining security, resiliency, cost control, agility, etc, etc, etc. Things break, configurations drift, technology advances, and organizations, frankly, need to evolve. How can you get to the cloud faster and ensure you have the right team in place to maintain success over time? Day 2 matters. Work with a partner who gets it - Logicworks combines the cloud expertise and platform automation to customize solutions to meet your unique requirements. Get started by chatting with a cloud specialist today at snark.cloud/logicworks. That's snark.cloud/logicworksCorey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. Something that I've learned in my career as a borderline full-time shitposter is that as the audience grows, people tend to lose sight of the fact that no, no, the reason that I have a career is because I'm actually good at one or two specific things, and that empowers the rest of the shitposting, gives me a basis from which to stand. Today's guest is Matt Margolis, Head of Community at Lawtrades. And I would say he is also a superior shitposter, but instead of working in the cloud space, he works in the legal field. Matt, thank you for joining me.Matt: That was the nicest intro I've ever received in my entire career.Corey: Well, yes, usually because people realize it's you and slam the door in your face, I assume, just based upon some of your TikToks. My God. Which is—I should point out—where I first encountered you.Matt: You found me on TikTok?Corey: I believe so. It sends me down these really weird rabbit holes, and at first, I was highly suspicious of the entire experience. Like, it's showing ADHD videos all the time, and as far as advertisements go, and it's, “Oh, my God, they're doing this really weird tracking,” and like, no, no, they just realize I'm on TikTok. It's that dopamine hit that works out super well. For a while, it drifted me into lesbian TikTok—which is great—because apparently, I follow a lot of creators who are not men, but I also don't go for the whole thirst trap things. Like, who does that? That's right. Must be lesbians. Which, great, I'm in good company. And it really doesn't know what to make of me. But you show up on my feed with fairly consistent frequency. Good work.Matt: That is fac—I appreciate that. I don't know if that's a compliment, though. But I [laugh]—no, I appreciate it. You know, for me, I get… not to plug a friend but I get—Alex Su's TikToks are probably like, one in two and then the other person is—maybe I'm also on lesbian TikTok as well. I think maybe we have earned the similar vote here.Corey: In fact, there's cohorts that they slot people into and I feel like we're right there together. Though Ales Su, who has been on the show as well, talk about source of frustration. I mentioned in passing that I was going to be chatting with him to my wife, who's an attorney. And she lit up. Like, “Oh, my God, you know him? My girlfriends and I talk about him all the time.”And I was sitting there going, well, there better damn well be a subculture out there that talks about me and those glowing terms because he's funny, yes, but he's not that funny. My God. And don't tell him that. It'll go to his head.Matt: I say the same thing. I got a good one for you. I was once in the sales call, and I remember speaking with—I was like, “You know, I'm like, pretty decent on Twitter. I'm pretty decent on LinkedIn”—which I don't think anyone brags about that, but I do—“And I'm okay on, like, Instagram and TikTok.” And he goes, “That's cool. That's really cool. So, are you kind of like Alex? Like, Alex Su?” And I go? “Uh, yeah,” he goes, “Yeah, because he's really funny. He's probably the best lawyer out there that, you know, shitposts and post funny things on the internet.” And I just sat there—and I love Alex; he's a good friend—I just sat there, and I'm like, “All right. All right. This is a conversation about Alex. This isn't a conversation about Matt.” And I took him to stride. I called Alex immediately after. I'm like, “Hey, you want to hear something funny.” And he got a kick out of it. He certainly got a kick out of it.Corey: It's always odd to me, just watching my own reputation come back to me filtered through other people's perceptions whenever I wind up encountering people in the wild, and they say, oh, you're Corey Quinn at—which is usually my clue to look at them very carefully with my full attention because if their next words are, “I work at Amazon,” that's my cue to duck before I get punched in the face. Whereas in other cases, they're like, “Oh, yeah, you're hilarious on the Twitters.” Or, “I saw you give a conference talk years ago,” or whatever it is. But no one ever says the stuff that's actually intellectually rigorous. No one ever says, “Yeah, I read some of your work on AWS contract negotiation,” or, “In-depth bill analysis as mapped to architecture.” Yeah, yeah. That is not the stuff that sticks in people's head. It's, “No, no, the funny guy with his mouth wide open on the internet.” It's, “Yep, that's me. The human flytrap.”Matt: Yeah, I feel that. I've been described, I think, is a party clown. That comes up from time to time. And to your point, Corey, like, I get that all the time where someone will say, “Matt I really enjoyed that meme you posted, the TikTok, the funny humor.” And then every so often, I'll post, gosh, like, an article about something we're doing, maybe a white paper on commercial contracting, or some sort of topic that really fits into my wheelhouse, and people were like, “That's… I guess that's cool. I just thought you were a party clown.” And you know, I make the balloon animals but… not all the time.Corey: That's the weirdest part to me of all of this is just this weird experience where we become the party clowns and that is what people view us as, but peeling away the humor and the jokes and the things we do for engagement, as we're like, we're sitting here each trying to figure out the best way to light ourselves on fire and survive the experience because the views would be enormous, you do have a legal background. You are an attorney yourself—still are, if I understand the process properly. Personally have an eighth-grade education, so basically, what I know of bars is a little bit of a different context.Matt: I also know those bars. I'm definitely a fan of those bars as well. I am still an attorney. I was in private practice, I worked in the government. I then went in-house in private equity down in Miami, Florida. And now, though I am shitposter, you are right, I am still a licensed attorney in the state of Florida. Could not take a bar exam anywhere else because I probably would light myself on fire. But yeah, I am. I am still an attorney.Corey: It's wild to me just to see how much of this world winds up continuing to, I guess, just evolve in strange and different ways. Because you take a look at the legal profession, it's—what is it, the world's second oldest profession? Because they say that the oldest profession was prostitution and then immediately someone, of course, had a problem with this, so they needed to have someone to defend them and hence, lawyers; the second oldest profession. And it seems like it's a field steeped in traditionalism, and with the bar, yes, a bit of gatekeeping. And now it's trying to deal with a highly dynamic, extraordinarily irreverent society.And it feels like an awful lot of, shall we say, more buttoned-down attorney types tend to not be reacting to any of that super well. I mean, most of my interaction with lawyers in a professional context when it comes to content takes a lot more of the form of a cease and desist than it does conversations like this. Thanks for not sending one of those, by the way, so far. It's appreciated.Matt: [laugh]. No worries, no worries. The day is not over yet. First off, Corey, I'm going to do a thing that attorneys love doing is I'm going to steal what you just said and I'm going to use it later because that was stellar.Corey: They're going to license it, remember?Matt: License it.Corey: That's how this works.Matt: Copy and paste it. I'm going to re—its precedent now. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I see it online, I see it on Link—LinkedIn is probably the best example of it; I sometimes see it on Twitter—older attorneys, attorneys that are part of that old guard, see what we're doing, what we're saying, the jokes we're making—because behind every joke is a real issue a real thing, right? The reason why we laugh, at least for some of these jokes, is we commiserate over it. We're like, “That's funny because it hurts.”And a lot of these old-guard attorneys hate it. Do not want to talk about it. They've been living good for years. They've been living under this regime for years and they don't want to deal with it. And attorneys like myself who are making these jokes, who are shitposting, who are bringing light to these kinds of things are really, I would say dis—I hate to call myself a disrupter, but are disrupting the traditional buttoned-up attorney lifestyle and world.Corey: It's wild to me, just to see how much of this winds up echoing my own experiences in dealing with, shall we say, some of the more I don't use legacy, which is a condescending engineering term for ‘it makes money,' but some of the older enterprise companies that had the temerity to found themselves before five years ago in somewhere that wasn't San Francisco and build things on computers that weren't rented by the gigabyte-month from various folks in Seattle. It's odd talking to some of those folks, and I've heard from a number of people, incidentally, that they considered working with my company, but decided not to because I seem a little too lighthearted and that's not how they tend to approach things. One of the nice things about being a boutique consultant is that you get to build things like this to let the clients that are not likely to be a good fit self-select out of working with you.Matt: It's identical to law.Corey: Yeah. “Aren't you worried you're losing business?” Like, “Oh, don't worry. It's not business I would want.”Matt: I'm okay with it. I'll survive. Yeah, like, the clients that are great clients, you're right, will be attracted to it. The clients that you never wanted to approach, they probably were never going to approach you anyways, are not [laugh] going to approach you. So, I agree wholeheartedly. I was always told lawyers are not funny. I've been told that jobs, conferences, events—Corey: Who are you hanging out with doctors?Matt: [laugh]. Dentists. The funniest of doctors. And I've been told that just lawyers aren't funny, right? So, lawyers shouldn't be funny; that's not how they should present themselves.You're never going to attract clients. You're ever going to engage in business development. And then I did. And then I did because people are attracted by funny. People like the personality. Just like you Corey, people enjoy you, enjoy your company, enjoy what you have to do because they enjoy being around you and they want to continue via, you know, like, business relationship.Corey: That's part of the weird thing from where I sit, where it's this—no matter what you do or where you sit, people remain people. And one of the big eye-openers for me that happened, fortunately early in my career, was discovering that a number of execs at name brand, publicly traded companies—not all of them, but a good number; the ones you'd want to spend time with—are in fact, human beings. I know, it sounds wild to admit that, but it's true. And they laugh, they tell stories themselves, they enjoy ridiculous levels of nonsense that tends to come out every second time I opened my mouth. But there's so much that I think people lose sight of. “Oh, they're executives. They only do boring and their love language is PowerPoint.” Mmm, not really. Not all of them.Matt: It's true. Their love language sometimes is Excel. So, I agree [laugh].Corey: That's my business partner.Matt: I'm not good at Excel, I'll tell you that. But I hear that as well. I hear that in my own business. So, I'm currently at a place called Lawtrades, and for the listeners out there, if you don't know who Lawtrades is, this is the—I'm not a salesperson, but this is my sales spiel.Corey: It's a dating site for lawyers, as best I can tell.Matt: [laugh]. It is. Well, I guess close. I mean, we are a marketplace. If you're a company and you need an attorney on a fractional basis, right—five hours, ten hours, 15 hours, 20 hours, 40 hours—I don't care, you connect.And what we're doing is we're empowering these freelance attorneys and legal professionals to kind of live their life, right, away from the old guard, having to work at these big firms to work at big clients. So, that's what we do. And when I'm in these conversations with general counsels, deputy general counsels, heads of legal at these companies, they don't want to talk like you're describing, this boring, nonsense conversation. We commiserate, we talk about the practice, we talk about stories, war stories, funny things about the practice that we enjoy. It's not a conversation about business; it's a conversation about being a human being in the legal space. It's always a good time, and it always results in a long-lasting relationship that I personally appreciate more than—probably more than they do. But [laugh].Corey: It really comes down to finding the watering holes where your humor works. I mean, I made the interesting choice one year to go and attend a conference for CFOs and the big selling point of this conference was that it counts as continuing professional education, which as you're well aware, in regulated professions, you need to attend a certain number of those every so often, or you lose your registration slash license slash whatever it is. My jokes did not work there. Let's put it that way.Matt: [laugh]. That's unfortunate because I'm having trouble keeping a straight face as we do this podcast.Corey: It was definitely odd. I'm like, “Oh, so what do you do?” Like, “Oh, I'm an accountant.” “Well, that's good. I mean, assume you don't bring your work home with you and vice versa. I mean, it's never a good idea to hook up where you VLOOKUP.”And instead of laughing—because I thought as Excel jokes go, that one's not half bad—instead, they just stared at me and then walked away. All right. Sorry, buddy, I didn't mean to accidentally tell a joke in your presence.Matt: [laugh]. You're setting up all of my content for Twitter. I like that one, too. That was really good.Corey: No, no, it comes down to just being a human being. And one of the nice things about doing what I've done—I'm curious to get your take on this, is that for the first time in my career doing what I do now, I feel like I get to bring my whole self to work. That is not what it means that a lot of ways it's commonly used. It doesn't mean I get to be problematic and make people feel bad as individuals. That's just being an asshole; that's not bringing your whole self to work.But it also means I feel like I don't have to hide, I can bring my personality with me, front and center. And people are always amazed by how much like my Twitter personality I am in real life. And yeah because I can't do a bit for this long. I don't have that kind of attention span for one. But the other side of that, too, is does exaggerate certain elements and it's always my highs, never my lows.I'm curious to know how you wind up viewing how you present online with who you are as a person.Matt: That is a really good question. Similar. Very similar. I do some sort of exaggeration. The character I like to play is ‘Bad Associate.' It's, like, one of my favorite characters to play where it's like, if I was the worst version of myself, in practice, what would I look like?And those jokes to me always make me laugh because I always—you know, you have a lot of anxiety when you practice. That's just an aspect of the law. So, for me, I get to make jokes about things that I thought I was going to do or sound like or be like, so it honestly makes me feel a little better. But for the humor itself and how I present online, especially on Twitter, my boss, one of my co-founders, put it perfectly. And we had met for a conference, and—first time in person—and he goes, “You're no different than Twitter, are you?” I go, “Nope.” And he goes, “That's great.”And he really appreciated that. And you're right. I felt like I presented my whole personality, my whole self, where in the legal profession, in private practice, it was not the case. Definitely not the case.Corey: Yeah, and sometimes I talk in sentences that are more than 280 characters, which is, you know, a bad habit.Matt: Sometimes. I have a habit from private practice that I can't get rid of, and I ask very aggressive depo questions like I'm deposing somebody. If you're listening in, can you write me on Twitter and tell me if you're a litigator and you do the same thing? Because, like, I will talk to folks, and they're like, “This isn't an interview or like a deposition.” I'm like, “Why? Why isn't it?” And it [laugh] gets really awkward really quickly. But I'm trying to break that habit.Corey: I married a litigator. That pattern tracks, let's be clear. Not that she doesn't so much, but her litigator friends, if litigators could be said to have friends, yeah, absolutely.Matt: My wife is a former litigator. Transactional attorney.Corey: Yes. Much the same. She's grown out of the habit, thankfully.Matt: Oh, yeah. But when we were in the thick of litigation, we were actually at competing law firms. It was very much so, you come home, and it's hard to take—right, it's hard to not take your work home, so there was definitely occasions where we would talk to each other and I thought the judge had to weigh in, right, because there were some objections thrown, some of the questions were leading, a little bit of compound questions. So, all right, that's my lawyer joke of the day. I'm sorry, Corey. I won't continue on the schtick.Corey: It works, though. It's badgering the witness, witnessing the badger, et cetera. Like, all kinds of ridiculous nonsense and getting it wrong, just to be, I guess, intentionally obtuse, works out well. Something you said a minute ago does tie into what you do professionally, where you mentioned that your wife was a litigator and now is a transactional attorney. One thing they never tell you when you start a business is how many lawyers you're going to be working with.And that's assuming everything goes well. I mean, we haven't been involved in litigation, so that's a whole subset of lawyer we haven't had to deal with yet. But we've worked with approximately six—if memory serves—so far, not because we're doing anything egregious, just because—rather because so many different aspects of the business require different areas of specialty. We also, to my understanding—and I'm sure my business partner will correct me slash slit my throat if I'm wrong—I've not had to deal with criminal attorneys in any interesting ways. Sorry, criminal defense attorneys, criminal attorneys is a separate setup for a separate story.But once I understood that, realizing, oh, yeah, Lawtrades. You can find specialist attorneys to augment your existing staff. That is basically how I view that. Is that directionally accurate?Matt: Yeah. So like, common issue I run into, right is, like, a general counsel, is a corporate attorney, right? That's their background. And they're very aware that they're not an employment attorney. They're not a privacy attorney. Maybe they're not an IP attorney or a patent attorney.And because they realize that, because they're not like that old school attorney that thinks they can do everything and solve everyone's problems, they come to Lawtrades and they say, “Look, I don't need an employment attorney for 40 hours a week. I just need ten hours. That's all I need, right? That's the amount of work that I have.” Or, “I don't have the budget for an attorney for 40 hours, but I need somebody. I need somebody here because that's not my specialty.”And that happens all the time where all of a sudden, a solo general counsel becomes a five or six-attorney legal department, right, because you're right, attorneys add up very quickly. We're like rabbits. So, that's where Lawtrades comes in to help out these folks, and help out freelance attorneys, right, that also are like, “Hey, listen, I know employment law. I can help.”Corey: Do you find that the vast slash entire constituency of your customers pretend to be attorneys themselves, or is this one of those areas where, “I'm a business owner. I don't know how these law things work. I had a firm handshake and now they're not paying as agreed. What do I do?” Do you wind up providing, effectively, introduction services—since I do view you as, you know, match.com for dating with slightly fewer STDs—do you wind up then effectively acting as an—[unintelligible 00:18:47] go to talk to find a lawyer in general? Or does it presuppose that I know which end of a brief is up?Matt: There's so many parts of what you just said I want to take as well. I also liked that you didn't just say no STDs. That was very lawyerly of you. It's always, like, likely, right?Corey: Oh, yes. So, the answer to any particular level of seniority and every aspect of being an attorney is, “It depends.”Matt: That's right. That's right. It triggers me for you to say it. Ugh. So, our client base, generally speaking, our companies ranging from, like, an A round company that has a solo GC all the way up to a publicly traded company that has super robust legal department that maybe needs a bunch of paralegals, bunch of legal operations professionals, contract managers, attorneys for very niche topics, niche issues, that they're just, that is not what they want to do.So, generally speaking, that's who we service. We used to be in the SMB space. There was a very public story—my founders are really cool because they built in public and we almost went broke, actually in that space. Which, Corey, I'm happy to share that article with you. I think you'll get a kick out of it.Corey: I would absolutely look forward to seeing that article. In fact, if you send me the link, we will definitely make it a point to throw it into the [show notes 00:19:58].Matt: Awesome. Happy to do it. Happy to do it. But it's cool. The clients, I tell you what, when I was in private practice when I was in-house, I would always deal with an adverse attorney. That was always what I was dealing with.No one was ever—or a business person internally that maybe wasn't thrilled to be on the phone. I tell you what, now, when I get to talk to some of these folks, they're happy to talk to me; it's a good conversation. It really has changed my mentality from being a very adverse litigator attorney to—I mean it kind of lends itself to a shitposter, to a mean guy, to a party clown. It's a lot of fun.Corey: This episode is sponsored in part by our friends at Uptycs, because they believe that many of you are looking to bolster your security posture with CNAPP and XDR solutions. They offer both cloud and endpoint security in a single UI and data model. Listeners can get Uptycs for up to 1,000 assets through the end of 2023 (that is next year) for $1. But this offer is only available for a limited time on UptycsSecretMenu.com. That's U-P-T-Y-C-S Secret Menu dot com.Corey: One area that I think is going to be a point of commonality between us is in what the in-and-out of our day jobs look like. Because looking at it from a very naive perspective, why on earth does what is effectively an attorney referral service—yes, which may or may not run afoul of how you describe yourselves; I know, lawyers are very particular about wording—Matt: Staffing [laugh].Corey: Exactly. Legal staffing. There we are. It doesn't seem to lend itself to having a, “Head of Community,” quote-unquote, which really translates into, “I shitpost on the internet.” The same story could be said to apply to someone who fixes AWS bills because in my part of the industry, obviously, there is a significant problem with people who have large surprise bills from their cloud provider, but they generally don't talk about them in public as soon as they become an even slightly serious company.You don't find someone at a Fortune 500 complaining on Twitter about how big their AWS bill is because that does horrifying things to their stock price as well as them personally, once the SEC gets involved. So, for me, it was always I'm going to be loud and noisy and have fun in the space so that people hear about me, and then when they have this problem, in the come. Is that your approach to this, or is it more or less the retconning story that I just told, and it really had its origins in, “I'm just going to shitpost. I feel like good things will happen.”Matt: Funnily enough, it's both. That's how it started. So, when I was in private practice, I was posting like crazy on—I'm going to say LinkedIn for the third time—and again, I hope somebody sends a nasty message to me about how bad LinkedIn is, which I don't think it's that bad. I think it's okay—so I was shitposting on LinkedIn before probably many folks were shitposting on LinkedIn, again like Alex, and I was doing it just because I was tired of attorneys being what we described, this old guard, buttoned up, just obnoxiously perfect version of themselves. And it eventually led itself into this career. The whole journey was wild, how I got here. Best way to describe it was a crazy trip.Corey: It really is. You also have a very different audience in some ways. I mean, for example, when you work in the legal field, to my understanding from the—or being near to it, but not within it, where you go to school is absolutely one of those things that people still bring up as a credential decades later; it's the first thing people scroll to on LinkedIn. And in tech, we have nothing like that at all. I mean, just ask anyone of the random engineers who talk about where they used to work in their Twitter bio: ex-Google, ex-Uber, et cetera.Not quite as bad as the VC space where it's, “Oh, early investor in,” like, they list their companies, which of course to my mind, just translates directly into, the most interesting thing about you is that once upon a time, you wrote a check. Which yeah, and with some VCs that definitely tracks.Matt: That's right. That's a hundred percent right. It's still like that. I actually saw a Twitter post, not necessarily about education, but about big law, about working in big law where folks were saying, “Hey, I've heard a rumor that you cannot go in-house at a company unless you worked in big law.” And I immediately—I have such a chip on my shoulder because I am not a big law attorney—I immediately jumped to it to say, “Listen, I talk to in-house attorneys all the time. I'm a former in-house attorney. You don't have to work with big law. You don't have to go to a T-14 law school.” I didn't. I went to Florida State University in Tallahassee.But I hear that to this day. And you're right, it drives me nuts because that is a hallmark of the legal industry, bragging about credentials, bragging about where I came from. Because it also goes back to that old guard of, “Oh, I came from Harvard, and I did this, and I did that,” because we love to show how great and special we are not by our actual merits, but where we came from.Corey: When someone introduces themselves to me at a party—which has happened to me before—and in their introduction, they mention where they went to law school, I make it a point to ask them about it and screw it up as many times in the rest of the evening as I can work in to. It's like they went to Harvard. Like so, “Tell me about your time at Yale.” “Oh, sorry. I must have forgotten about that.” Or, “What was the worst part about living in DC when you went to law school?” “Oh, I'm sorry. I missed that. You went to Harvard. How silly of me.”Matt: There's a law school at Dartmouth [laugh]?Corey: I know. I'm as surprised as anyone to discover these things. Yeah. I mean, again, on the one hand, it does make people feel a little off and that's not really what I like doing. But on the other, ideally, it's a little bit of a judgment nudge as far as this may not sound the way that you think it sounds when you introduce yourself to people that way.Matt: All the time. I hear that all the time. Every so often, I'll have someone—and I think a lot of the industry, maybe just the industry where I'm in, it's not brought up anymore. I usually will ask, right? “Hey, where do you come from?” Just as a conversation starter, “What firm did you practice at? Did you practice in big law? Small law?”Someone once called it insignificant law to me, which hurts because I'm part of insignificant law. I get those and it's just to start a conversation, but when it's presented to me initially, “Hey, yeah, I was at Harvard,” unprompted. Or, “I went to Yale,” or went to whatever in the T-14, you're right, it's very off-putting. At least it's off-putting to me. Maybe if someone wants to tell me otherwise, online if you went to Harvard, and someone said, “Hey, I went to Harvard,” and that's how they started the conversation, and you enjoy it, then… so be it. But I'll tell you, it's a bit off-putting to me, Corey.Corey: It definitely seems it. I guess, on some level, I think it's probably rooted in some form of insecurity. Hmm, it's easy to think, “Oh, they're just completely full of themselves,” but that stuff doesn't spring fully formed from nowhere, like the forehead of some God. That stuff gets built into people. Like, the constant pressure of you are not good enough.Or if you've managed to go to one of those schools and graduate from it, great. The constant, like, “Not everyone can go here. You should feel honored.” It becomes, like, a cornerstone of their personality. For better or worse. Like, it made me more interesting adult if it made my 20s challenging. I don't have any big-name companies on my resume. Well, I do now because I make fun of one, but that's a separate problem entirely. It just isn't something I ever got to leverage, so I didn't.Matt: I feel that completely. I come from—again, someone once told me I worked in insignificant law. And if I ever write a book, that's what I'm going to call it is Insignificant Law. But I worked the small law firms, regional law firms, and these in Tallahassee and I worked in South Florida and nothing that anyone would probably recognize in conversation, right? So, it never became something I bring up.I just say, “I'm an attorney. I do these things,” if you ask me what I do. So, I think honestly, my personality, and probably the shitposting sprung out of that as well, where I just had a different thing to talk about. I didn't talk about the prestige. I talked about the practice, I talked about what I didn't like about the practice, I didn't talk about being on Wall Street doing these crazy deals, I talked about getting my ass kicked in Ponce, Florida, up in the panhandle. For me, I've got a chip on my shoulder, but a different kind of chip.Corey: It's amazing to me how many—well, let's calls this what we are: shitposters—I talk to where their brand and the way that they talk about their space is, I don't want to say rooted in trauma, but definitely built from a place of having some very specific chips on their shoulder. I mean, when I was running DevOps teams and as an engineer myself, I wound up continually tripping over the AWS bill of, “Ha, ha. Now, you get to pay your tax for not reading this voluminous documentation, and the fine print, and with all of the appendices, and the bibliography, and tracked down those references. Doesn't it suck to be you? Da da.” And finally, it was all right, I snapped. Okay. You want to play? Let's play.Matt: That's exactly right. There's, like, a meme going around. I think it actually saw from the accounting meme account, TB4—which is stellar—and it was like, “Ha, I'm laughing because it hurts.” And it's true. That's why we all laugh at the jokes, right?I'll make jokes about origination credit, which is always an issue in the legal industry. I make jokes about the toxic work environment, the partner saying, “Please fix,” at three o'clock in the morning. And we make fun of it because everyone's had to deal with it. Everyone's had to deal with it. And I will say that making fun of it brings light to it and hopefully changes the industry because we all can see how ridiculous it is. But at least at the very beginning, we all look at it and we say, “That's funny because it hurts.”Corey: There's an esprit de corps of shared suffering that I think emerges from folks who are in the trenches, and I think that the rise of—I mean some places called the micro-influencers, but that makes me want to just spit a rat when I hear it; I hate the term—but the rise of these niche personalities are because there are a bunch of in-jokes that you don't have to be very far in to appreciate and enjoy, but if you aren't in the space at all, they just make zero sense. Like when I go to family reunions and start ranting about EC2 instance pricing, I don't get to talk to too many people anymore because oh my God, I've become the drunk uncle I always wanted to be. Goal achieved.Matt: [laugh].Corey: You have to find the right audience.Matt: That's right. There is a term, I think coin—I think it was coined by Taylor Lorenz at Washington Post and it's called a nimcel, which is, like, a niche micro-influencer. It's the worst term I've ever heard in my entire life. The nimcel [laugh]. Sorry, Taylor, it's terrible.But so I don't want to call myself a nimcel. I guess I have a group of people that enjoy the content, but you are so right that the group of people, once you get it, you get it. And if you don't get it, you may think some parts of it—like, you can kind of piece things together, but it's not as funny. But there's plenty of litigation jokes I'll make—like, where I'm talking to the judge. It's always these hypothetical scenarios—and you can maybe find it funny.But if you're a litigator who's gotten their ass kicked by a judge in a state court that just does not like you, you are not a local, they don't like the way you're presenting yourself, they don't like your argument, and they just dig you into the ground, you laugh. You laugh because you're, like, I've been there. I've had—or on the flip, you're the attorney that watched your opposing counsel go through it, you're like, “I remember that.” And you're right, it really you get such a great reaction from these folks, such great feedback, and they love it. They absolutely love it. But you're right, if you're outside, you're like, “Eh, it's kind of funny, but I don't really get all of it.”Corey: My mother approaches it this way whenever she talks to me like I have no idea what you're talking about, but you seem to really know what you're talking about, so I'm proud of you. It's like, “No, Mom, that is, like, the worst combination of everything.” It's like, “Well, are you any good at this thing?” “No. But I'm a white man, so I'm going to assume yes and the world will agree with me until proven otherwise.” So yeah, maybe nuclear physics ain't for you in that scenario.But yeah, the idea of finding your people, finding your audience, before the rise of the internet, none of this stuff would have worked just because you live in a town; how many attorneys are really going to be within the sound of your voice, hearing these stories? Not to mention the fact that everyone knows everyone's business in some of those places, and oh, you can't really subtweet the one person because they're also in the room. The world changes.Matt: The world changes. I've never had this happen. So, when I really started to get aggressive on, like, Twitter, I had already left private practice; I was in-house at that point. And I've always envisioned, I've always, I always want to, like, go back to private practice for one case: to go into a courtroom in, like, Miami, Florida, and sit there and commiserate and tell the stories of people again like I used to do—just like what you're saying—and see what everyone says. Say, “Hey, I saw you on Twitter. Hey, I saw this story on Twitter.”But in the same breath, like, you can't talk like you talk online in person, to some degree, right? Like, I can't make fun of opposing counsel because the judge is right there and opposing counsel was right there, and I'm honestly, knowing my luck, I'm about to get my ass kicked by opposing counsel. So, I probably should watch myself in that courtroom.Corey: But I'm going to revise the shit out of this history when it comes time to do my tweet after the fact. “And then everybody clapped.”Matt: [laugh]. I found five dollars outside the courtroom.Corey: Exactly. I really want to thank you for spending so much time chatting with me. If people want to learn more and follow your amazing shitpost antics on the internet, where's the best place for them to do it?Matt: Corey it's been an absolute pleasure. Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn. For everything but LinkedIn: @ItsMattsLaw. LinkedIn, just find me by my name: Matt Margolis.Corey: And we will put links to all of it in the [show notes 00:33:04]. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time. It's appreciated.Matt: I have not laughed as hard in a very, very long time. Corey, thank you so much.Corey: Matt Margolis, Head of Community at Lawtrades. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, whereas if you've hated this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice along with an angry, insulting comment that you've drafted the first time realized, oh wait, you're not literate, and then hired someone off of Lawtrades to help you write in an articulate fashion.Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.Announcer: This has been a HumblePod production. Stay humble.

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015: Unleashing High-Performance With Matt Clark

Getting To YES

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2023 30:46

“It is more about the mindset than a skill level,” explains Matt Clark, NASCAR pitcrew challenge champion and high-performance coach. While at NASCAR, Matt ensured his drivers and crew had the right mentality for success. Today, he shares his insights about what we can do to build a winning strategy for high performance. Every person has faced imposter syndrome at some point in their lives. However, if we get sucked into those negative feelings, they tend to become true. How we view ourselves and our worth tends to result into the outcomes we receive. By challenging ourselves and putting in the work to change our beliefs, we can gain the clarity we're after and set ourselves up to succeed. With the right mindset, you can optimize your performance. Learn more about defining culture, how beliefs are formed, and the importance of mutual respect. Quotes “When we have these things in place, the tools, the technology, the training, and then the people, that is a recipe for building championship teams.” (3:20-3:29 | Matt) “It is more about the mindset than a skill level.” (4:52-4:56 | Matt) “What gets us to Yes? I believe it is having a strong understanding of how beliefs are formed, and how we can change our beliefs.” (13:35-13:46 | Matt) “What we have to have is people that are on the same page, looking for the same goal and the same outcome and willing to put the work in to get the job done.” (27:55-28:05 | Matt) “Everyone faces impostor syndrome. Everyone has self limiting beliefs. I want to challenge you to do the deep work to figure out what they are to get clarity to get them changed. If you change your beliefs, you will change your destiny.” (29:45-30:00 | Matt) Links Connect with Matt Clark Website: https://mattclarkmc.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachMattClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattclarkmc/ ==== Thank You For Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review! Your positive review helps others find this podcast and increase the visibility. Getting to YES boils down to two things: Saying the right things and saying those things consistently… so if you want to go deeper, check out Uli's one-page “Getting to YES” blueprint and training with the essential 9 persuasion prompts you need to leverage: https://uliiserloh.com/blueprint Connect With Uli Website: https://uliiserloh.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/uliiserloh Instagram: https://instagram.com/uliiserloh Youtube: https://youtube.com/uliiserloh Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@uliiserloh Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/uliiserloh/ If you'd like to learn more about Uli's marketing agency and available services, visit https://bigboost.marketing

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Hypergrowth Mode Within Friendships and Relationships

christmas love relationships thanksgiving friendship aww hypergrowth matt it matt you

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2022 14:38

What is Hypergrowth Mode in Friendship? What happens if someone's not growing and you've grown or you are not growing and the other person has grown; if you have an open mind about it, you can still connect and be together. But that's where you can't be so locked into certain belief systems. So if, let's say you've grown so much and you come back. . I'm like, what happened? And you tell me your experience, then if I'm totally open to also acquiring that growth at that precise moment because of your growth, if I'm totally openhearted about it, I think that that's what keeps a true friendship going. Have you noticed it's gotten easier or harder as time goes by to actually keep in touch with these people who are on either side of it? In this episode, we discuss what happens when people you know who are going through hypergrowth, or if you're going through hypergrowth, these people who are not, can lead to a breakup; which may lead us back to another topic from last week (we did talk about), which was social comparison theory, where somebody's leaving your peer group. https://www.ourfriendlyworldpodcast.com/ Hypergrowth Mode TRANSCRIPT [00:00:00] FAWN: Hi everybody. Welcome back. We have no idea what we're gonna talk about. Oh, we don't do we? Aww. What is going on? Hi everybody. Hope you're well. Love you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for tuning in. What's going on Matt? [00:00:15] MATT: What's on your mind? Okay, here we go. So, back in college I noticed a phenomenon, phenomenon, [00:00:23] MATT: Anyways, uh, it was the most fascinating thing. There would be a girl, woman just starting college. She left her boyfriend back at home, wherever home was, and like clockwork, you could watch this happen. And I watched this happen six or seven times, actually over the course of my four years at university. [00:00:45] MATT: You know, they would tell you how in love they were and how they'd been together for however long it was. In some case it was years and then Thanksgiving, they'd have an argument and it would end on a bad note. Christmas, they'd break up like clockwork. Why do you think that is? And it was literally like clockwork. [00:01:09] MATT: It wasn't. [00:01:11] FAWN: Well, I have found that when you start a fight or you start an argument or you get into an argument, I think it's one's way of ending the relationship when you know it's come to its close, [00:01:24]

The FedEx Delivery

TEFL Training Institute Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022 17:05

Case of the missing couch, FedEx, and the opportunity to meet friends; the opportunity to make friends in almost every situation, even situations where it seems like, things are awry. Proof that friendship exists everywhere. Transcript [00:00:00] Fawn: Welcome back everybody. [00:00:01] Matt: Hello, [00:00:02] Fawn: this is Fawn and Matt. Case of the missing couch and FedEx and the opportunity to meet friends, the opportunity to make friends in almost every situation, even situations where it seems like, things are awry. You all know we moved and we have had so many deliveries. We had no furniture, we bought furniture and a lot of it was being delivered through FedEx and one very heavy package was lost out in the world. No idea where; nobody knew where it was. Lots of calls to the company we bought it from , lots of calls to FedEx. Nobody knew. Ultimately it was this FedEx delivery that landed us to this new friendship, friendship that we're telling you about. So what happened was the couch was missing. It was declared, lost. FedEx said, oh, it was delivered to the wrong address . But we don't know where it is now. I'm like, well, what, what address was it delivered to? [00:01:11] Matt: Right. Nice and simple. [00:01:12] Fawn: They wouldn't tell me anyway, one morning I go to bed at 4:30 in the morning because I was unpacking and doing whatever work that needs to be done in this house. And I went to bed at 4:30 and around seven o'clock, seven 30. Was it seven o'clock Matt? [00:01:31] Matt: It was around 7. [00:01:33] Fawn: There's a knock at the door. [00:01:34] Matt: Boom, boom, boom. [00:01:34] Fawn: The kids are running upstairs. They're like, there's someone at the door. This man in yellow is at the door. He wants something. And I was thinking, oh my God, another salesperson, like, because

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126. Sound-Up Governance Episode 2 with Lieutenant Colonel Jamahl Evans

One Minute Governance

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022 23:03

Today's episode is the second of three crossover episodes with Sound-Up Governance, a new podcast that's part of the Ground-Up Governance platform (www.groundupgovernance.com). In this one, Matt Fullbrook speaks with Lieutenant Colonel Jamahl Evans of the United States Marine Corps about what duty and accountability mean in his world. TRANSCRIPT: Matt Welcome back to Sound-Up Governance. One of the most common conversations I have with boards of directors and senior executives is about to whom they owe a duty. On the surface, it seems like a simple question, but most of the time, everyone in the room has a different idea of what "duty" even means. So the question of where your duty lies takes a lot more work to explore than most people expect. And when you add in the difference between duty and accountability, plus when and to whom you can delegate duties and accountability. Let's just say it gets tricky, fast. This week's guest is Lieutenant Colonel Jamahl Evans of the United States Marine Corps. In addition to his extraordinary military career, Jamahl is also a corporate governance enthusiast. As you might imagine, duty and accountability are baked pretty deep into everything that goes on in the Marines. But before we dive into that, I'll let Jamahl explain exactly what his job is because it's pretty neat. Jamahl I am currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps. And what I do in the Marine Corps is financial management. I'm a financial management officer. That's what we call a Military Occupational Specialty, or MOS for short. In that capacity, I'm responsible for the planning and execution and oversight of my command's budget. Now, that's just the MOS piece. As I like to tell my Marines, your MOS is your job. Marine is your profession. So for me, my profession, and my first duty is being a Marine. And that means ensuring that my Marines and I are deployment ready and combat capable at all times. The section that I manage - my full title would be Assistant Chief of Staff, G-8 Comptroller - so that's a section and we've got about 14 Marines in there. So those are the Marines who are directly responsible and accountable to me to make sure that we're doing our financial management functions properly. Outside of that, external to us, are adjacent staff sections, and subordinate commands within the organization with whom we have to work to manage resources: make sure that we're that we've got enough resources and that we're using the resources we have properly. Matt Now, I'm going to assume that many of you listening are as ignorant about the hierarchy of the Marines as I am, where exactly does the rank of Lieutenant Colonel fit in the organizational chart? Jamahl So as a Lieutenant Colonel, I'm what's called a field grade officer, and there are three levels to that. So it's Major, which is what I was before, Lieutenant Colonel, what I am now, and Colonel, what I aspire to be promoted to in future. Beyond the field grade ranks, are the General or the flag officer ranks, so Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General and Four Star General. So right now I am, what you would consider - although I'm senior to several other ranks - I'm still right smack in the middle of the of the officer and organizational hierarchy. So every promotion, you're getting greater responsibility. And they are also greater opportunities to which you can be assigned. So as what's called a company grade officer - those are junior officers: lieutenants, and captains - you're going to have significant responsibility already. When you become a field grade officer. What's interesting is, now you are a little further away from the junior Marines, and a little more responsible for organizational management. Beyond just making sure your Marines are trained, making sure they're taken care of making sure they're showing up on time and doing their job, now you are responsible for really understanding organizational policies, regulations, understanding what the what the mission of the organization is, and how your unit relates to that and ensuring that happens in the best way. Matt Before our interview, Jamahl already knew that we were going to talk about duty and accountability. You'll notice that so far, he's being pretty careful not to use those words, instead referring to "responsibility." I nudged him a bit on that and asked him to tell me to whom he's accountable in his job and whether that's different from his duty. This is where things start getting really interesting. Jamahl So to whom I am accountable in the immediate, that would be my commanding general. That is the senior officer who runs the organization. It's a Major General who runs Second Marine Division. So that is the first officer to whom I immediately accountable because it really is his budget that I'm managing. It's not me making solo decisions. It's not Lieutenant Colonel Evans going "I feel like buying this!" No, it is based on the mission of the organization and the intent of my senior leader, which would be my commanding General. So that's the immediate accountability portion of it. Broader, or writ large, when I think about to whom I'm accountable, personally, there is, first of all, the Constitution of the United States. We actually take an oath as officers, and our enlisted Marines take an oath as well. But we take an oath and in our oath is the Constitution of the United States. To support and defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic. So that wraps up the nation, and accountability towards the nation. My authority and my mission come directly from the President of the United States, so I'm accountable to the President of the United States, as well. Then you have United States citizens: the American people are truly the shareholders because it's their tax dollars I'm managing. It's their tax dollars, for whom my senior officers, President, Congress, we're responsible for that. So we do have to take into account and I've done it on several occasions where there were decisions that I had to make when working with partner nations. And I had to make tough determinations because I am managing taxpayer dollars. Matt Okay, whoa. We're still only talking about accountability here and already for what's essentially a middle manager in a huge organization, Jamahl is accountable to his boss, and the President of the United States, and every taxpayer? Seriously? And if you thought the complexity would stop there, you were wrong. Let's add duty into the mix. Jamahl You would think 20 years in the Marine Corps, I've got a good solid understanding of duty. And I did I had a good personal understanding. Then I got curious about well, what is the actual definition of duty? And the definition I came across was "a legal or a moral obligation." And I didn't, while that's true, I didn't feel that was the full story. And think when when it comes to duty, there is an intangible step of building a sense of duty. We can understand what duty is, but there is a step of building that within an individual. Some individuals just come to the organization with it. Some individuals don't. And I would say that the short answer to your question: Duty is having the knowledge, feeling, belief that you should do what you're supposed to do to the best of your ability, because that's the requirement. Accountability is a bit more on the reactive side. It's how do you explain what you've done? How do you take responsibility for what you've done? Who else shares in that responsibility? So that's where I would see the difference. I would see duty as being a bit more on the front end of actions and accountability on the back end. Matt Okay, wait, pause. This is amazing stuff. If you're anything like me, you think of the Marines as being the definition of tangible structure, discipline, order. I mean, if you ask me for the first word that comes to my mind, when you say the word "Marines," it would probably be "duty." But now I'm hearing that duty is something almost soft and squishy, something that comes from the inside, rather than being imposed on you from the outside. Am I hearing that right? Jamahl And that was the second thought that I had, after I considered how I would define duty. The second thought being, well, how do you instill it? How do you ensure it? How do you develop it? How does it come about? Like you said, there's some external factor that plays upon you to help build a sense of duty. And the thing I thought about was, okay, well, if I were in an organization, what would help drive my own sense of duty? Because I came to the Marine Corps with a sense of duty. And I thought of one thing or a multitude of things, but I keyed in on one thing that I think helps build that. I think the principles of an organization can drive a sense of duty, and that's your external thing that comes into play. And how it works is when when people see your principles, and I don't care if it's in a slogan or motto anything, there's got to be a connection. And the connection that has to be established is: I either possess the characteristics of those principles already, or those are principles that I want to possess, I want to display those. Matt So cool! It's like duty, this thing that the dictionary defines as a legal or moral obligation, might actually be more of a special sauce, where the ingredients are a person's internal drive character and beliefs, plus the purpose and values of their organization. So I wondered: if accountability is basically a set of responsibilities imposed on a person by an external or organizational structure. And duty is something that comes more from inside you, there must be lots of ways that duty and accountability could come into conflict. Like if your moral duty and beliefs make it hard to carry out an order from your boss, for example. In a case like that, what is Jamahl hope his Marines will do to address the conflict? Jamahl In my office, I have established with my Marines, we do not use the word "hope". And they find it interesting they find it, you know, they find it funny. But we all know that it's a common theme in the Marine Corps, that hope is not a course of action. So when you talk about anybody who's having kind of a dilemma, or a conundrum, I don't have a hope for them. What I do is engage to see what kind of actions we can take to improve the situation. So to answer your direct question, the first thing is, there historically can be dilemmas between what the organization needs to do and how they need to do it, and what the individual thinks about it. So the first thing, which is one of the foundations, is that a Marine does not have to follow an unlawful order. So if you, as a Marine or as any service person, believe that an order you've received is unlawful or illegal, you do not have to do it. However, if an order is lawful, you might not agree with it, you might have a personal feeling, but you're still going to do it, you have a job to do. And if you've been given given a lawful order, then you execute! Now here's where the development comes into play, to minimize the dilemma that you hypothesized. As we grow within our organizations, it's on the mid-level and senior leaders to ensure that there's quality understanding, quality training, quality conversation, quality voice, making that time for your junior personnel to ask you those tough questions. And I tried to get my Marines to ask tough questions early on. That way they can experience and understand a glimpse that what your perspective is, at your level doesn't encompass the entire picture. And you have to understand that there are threads between what you functionally do and what we organizationally decide. Matt Like most important things in life, this is a complex problem. When duty and accountability collide, or when your personal beliefs are in conflict with what your organization asks of you, sometimes you have to, you know, just trust your boss and do the work. But Jamahl is also telling us that it's important for organizational leaders to give their team a voice, a platform, and an opportunity to better understand how they fit into the bigger picture. But again, we're hearing something that kind of doesn't match my own perception of a military organization where everything is super structured, and everyone has to do the same things at the same time. You know, predictable and repeatable. How can you have both that and an environment where everyone has a voice and some influence and problem solving? Jamahl Senior leaders have to create space for that to happen. If you're running a completely robotic organization where people just do a thing, and there's no room to either question, consult, understand, develop, grow, then you're going to have people doing robotic things. No military can be at its best when it's just "do the exact thing that I tell you and that's it," because you will have a group of people who will do one thing and will stop. So just like any other organization, we do need to increase the bandwidth for creative thinking, innovative thinking, especially when it comes to problem solving. So those types of behaviors that we want everybody doing the same way in the Marine Corps, we want everyone to be in shape. We don't even want it, we need it. That's a requirement. You're required to be in shape. Two months ago, I ran three miles. I don't like distance running, though I do it as well as I can...I do pretty good. But we want our Marines staying in shape. We want our people healthy, and not just physically healthy, mentally, and emotionally healthy. So it's on again, senior leadership to engage and be aware that that's happening. Shifting over to the behaviors where we want to expand and have that bandwidth to learn and to grow. That's where your innovation piece comes in. Where we want Marines thinking about developed solutions to problems, branch scenarios. "What would you do?" is a great question. "What would you do?" It's a very easy thing to sit down with your personnel and go over a scenario, something that happened in your career, "Hey, this, this happened. What do you think you would do in this situation?" You have that conversation. The next step, in that is the daily activities, daily tasks, daily operations, giving your people that space to make decisions at their level. Matt It surprised me a bit to hear Jamahl talk about the importance of not just physical health, but also mental well-being in the Marines. But now that I think about it, it really shouldn't have surprised me at all. It can be an extraordinary, stressful and dangerous job. And it made an impact on me to hear him talk about it as part of the duty of being a Marine. The duty to care for your own physical and mental well being, but also that of the people around you. How does that actually play out in the real world of the Marine Corps? Jamahl When you place a focus on engagement, treatment, development, recovery, and then success, you establish a continuum that's understandable by your junior leaders. One of the things I think the Department of Defense is great at is messaging the need to be aware. Messaging the need to be aware and see signs. And we've had a lot of messaging over the years. But it's something that is important, because we're talking about the health of the organization. So what gets a message down to mid-level and junior leaders is "here are different signs, things that you should be looking for. If you've never had to deal with this before. Here's something that could trigger in your mind a something might be wrong." I have had the experience of walking past a Marine and getting a greeting, they say "Good morning, sir." I'll say "Good morning." And sometimes I'll say "how are you?" A lot of people don't like that greeting because you really just say it and you pass the person and you go. But about three times in my career I've said good morning to a Marine and I've looked and I said "how are you?" And they will respond with "fine" or "okay". And it's just something in the eyes. And three times I've had to pull the Marine aside and say, "seriously, I know I'm not your commanding officer, you don't even know me. But are you good?"And then those three instances I've hadn't read, say "no." So then I would stop what I was doing, call whomever I was going to meet whatever meeting I was going to say, "Look, I can't make it, I have a situation." And I'll take that Marine into the office. Now sometimes that results in one hour, two hour conversations. But so long as that Marine leaves with something functional to get them to the next step. I'm not going to cure everything. I'm not trained to cure everything. And I don't have the time to cure everything. But what I can do is show you where the door is, and open it and say, "Look, you can step through that door. If you can do nothing else, you can step through that door, because we may be side by side, fighting against an enemy. And I gotta know that you're good." And it's not just for junior members either. It goes for our senior members, and I'll share one more story when I've worked... I was a Major and I worked with a Lieutenant Colonel. He was he was my Commanding Officer and I was his Executive Officer. And I noticed the level of stress that he was fighting. He wasn't losing it or anything like that - he was completely capable. But you can see fatigue in people. One day I heard him come on deck. And he was walking his office was after my office. That way I catch all the people that want to try to go and see him. So I hear him walk into his office, and about three or four different Marines approached him with a with an issue, something they had, "Sir, this or that." So they walked by my office. I said, "Sir, do you have a moment?" And the way he normally did it he would just say "yes." But you could see the fatigue in his eyes. So he came in, I said "Sir, do you mind if I close the hatch?" And he said, "not at all". So you close the hatch - for your listeners a hatch is a door. Naval terminology - and he sat down on the couch in my office, and he said, "What do you have?" And I said "nothing, sir, you just looked like you needed to have a time when nobody's asking you to do something." And he smiled and looked at me, he goes, "You up for tacos?" I said, "Yes, sir." So we went and had lunch. So sometimes we have to look out for senior leaders in the same way to look out for junior people. So it just, it just takes compassion, awareness and engagement. Matt There it is! Even in an organization as structured, complex and disciplined as the United States Marine Corps., Sometimes it's important to just go and have tacos with your boss. I learned so much from my conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Jamahl Evans and we covered a lot more ground than what you heard in this episode, so you'll hear more from him in the future. If you have a question, story, or insight you'd like to share, please send a note or a voice memo to soundup@groundupgovernance.com, and we may feature you in a future episode. On the next episode of Sound-Up Governance. I talk with performance strategist, investment guru and corporate governance enthusiast Lisa Oldridge about businesses, companies, customers, and how they all fit together. Until next time.

125. Sound-Up Governance Episode 1 featuring Tiziana Casciaro

One Minute Governance

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2022 15:55

Today's episode of OMG is actually a crossover with a new podcast, Sound-Up Governance, which is part of the new Ground-Up Governance platform. Episode 1 features an interview with Tiziana Casciaro, author of Power, for All: How it Really Works, and Why it's Everyone's Business. If you like what you hear, please consider heading over to groundupgovernance.com and subscribing. SCRIPT The next three episodes of OMG are gonna be REALLY different. Well, actually, they're not episodes of OMG at all, but episodes of a brand new podcast called Sound-Up Governance, which is part of my new Ground-Up Governance platform. Sound-Up Governance features interviews with experts who don't necessarily come from the regular pool of corporate governance “gurus” so to speak. Instead, they are experts in stuff that's really important to doing corporate governance well, and can help us to understand what's really going on in our organizations. First up is Professor Tiziana Casciaro, who literally wrote the book on power and authority. If you like what you hear, head over to groundupgovernance.com to learn more and consider subscribing. Matt Welcome to Sound-Up Governance, part of the ground up governance network. My name is Matt Fullbrook. And in today's episode I speak with my friend Tiziana Casciaro, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. We launched the Ground-Up Governance newsletter this week with the most fundamental concepts in corporate governance: authority and power. I mean, what could be more essential to corporate governance then trying to understand who's allowed to do what and what it takes for one person to influence another person? Luckily for us, Professor Casciaro, recently co authored a book with Harvard's Julie Battilana called Power for All: How it Really Works, and Why it's Everyone's Business. And just so I don't mess anything up, why don't we let her tell us a bit more? Tiziana It's a book intended for all in this world, not only in Canada, not only the US, but really, truly everywhere, who have contended with power, have struggled with it been frustrated by it, while understanding that it's important for them to have it, and know how to use it. And we have tried to give tools and understandings that allow people to grow in their influence, but also learn how to deploy it for good. Matt It never much occurred to me to think very hard about what power really is, or how, if at all, it's different from authority, or why, for example, people in really visible or influential positions sometimes fail to make a difference, am I missing somethingZ Tiziana Power is often very much confused with authority, or or I should say, authority is often confused with power. They are different, however. Authority is the formal right to issue orders and directives and make decisions. And it comes from the position you occupy in a formal structure. So your role puts you in a place where you get to make certain decisions. Power is different, however. Power is the ability to influence the behavior of other people. And you can influence them sometimes through your formal authority. If I have the right to decide whether you're going to be promoted or not, that gives me power over you. It's not just authority, but it's actual power. Why? Because you want something from me: a promotion. I have control over your access to this thing you want because I have the right to decide whether you will be promoted or not. And therefore I exercise influence over you. That's what power is made of. It's made of controlling your access to something you desire. But you see, already in the definition of power, that I may control, access to something you want without having formal authority. Matt So can a person create power? Does that even make sense? Tiziana Absolutely makes sense. A person can increase their power, if they understand this simple principle of where power comes from. If I know that power comes from controlling access to resources you want, all I need to accrue more power is understand what is it that you want. And that's where people become very confused between the notion of formal authority and the power broadly conceived, formal authority has to do with something very specific. I have certain decision rights in a certain context over certain things. But that covers only a small part of what you might want, you might not just want a promotion, you might want for instance, to be managed by somebody who understands you, that understands your gifts, your talents, your complexity as a human being, values it and makes you feel good by giving you a platform where you can be your best self every day at work. Those are much more psychological resources, that are not written down in any formal organizational structure. They are much more subtle, and yet they are extremely important to people, they drive who they want to associate themselves with, whether they I want to be led by you or not, whether I will trust the decision you make. And even if you make a decision through your formal authority, and the decision comes at me, your actual underlying power - so, your ability to influence my behavior - will come down to how willing am I to execute on that decision? Matt Okay, now we're really getting somewhere. No wonder some people have authority, but still can't get anyone to do anything. Power isn't only about controlling access to tangible resources, in some cases is way more important to just make someone feel good, feel valued and motivated. Since Ground-Up Governance is ultimately about corporations, how does all this apply in a typical corporate structure with a board, a CEO...in other words, a model that's got a well defined, built in leadership hierarchy. Once again, here's Professor Tiziana Casciaro. Tiziana The problem of the hierarchical structure you're describing is that it tends to concentrate power in the hands of very few people. And what we know from research in all kinds of disciplines is that power concentration tends to be bad in the long run, not only for the majority of people who don't have power, and therefore are just on the receiving end of the decisions of the few. But it can also be detrimental to the few in power, to the extent that having that much control can lead them to abuse their power. They lose sight of their unilateral capacity to shape the life of others and the other people who are receiving these decisions. Sometimes they become resentful of this asymmetry. And for good reason, if they're not unreasonable in becoming resentful. And when you have resentful people that you're leading, it's not good. Because they might push back, they do push back, the moment they have a little bit of room to show you that you're abusing your power. And I don't like it. Matt Uh oh So, concentrating power at the top of an organization sounds risky. What about a board of directors? How do power and authority work there? Tiziana So, you are a director on a board. And and because of that role, you will have certain rights to issue directives for the company and its leadership, and jointly with the other board members, you can come up with certain decisions that then presumably get implemented. So imagine one of these board members that in addition to the formal authority that accrues to them, by virtue of occupying that position on the board, they have something else going on for them. Maybe they have extra good connections to a stakeholder that the management of the company cares about, or that the board cares about. And they have to go through me to get to those guys in that stakeholder groups. In that case, I will end up having more influence over the decisions of the board and the behavior of the executives that leave the company, because I've got something that they want. And I control it in the sense that there aren't many alternative ways for them to get to those stakeholders, they kind of have to go through me. Matt It almost seems like part of the problem is the way that boards are structured, I asked Professor Casciaro if we should be trying to build boards so that every director somehow has an equal amount of power. I mean, maybe that would be the ideal condition for making good decisions and balancing everyone's interests. Tiziana The reality is that resources are unequally distributed across each and every one of us. And it's unavoidable that you will not have the quality you're describing on the board. But what you can do is to create decision making processes that make it harder for people to go off and establish relationships of influence that are disconnected from the goal that the board is presumably pursuing. So you can have decision making structures where it's one board member, one vote, that you have a way to express your preferences that does not allow easily for you to be swayed by others, which could protect you from their influence when it stems from things that have nothing to do with a decision at hand. Matt All right, so maybe it isn't possible to distribute power equally, but we can just use processes that balance things out a little. That's what we should be working on right? Tiziana But then you lose something when you do that. When you create a structure in which the decision is made almost independently by each board member, what you lose is the learning and the ability to engage with ideas other than your own that can actually and actually do oftentimes improve decision making. I can come in with my own independent judgment, which is all fine and dandy because it becomes not subject to your undue influence as my fellow board member. But I don't get to hear your argument, I don't get to really make my own decision better, because I don't get your input. So that's what what you're the tension, you're juggling here, you're navigating this pull toward independence, but also want to secure the beauty of multiple minds, struggling with a complex decision, where each and every one of us individually, cannot really understand every component. Matt We've learned how authority and power are different, and that people can in fact, take steps to generate power. We've all heard about the potential corrupting effects of power socially - morally, even - can we take steps to, you know, use our power for good? Tiziana Ultimately, you're going to have to contend with what you have done with your life. What have you impacted? What are you leaving behind? And this is a level of insight into yourself that sometimes escapes us when we are in the middle of the action. We are the CEO of a company, complex stuff coming at us from every which way, and we kind of forget that actually, we want to accomplish something here. In addition to being rich and famous. We want to accomplish something other than that. So it's very important for people to understand that there are many goals you can accomplish. And power is essential to accomplishing all of them. You cannot get anything done without power. It's a form of energy in many ways that allows you to change the world around you, and move it in a direction you think is worthwhile. So you have to empower, for lack of a better word, people to acquire the power they need to pursue those objectives. And sometimes the people that have formal authority are not the right people. They're not pursuing the right objectives anymore. Maybe they started out with dreams and ambitions that were perfectly good and constructive, but along the way they lost sight of them. So the book tries to give everybody an opportunity to understand how power works so that they can acquire it, and then set up their power - and this is something that boards actually are very important contributors to - set up their power so that they don't get lost along the way. Because power does go to our head. It does. It does contaminate our purpose. It does distract us from our limitations and our need for other people to help us along the way. It makes us hubristic, it makes us self focused. So you need to not only give people tools to acquire power, but also give them tools to keep it in check. Matt Thank you for listening to episode number one of Sound-Up Governance. The fact that you're listening means you're a Ground-Up Governance subscriber. So thank you sincerely for your support and engagement. Next week, I'll speak with Lieutenant Colonel Jamahl Evans, Sr. of the US Marines as we work through our next batch of words: accountability, delegate and duty. If you want to reach out with a question or insight or an interesting story, send an email or voice memo to soundup@groundupgovernance.com. And we may feature you in a future episode. Thank you for tuning in. See you next week.

Quality Teacher Talk with Young Learners (with Matt Courtois)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2022 15:00

Regular guest Matt Courtois and I discuss what makes quality teacher talk. How should young learner teachers give instructions? How much should teachers grade their language? And when should teachers say nothing at all?Inside Online Language Teaching: Conversations About the Future That Became the PresentSupport the podcast by buying us a coffeeFor more podcasts, videos and blogs, visit our website: www.TEFLtraininginstitute.comSign up for our mailing listWatch as well as listen on our YouTube channel Ross Thorburn: Matt Cuortois, welcome back to the podcast.Matt Cuortois: Always a pleasure, Ross.Ross: Always a pleasure for me, too. Today we're talking about teacher talk. I feel that usually when you hear about teacher talk, people talk about teacher talk time, but today we're not going to talk about that at all. We're going to talk much more about the quality rather than the quantity of teacher talk.There's obviously so many different aspects and everything to teacher talk, but one of the most obvious ones is giving instructions.Instructions I feel are important for more than one reason in class, because obviously, if you don't get clear instructions, then everything else probably that you do in class is not going to work very well because the students don't know what to do.Also instructions, I feel, especially when you're teaching kids, it's maybe the time when there's the most communication in English because students are listening to you not just to repeat what you say afterwards, but they're actually listening so they know what to do afterwards.Matt: It's also when teaching kids it's one of the largest chunks of time that a teacher should be talking, right?Ross: Hopefully, not too long.Matt: That's probably one of the most common pieces of feedback I give to teachers is don't explain, show them what you expect them to do. It's so much simpler the language that you would be using by just showing them rather than explaining the whole process. Actually, any time you get a new board game like Monopoly or Risk or whatever.It always starts off the same way with you and your friend. Where you get out this instruction book and you look at these 40 or 50 steps, and the person is reading out every step of how to play the game and the same thing inevitably happens at the end of it where the person reading the instructions is like, so you guys get that?Ross: Not really. Let's just do one round as a practice.Matt: Yes, everyone always says it every time. Let's play a practice round and we'll figure it out and then we'll play for real. The board game is the exact same as a classroom activity, where the students are sitting there listening to this long process of do step one, step two, step three.It is all jumbled up in there. I think a much more effective way is just try it out for a practice round and then stop a minute, make sure they understand it and then go through the activity.Ross: It's like a picture is worth a thousand words and I feel like a demonstration is worth a thousand instruction. A couple of things that work well for that one is that when you model something, typically there's more than one role that the teacher needs to model.One nice thing I saw a teacher do once is when demonstrating a dialogue is holding up one finger on each hand with those fingers facing each other and just using our two fingers as a way of showing like this is these two people talking. Then, you could also take on different voices for the two roles.That's another thing or you could physically move. I've seen teachers before, draw on the board two faces and then stand next to one face and put on one voice when you're demonstrating one role and then you switch to the other side of the board and stand next to the other face. That helps to make it salient to the students.Matt: A lot of course book materials will also come with some extras that are useful for modeling. I know one school I worked at every set of course books comes with a tiger puppet. What a great way of instead of using your fingers and wiggling your fingers and you can be person A and then you can be talking to the tiger puppet on your hand as a person B.At another school, every teacher have finger puppets, they were able to have multiple people and on their fingers to show off the different roles within the conversation.Ross: I love those ideas. Another thing teachers do before they get on to getting the students to do the activity is asking some checking questions. But I feel there are some checking questions that are much more valuable than others, right?Matt: Yeah, the kinds of instruction checking questions you want short responses. Do you do A or do you do B? Are you the customer or are you the seller? It's clarifying key points of the task and the level of words that you're using, like six‑year‑old students, haven't studied words like unscramble, gap‑fill.To be honest, learning the word unscramble or gap‑fill isn't ever going to be useful for them outside of an English lesson. You don't want to spend that precious time teaching them the word like unscramble whenever there are those content words that you do want to focus on.See the rest of the transcript of this episode

english young risk regular monopoly learners comsign courtois teacher talk matt it matt yeah matt yes ross it

Understanding CDK and The Well Architected Framework with Matt Coulter

Screaming in the Cloud

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2022 39:52

About MattMatt is a Sr. Architect in Belfast, an AWS DevTools Hero, Serverless Architect, Author and conference speaker. He is focused on creating the right environment for empowered teams to rapidly deliver business value in a well-architected, sustainable and serverless-first way.You can usually find him sharing reusable, well architected, serverless patterns over at cdkpatterns.com or behind the scenes bringing CDK Day to life.Links Referenced: Previous guest appearance: https://www.lastweekinaws.com/podcast/screaming-in-the-cloud/slinging-cdk-knowledge-with-matt-coulter/ The CDK Book: https://thecdkbook.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NIDeveloper TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. One of the best parts about, well I guess being me, is that I can hold opinions that are… well, I'm going to be polite and call them incendiary, and that's great because I usually like to back them in data. But what happens when things change? What happens when I learn new things?Well, do I hold on to that original opinion with two hands at a death grip or do I admit that I was wrong in my initial opinion about something? Let's find out. My guest today returns from earlier this year. Matt Coulter is a senior architect since he has been promoted at Liberty Mutual. Welcome back, and thanks for joining me.Matt: Yeah, thanks for inviting me back, especially to talk about this topic.Corey: Well, we spoke about it a fair bit at the beginning of the year. And if you're listening to this, and you haven't heard that show, it's not that necessary to go into; mostly it was me spouting uninformed opinions about the CDK—the Cloud Development Kit, for those who are unfamiliar—I think of it more or less as what if you could just structure your cloud resources using a programming language you claim to already know, but in practice, copy and paste from Stack Overflow like the rest of us? Matt, you probably have a better description of what the CDK is in practice.Matt: Yeah, so we like to say it's imperative code written in a declarative way, or declarative code written in an imperative way. Either way, it lets you write code that produces CloudFormation. So, it doesn't really matter what you write in your script; the point is, at the end of the day, you still have the CloudFormation template that comes out of it. So, the whole piece of it is that it's a developer experience, developer speed play, that if you're from a background that you're more used to writing a programming language than a YAML, you might actually enjoy using the CDK over writing straight CloudFormation or SAM.Corey: When I first kicked the tires on the CDK, my first initial obstacle—which I've struggled with in this industry for a bit—is that I'm just good enough of a programmer to get myself in trouble. Whenever I wind up having a problem that StackOverflow doesn't immediately shine a light on, my default solution is to resort to my weapon of choice, which is brute force. That sometimes works out, sometimes doesn't. And as I went through the CDK, a couple of times in service to a project that I'll explain shortly, I made a bunch of missteps with it. The first and most obvious one is that AWS claims publicly that it has support in a bunch of languages: .NET, Python, there's obviously TypeScript, there's Go support for it—I believe that went generally available—and I'm sure I'm missing one or two, I think? Aren't I?Matt: Yeah, it's: TypeScript, JavaScript, Python Java.Net, and Go. I think those are the currently supported languages.Corey: Java. That's the one that I keep forgetting. It's the block printing to the script that is basically Java cursive. The problem I run into, and this is true of most things in my experience, when a company says that we have deployed an SDK for all of the following languages, there is very clearly a first-class citizen language and then the rest that more or less drift along behind with varying degrees of fidelity. In my experience, when I tried it for the first time in Python, it was not a great experience for me.When I learned just enough JavaScript, and by extension TypeScript, to be dangerous, it worked a lot better. Or at least I could blame all the problems I ran into on my complete novice status when it comes to JavaScript and TypeScript at the time. Is that directionally aligned with what you've experienced, given that you work in a large company that uses this, and presumably, once you have more than, I don't know, two developers, you start to take on aspects of a polyglot shop no matter where you are, on some level?Matt: Yeah. So personally, I jump between Java, Python, and TypeScript whenever I'm writing projects. So, when it comes to the CDK, you'd assume I'd be using all three. I typically stick to TypeScript and that's just because personally, I've had the best experience using it. For anybody who doesn't know the way CDK works for all the languages, it's not that they have written a custom, like, SDK for each of these languages; it's a case of it uses a Node process underneath them and the language actually interacts with—it's like the compiled JavaScript version is basically what they all interact with.So, it means there are some limitations on what you can do in that language. I can't remember the full list, but it just means that it is native in all those languages, but there are certain features that you might be like, “Ah,” whereas, in TypeScript, you can just use all of TypeScript. And my first inclination was actually, I was using the Python one and I was having issues with some compiler errors and things that are just caused by that process. And it's something that talking in the cdk.dev Slack community—there is actually a very active—Corey: Which is wonderful, I will point out.Matt: [laugh]. Thank you. There is actually, like, an awesome Python community in there, but if you ask them, they would all ask for improvements to the language. So, personally if someone's new, I always recommend they start with TypeScript and then branch out as they learn the CDK so they can understand is this a me problem, or is this a problem caused by the implementation?Corey: From my perspective, I didn't do anything approaching that level of deep dive. I took a shortcut that I find has served me reasonably well in the course of my career, when I'm trying to do something in Python, and you pull up a tutorial—which I'm a big fan of reading experience reports, and blog posts, and here's how to get started—and they all have the same problem, which is step one, “Run npm install.” And that's “Hmm, you know, I don't recall that being a standard part of the Python tooling.” It's clearly designed and interpreted and contextualized through a lens of JavaScript. Let's remove that translation layer, let's remove any weird issues I'm going to have in that transpilation process, and just talk in the language it written in. Will this solve my problems? Oh, absolutely not, but it will remove a subset of them that I am certain to go blundering into like a small lost child trying to cross an eight-lane freeway.Matt: Yeah. I've heard a lot of people say the same thing. Because the CDK CLI is a Node process, you need it no matter what language you use. So, if they were distributing some kind of universal binary that just integrated with the languages, it would definitely solve a lot of people's issues with trying to combine languages at deploy time.Corey: One of the challenges that I've had as I go through the process of iterating on the project—but I guess I should probably describe it for those who have not been following along with my misadventures; I write blog posts about it from time to time because I need a toy problem to kick around sometimes because my consulting work is all advisory and I don't want to be a talking head-I have a Twitter client called lasttweetinaws.com. It's free; go and use it. It does all kinds of interesting things for authoring Twitter threads.And I wanted to deploy that to a bunch of different AWS regions, as it turns out, 20 or so at the moment. And that led to a lot of interesting projects and having to learn how to think about these things differently because no one sensible deploys an application simultaneously to what amounts to every AWS region, without canary testing, and having a phased rollout in the rest. But I'm reckless, and honestly, as said earlier, a bad programmer. So, that works out. And trying to find ways to make this all work and fit together led iteratively towards me discovering that the CDK was really kind of awesome for a lot of this.That said, there were definitely some fairly gnarly things I learned as I went through it, due in no small part to help I received from generous randos in the cdk.dev Slack team. And it's gotten to a point where it's working, and as an added bonus, I even mostly understand what he's doing, which is just kind of wild to me.Matt: It's one of those interesting things where because it's a programming language, you can use it out of the box the way it's designed to be used where you can just write your simple logic which generates your CloudFormation, or you can do whatever crazy logic you want to do on top of that to make your app work the way you want it to work. And providing you're not in a company like Liberty, where I'm going to do a code review, if no one's stopping you, you can do your crazy experiments. And if you understand that, it's good. But I do think something like the multi-region deploy, I mean, with CDK, if you'd have a construct, it takes in a variable that you can just say what the region is, so you can actually just write a for loop and pass it in, which does make things a lot easier than, I don't know, try to do it with a YAML, which you can pass in parameters, but you're going to get a lot more complicated a lot quicker.Corey: The approach that I took philosophically was I wrote everything in a region-agnostic way. And it would be instantiated and be told what region to run it in as an environment variable that CDK deploy was called. And then I just deploy 20 simultaneous stacks through GitHub Actions, which invoke custom runners that runs inside of a Lambda function. And that's just a relatively basic YAML file, thanks to the magic of GitHub Actions matrix jobs. So, it fires off 20 simultaneous processes and on every commit to the main branch, and then after about two-and-a-half minutes, it has been deployed globally everywhere and I get notified on anything that fails, which is always fun and exciting to learn those things.That has been, overall, just a really useful experiment and an experience because you're right, you could theoretically run this as a single CDK deploy and then wind up having an iterate through a list of regions. The challenge I have there is that unless I start getting into really convoluted asynchronous concurrency stuff, it feels like it'll just take forever. At two-and-a-half minutes a region times 20 regions, that's the better part of an hour on every deploy and no one's got that kind of patience. So, I wound up just parallelizing it a bit further up the stack. That said, I bet they are relatively straightforward ways, given the async is a big part of JavaScript, to do this simultaneously.Matt: One of the pieces of feedback I've seen about CDK is if you have multiple stacks in the same project, it'll deploy them one at a time. And that's just because it tries to understand the dependencies between the stacks and then it works out which one should go first. But a lot of people have said, “Well, I don't want that. If I have 20 stacks, I want all 20 to go at once the way you're saying.” And I have seen that people have been writing plugins to enable concurrent deploys with CDK out of the box. So, it may be something that it's not an out-of-the-box feature, but it might be something that you can pull in a community plug-in to actually make work.Corey: Most of my problems with it at this point are really problems with CloudFormation. CloudFormation does not support well, if at all, secure string parameters from the AWS Systems Manager parameter store, which is my default go-to for secret storage, and Secrets Manager is supported, but that also cost 40 cents a month per secret. And not for nothing, I don't really want to have all five secrets deployed to Secrets Manager in every region this thing is in. I don't really want to pay $20 a month for this basically free application, just to hold some secrets. So, I wound up talking to some folks in the Slack channel and what we came up with was, I have a centralized S3 bucket that has a JSON object that lives in there.It's only accessible from the deployment role, and it grabs that at deploy time and stuffs it into environment variables when it pushes these things out. That's the only stateful part of all of this. And it felt like that is, on some level, a pattern that a lot of people would benefit from if it had better native support. But the counterargument that if you're only deploying to one or two regions, then Secrets Manager is the right answer for a lot of this and it's not that big of a deal.Matt: Yeah. And it's another one of those things, if you're deploying in Liberty, we'll say, “Well, your secret is unencrypted at runtime, so you probably need a KMS key involved in that,” which as you know, the costs of KMS, it depends on if it's a personal solution or if it's something for, like, a Fortune 100 company. And if it's personal solution, I mean, what you're saying sounds great that it's IAM restricted in S3, and then that way only at deploy time can be read; it actually could be a custom construct that someone can build and publish out there to the construct library—or the construct hub, I should say.Corey: To be clear, the reason I'm okay with this, from a security perspective is one, this is in a dedicated AWS account. This is the only thing that lives in that account. And two, the only API credentials we're talking about are the application-specific credentials for this Twitter client when it winds up talking to the Twitter API. Basically, if you get access to these and are able to steal them and deploy somewhere else, you get no access to customer data, you get—or user data because this is not charge for anything—you get no access to things that have been sent out; all you get to do is submit tweets to Twitter and it'll have the string ‘Last Tweet in AWS' as your client, rather than whatever normal client you would use. It's not exactly what we'd call a high-value target because all the sensitive to a user data lives in local storage in their browser. It is fully stateless.Matt: Yeah, so this is what I mean. Like, it's the difference in what you're using your app for. Perfect case of, you can just go into the Twitter app and just withdraw those credentials and do it again if something happens, whereas as I say, if you're building it for Liberty, that it will not pass a lot of our Well-Architected reviews, just for that reason.Corey: If I were going to go and deploy this at a more, I guess, locked down environment, I would be tempted to find alternative approaches such as having it stored encrypted at rest via KMS in S3 is one option. So, is having global DynamoDB tables that wind up grabbing those things, even grabbing it at runtime if necessary. There are ways to make that credential more secure at rest. It's just, I look at this from a real-world perspective of what is the actual attack surface on this, and I have a really hard time just identifying anything that is going to be meaningful with regard to an exploit. If you're listening to this and have a lot of thoughts on that matter, please reach out I'm willing to learn and change my opinion on things.Matt: One thing I will say about the Dynamo approach you mentioned, I'm not sure everybody knows this, but inside the same Dynamo table, you can scope down a row. You can be, like, “This row and this field in this row can only be accessed from this one Lambda function.” So, there's a lot of really awesome security features inside DynamoDB that I don't think most people take advantage of, but they open up a lot of options for simplicity.Corey: Is that tied to the very recent announcement about Lambda getting SourceArn as a condition key? In other words, you can say, “This specific Lambda function,” as opposed to, “A Lambda in this account?” Like that was a relatively recent Advent that I haven't fully explored the nuances of.Matt: Yeah, like, that has opened a lot of doors. I mean, the Dynamo being able to be locked out in your row has been around for a while, but the new Lambda from SourceArn is awesome because, yeah, as you say, you can literally say this thing, as opposed to, you have to start going into tags, or you have to start going into something else to find it.Corey: So, I want to talk about something you just alluded to, which is the Well-Architected Framework. And initially, when it launched, it was a whole framework, and AWS made a lot of noise about it on keynote stages, as they are want to do. And then later, they created a quote-unquote, “Well-Architected Tool,” which let's be very direct, it's the checkbox survey form, at least the last time I looked at it. And they now have the six pillars of the Well-Architected Framework where they talk about things like security, cost, sustainability is the new pillar, I don't know, absorbency, or whatever the remainders are. I can't think of them off the top of my head. How does that map to your experience with the CDK?Matt: Yeah, so out of the box, the CDK from day one was designed to have sensible defaults. And that's why a lot of the things you deploy have opinions. I talked to a couple of the Heroes and they were like, “I wish it had less opinions.” But that's why whenever you deploy something, it's got a bunch of configuration already in there. For me, in the CDK, whenever I use constructs, or stacks, or deploying anything in the CDK, I always build it in a well-architected way.And that's such a loaded sentence whenever you say the word ‘well-architected,' that people go, “What do you mean?” And that's where I go through the six pillars. And in Liberty, we have a process, it used to be called SCORP because it was five pillars, but not SCORPS [laugh] because they added sustainability. But that's where for every stack, we'll go through it and we'll be like, “Okay, let's have the discussion.” And we will use the tool that you mentioned, I mean, the tool, as you say, it's a bunch of tick boxes with a text box, but the idea is we'll get in a room and as we build the starter patterns or these pieces of infrastructure that people are going to reuse, we'll run the well-architected review against the framework before anybody gets to generate it.And then we can say, out of the box, if you generate this thing, these are the pros and cons against the Well-Architected Framework of what you're getting. Because we can't make it a hundred percent bulletproof for your use case because we don't know it, but we can tell you out of the box, what it does. And then that way, you can keep building so they start off with something that is well documented how well architected it is, and then you can start having—it makes it a lot easier to have those conversations as they go forward. Because you just have to talk about the delta as they start adding their own code. Then you can and you go, “Okay, you've added these 20 lines. Let's talk about what they do.” And that's why I always think you can do a strong connection between infrastructure-as-code and well architected.Corey: As I look through the actual six pillars of the Well-Architected Framework: sustainability, cost optimization, performance, efficiency, reliability, security, and operational excellence, as I think through the nature of what this shitpost thread Twitter client is, I am reasonably confident across all of those pillars. I mean, first off, when it comes to the cost optimization pillar, please, don't come to my house and tell me how that works. Yeah, obnoxiously the security pillar is sort of the thing that winds up causing a problem for this because this is an account deployed by Control Tower. And when I was getting this all set up, my monthly cost for this thing was something like a dollar in charges and then another sixteen dollars for the AWS config rule evaluations on all of the deploys, which is… it just feels like a tax on going about your business, but fine, whatever. Cost and sustainability, from my perspective, also tend to be hand-in-glove when it comes to this stuff.When no one is using the client, it is not taking up any compute resources, it has no carbon footprint of which to speak, by my understanding, it's very hard to optimize this down further from a sustainability perspective without barging my way into the middle of an AWS negotiation with one of its power companies.Matt: So, for everyone listening, watch as we do a live well-architected review because—Corey: Oh yeah, I expect—Matt: —this is what they are. [laugh].Corey: You joke; we should do this on Twitter one of these days. I think would be a fantastic conversation. Or Twitch, or whatever the kids are using these days. Yeah.Matt: Yeah.Corey: And again, if so much of it, too, is thinking about the context. Security, you work for one of the world's largest insurance companies. I shitpost for a living. The relative access and consequences of screwing up the security on this are nowhere near equivalent. And I think that's something that often gets lost, per the perfect be the enemy of the good.Matt: Yeah that's why, unfortunately, the Well-Architected Tool is quite loose. So, that's why they have the Well-Architected Framework, which is, there's a white paper that just covers anything which is quite big, and then they wrote specific lenses for, like, serverless or other use cases that are shorter. And then when you do a well-architected review, it's like loose on, sort of like, how are you applying the principles of well-architected. And the conversation that we just had about security, so you would write that down in the box and be, like, “Okay, so I understand if anybody gets this credential, it means they can post this Last Tweet in AWS, and that's okay.”Corey: The client, not the Twitter account, to be clear.Matt: Yeah. So, that's okay. That's what you just mark down in the well-architected review. And then if we go to day one on the future, you can compare it and we can go, “Oh. Okay, so last time, you said this,” and you can go, “Well, actually, I decided to—” or you just keep it as a note.Corey: “We pivoted. We're a bank now.” Yeah.Matt: [laugh]. So, that's where—we do more than tweets now. We decided to do microtransactions through cryptocurrency over Twitter. I don't know but if you—Corey: And that ends this conversation. No no. [laugh].Matt: [laugh]. But yeah, so if something changes, that's what the well-architected reviews for. It's about facilitating the conversation between the architect and the engineer. That's all it is.Corey: This episode is sponsored in part by our friend EnterpriseDB. EnterpriseDB has been powering enterprise applications with PostgreSQL for 15 years. And now EnterpriseDB has you covered wherever you deploy PostgreSQL on-premises, private cloud, and they just announced a fully-managed service on AWS and Azure called BigAnimal, all one word. Don't leave managing your database to your cloud vendor because they're too busy launching another half-dozen managed databases to focus on any one of them that they didn't build themselves. Instead, work with the experts over at EnterpriseDB. They can save you time and money, they can even help you migrate legacy applications—including Oracle—to the cloud. To learn more, try BigAnimal for free. Go to biganimal.com/snark, and tell them Corey sent you.Corey: And the lens is also helpful in that this is a serverless application. So, we're going to view it through that lens, which is great because the original version of the Well-Architected Tool is, “Oh, you built this thing entirely in Lambda? Have you bought some reserved instances for it?” And it's, yeah, why do I feel like I have to explain to AWS how their own systems work? This makes it a lot more streamlined and talks about this, though, it still does struggle with the concept of—in my case—a stateless app. That is still something that I think is not the common path. Imagine that: my code is also non-traditional. Who knew?Matt: Who knew? The one thing that's good about it, if anybody doesn't know, they just updated the serverless lens about, I don't know, a week or two ago. So, they added in a bunch of more use cases. So, if you've read it six months ago, or even three months ago, go back and reread it because they spent a good year updating it.Corey: Thank you for telling me that. That will of course wind up in next week's issue of Last Week in AWS. You can go back and look at the archives and figure out what week record of this then. Good work. One thing that I have learned as well as of yesterday, as it turns out, before we wound up having this recording—obviously because yesterday generally tends to come before today, that is a universal truism—is it I had to do a bit of refactoring.Because what I learned when I was in New York live-tweeting the AWS Summit, is that the Route 53 latency record works based upon where your DNS server is. Yeah, that makes sense. I use Tailscale and wind up using my Pi-hole, which lives back in my house in San Francisco. Yeah, I was always getting us-west-1 from across the country. Cool.For those weird edge cases like me—because this is not the common case—how do I force a local region? Ah, I'll give it its own individual region prepend as a subdomain. Getting that to work with both the global lasttweetinaws.com domain as well as the subdomain on API Gateway through the CDK was not obvious on how to do it.Randall Hunt over at Caylent was awfully generous and came up with a proof-of-concept in about three minutes because he's Randall, and that was extraordinarily helpful. But a challenge I ran into was that the CDK deploy would fail because the way that CloudFormation was rendered in the way it was trying to do stuff, “Oh, that already has that domain affiliated in a different way.” I had to do a CDK destroy then a CDK deploy for each one. Now, not the end of the world, but it got me thinking, everything that I see around the CDK more or less distills down to either greenfield or a day one experience. That's great, but throw it all away and start over is often not what you get to do.And even though Amazon says it's always day one, those of us in, you know, real companies don't get to just treat everything as brand new and throw away everything older than 18 months. What is the day two experience looking like for you? Because you clearly have a legacy business. By legacy, I of course, use it in the condescending engineering term that means it makes actual money, rather than just telling really good stories to venture capitalists for 20 years.Matt: Yeah. We still have mainframes running that make a lot of money. So, I don't mock legacy at all.Corey: “What's that piece of crap do?” “Well, about $4 billion a year in revenue. Perhaps show some respect.” It's a common refrain.Matt: Yeah, exactly. So yeah, anyone listening, don't mock legacy because as Corey says, it is running the business. But for us when it comes to day two, it's something that I'm actually really passionate about this in general because it is really easy. Like I did it with CDK patterns, it's really easy to come out and be like, “Okay, we're going to create a bunch of starter patterns, or quickstarts”—or whatever flavor that you came up with—“And then you're going to deploy this thing, and we're going to have you in production and 30 seconds.” But even day one later that day—not even necessarily day two—it depends on who it was that deployed it and how long they've been using AWS.So, you hear these stories of people who deployed something to experiment, and they either forget to delete, it cost them a lot of money or they tried to change it and it breaks because they didn't understand what was in it. And this is where the community starts to diverge in their opinions on what AWS CDK should be. There's a lot of people who think that at the minute CDK, even if you create an abstraction in a construct, even if I create a construct and put it in the construct library that you get to use, it still unravels and deploys as part of your deploy. So, everything that's associated with it, you don't own and you technically need to understand that at some point because it might, in theory, break. Whereas there's a lot of people who think, “Okay, the CDK needs to go server side and an abstraction needs to stay an abstraction in the cloud. And then that way, if somebody is looking at a 20-line CDK construct or stack, then it stays 20 lines. It never unravels to something crazy underneath.”I mean, that's one pro tip thing. It'd be awesome if that could work. I'm not sure how the support for that would work from a—if you've got something running on the cloud, I'm pretty sure AWS [laugh] aren't going to jump on a call to support some construct that I deployed, so I'm not sure how that will work in the open-source sense. But what we're doing at Liberty is the other way. So, I mean, we famously have things like the software accelerator that lets you pick a pattern or create your pipelines and you're deployed, but now what we're doing is we're building a lot of telemetry and automated information around what you deployed so that way—and it's all based on Well-Architected, common theme. So, that way, what you can do is you can go into [crosstalk 00:26:07]—Corey: It's partially [unintelligible 00:26:07], and partially at a glance, figure out okay, are there some things that can be easily remediated as we basically shift that whole thing left?Matt: Yeah, so if you deploy something, and it should be good the second you deploy it, but then you start making changes. Because you're Corey, you just start adding some stuff and you deploy it. And if it's really bad, it won't deploy. Like, that's the Liberty setup. There's a bunch of rules that all go, “Okay, that's really bad. That'll cause damage to customers.”But there's a large gap between bad and good that people don't really understand the difference that can cost a lot of money or can cause a lot of grief for developers because they go down the wrong path. So, that's why what we're now building is, after you deploy, there's a dashboard that'll just come up and be like, “Hey, we've noticed that your Lambda function has too little memory. It's going to be slow. You're going to have bad cold starts.” Or you know, things like that.The knowledge that I have had the gain through hard fighting over the past couple of years putting it into automation, and that way, combined with the well-architected reviews, you actually get me sitting in a call going, “Okay, let's talk about what you're building,” that hopefully guides people the right way. But I still think there's so much more we can do for day two because even if you deploy the best solution today, six months from now, AWS are releasing ten new services that make it easier to do what you just did. So, someone also needs to build something that shows you the delta to get to the best. And that would involve AWS or somebody thinking cohesively, like, these are how we use our products. And I don't think there's a market for it as a third-party company, unfortunately, but I do think that's where we need to get to, that at day two somebody can give—the way we're trying to do for Liberty—advice, automated that says, “I see what you're doing, but it would be better if you did this instead.”Corey: Yeah, I definitely want to spend more time thinking about these things and analyzing how we wind up addressing them and how we think about them going forward. I learned a lot of these lessons over a decade ago. I was fairly deep into using Puppet, and came to the fair and balanced conclusion that Puppet was a steaming piece of crap. So, the solution was that I was one of the very early developers behind SaltStack, which was going to do everything right. And it was and it was awesome and it was glorious, right up until I saw an environment deployed by someone else who was not as familiar with the tool as I was, at which point I realized hell is other people's use cases.And the way that they contextualize these things, you craft a finely balanced torque wrench, it's a thing of beauty, and people complain about the crappy hammer. “You're holding it wrong. No, don't do it that way.” So, I have an awful lot of sympathy for people building platform-level tooling like this, where it works super well for the use case that they're in, but not necessarily… they're not necessarily aligned in other ways. It's a very hard nut to crack.Matt: Yeah. And like, even as you mentioned earlier, if you take one piece of AWS, for example, API Gateway—and I love the API Gateway team; if you're listening, don't hate on me—but there's, like, 47,000 different ways you can deploy an API Gateway. And the CDK has to cover all of those, it would be a lot easier if there was less ways that you could deploy the thing and then you can start crafting user experiences on a platform. But whenever you start thinking that every AWS component is kind of the same, like think of the amount of ways you're can deploy a Lambda function now, or think of the, like, containers. I'll not even go into [laugh] the different ways to run containers.If you're building a platform, either you support it all and then it sort of gets quite generic-y, or you're going to do, like, what serverless cloud are doing though, like Jeremy Daly is building this unique experience that's like, “Okay, the code is going to build the infrastructure, so just build a website, and we'll do it all behind it.” And I think they're really interesting because they're sort of opposites, in that one doesn't want to support everything, but should theoretically, for their slice of customers, be awesome, and then the other ones, like, “Well, let's see what you're going to do. Let's have a go at it and I should hopefully support it.”Corey: I think that there's so much that can be done on this. But before we wind up calling it an episode, I had one further question that I wanted to explore around the recent results of the community CDK survey that I believe is a quarterly event. And I read the analysis on this, and I talked about it briefly in the newsletter, but it talks about adoption and a few other aspects of it. And one of the big things it looks at is the number of people who are contributing to the CDK in an open-source context. Am I just thinking about this the wrong way when I think that, well, this is a tool that helps me build out cloud infrastructure; me having to contribute code to this thing at all is something of a bug, whereas yeah, I want this thing to work out super well—Docker is open-source, but you'll never see me contributing things to Docker ever, as a pull request, because it does, as it says on the tin; I don't have any problems that I'm aware of that, ooh, it should do this instead. I mean, I have opinions on that, but those aren't pull requests; those are complete, you know, shifts in product strategy, which it turns out is not quite done on GitHub.Matt: So, it's funny I, a while ago, was talking to a lad who was the person who came up with the idea for the CDK. And CDK is pretty much the open-source project for AWS if you look at what they have. And the thought behind it, it's meant to evolve into what people want and need. So yes, there is a product manager in AWS, and there's a team fully dedicated to building it, but the ultimate aspiration was always it should be bigger than AWS and it should be community-driven. Now personally, I'm not sure—like you just said it—what the incentive is, given that right now CDK only works with CloudFormation, which means that you are directly helping with an AWS tool, but it does give me hope for, like, their CDK for Terraform, and their CDK for Kubernetes, and there's other flavors based on the same technology as AWS CDK that potentially could have a thriving open-source community because they work across all the clouds. So, it might make more sense for people to jump in there.Corey: Yeah, I don't necessarily think that there's a strong value proposition as it stands today for the idea of the CDK becoming something that works across other cloud providers. I know it technically has the capability, but if I think that Python isn't quite a first-class experience, I don't even want to imagine what other providers are going to look like from that particular context.Matt: Yeah, and that's from what I understand, I haven't personally jumped into the CDK for Terraform and we didn't talk about it here, but in CDK, you get your different levels of construct. And is, like, a CloudFormation-level construct, so everything that's in there directly maps to a property in CloudFormation, and then L2 is AWS's opinion on safe defaults, and then L3 is when someone like me comes along and turns it into something that you may find useful. So, it's a pattern. As far as I know, CDK for Terraform is still on L1. They haven't got the rich collection—Corey: And L4 is just hiring you as a consultant—Matt: [laugh].Corey: —to come in fix my nonsense for me?Matt: [laugh]. That's it. L4 could be Pulumi recently announced that you can use AWS CDK constructs inside it. But I think it's one of those things where the constructs, if they can move across these different tools the way AWS CDK constructs now work inside Pulumi, and there's a beta version that works inside CDK for Terraform, then it may or may not make sense for people to contribute to this stuff because we're not building at a higher level. It's just the vision is hard for most people to get clear in their head because it needs articulated and told as a clear strategy.And then, you know, as you said, it is an AWS product strategy, so I'm not sure what you get back by contributing to the project, other than, like, Thorsten—I should say, so Thorsten who wrote the book with me, he is the number three contributor, I think, to the CDK. And that's just because he is such a big user of it that if he sees something that annoys him, he just comes in and tries to fix it. So, the benefit is, he gets to use the tool. But he is a super user, so I'm not sure, outside of super users, what the use case is.Corey: I really want to thank you for, I want to say spending as much time talking to me about this stuff as you have, but that doesn't really go far enough. Because so much of how I think about this invariably winds up linking back to things that you have done and have been advocating for in that community for such a long time. If it's not you personally, just, like, your fingerprints are all over this thing. So, it's one of those areas where the entire software developer ecosystem is really built on the shoulders of others who have done a lot of work that came before. Often you don't get any visibility of who those people are, so it's interesting whenever I get to talk to someone whose work I have directly built upon that I get to say thank you. So, thank you for this. I really do appreciate how much more straightforward a lot of this is than my previous approach of clicking in the console and then lying about it to provision infrastructure.Matt: Oh, no worries. Thank you for the thank you. I mean, at the end of the day, all of this stuff is just—it helps me as much as it helps everybody else, and we're all trying to do make everything quicker for ourselves, at the end of the day.Corey: If people want to learn more about what you're up to, where's the best place to find you these days? They can always take a job at Liberty; I hear good things about it.Matt: Yeah, we're always looking for people at Liberty, so come look up our careers. But Twitter is always the best place. So, I'm @NIDeveloper on Twitter. You should find me pretty quickly, or just type Matt Coulter into Google, you'll get me.Corey: I like it. It's always good when it's like, “Oh, I'm the top Google result for my own name.” On some level, that becomes an interesting thing. Some folks into it super well, John Smith has some challenges, but you know, most people are somewhere in the middle of that.Matt: I didn't used to be number one, but there's a guy called the Kangaroo Kid in Australia, who is, like, a stunt driver, who was number one, and [laugh] I always thought it was funny if people googled and got him and thought it was me. So, it's not anymore.Corey: Thank you again for, I guess, all that you do. And of course, taking the time to suffer my slings and arrows as I continue to revise my opinion of the CDK upward.Matt: No worries. Thank you for having me.Corey: Matt Coulter, senior architect at Liberty Mutual. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn, and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, whereas if you've hated this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice and leave an angry comment as well that will not actually work because it has to be transpiled through a JavaScript engine first.Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.Announcer: This has been a HumblePod production. Stay humble.

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Buyers vs. Sellers: Negotiating Mergers & Acquisitions [e319]

Legally Sound | Smart Business

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2022 56:00

Whether you are buying or selling a business, the transaction goes through the same steps. However, they are viewed from different perspectives. Sellers may not want to fully disclose all the blind spots while Buyers will want otherwise. Nasir and Matt battle it out in this Buyer vs. Seller to determine who has the advantage! Round 1: Prepare to Negotiate - Letter of Intent When it comes to selling a business, some of the most critical work is done before you even make your first phone call. A letter of intent serves as a way for both parties to get on the same page and lays the groundwork for what each of you can expect from the other. https://www.youtube.com/embed/t4KVprJ9m94 Round 2: Due Diligence and the No Shop Periods Buying or selling a business is a complex process. It's not just about talking about purchasing or selling the company's assets. For prospective buyers, it's important to understand that buying a business is not all about the numbers. Thorough due diligence of all facets of your target company is necessary for you to make a meaningful offer. https://www.youtube.com/embed/5tK8uMHZArQ Round 3: Warranties and Representations Representations and warranties are the biggest reason that verbal agreements are so risky. Representations and warranties set a floor on the quality of the purchase, define each party's responsibilities, inform both parties how they can end the deal, and help structure payments. https://www.youtube.com/embed/QoxOnUEGdxs Round 4: It's Closing Time Signed, sealed, and delivered. The signing and closing of a transaction is often the most critical stage in the process. It can either be smooth or cause delays that could undermine the transactions. https://youtu.be/AgEtBno39YA “Full Podcast TranscriptNASIR: All right. Welcome! We are talking buyers and sellers, acquisitions, mergers. It's a lot more than what you would think. MATT: That depends on what side you're on. NASIR: Everyone in business ends up at this point at one point in time. MATT: It's a very interesting dynamic. This is kind of a very weird interaction. This is Legally Sound Smart Business where your hosts – Nasir Pasha and Matt Staub – cover business in the news and add their awesome legal twist. Legally Sound Smart Business is a podcast brought to you by Pasha Law PC – a law firm representing your business in California, Illinois, New York, and Texas. Here are your hosts, Nasir Pasha and Matt Staub. NASIR: All right. Welcome! We are talking buyers and sellers, acquisitions, mergers. We are going, once again, head-to-head – Matt and I – taking different perspectives. This time around, we're not flipping a coin. Matt and I discussed it prior, and I am taking the buyer's point of view. MATT: That means I'll be taking the seller's point of view. NASIR: That would be weird if you also took the buyer's point of view, so that's good. MATT: Well, obviously, there's not a lot of positive results from the pandemic, but one thing I've noticed that has happened that's been a positive is there have been a lot of transactions between companies – like you said, mergers and acquisitions, things of that nature. We've seen quite an uptick of representing buyers and sellers in those sorts of transactions just because of the nature of it. I don't know necessarily if they were more motivated and what the actual reasoning was, but – at least in my opinion – there's been an increase in those sorts of transactions. NASIR: Absolutely. If you looked at the stats on M&A in general, it's a lot more than what you would think. You would think that – because of uncertainty, because of this, because of inflation – things would actually slow down, but that doesn't seem to be the case. M&A attorneys are quite busy. We're talking about buying or selling a business. We're general practitioners. We work with medium to small-sized businesses, but everyone in business ends up at this point at one point in time.

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The Not So United States and the Voice of the Middle Ground - with guest Ruth Jefferson

Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 91:33

The etymology of "Voice" is explored, plus...why we're so divided as a society, as a country, as a dot dot dot... (fill in the blank). Matt, talks about the techie side of things, how tech is responsible, how it contributed to the division that we're experiencing, and something he found out that is very interesting about the structure of our government that's led to this division, and Fawn's thoughts on why the division exists and how she thinks it's a tool to keep people disempowered. We turn to Ruth Jefferson from Voice of the Middle Ground and speak with her about the state of our society and discuss the art of building community and connections to build a better way. Transcript The Middle Ground [00:00:00] Fawn: Hi, welcome back everybody. Welcome to our friendly world. Hello? [00:00:04] Matt: Hello hello!. [00:00:06] Fawn: We're here. We have a new friend to introduce you to today. Yeah, we do. Before we get into introducing you to this beautiful new friend in your life, I was looking at etymology of certain words again, and I looked up the word voice; The sound made by the human mouth with, see, I don't like it when people or definitions always go to the human being. They don't think that other creatures on the planet have voice. [00:00:37] Matt: Right, right, right. Like my buddy growing up, they had a, they had a parrot that could mimic the mother's voice. [00:00:43] Fawn: Is this the racist parrot or the racist duck? There was a racist duck, [00:00:46] Matt: racist duck. And actually, uh, actually the parrot was racist too. [00:00:50] Fawn: Okay. Fantastic. All right. So. Late 13th century. [00:00:55] Matt: Maybe we should actually describe why, as opposed to just letting that go. [00:00:59] Fawn: What do you mean? Okay. [00:01:00] Matt: It's because they had a neighbor, Bill who

united states voice fantastic middle ground matt it matt right

424: Boulevard with Matt Danna

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2022 34:25

Matt Danna is the Co-Founder and CEO of Boulevard, which powers next-gen salons and spas. Its mission is to modernize the technology while improving the daily lives of professionals and the clients they serve. Chad talks with Matt about discovering a problem and then making the jump to working on it, overcoming hurdles in terms of continued growth, and deciding to invest in building their own hardware by creating Boulevard Duo: a point of sale credit card reader. Boulevard (https://www.joinblvd.com/) Boulevard Duo (https://shop.joinblvd.com/products/duo) Follow Boulevard on Twitter (https://twitter.com/joinblvd), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/joinblvd/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/joinblvd/), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/boulevard/), or YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo9FyMtvqrDGHFl797iOhww). Follow Matt on Twitter (https://twitter.com/mattdanna) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdanna/). Follow thoughtbot on Twitter (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots! Transcript: CHAD: This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots Podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Chad Pytel. And with me today is Matt Danna, the Co-Founder and CEO of Boulevard, which powers next-gen salons and spas. Matt, thank you so much for joining me. MATT: Thanks so much for having me, Chad. Great to be here. CHAD: One of the things that I was interested in learning about Boulevard is it's a large product that does a lot for salons and spas. And so, I'm interested in talking with you about the process of getting to where you are today. But why don't we get started by giving folks an overview of everything that Boulevard does for salons and spas? MATT: Yeah, absolutely. So Boulevard offers what we think is the first and really only business management platform that's really focused around the client experience. We work with businesses that help all of us look and feel our best. And it's a really special industry to be powering where there's a really close sense of that human touch and that human element. We try to use technology to help automate and relieve the day-to-day operations as much as we can for these businesses so that they can focus on providing that world-class client experience and deepening relationships with their clients. CHAD: And tactically, that's online booking, scheduling, payments, schedule management, all that kind of stuff that goes into running. MATT: Yeah, absolutely. So it goes all the way from, like you said, scheduling to we are a fully integrated payments solution to even have time clock kind of commission reporting. And so it really goes from managing everything front of house all the way through back of house. And happy to share more about how we ended up building such a wide and deep product because it's definitely an interesting story. CHAD: So you were not in the salon industry prior to Boulevard, is that right? MATT: That's correct. CHAD: So, how did you end up getting brought into this industry? MATT: So the founding story...so my background is in software engineering, but I ended up turning much more into a designer over time. So I've been naturally drawn to building technology for creative individuals. And so, at my last startup, which was called Fullscreen, it was a startup here in LA. We were helping YouTube creators make better content online, helping them monetize on YouTube, understand their audience. And this was in the days where YouTubers couldn't monetize directly. They needed to go through a network. And so, we created this proprietary technology offering that really helped them understand how to build their audience and further monetize. So the original founding story was that I met my co-founder of Boulevard at Fullscreen. His name is Sean Stavropoulos. And I was the VP of Product. He was the VP of Engineering. And the kind of inception moment was that there was this week where Sean's hair was a complete disaster. CHAD: [chuckles] MATT: And as a great colleague, I was making fun of him [laughs] and telling him like, "Dude, you need to go get a haircut." And he said to me that he kept forgetting to call his salon during the day to make an appointment, and at night when he remembered to do those types of things, the salon is obviously closed. And we were just thinking how much friction there was as a client of these businesses in the booking process and that we didn't understand why you had to do basically so much work in order to be a client. It just was incongruent with what was going on in other industries and kind of restaurants and everything going through this digital transformation. Our hypothesis was that they must still be on pen and paper; they haven't adopted technology yet, and that's why you need to call to make an appointment. And we started thinking a lot about this problem and started obsessing over it. [laughs] And there was a weekend that we were hanging out, and we ended up walking into a few different salons and spas in a neighborhood that we were hanging out. And we did a bunch of research and asked them a lot of questions. We said we were UCLA students working on a research project. CHAD: [laughs] MATT: Which was a pretty smart move because everyone loves talking to students, and we weren't trying to sell them anything. We were trying to learn more. And so, a good research tip is just to state you're always a student. And we ended up learning. And we were super surprised that they were all using technology. All the technology that these businesses were using were also capable of online booking. And so we were like, "Okay, none of this makes sense. Like, you're making your customers call you, but you have these capabilities." We were like, "Do you need help embedding it into your website? Like, why don't you use online booking" And their answer would be, "We absolutely cannot use online booking, no way," which made us even more curious. And so what we ended up learning was that self-care businesses, you know, salons, spas, nail salons, you name it, they're generally running on pretty thin profit margins like in the 5% to 10% neighborhood because their labor costs are so high relative to their sales. And the other important piece that we learned was that the front desk has outsized control over the revenue that the business makes simply by how they place appointments on the calendar. And so when you call to make an appointment, they're looking up to see if you have a client file, to see if you've been there before, what services did you get? Who were they with? How long exactly did they take? They're also looking to see when they could fit you in. And they're doing double booking, triple booking whenever possible so that staff can be with multiple clients at once and double up. And then they're also making sure there are no gaps between appointments. And so they're doing basically this yield optimization, schedule optimization on the fly. And none of that was taken into account if customers self-booked using any of the solutions available on the market. And so we thought that seems like a straight-up technology problem to solve that these businesses needed an online booking solution so customers can have that convenience and self-booking whenever they want. But it also needs to take into account some of that business logic that the front desk follows so that they don't get gaps in the day and have a really sub-optimal and inefficient calendar. And so that's where we thought we could provide some particular value that would be unique in the industry. And that was what we focused our MVP on, was that very thing, having an intelligent scheduling solution. CHAD: It seems like it's a pretty big leap for the director of product and director of engineering at a startup to discover a problem like this and then actually make the jump to working on it [laughs] and making it real. Was there something in particular that happened? Why did you do that? [laughs] MATT: Yeah, I mean, we had a, you know, being executives at the startup and really loving the team, loving what we were doing, our mission. But I think one of the motivators and catalysts was when we were doing this field research. And we ended up going out to a couple of hundred businesses over the course of several weekends to learn even more about this problem area. But one of the things that was so evident and clear was that all of the technology in the market that these customers, these businesses were using, they were negative NPS scores. They were like, "Oh, we use, you know, X, Y, or Z solution, and we really don't like it. It's so hard to use." You would see the red in their eyes when they would talk about this technology." And we're like, "There's something very powerful here." And we weren't exactly sure at the time was it legacy technology not keeping up with modern needs of these businesses and the growing expectations from end consumers, or was it user error problems? And we had come to the conclusion that it was really a lack of innovation in the market from existing vendors. And that got us particularly excited, and we formed a lot of conviction, so much conviction that we made the leap to start working on this. So we transitioned out of our full-time executive day jobs, and we ended up doing a little bit of consulting work while we were doing a lot of product discovery. So for about six months, we were doing three days a week on Boulevard and a couple of days a week on consulting. So it was a nice little part-time way to keep paying the bills but also then be able to spend a significant amount of our brain space thinking about this opportunity and what problems we wanted to solve. CHAD: So maybe I'm just off base here. And I'm not trying to get you to say that something was wrong at Fullscreen. But it strikes me there needed to be something going on, in my mind, maybe I'm off base, for you to even before deciding to make that leap, though, to spend your weekends going to salons and doing interviews. MATT: Yeah, I think this is how most companies are started is by founders who are trying to solve a problem that they're exposed to. So everyone is always trying to build companies that are solutions for problems that they have. And we just, I think, got excited by this problem. And my background being in building technology for the creative individuals, like, I got really, really excited. And Sean took some convincing that this was worth it and that this could be a thing. CHAD: Was it an aspiration for you to find something that you could use to found your own company? MATT: No, no. CHAD: And then why were you doing it? [laughs] MATT: I think it felt like the right thing to do. I never considered myself an entrepreneur, and I really still don't. I think of myself as a builder, and I love building things. And this was in a way for us to think about, like, oh, let's build a company and turn this into a massive business. We saw that there was a particular pain point that was experienced from both consumers and businesses and that we could provide something special. It felt like it was something that only we saw, which I think made it feel even more compelling to work on. And so we didn't know if we were crazy at first. We always had this question of like, why hasn't anyone figured this out? This seems so obvious. I still don't know why we're the only ones that have any type of kind of logic on top of the schedule in that sense. But we saw it as a unique opportunity to build something really special and provide a lot of value to consumers and businesses. CHAD: Well, that's super interesting. So once you decided and you started working on Boulevard, how did you decide what to focus on first? And how did you set your market for what the first version was going to be or a target for what the first version was going to be? MATT: So, we focused on the businesses that had a front desk. So those are generally the ones that really struggled with getting the most out of every minute possible in the day. And so we focused on what were typically mid to upper market single locations to start, and we got introduced to a salon owner through a mutual friend. They were based in New York, and it was just a two-person salon. And so, we built our MVP to be able to support their day-to-day functions. And they were using some other system, so we kind of had to get to a place where there was general feature parity to support them. So we built up the features that we needed, and then we launched them, transitioned them off their previous solution. And then we did all this in person and then hung out with them for about a week or two after to babysit the system, make sure there weren't problems. We were iterating in real-time. Sean and I were releasing code. And from there, we got an intro to our second customer through another mutual friend. CHAD: How long did it take you from when you started to when it was live in that first salon? MATT: It took about nine months. CHAD: And were you self-funding that based on the consulting that you mentioned? MATT: Yeah, self-funding. And then, after we launched with the first business, Sean and I actually both liquidated our 401Ks. And we didn't have the time to continue to consult. So we bootstrapped the company and put our life savings into it once we had traction from our first couple of customers. And that's when we started to hire our first employees to help us continue to accelerate development and that kind of thing. CHAD: So again, liquidating your 401k is a pretty big step. MATT: Yep. CHAD: Did you try to do external fundraising before doing that? MATT: No. At that point, not yet. We wanted to really validate the concept on our own dime. And then, when we had paying customers and a decent customer base, we did a friends and family round. And then, once we achieved a certain milestone, we joined an accelerator, which is based in Los Angeles called Luma Launch. And we were part of that accelerator for about six months. And then we raised our series seed following that. We went from liquidating our savings, living like college students, ramen noodle budget-type to once we felt good about the value we were providing, had the case studies and the customer feedback, and had a pretty awesome MVP to show to investors; that's when we decided to fundraise. CHAD: How nervous were the two of you? MATT: Very nervous. [laughter] I mean, it's one of those both of us come from really, really humble families, and there was no safety net. And so we were all in. And I think often from when there's a lot of constraints; you have to find creativity. We were all in. We were working all the time on this, really gave it everything we had. And in hindsight, it was a good decision. But it could have easily been a terrible decision. [laughs] CHAD: I mean, this is one of the things with founding stories is we talk to the people who are successful. [laughs] So, would you recommend this path to other people? MATT: I think if it's something where you could see providing unique value to the world and that you have lots of validation from real people, not just your friends but from prospective customers...it was when we were talking to real businesses where they would say, "This is something we would use and pay for." And so, after hearing that dozens and dozens of times, that matched with the negative NPS scores with their current solutions. That's where we were like, "This can be something pretty special." So I wouldn't recommend building in isolation and making that leap of faith without really doing your diligence on the opportunity. But yeah, I think everyone, at some point, if they have an idea or a problem they want to solve, should give it a go. Mid-Roll Ad: I wanted to tell you all about something I've been working on quietly for the past year or so, and that's AgencyU. AgencyU is a membership-based program where I work one-on-one with a small group of agency founders and leaders toward their business goals. We do one-on-one coaching sessions and also monthly group meetings. We start with goal setting, advice, and problem-solving based on my experiences over the last 18 years of running thoughtbot. As we progress as a group, we all get to know each other more. And many of the AgencyU members are now working on client projects together and even referring work to each other. Whether you're struggling to grow an agency, taking it to the next level and having growing pains, or a solo founder who just needs someone to talk to, in my 18 years of leading and growing thoughtbot, I've seen and learned from a lot of different situations, and I'd be happy to work with you. Learn more and sign up today at thoughtbot/agencyu. That's A-G-E-N-C-Y, the letter U. CHAD: That first customer that you were building the replacement for, were you charging them? MATT: No, we were not. CHAD: Are they paying now? MATT: They are, they are, very little. CHAD: Okay. [chuckles] MATT: They're a small business and have been staying super successful. And so, in the earliest days, the learnings and feedback matter a lot more than revenue, and so you optimize for that as opposed to the economics. And so for us going and working on location at these businesses and they're paying us essentially in the learnings and teachings of helping us understand and absorb ourselves in this industry, and working as front desk and doing the jobs that all these professionals have to do. And so that's where we were able to build and get to a place where our product is really, really authentic. And it was from that first direct observation. CHAD: I've worked on products before where they're currently being done by people. They might have technology solutions in place, and they feel like there's no technology that will do this; we need to have a person being the one to do it. Because like you said, there's something special about a person doing it. And so sometimes those businesses, when they have a solution, even if they've properly solved it, there's a lot of resistance from customers who are very skeptical that the technology is going to be able to do it the right way. Have you encountered that? MATT: Absolutely. CHAD: How do you combat that? MATT: We iterated on, essentially, the objections. So the first objection was that "People can't book online because it's going to mess up my day." And so we created this what we call precision scheduling, where it does the optimization on the calendar. And then the next issue was that we started seeing some no-shows coming because I think there's this mental analog of if you miss an OpenTable reservation not as big of a deal. But in our industry that we're serving, if you miss a two-hour appointment, that professional is out a significant amount of their income for the week. And so that's where we actually started dipping our toes in payments, and we started requiring a credit card at the time of booking just to authorize the card and to hold the appointment. And so that objection of no shows we solved there. There was a lot of concern of like, "Hey, our customers are not going to know the right thing to book." And we have learned that customers actually are very savvy and that the clients deserve more credit than the professionals are giving them that if a woman gets a balayage, she knows it's a balayage. And so, usually, the way that we overcame that objection was we'd work with them and have best practices on menu design. But that they also then, when they're giving a service that they discuss what they actually did in that service so that the customer knows what to book next time if they want the same thing. And so that was kind of the pattern is like, build something, learn, iterate, and do it on location with these businesses so that we could see it firsthand in an unbiased way. And so that's really how we were able to build such a product with this amount of scale and overcome some of those initial objections. CHAD: Is it easier now that you have 2000-plus customers, some social capital out there? They can ask other people, "Is this working for you?" Is that easier now? MATT: Absolutely. Absolutely. One of the ways...we didn't have a sales team for a long time in our company, and we were actually under the radar. We were stealth, didn't announce anything about ourselves for the first three or four years. And so we were just very much focused on product development and building something that was incredible. And then we were really fed off of referrals and that word of mouth. So it's I think when you get a product that people love, they're going to tell their friends about it. And for us, that really helped accelerate our growth. CHAD: So yeah, so this was all taking place in what year? MATT: So we transitioned out of our last company and started doing part-time work in summer of 2015. And then, we officially launched our first customer in spring of 2016. CHAD: Cool. And I think that that is, you know, you didn't get to 2,000 customers overnight, right? You've been at this for a while. MATT: Yeah, the barrier to entry is very high in the market, and VCs called our type of opportunity a brownfield opportunity where there are a lot of legacy solutions in the market. And we compete with some companies that were actually started before I was born. CHAD: [chuckles] MATT: And so they've had many decades to build functionality into their platform that we need to get to some level of feature parity with in order to seamlessly transition them off of their previous solution to our platform. And it did take a significant upfront investment with product in order to get to be able to pay the price of admission and to be able to actually compete in the market. CHAD: So one of the things I'm curious about is, do you have a sense of what does the overall market looks like? I feel like there are probably lots of salons, spas, haircutting places. There are a lot of them all over the world. MATT: There are, yeah. So we believe that there are about 500,000 self-care businesses in the United States. CHAD: Just in the United States. MATT: Yeah, just in the United States. And the employee base in the labor market is about two to two and a half million professionals across all those businesses. CHAD: So, where do you think the hurdles in terms of continued growth are for you? MATT: So one of the areas that we focus on is...so all of these self-care businesses are about 90% similar in how they operate. And so we started in the hair salon vertical and then have expanded into many adjacent verticals over the course of the past few years. We really tried to make sure that we had really, really strong product-market fit in the hair salons, which is the biggest self-care market, and before we expanded into, say, nail salons. When expanding into adjacent verticals, there's some functionality that is unique to those verticals. And so, for example, one of our recent verticals that we expanded into is med spas. And the way that med spas charge for their services is generally based on the products that are used, and so if you buy 100 units of Botox, they charge a per-unit fee. And so that was something that was pretty unique to the medspa market that doesn't exist in other self-care markets. And so vertical expansion is a vector of growth for us and then segment expansion. So we started with the single location, very small businesses. And then we have worked our way up to enterprise where we're powering chains and franchises of hundreds of locations. And then the other aspects kind of the third vector of growth is the different product sets and functionality that we are releasing to our customers. So continuing to develop the platform but also look at different opportunities where we can provide outsized value by developing it ourselves. CHAD: So we could literally talk all day, and I could talk to you about scaling and product and everything. But one thing I'm interested in before we wrap up is I think it's really special to found a company with a designer, a product person, and an engineer. And I can tell even just by looking at the site and the product that you very highly value design and creating a product that people love to use. MATT: Absolutely. CHAD: How does that lead you to creating Duo, which is a point of sale card reader? MATT: One of the things that we saw in the market was this real importance in service design so what information is showing when to the users of our technology. So there's that aspect of what's the overall experience? Then there's the product design; how easy is it to use? And how quickly can new employees, new front desk staff, how quickly can they get ramped up and start using the system? Do they need two weeks of training? And for us, we try to make it as intuitive and as familiar as possible. And then we look to see how else can we extend design? And one of the complaints that we always received from customers was that hardware options were always pretty ugly, that all of them look dated like the kind of hardware that you use at a supermarket. And they wanted something that was more sleek and that they weren't ashamed to have on their countertop for checkout. And so that's where we decided to invest in building our own hardware. And that was particularly exciting for us. So it's been really, really well-received from our customers. And it was a really fun project to work on. Getting into the hardware space is always challenging. But as a designer, it was super cool to build something that became physical for the first time in my life. CHAD: Does the logic that led to you creating Duo eventually lead you to creating an entire hardware point of sale system? MATT: We're assessing all opportunities. There's this interesting moment happening in the payments space where like Apple, you know, announced that I think they're piloting now that you won't need hardware in order to accept credit card payments on the iPhone. CHAD: You'll just be able to do it right against an iPad. MATT: Exactly. So I think there's a real question as to what is the...and I'm sure this is something that folks like Square are thinking about, that have really best in class hardware is like what does the future of hardware look for fintech companies? And is it just going to fold into the actual devices, or will you continue to need standalone readers? That's something that we're constantly thinking about and keeping smart on the latest developments in that. But our expertise and what we love is building incredible software. Hardware was that area that we saw that we could provide unique value, but our goal is to always be a software company. You generally don't make much money off of the hardware piece in this business. CHAD: Now, how personally involved were you in the hardware project? MATT: I was very involved, potentially too involved. [laughs] CHAD: As a founder, when new projects come up like this that maybe you're interested in, how do you either hold yourself back or not hold yourself back from being involved in them? MATT: I think when the company is venturing into new territory, entirely new like uncharted waters, that's when it's valuable for me or any founder to get really, really smart on what's the opportunity, what's the risks, all that kind of stuff. In this case, my experience working at our initial customers for the first couple of years of our business was really, really impactful. And so our Duo captures...and the reason why it's called Duo is because it's a countertop, but also you can take the top off, and you can do an in chair checkout. So you could bring it over to the customer, and they can check out right while they're in the chair as an express checkout. And so those types of things I learned while being on location working at these businesses. And so I was providing a lot of the guidance and conceptualizing how we could think about what the hardware offering would be that would be unique to us, and collaborated with our head of design and then an industrial designer to get the proof of concept there. CHAD: And you said, "Potentially too involved," so why did you say that? [laughs] MATT: I think as a founder, you are always trying to figure out what altitude are you flying at. And there are some things that you will need to dive in and be very hands-on. And then there are other times just to guide and support and coach. And I think for this because it was a new project, I was particularly excited to be able to get into hardware because that was a first for me that I was involved in all aspects of it. But it was a lot of fun. CHAD: Awesome. Well, Matt, thank you so much for stopping by and sharing with us. I really appreciate it. I'm sure the listeners do too. If folks want to find out more about Boulevard, about joining the team, about becoming a customer, or just to get in touch with you, where are all the different places that they can do that? MATT: Yeah, absolutely. I think the best place is just on our website. We are hiring across all levels and all functions, especially on the product design and engineering side. And so our website is joinblvd.com, J-O-I-N-B-L-V-D.com. There's the about page, and it links out to my LinkedIn. So if anyone wants to connect and get acquainted, that's probably the easiest way to do it. CHAD: Awesome. Well, thanks again for joining me. I really appreciate it. MATT: Yeah, thanks so much. This was a pleasure. CHAD: You can subscribe to the show and find notes along with links for everything that Matt just mentioned and including a complete transcript of the episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. And you can find me on Twitter at @cpytel. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time. ANNOUNCER: This podcast was brought to you by thoughtbot. thoughtbot is your expert design and development partner. Let's make your product and team a success. Special Guest: Matt Danna.

#080 - Ransomware Preparedness with Quinton Barbe

Data Center Therapy

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2022 40:55

Cliched though it may be, it's true: It's not if you're going to experience a ransomware attack, it's just a matter of when. What can you do to prepare for it? Matt “It's 2022 but Backup is still Sexy” Yette and Matt “Trip this Wire” Cozzolino welcome back to the virtual studios for the second time in a row IVOXY's own Mr. Quinton Barber, Security Consultant, who counts acting as an Anti-Ransomware Specialist as one of his many responsibilities. Quinton and the Matts waste no time and begin to prescribe steps you can take to harden your environment, instrument your infrastructure, and shorten the time to restore when something happens to your data. In this episode you, our loyal and proactive but ransomware-prone listeners will get to hear about: What aggregation of logs and the use of a SIEM means to your business, and how it can inform your decision makers of when to restore from (known good backup points) in a Business Continuity event. How long to set your log retention for both compliance for your business and for forensics purposes for your infrastructure. What the costs of business are, so to speak, when it comes to running the adjunct compute, storage, and networking you need to effectively monitor and alert on events. How cutting-edge technologies like suspicious-activity snapshots from storage vendors is changing the way ransomware events are handled If phrases like event correlation, firewalls, IDS/IPS, and MDR garner your interest, this episode's going to be a great one for you. On the other hand, Quinton and your DCT hosts do their best to keep things very understandable and relatable if your ransomware concerns are there, but your own knowledge of all those anti-ransomware tools needs augmentation. If you'd like to attend one of IVOXY's Security Roundtables, please reach out to your Account Manager and we'd be happy to help. If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you found our quality podcast. Lock it down and stay tuned for another exciting episode of Data Center Therapy! Thanks for listening!

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Episode 199: Increase Productivity and Profitability by using the Tools of Modern Pool Professionals

Pool Chasers Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2022 61:47

Episode Summary: Today, we bring together Skimmer's marketing head Kevin Embree, Riptide Pool Vacuum System's co-founders David Sargent and Matt Lopez, Primate Pool Tools' co-founder Joe DiAnna Jr, and Piranha Pool Products' owner Eric Resh. We discuss the newly co-branded Tools of Modern Pool Professionals which brings all of our guests together through their innovative technologies in the world of swimming pools. Determined to modernize the industry, Kevin had the idea to have a discussion between himself and these other company leaders to discover whether there was customer company value overlap between them and how their respective products have been game-changing. Today's conversation revolves around the keys to constant innovation in the pool industry and the limitations of the (still widely accepted) substandard pen-and-paper system. Our guests also share how they have been raising customer awareness to get their products in more hands, and how adopting modern tools inevitably attracts high-quality labor, increases productivity, and profitability. Topics Discussed: 01:19 - How the Modern Tools idea came about 04:40 - Why these products are game-changers 15:29 - The keys to innovation 20:36 - Raising customer awareness 28:03 - A new way to look at “competition” 35:08 - Becoming a customer-service oriented company 39:15 - Best compliments you can receive from a customer 47:39 - Identifying the tools that make you more productive 53:42 - Staying on the cutting edge Sponsors: Skimmer Primate Pool Tools Riptide Pool Vacuum's Piranha Pool Products Connect with Guest: Skimmer Origin Podcast Primate Origin Podcast Riptide Origin Podcast Piranha Origin Podcast Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: Whether you're using Skimmer or a Piranha net or a Primate carbon fiber pole or a Riptide pool vacuum—if you're only using one of those, you should really be using all of them. It's not just about getting a little bit better. It's about being a game-changer to your business. ~Kevin We're a customer service company as much as we are a pool vacuum company. ~Matt It's not just about trying to be more professional. It's trying to be more productive. When our products enable that, our customers are able to be more profitable. That's why we're in business. ~Eric We are not competing with each other. We are educating the larger market to actually try one of us. [...] We're not competing with each other. We're not competing with market competitors. We're competing with an old mindset. ~Kevin You can run a profitable business using substandard tools and substandard processes. You really can, and by the way, a lot of companies today are. One of the reasons we're on this podcast today is to say, “You don't have to anymore.” ~Kevin Every single tool on the planet exists to help you become more productive. Identify the tools that make you more productive, and take the time to understand them so that you can use them to their fullest. ~David Using all four of our brands is not a huge change—it's two millimeters. It's a two-millimeter shift in the way you work; but, you get a 10x return on investment. ~Kevin

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Ep. 44 | COACHING BY QUANTIFYING: Matt Philip's Leadership Model By Coaching Teams With Quantified Goals (Part 2)

The Agile Coach Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022 13:35

It's round 2 with Senior Director of Agile Coaching and Kaizen Lead for Pfizer, Matt Philip in this exciting new episode of The Agile Coach. In this episode, Matt will be sharing with Vivek a little overview of the “8 Stances of a Scrum Master”, and gets down to the details about the “Coaching Stance”. Our duo will also be discussing why it is important to quantify goals when coaching a team. HIGHLIGHTSMatt's leadership modelThe 8 stances of a scrum masterMatt on the Coaching StanceWhy it's good to quantify thingsQUOTESMatt: “I think there's some great stuff that we can learn from our friends who do experience design as a professional.”Matt: “I've also found a lot of coaches including myself, it's hard for us to really feel like the sense of accomplishment because it's like this a soft thing. I'm helping other people succeed. But how do I know if I succeeded?”Matt: “It's actually quite meaningful for a coach, I think, to be able to say, ‘ ‘Alright, here's the quantified value of what I've helped me this to do. And it creating small experiments to get us toward that bit.”Learn more about Matt in the link below:Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/matthewphilipWebsite: mattphilip.wordpress.com/Twitter: mattphilipIf you enjoy The Agile Coach and interested in learning more, you can check us out in the Link below:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-agile-coach-llc

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The Quiet Friend - Speaking Up in Defense of Others or Having Our heads in the Sand?