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Each day runs into the next. Mask off when I'm watching Youtube. Maybe I'll make some money on sports. Hopefully I don't get cancelled....

James:  Hi, audience and listeners. This is James Kandasamy from Achieve Wealth Through Value-add Real Estate Investing Podcast. Today I have Ryan Gibson from Spartan Investment Group. It's an investment group that focuses a lot on Self-storage. They have almost 4,000 units. They have a lot of units in DFW area and a few other States. I think Ryan's going to talk about in a short while, and they recently started to [00:32unclear] in a mobile home parks, which we'll touch upon in a short while. Hey Ryan, welcome to the show. Ryan: Thanks, James, for having me. It's fun to get on your show. It's great. James: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So why not you tell about yourself and your company, things that I've missed out? Ryan: Yeah, so we are based in Golden, Colorado, and we buy existing and develop self-storage properties. And we do all of our properties and projects through syndication. So we raised capital from private investors and we go out and buy storages that we can buy and get existing cashflow on. And then we can eventually either expand them or just improve operations to make additional income. We also build self-storage from the ground up and we do a little bit of RV park investing as well, but storage is the primary focus. So, you know, previously, we were land developers and built condos and flipped houses and focused on storage mostly just because of the recession resistancy, you know, during downtimes. And when we were first looking at the industry, that really is what you know, attracted us to jump into the business. Was the, you know, kind of how it performed during the last two recessions. James: Got it, got it. Yeah. I mean, I did a lot of research of different asset classes. I wrote it in my book as well. Like how many asset class, six asset class for the past 15 years and just on my own, this is not from Marcus and Millichap or this is not from CoStar.  I looked at all the asset class and was looking at all the past 15 years report, which that's a report called Integra Realty Resources. That's the report that all the commissioner pays us a report to, that's the organization. And I was looking at self-storage and multifamily and all that. I was surprised to see that self-storage did do well the past 15 years, even during the downturn. I know at the beginning, you know, 15 years back, they didn't really allocate a specific asset class for it, but they did talk about it. And in general, I didn't see any downturn, even though every other asset class goes up and down. So that's very interesting. And why do you think is that? Ryan: Because it relies on life events and life events never stop happening. No, I'm serious. You get divorced, typically, stuff goes in storage. You renovate your house, stuff goes into storage. In times of good times, stuff goes into storage and times and the bad time, stuff goes into storage. When you get downsized, when you move, when your job relocates, when there's a disruption in the market that triggers self-storage events. And added onto that, businesses use it because not everybody can park their work truck in their HOA driveway, if they're in a covenant restricted community and not everybody can have all their utilities and supplies in their house. And so, you know, simpliest way to say it, you know, for an extra 50 bucks a month, imagine having a whole other room in your house. And that's really been a big driver for demand and self-storage.  We like it because unlike other asset classes, when a customer comes in, we have a lien against all of their stuff. So if they don't pay, we can auction that off for a profit. So, you know, the revenue loss is much lower for you know, the potential when a tenant doesn't pay. With COVID and everything, there was still a rental rate, great increases. We still had high occupancy. We still can host auctions and have people move out if they don't pay. We held back on that in a couple of properties and a couple of markets, but for the most part, you know, we didn't have the government restrictions that a lot of other asset classes had on that kind of stuff. James: Got it. Well, I mean, I'm sure the audience is thinking why not James jump on self-storage. So but let me tell you why I didn't, you can always debate this. So one thing I didn't jump on self-storage at that time. I mean, of course, for me, focus is very important. I mean, every asset class has so many nuances in it. I mean, it's not easy, even though self-storage is like four walls and there's nothing in it, but there's a difficulty in finding the deal and difficulty in executing the business plan and turn around and, you know, disposition and all that. So, I mean, but I didn't do it because at that time there was not much of nonrecourse loan available, I think, unless you go really low on the leverage. So how is that right now? Ryan: You can get a non-recourse right now on ground-up construction James: On ground-up construction. Okay. Got it. What about on the... Ryan: Oh, and of course you know, that would be rare in our industry. Of course, on buying existing self-storage properties, non-recourse is widely available. James: Got it. Okay. So now it's available right now, at what leverage level? Ryan: It just depends. I think we just tied up a deal that around 70 to 75% non-recourse institutional loan. So, you know, it just depends on the lender. Depends on the deal. Depends on the play. James: Oh yeah. I had a friend who was like 85 years old. He's a broker, but he's a very healthy guy. And he said he started multifamily and moved on to storage and he owns a lot of storage unit and I was calling him and he said, maybe at that time, he said, yeah, it's hard to find non-recourse loans. The other challenge in storage is, you know, I mean, anybody can build a new self-storage development in front of your storage unit. It's very easy to build Ryan: Maybe. Yeah. So, you could say that as a general statement, that wouldn't apply everywhere. So there's a lot of moratoriums on storage. There is a lot of restrictions. Some communities don't have zoning for it. Some cities quite frankly, would not allow you to use it at all. So, you know, it just depends on where you are. Some jurisdictions it's, Oh yeah, come build it. No problem at all. So you just need, you know, it just depends on the market. You know, we have markets where there's no zoning and we could build whatever we wanted and there are markets where it's taken us 40 years to get a permit. So it really just depends. And then there are some markets where you get your permit and then they slap a moratorium on there and you can't build your storage anymore. That's happened out here in Washington and a few places.  So you really got to pay attention. And, you know, and I think really if someone was like, what's the one thing that I could take away from talking to a storage operator? It's the market study. It really comes down to: do you have the demand and is there the supply of people and demand essentially in the market to fill up your property or execute your business plan? It's huge. You know, someone might say, is storage a good play? I don't know, make up a city, Austin, Texas and I will say, well, generally, no, it's not, it's actually a terrible market, no offense, but it might be good on one side of the town and catastrophic on the other side. It's a three-mile business so it's like whatever's happening around in that immediate micro-market is really what it comes down to. So some markets are generally better, some markets are generally worse, but at the end of the day, it's right in that five, 10 minute drive time of the property. In the market study, that makes the difference. James: So, all your details that you're telling me right now, that's why I say there are so much of nuances in any asset class that outsiders may not know. I mean, it's easy to say, you know, it's easy to build but there's so much of a market research knowledge that, you know, only the operators who are specialized in it knows about it. So, and I do have a lot of respect for every asset class operators. There are definitely people who are really good at that. So let's walk through a deal in self-storage.  So not in terms of deal underwriting, but let's look at the demographic of that storage. Let's say you found land in a city. Walk us through the steps you would take to say whether this is a good site for a self-storage facility? Ryan: So a couple of things. The first thing I would look at is what's the population. So I would drop in on the facility, we have data and maps that will show us the drive times. And then based on those drive times, we'd get the population within the drive times of the property. And then we would look at saturation levels. James: And what are the drive times? Minutes? Ryan: Yeah, four minutes. I think we use eight minutes and 15 minutes. Think of it this way. If you're in an urban core, you're not going to drive 15 minutes across town, you're going to drive eight minutes so that there's relevancy to where you are in the market. But what we look at is, you know, we'll look at what are the comparable rent comps to what our subject facility is charged. So, you know, we might be getting $15 a square foot on the average but it's important to know kind of what type of facilities those are: three-story glass, Class A facilities, are they first-generation roll-up metal buildings, you know, big difference. Is it non-climate controlled is it climate controlled and in that market, is it a hot market, like a warm climate that likes self-storage to be climate controlled? Or is it a market that prefers drive-up or, you know, climate control would be overkill and people would be unwilling to pay the extra money for that.  So we look at price per square foot, you know, probably just like multifamily. And then, for Spartan, we look at the ability to add onto that property, you know, can we expand it and what is the existing dirt that's there? What is it? Is it flat gravel? Are there stormwater requirements, setbacks, easements restrictions, how usable is that land, and how much would it take to get the land pad ready? Cause we're developers. I mean, we take properties and develop them into bigger... James: What about zoning? Ryan: Zoning is important. That's kind of a little bit further down on the checklist. The top thing is demand. Cause you know, you could have, Oh, this is a zone for self-storage. And of course, everybody knew that. And then everybody built, a bunch of storage is there and there's no demand. James: But is it easy to change as zoning from, let's say in multifamily to self-storage?  Ryan: Ah, that's a loaded question.  James: Maybe not multifamily. I know residential has a lot of high priority in terms of city development. Let's say, commercial office building, commercial land to self-storage. Ryan: I mean, it depends. I know you don't like the word, it depends, but it depends. So like if you are looking in a market where, you know, we entitled the self-storage project in a city that had no zoning for storage. So everything was a conditional use permit. Everything was a public hearing. The public had come in, the city had to make a recommendation to a hearing examiner. Huge process. We've taken a residential land and rezoned it into commercial so we could build self-storage. We had to go in front of the board of county commissioners. We had to go in front of, you know, there had to be room for public comment. There was opposition, but we were successful and got the land entitled, but every jurisdiction is just a little bit different. We've bought properties that are zoned for storage and we've gotten the entitlements and they can take anywhere from two to six months to get it,  it's a building permit, you know, depending on how fast you're pushing and assuming no closures in the city and things like that. It just runs the gamut. You know, as I said, I have colleagues in the industry that have bought property, they got the entitlements. So yeah, you can build storage here. And then the city puts a moratorium on storage and now they can't build anything. So they bought this land, they got the entitlements, they've spent all this money, now they can't even build it.  James: How do you prevent that kind of thing from happening? Ryan: You don't. James: Because you've already bought the land.  Ryan: I mean, you could negotiate the contract to close upon building permits, but then you've got to find a willing seller and you know, of course, that's always a negotiation.  James: It's too messy, I guess. Ryan: But yeah, when you develop, I mean, it can be riskier and there's a potential for a bigger return but you also introduce a lot more risks. So yeah. I mean, is it easy to do? It can be, and it can be very difficult to the point of being impossible so it really just depends.  James: So when you guys raised the money from your investors, have you already done that, let's say for a [13:57unclear]  project. Have you already done that part or are you are still looking at that entitlement? Ryan: Yeah, we've really learned our lessons through the year. So you know, we bought a storage property and when the rezone of the land from, you know, so you have kind of a couple of different phases of development when you're doing like the paperwork to get it ready to go vertical. So the last thing you get is their building permit. So your building permit is pretty straight down the fairway; that is meeting building codes, getting your building permit, not a lot of risk in that - a risk, but there's not a lot of risks. But the phase just before that might be your entitlement so that you can actually do what you want to do, or might even be some type of site plan development where the city has to approve your site plan but you don't necessarily have your drawings done for the buildings they've just approved. Okay. Building here, building here, building here, this is your height. This is your step back. This is how much square footage you're going to deliver and a site plan approval. And then you have the zoning that might be before that. And it might already be zoned that that might be your first step. You know, do I meet the zoning if I don't, I might have to rezone that could take years. So, you know, we just kind of look at the projects and negotiate with the seller to buy the property. You know, when it hit a point where we're comfortable with closing on the land, and then we negotiate the purchase and sales agreement as such, and then we do the raise in accordance with how we feel our comfort level to be. Because we don't want to raise the money until we know we can do what we want to do. And you know, we've really refined our processes for that over the years to know that, Hey, we can close. And we've gotten better at negotiating. Like how can you expect me to buy this land and I don't even know I can do what I want do with it? If it's a hot market, you know, make a decision; you either want it, or you don't. If it's a property that's been sitting on the market for a year, you can come up with some pretty creative ways to keep the property tied up while you go through that process. James: So how many percents of these 4,000 units were developed versus how many were bought from....? Ryan: 25% James: 25% newly developed. Okay. Are you guys more trending towards development rather than buying? Ryan: That's a great question. I would probably say we're buying more than we are developing right now for no reason other than our development pipeline is full enough. Development is expensive and development requires a lot of cash and you don't want too many of them going on at one time. So we have two very large, about $22 million right now with development. Actually, no, we probably have about $30 million in development right now and that's about our comfort level. That's our spend for 2020 for development and we really don't want to get much past that. We also only develop in the states that we live in so Washington and Colorado. Adding onto a property is not a big deal, but we don't like to do ground-up development where we go through the whole process if we live out of state, because inevitably if you want to get things done, you gotta be down at the county, down at the city hall, down at the office, all the time. You're going down there all the time. Oh, you want this? Okay. No problem. James: Otherwise, it's going to just take forever to get a project done. Ryan: And who wants to fly an hour and a half somewhere to drop off a piece of paper and then fly back? I mean, it's just not efficient. So we just like to be in town.  I can't tell you how many times I've gone down there to, you know, shake the trees and get progress. James: Yeah. I've done a small land development beside my apartment. We were converting it. We were combining the adjacent plot of land into the apartment. And that itself was a lot of work already. But the city was supportive and it went through well by just the amount of paperwork, the amount of bureaucratic process that you have to go through. So, absolutely. What about a demographic? I mean, we talked about demographics. How do you say that this particular submarket is a good demographic for a good self-storage business? Ryan: We like at least 1% growth. We like to see trending growth. We like to see 50,000 income. We like to see saturation levels like a seven square foot per utilization for storage. James: How do you get that data? Seven square feet per utilization? Ryan: We have Radius Plus and we use a couple of different programs. Radius and there's one other program that James: So Radius is a software for self-storage investors? Ryan: Yes. James: Okay. For them to see the demand, I guess. Ryan: If you gave me an address, within 20 minutes, I could tell you what's the drive time around it. I could tell you the demographics. I could tell you the demand. I could tell you all the permits in the pipeline. So that's another thing. This is great. I can tell you everybody who's building, everybody who's applied, who's canceled, who is coming. And then of course we do our boots on the ground research where we go knock on doors and go to the city and ask them like, Oh, Hey, you know, is anybody else? Oh yeah, John, you know, he was over here last week. You know, that doesn't show up on record but the intent. And then you go talk to John and you say, Hey, you're really going to do this because we're thinking about doing it too. And we've got into situations like that and you know, either we've given up or they give up or whatever, and we just move on to a different market if the market can't supply all that additional. James: So does the self-storage purchase involves stringent requirements or stringent terms like what multi-families like day one, hard money, you know, very tight on inspection, do due diligence process? Ryan: It's extremely competitive. And it might be as competitive or more competitive as multifamily. Because when people think of storage, they're like, Oh, I've never really heard of that. I don't know what that is. And then they do multifamily and they're like multifamily is really hard. You know, there's always people doing it and Oh my God, there's so much competition. Maybe I'll go try storage because it'll be less competitive. And then they go over to storage and they're like, Oh, there's a lot of people that do this. But what the difference is there are so many multifamily properties in the United States. Self-storage, you can't even hold a candle to the wind. I mean there are 50,000 facilities total in the entire United States. So yeah, when you're talking about competition, if you're looking at a property that's a million dollars or less, no problem. You can go bid on it as a mom and pop.  When you go a million to maybe 6 million that you can reposition or that, you know, show some signs of a mom and pop operations, you're competing against the best of them. You know, the all-cash, close in 30 days, 60 days, whatever it might be. But generally what we do is we do about 10% earnest money deposit...sorry, not 10%. On a $6 million facility, we might put up anywhere from 25 to 50K. And that doesn't go hard until due diligence is completed and signed off on. James: Oh, okay. So that's not bad. It's not like day one hard money, like what's happening in multifamily, right? Ryan: No. And if we were in that space, we wouldn't play that game. So yeah, whether you think it or not, you're competing with yourself at that point. You're worried about losing that money. I mean, we have a 100% contract-to-close ratio, so everything that we've put under contract we've purchased. I mean, we had a bank pull out three days before closing, we went and raised a private loan. We did our own deal. So we've done everything to really help get the deal closed and we've got that reputation to close. And I think that people value our relationship a lot more than they do necessarily how much earnest money we put up. And we've had a broker bring us a lot of deals and just keeps bringing us deals because we make it real simple on them. You know, it's a very simple process with us. We get everything on the table. We are very transparent and as you know, in multifamily that'll go a long way. Any business, right? James: Yeah. That's true. That's true. Yeah. I mean, brokers, love people who are easy to deal with. Because you know, this is just multimillion-dollar deals and you do not want to have a tough person to work with when you're going to such a big transaction. So at a very high level, what are the value add that you usually do in self-storage? Ryan: Cameras for security, rental rate increases. James: So what, you put a camera and you get higher rental rate or it's just...? Ryan: People walk in and they want to feel secure. So our target customer is a 70-year-old woman, that's who rents our properties. So when they walk to your property, is it dark, are there cameras, is it secure? Does it feel like the fence is going to fall over? So we take the properties, we'll put in a new fence, we'll put in new cameras, we'll paint all the doors, we'll replace doors, we'll rehab the office, we'll put in notary services, we'll put in ice and vending machines.  James: Why do you need a notary service in a self-storage facility?  Ryan: Convenience. So we like to be a shop of convenience. So if somebody has got an Etsy, Amazon, they have a home-based business and they can come to our storage facility, they can drop their FedEx/UPS deliveries off at one of our properties. They can get their items notarized. They can ship, they can store. We even have a car wash at one of our properties. So, we try to be a place of convenience for people. Not that we were going to make any money on it. It's just a place where people can go and know that I rent my Uhaul truck to move my goods somewhere. At your property, I can notarize my documents, I can store my belongings, I can do a lot of different things to transact and do my business obligations. And so what we try to be kind of a helpful facility. Not all of our facility does that because not every facility even has an office. But the ones that do, you know, we sell retail. We start, you know, people pay cash, we get rid of cash payments and we go to as many automated payments as possible. We enforce the lease. You know, a lot of these facilities we take over, tenants might not even be on adequate leases. So without being on an adequate lease, you don't have an adequate lien against their belongings. You can't do an auction.  James: Have you guys done auctions? Ryan: All the time. James:  It's like Storage Wars on TV, right?  Ryan: Yeah. Yeah.  James: That really happens? Ryan: Yeah. The semantics are true or the actual process is true, but the way that it's carried out is not true. So nobody goes in person, you know, there are some old school places that still kind of do that, but we do them online. So you can go to selfstorageauctions.net, you can register. And then in your neighborhood, there could be a storage auction and you get alerted like, Oh, Hey, this unit is going up for auction. You can kind of log into your account and see, Oh, what's in there. James: All right. I can see all our audience and listeners are doing that right now. I didn't even know that. What was the website? Ryan: I think it's selfstorageauctions.net. And so as a company, what we do is we say, you know, that the storage auctions is revenue producing or whatever. They're not really revenue-producing. They're basically just to get you to get out and get a new customer in. Like we clear out the, you know, and it's the threat of losing your stuff, right? If you don't pay, you lose your stuff. James: So it's like an eviction process, I guess.  Ryan: Right.  James: Except the government can put the moratorium like what they did in multifamily right now. Ryan: The government hasn't touched us. So usually within 30 to 60 days, if you're not...so let's say, your rent is due today. If you haven't been paid in five days, you get a late fee and your unit gets locked automatically. So the gate code that lets you into our properties, the revenue management system will automatically turn the gate off.  James: Really? [26:40crosstalk]  Ryan: We over-lock your unit. You can't even get into your unit.  James: You don't pay your rent and after five days, it locks by itself? Ryan: Just like that. And then we'll over-lock you. So we'll put a red lock on your unit as well. Some of our properties will have the smart locks where it'll lock behind the door so you can't get in, you can't get into your stuff. So if you don't pay after five days, you're automatically locked out. So we liked that. We don't have to really manage that too hard. I mean, there's, you know, we have property managers are onsite staff that deals with that, but the gate code, that's automatic. And then once you pay it, we'll let you back in. But if you don't pay, you're locked out. So now you don't have access to your stuff and after 30 days we do our notices, our legal notices and then, we can take pictures of your property, do our publications and then it goes on this website and then people can buy your stuff.  And then you know, any earned income from that auction goes directly to us first, to recoup the costs of whatever the tenant owed us and then any costs of legal fees associated with it. And then anything that's left over after all of our money has been recouped, goes to the tenant, you know, cause they gotta be compensated for their stuff. So, we get paid first and then, but most importantly, we get our unit back and in multifamily or residential, they might trash the place. They're gonna do whatever they do. In storage, I mean, you can try to trash the place, but I mean, it's a box. And you know, we just sweep it out. They moved their stuff out and they're gone. And then, you know, for us, we just get our unit back and we let our customers know when they book, you know, Hey, sign up for our online auctions. You know, so they can bid on stuff and they can also know that, Hey, we do online auctions.  So a lot of places we take over, I mean, the delinquencies are a mess when we take over and that's a way to increase value. So we took over property last year, for example. And I just heard from our management that, you know, auctions were like, I mean, there were people that were 180 days delinquent and the manager just wasn't collecting on the units, they just weren't enforcing the rules. So we'll come in and we'll just follow the rules. You know, your lease says this, if you don't pay with this, you go to auction, you know, and then we make money on late fees. And some facilities that we take over don't charge late fees. I mean, if you don't pay on time, you should get charged a late fee. So there's a lot of different things we can do. You know, and plus we'll repaint, we'll redo the doors. Some doors of the old cabinet doors, you know, to open up the lock, the storage locker, we'll put the roll-up doors on them. We'll improve the lighting, we'll redo the asphalt, whatever it might be, we just get it nicer so that the customer feels safe and secure and they feel like they're getting good value for their money.  James: Got it. Got it. Got it. All right. Why don't you tell our audience how to get hold of you and your company?  Ryan: Yeah, sure. So my email is Ryan@spartan-investors.com. Our website is spartan-investors.com.  James: Awesome. Thanks for coming in and adding tons of value to our listeners and audience. Thank you.  Ryan: Yeah, you're welcome. It was nice meeting you, by the way.    

Dallas McLaughlin sits down (via Zoom) with Dewey Bratcher (@deweyfunny) to start the conversation that most white people are afraid to have with black people: can we do anything right? Can we be an ally? Maybe I'll just listen? Hope you find this talk educational and informative and make sure to follow Dewey on IG and Twitter.

Reflecting on 1 year of podcasting I've learned a few things of what to do and what NOT to do that I hope to pass on to you whether you're itching to start a podcast or set a new goal. "What worked, what didn't, what can I do different" is a great tool you can apply to whatever goal or endeavor you are striving for currently. I always strive to be open and honest about my own setbacks, and what has helped me on this creative journey in hopes it will help you wherever you are in yours. Maybe I'll make it a tradition every year on the podcast anniversary! Woohooo!! Go to www.sparkyourinnerfire.com/creativesparkchallenge to get access to my free creative spark challenge to reignite momentum and creativity. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/priscilla-pfeiffer/message

So, in a follow-up to last week's "Beginner's Guide to Protesting", this week I'm bringing you an episode of three examples where the act of protest has helped to change the world. Or at least, change aspects of the British political system - just to show it can happen here just as much as it happens everywhere else. I give an overview of three events - the 1832 Reform Act, the Battle Of Cable Street in 1936, and the Poll Tax Riots of 1990. Three different eras, but each definitely interesting in its own right. Maybe I'll go back to doing a travel podcast next week....

COMMUNITY IS EVERYTHING! Join the Joyful Courage Tribe in our community Facebook groups: Live and Love with Joyful CourageJoyful Courage for Parents of Teens :::: Today’s guest is Vivek Patel. Vivek is a conscious parenting educator who works with families to help create more harmony and connection in their homes. He has dedicated his life to spreading awareness and supporting change in schools. He's worked with youth organizations teaching conflict resolution anti bullying and leadership through movement martial arts and dance. As a conscious parenting educator, he has written hundreds of articles and has 60 parenting videos, you can find his writing on Facebook, the meaningful ideas website and YouTube. We are discussing how to take current events and bring the learning into the home. Join us!   " Being anti-racist...It's a mindset that we look at the world through that we analyze the systems that we engage in with, that we listen to language with, and, and everything from media and advertising to government systems to educational systems, the correction system, the legal system, the financial system, the housing system, everything.” “ From the micro to the macro, being willing to look at those things and see look for look at and look for the inequities, to be willing to see them inside yourself and and other people and the systems and the anti racist part of it is to be doing something to actively change it.” “When we lift up the people that are oppressed, all of us benefit from it.”  “Conscious parenting is cycle breaking”   What you’ll hear in this episode: Why conscious parenting? Vivek’s activism journey What it means to be anti-racist From micro to macro, reflecting on self and systems The role of self-love and compassion The power of coming together Celebrating the discomfort Opening ourselves up for better relationships and interactions Our parenting relationship and our influence around topics of race Moving away from perfectionism and embracing the practice of becoming anti-racist Conscious parenting as cycle breaking Should we shield our kids from the pain of the world? Kids and fairness: leveraging their intuition towards acts of changemaking Why you need to do your own work, face our own fears and where to start Six relationships that drive change Modelling anti-racism for our kids Zooming in, zooming out, and condoning bad behavior Modelling our use of power, how we engage with power and why it’s important Control and consent in parenting   What does Joyful Courage mean to you? You know, activism contains both joy and pain. I've been doing activism for 30 years, like I said, and I think that it's the ability to embrace both of those things that makes it brings our power. A friend of mine recently asked "Vivek, how do I do all this self examination without being completely exhausted and in pain." and I said, "You can't really, we have to accept that part of this growth is part of the pain and then Can we find joy in embracing our pain? Can we find joy in embracing the whole of who we are? The pain of who we are the errors that we have, the mistakes that we make, you know, even you noticing that about the picture you had about the grandma, can you find joy in noticing that racist lens?” Maybe I'll say racial lens to soften a little bit.    And so that's what I feel about, about joy. I think joy, one of my sayings is, I use the word happiness, but I think it applies the same one of my sayings is, "Happiness is not an emotion, it's a foundation. It's deeper, it's something deeper than the dualities that we experienced, the variety that we experienced. The connection with joy is something that's a connection with my deep self. It's what I call the "ocean self", you know, we're all waves on the ocean. And there's a Casey wave and a Vivek wave.    I see all the different waves around. And I think that each of us as waves really are just different forms of the same ocean and so when I'm in touch with my ocean self, that's when I feel the most joy. And the ocean self can hold my pain and can hold the transitory type of joy.    And then courage. I think courage is an inward journey and an outward journey simultaneously. I think courage is the inward journey of really knowing myself, of being able to face myself, love myself, and also be very, very honest with myself. And the outward journey is the choices I make in the world, what I choose to say, what I choose to think, what I choose to learn, how it's used to treat people. And what I choose to stand up for and who I choose to protect.    I think that it's that kind of combining of the inward and outward journey simultaneously from the experience of knowing our ocean self and our wave self. So put all of that together and you have joyful courage.   Resources:  You Are Racist video Schoolclosures.org FB Page – Meaningful Ideas, Gentle Parents Unite Meaningfulideas.com – writing You tube – Meaningful Ideas Weekly podcast – Gentle parents Unite Podcast Gentle Parenting Patreon – coaching, meditation for parents, social justice education, live on Thursdays :::: Thank you BETTER HELP! This podcast is sponsored by Better Help - online counseling anytime, anywhere. → www.betterhelp.com/joyfulcourage ::: SUPER FAM Take that community vibe next level by joining the Joyful Courage Patreon community! For as little as $5/month you can support the podcast, and enjoy weekly FB lives from me every Monday - answering questions from the community and offering direct support and coaching, and every other week there is also a Podcast Recap discussion. --> www.patreon.com/joyfulcourage ::: The Book, The Coaching Joyful Courage is so much more than a podcast! I know that you love listening in every week AND I want to encourage you to dig deeper into the learning with me, INVEST in you parenting journey. READ THE BOOK - Joyful Courage, Calming the Drama and Taking Control of Your Parenting Journey is all about how to show up as a Joyful Courage parent so that you have better access to the tools you need in hot parenting moments – tools that are helpful and maintain connection with your child. Available both in book and audio book form → http://www.joyfulcourage.com/book CONSIDER ONE ON ONE COACHING - The most POWERFUL of investments offered by Joyful Courage, one on one coaching allows for parents to really tease apart the current issues they are having with their child, while also developing a clear compass for guiding them in the direction they want to be going in. Coaching happens every other week, and is open for parents with kids 4 years old through the teen years. Go to my coaching page to book a free exploratory call and see if we are the right fit. → http://www.joyfulcourage.com/jccoaching ::::: Be a Subscriber Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Joyful Courage Podcast on Apple Podcast to get the latest shows STRAIGHT to your device!!  AND PLEASE rate and review the Joyful Courage Parenting Podcast to help me spread the show to an ever-larger audience!! CLICK HERE to watch a video that shows up how to subscribe with your iPhone!  

Welcome! We have all heard of Incognito Mode on our Browsers, but what you may not know is that it may not be protecting you. Listen in and I will explain why.   For more tech tips, news, and updates visit - CraigPeterson.com --- Read More: Google sued for at least $5 billion over-claimed ‘Incognito mode’ grab of ‘potentially embarrassing’ browsing data --- Automated Machine-Generated Transcript: Now isn't that interesting incognito mode, right? When you're going into incognito mode, it's when you want your data to be private. So a lot of people go to Incognito mode when they're doing some shopping, maybe they're Googling things and they don't want to see a hundred thousand ads for a hair straightener over the next three weeks when the ads come up. [00:00:25] So they switch into incognito mode. I, you know, I think that's a reasonable thing to try and I'm going to give you as well as some names of a couple of products you'd probably want to look at and I've done some training on and we should probably release some training on them again. But anyways, free stuff. [00:00:44] Incognito mode is apparently. Not going to block that information. So of course, the lawsuit talks here about the pervasive data tracking Google does. They know who your friends are, your hobbies, what you like to eat, the movies you watch wearing when you like to shop your favorite vacation destinations, and the suits alleging that whether or not you are using incognito mode, Google? [00:01:16] Is still collecting it. So we'll see what happens here. Uh, the language is really kind of where it's focused here. The language Google is using to explain incognito mode. It says that incognito mode allows users to quote, browse the web privately, and quote. And Google pointing to advisories to the user that explained private browsing doesn't mean data is not collected. [00:01:46] So Google is going to defend itself, of course, but you know, incognito mode, these private modes are not private. So don't think that just because you're turning it on that you're not being tracked. All right. Don't think that just you turned it on that your computer doesn't have little turds left, lying around that can be used to figure out what you did and how you did it. [00:02:11] And unbeknownst to most users, Google is constantly tracking everything you read and request click by click page by page in real-time because a lot of the websites have Google cookies on them that allows Google analytics and Google ad manager now to know where you've gone and what you have done. So don't trust it. [00:02:34] So I promised I would give you some alternatives. Uh, first let's just mention Safari kugel, also intercepts browsing data when the private modes are used on all other browsers, including Safari. Right? So don't think this is just a Chrome problem. Google is collecting it everywhere and it has to do primarily with the cookies, but also you can now identify. [00:03:02] A browser, a specific computer without ever reading a cookie by looking at what that configuration is for that computer because that becomes quite a little fingerprint as well. What software do you have installed? How much memory what's the processor, but a version of the operating system, et cetera, et cetera. [00:03:20] Right? So they can really track you down. So what I do is I recommend a couple of things. First of all, if you really want to browse privately on the web. Use Epic -E P I C. Epic browser.com is where you'll find it. It is based on Google Chrome, but they have removed all of the tracking information from it. [00:03:44] So that's the first one. The second thing is Epic. It isn't going to work for everybody and it's not going to work for every website. That's for sure. So what you probably want to do is get a couple of privacy plugins that you can use. Privacy. Badger is one that I recommend and I, in my training courses, I show you how to get it and how to install it. [00:04:09] You block origin is another good one. That you probably should look at it installing. And there are a few others that I recommend as well, depending on what you're trying to do, but that's the only way you are going to get some privacy online. Ultimately, if you want the ultimate in privacy in one, in one way, right? [00:04:30] In another way, it's a little less than the ultimate, but generally speaking, it's ultimate and privacy. Do this. Get the tour browser T O R. It runs on the onion network. You're going to find it to be a lot slower than all the other browsers out there. And you are getting lumped in with some very bad people that use the Tor browser. [00:04:53] So, you know, take that into account as well. When you're looking at it, should you use it? Should you not use it? That's going to be up to you, but if you absolutely want to make sure that your data is not being captured by your ISP and that your data is not. Being stored on your computer, a good way to get there. [00:05:14] At least most of the way there is to use the Tor browser. Now there are other tools you can use. Maybe I'll, I'll put together some courses on that. You have to let me know if you're interested, where there are secure operating systems and other things you can use, to try and keep your information. Sure. [00:05:30] Because listen secure. If you have your retirement, do you really want to have that all stolen? If your retirement set up in your business, do you want your business shut down? There's a lot of good reasons to try and keep your data safe. So stick around. We're going to be right back. We're going to be talking about zoom and end to end encryption. [00:05:54] This is Craig Peterson here, and visit me online. Craig peterson.com. --- More stories and tech updates at: www.craigpeterson.com Don't miss an episode from Craig. Subscribe and give us a rating: www.craigpeterson.com/itunes Follow me on Twitter for the latest in tech at: www.twitter.com/craigpeterson For questions, call or text: 855-385-5553  

The Game Gear Micro is STUNNINGLY ill-conceived. 0:10 - Why has Sega has designed the Game Gear Micro to be as unappealing as possible? 40:55 - I've been playing Baten Kaitos for 15 years. Maybe I'll finally finish it! 49:48 - I finally finished Dragon Quest XI. It was good. If you missed Saturday’s live broadcast of Molehill Mountain, you can watch the video replay on YouTube.  Alternatively, you can catch audio versions of the show on iTunes. Molehill Mountain streams live at 7p PST every Saturday night on RandomTower! Credits: Molehill Mountain is hosted by Andrew Eisen.  Music in the show includes “Albino” by Brian Boyko. It is in the public domain and free to use. Molehill Mountain logo by Scott Hepting. Chat Transcript: 6:57 PMScrungle Humingsworth​hello andrew 6:57 PMla noir master that's right​hi 6:57 PMScrungle Humingsworth​hope you're strapped and staying safe 6:58 PMla noir master that's right​it is a good game 6:59 PMla noir master that's right​have you played la noir 6:59 PMla noir master that's right​yep 6:59 PMla noir master that's right​I beat the game 7:00 PMla noir master that's right​did you play it on your channel 7:01 PMjordan thompson​ive been buying up a lot of junk to feed my new ps2 addiction, I spent some rewards points in final fantasy 12 its my first final fantasy game hopfully its worth a damn 7:01 PMla noir master that's right​cool 7:03 PMjordan thompson​I had the game genie attachment making the behemoth even bigger 7:03 PMjordan thompson​jaguar was Atari 7:05 PMScrungle Humingsworth​what the fuck? that looks like a keyring add-on that I buy at a gamestop 7:06 PMScrungle Humingsworth​sega - if your eyesight sucks, you can't play our gamegear 7:07 PMjordan thompson​a dreamcast mini would sell better 7:07 PMScrungle Humingsworth​just make a better dreamcast and release it 7:08 PMScrungle Humingsworth​watch as people scramble to buy it 7:09 PMjordan thompson​well andrew my 5 week old infant wants to play game gear 7:09 PMScrungle Humingsworth​Jordan have your infant play quake 7:11 PMjordan thompson​ive seen shrek 2 on gameboy video on the micro, im a masochist 7:12 PMaddictedtochaos​The Sega Game Gear micro/mini is a hard pass for me. 7:13 PMaddictedtochaos​Would have been a better idea to just announce a Game Gear Collection for current systems. 7:13 PMjordan thompson​if I was a sega ambassador and the media ask me why the game gear was made id say we did it for the lolz 7:15 PMjordan thompson​do it andrew the monitzation you get is pennies anyway ..... just being honest 7:15 PMScrungle Humingsworth​AYO PUYO PUYO? 7:17 PMjordan thompson​I cant wait to lose it in my couch 7:17 PMScrungle Humingsworth​rioters in NYC broke into the Nintendo store and stole the donkey kong statue 7:18 PMScrungle Humingsworth​who steals a statue 7:21 PMjordan thompson​imagnine if they stole his bananas 7:21 PMScrungle Humingsworth​yeah I saw it on twitter lmao 7:23 PMScrungle Humingsworth​most of the brand statements feel like a copy and paste 7:23 PMScrungle Humingsworth​but they get praised for doing Jack shit 7:23 PMScrungle Humingsworth​*cough* blizzard *cough* 7:24 PMjordan thompson​how about "we're a video game company and have nothing to do with social politics, but as humans we feel bad for the current ongoings in the world." 7:25 PMScrungle Humingsworth​i think of you as an EPIC GAMUR, but a good friend. we may not agree on everything 100% but that doesn't mean we cant still be friends 7:27 PMjordan thompson​J.K. Rowling is a crackpot who cant shut her mouth on social politics but I still love harry potter, people need to find a way to disassociate the art from the artist 7:29 PMScrungle Humingsworth​Oh I'm talking about how they banned the free hong Kong players for saying free hong kong 7:29 PMScrungle Humingsworth​but this happens and they go out of their way to show support...

Howdy! Hey KIDS, new logo! Same bat pod. Same bat channel. So I turned 37 yesterday. I'm something like 37. WAIT.......I'M 37?! IN A ROW?! It's funny. Doesn't feel like anything to me..... being a year older. Right now I have a headache and a stiff neck. And I've been nursing a fucked up Sciatic nerve for over a week. The last day of April was shitty, and the first week of May was and has been shitty too. Haven't been able to walk. Barely able to move or amble around. Been taking painkillers. Hate taking pain killers. Haven't had any substances in my body for months, now this bullshit. I used to be such a straight edge Flanagan. Ha! Anyway, this is the fabled lost episode of RR.(There's another one I recorded and literally was not able to recover but it is somewhere in my Chromebook). This episode was originally recorded the first Monday of December 2019. Dec. 02, 2019 to be exact. Ah to take a stroll down memory lane. I had to edit a lot of noise and ummms and broken wind out of this one. I was just fresh out of a pseudo online LDR so to speak. I was bright eyed, bushy tailed. Filled with piss and vinegar. Now I'm just in a drug addled haze. I wasn't pilled up until about 2 weeks ago exactly. I have another episode I recorded the weekend right before I fucked up my Sciatica again. I'm going to work on editing that one. Until then, here's something to satisfy the Nebraskan listenership with all their smart assy remarks and yucks and shenanigans and whatnot. Yes, this IS episode 23. Happy?! Ha It's not that long it was originally about 55 minutes, whittled down to about 45, edited some stuff out, not much, a few nonsensical things and whatnot. It literally took me a week to edit it and put it up. Blame the pain pills, depression, isolation, self loathing, binge eating, binge watching, and deafening silence, and a full mind. Also, blame my anxiety. But mostly depression. I start and end this lost episode very cheerful and optimistic. If I could go back and tell my past self what was going to happen, he'd probably throw his back out too staying at the gym non stop. Anyway, there's some music and movies and pod talk on this lost episode. The intro jamz I added these past days. Been getting into that AJFA album again. Anyway this isn't a livejournal, this is a podcast description. THANK YOU ANCHOR, SPOTIFY, KRISTEN CARNEY for introducing me to anchor, and FUCK YOU SOUNDCLOUD! Hopefully whatever is ailing me fucks right off. Enjoy the show, send anything and everything to dead_rufio@yahoo.com or tweet @RoamingReignz. Maybe I'll find my brain and check the feedback. Tell a friend. Or two. LATERZ. AL RATO! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/roaming-reigns/support

Welcome to Part 5 of Our Quarantined Life. In this episode, I chat with a long-time friend, Kelsie Stone. Kelsie is the author of Glass Dust, and her wisdom certainly goes beyond her years.  Kelsie is passionate about people. In fact, she shaved her head in order to raise money for MUST Ministries during the COVID-19 crisis. Even though she is in isolation due to being immune-compromised, she wanted to continue to contribute to helping others in her community. She petitioned for people to donate money to this ministry in hopes of allowing more people to be fed during this pandemic. Kelsie has a connective tissue disease called Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, or HEDS for short. This disease is considered rare; however, Kelsie, along with others who have also been diagnosed, thinks that it is more common than we are aware.  Kelsie is immune-compromised and was also diagnosed with a disorder called Scheuermann Disease, and then eventually Ankylosing Spondylitis, after she found out that her spine was broken in three different places without her knowledge of ever having broken it.  We mention how, in high school, Tiffany was awarded a trip to the counselor's office because of a poem she wrote for The Cherokee Review, a book of poems and short stories submitted by the high school students. Who knows? Maybe I'll publish it as an article at http://teaoflifepodcast.com/, and then you can give me your opinion on whether or not that trip was truly deserved. Kelsie is a passionate gamer, specifically VR (Virtual Reality). We talk about how she has been able to turn her passion for gaming into physical therapy for her body, and she shares about her desire to introduce gaming techniques to the disabled community.  Kelsie encourages everyone to remember that lives matter...everyone matters. She hopes that we can hold on to the adversity that we are experiencing right now so that we can continue pulling together going forward. Relationship and community have always been important, and we hope that we can remember that when this all comes to an end. Visit Amazon today to buy your own copy of Kelsie's book, Glass Dust. 

Dr Carolyn Lam: Welcome to Circulation on the Run, your weekly podcast summary and backstage pass to the journal and its editors. I'm Dr Carolyn Lam, associate editor from the National Heart Center and Duke National University of Singapore. Dr Greg Hundley: And I'm Greg Hundley, associate editor, Director of the Pauley Heart Center from VCU Health in Richmond, Virginia. Well, our feature article this week, Carolyn, is really interesting and evaluates management of patients that are suspected to have atrial fibrillation and how we should screen them, what kind of monitoring and the like, very interesting discussion that will be coming up. But before we get to that, how about we start into the papers and would you like to go first? Dr Carolyn Lam: I would love to. And the first one is a basic paper on regenerative therapy, very important topic. Now remember that mammalian adult hearts have limited regenerative capacity. However, a transient regenerative capacity is maintained in the neonatal heart. So co-corresponding authors, Dr Wang and Dr Guo from Nanjing Medical University hypothesize that by analyzing systemic phosphorylation signaling in ischemic neonatal myocardium, they may unlock key pathways involved in heart regeneration. They therefore used quantitative phosphorylation proteomics to analyze the kinase substrate network of regenerative myocardium post MI in neonatal mice. And they found that activated Chk1 kinase was responsible for neonatal regeneration and could enhance cardiac regeneration in adult hearts post MI via activating the mTORC1 P70-S6K axis. Dr Greg Hundley: Wow, Carolyn. Sounds like this could have a lot of clinical application several years down the road. So what are your thoughts on that? Dr Carolyn Lam: I thought you may ask. Well, potentiation of Chk1 kinase, therefore, may be a promising regenerative therapy and authors gave this example that Chk1 injection could for example, in the form of a hydrogel, be injected into the myocardial infarction region and surrounding areas and may even be a novel therapeutic option to promote cardiac regeneration post MI. Dr Greg Hundley: Very good, Carolyn. Well, my paper comes from the PARTNER 3 trial and remember PARTNER 3 is a comparison of transcatheter versus surgical aortic-valve replacement in low risk patients. The corresponding author is Dr Philippe Pibarot from Quebec. The placement of aortic transcatheter valve three or PARTNER 3 trial randomized a thousand patients with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk at 71 centers to undergo either transfemoral TAVR with the balloon expandable SAPIEN 3 valve versus undergoing SAVR or surgical aortic valve replacement. Transthoracic echocardiograms were obtained at baseline and at 30 days and one-year post procedure and they were analyzed by a consortium of two echocardiography core labs. The objective of this study is to compare echocardiographic findings in low risk patients with severe aortic stenosis following surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Dr Carolyn Lam: Important topic, very hot. So what did they find? Dr Greg Hundley: In patients with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk, TAVR with the SAPIEN 3 valve was associated with a similar percentage of moderate to severe AR compared with SAVR, but a higher percentage of mild AR with no association between any grade of AR and outcomes. Trans-prosthetic gradients, valve areas and LV mass regression were similar in TAVR versus SAVR. And SAVR was associated with a significant deterioration of RV systolic function and greater tricuspid regurgitation, which persisted at one year. So Carolyn, very interesting results. Another study from PARTNER 3 comparing TAVR versus SAVR for patients with severe aortic stenosis. Dr Carolyn Lam: Nice. So going from PARTNER 3, I want to talk about MESA and this time focusing on coronary artery calcium. Now we know that the recent ACC/AHA primary prevention guidelines recommend considering low dose aspirin therapy only among adults who are at high atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk but not at high risk of bleeding. However, it remains unclear how these patients are best identified. So the current study aimed to assess the value of coronary artery calcium for guiding aspirin allocation in primary prevention using the 2019 aspirin meta-analysis data on cardiovascular disease relative risk reduction and bleeding risk. So corresponding author Dr Cainzos-Achirica from Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and colleagues studied 6,470 participants from MESA all of whom underwent coronary artery calcium scoring at baseline to assess benefit versus harm. A 12% relative risk reduction in cardiovascular disease events was used for five-year number needed to treat calculations, while a 42% relative risk increase in major bleeding events was used for the five-year number needed to harm estimations. And now here are the results. Only 5% of MESA participants would qualify for aspirin consideration for primary prevention according to the ACC/AHA guidelines and using more than 20% estimated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk to define higher risk. Among the 3,540 aspirin naive participants less than 70 years old and not at high risk of bleeding, the overall number needed to treat in five years with aspirin to prevent one cardiovascular disease event was 476, while the number needed to harm in five years was 355. The numbers needed to treat in five years was also greater than or similar to the numbers needed to harm among estimated ASCVD risk strata by pool cohort equations. Conversely, with a coronary artery calcium score of more than a hundred or more than 400, both these cutoffs identified subgroups in which the number needed to treat in five years was lower than the number needed to harm in five years. Also, coronary calcium score of zero identified subgroups in which the number needed to treat was much higher than the number needed to harm. Dr Greg Hundley: Lots of data. So we're mixing aspirin and MESA coronary calcium scores. What do we take home from this? Dr Carolyn Lam: So here's the take home message. Coronary artery calcium may be superior to the pool cohort equations to inform the allocation of aspirin in primary prevention. Individuals with a coronary artery calcium score above hundred and particularly above 400 may be good candidates for aspirin therapy for primary prevention. Although the net expected benefit will likely be modest. In the presence of zero coronary artery calcium, the risk of bleeding is greater than the potential benefit and aspirin therapy for primary prevention should probably be avoided. Overall, implementation of the current 2019 ACC/AHA guideline recommendations together with the use of coronary artery calcium scoring for further risk assessment may result in a more personalized, safer allocation of aspirin for primary prevention. Although ,of course, confirmation and external settings are required. Dr Greg Hundley: That was really interesting. Combining coronary calcium scores, if you happen to have it, if someone's considering primary prevention with aspirin, it looks like those calcium scores could really be helpful there. Well, I've got a couple other papers to talk about in this week's issue. There's an ECG challenge from Abdulhamied Alfaddagh from Johns Hopkins reviewing the quote unquote de Winter EKG pattern in a truck driver presenting with chest pain. Second, there's an in-depth article from Alexander Fletcher from Edinburgh in the United Kingdom who discusses the metabolic pathways involved in inherited aortopathies trying to move beyond just diameter assessments to predict risk above future dilation and rupture. And then lastly, there's a research letter from Petra Frings-Meuthen from the German Aerospace Center, the reports on how weightlessness shifts intravascular volumes and concentration of natriuretic peptides in astronauts. Dr Carolyn Lam: Huh. And I would like one on my mind by Dr Kowey and it talks about the relentless pursuit of new drugs to treat cardiac arrhythmias. Wow. What a nice issue. Let's move on now to our feature discussion. Dr Greg Hundley: Welcome everyone to our feature discussion. In this particular paper will focus on atrial fibrillation and we're delighted to have Dr Søren Diederichsen from Copenhagen presenting this work and Dr Changsheng Ma, one of our associate editors from Beijing, China to have nice discussion. Søren, I was wondering if we could get started with you. Could you tell us a little bit about what was the background related to this study and perhaps even a little bit about the hypothesis that you wanted to test? Dr Søren Diederichsen:  The background for this study is that, as we all know, atrial fibrillation is actually big and it's a growing health problem throughout the world and we also know that AF is often asymptomatic. So many cases of atrial fibrillation go undetected until complications occur. And, of course, one of the most feared complications from AFib is a disabling stroke. And there's more and more evidence growing that a large proportion of people with risk factors for stroke do have some subclinical atrial fibrillation when they investigated or when they are followed, for instance, with a pacemaker. So there has been a recent meta-analysis that found that the at risk of stroke in patients with subclinical AFib was fairly large compared to the risk of stroke in patients without subclinical AFib. So, in this study, we want to look at the subclinical AFib in patients from the general population using loop recorders to follow these patients. And we want to sort of look at how could we screen the patients to find those with subclinical AFib using different screening scenarios which are less intensive than using a loop recorder for everyone. Dr Greg Hundley: Søren, could you tell us a little bit about your study population and your study design? Dr Søren Diederichsen:  First of all, this study is part of an ongoing randomized control trial called the loop study. And in the loop study we recruited study participants from the general population. The participants had to be at least 70 years old. And besides age as a stroke risk factor, they also had to have at least one additional stroke risk factor, hypertension, diabetes, heart failure or previous stroke. And importantly, they could not have AFib. And the included participants were then randomized to control or screening for AFib using implantable loop recorder with remote monitoring and adjudication of new onset AF episodes. In this particular study, we looked at the first participants in the loop recorder group who had been monitored for the entirety of the device's battery life, which is approximately three and a half years. So for these persons, we know whether or not they actually have AFib and we know exactly when they were in AFib and when they were in sinus rhythm. So we use this data from the loop recorders to reconstruct full heart rhythm histories for each person, including exact time of onset and termination of each episode after exclusion of any clinically detected AF in the patients. And it's a bit complicated study design because we have these heart rhythm histories. Now you can imagine where we have a string of data which is approximately three and a half years long and we know exactly when is AFib present and when a sinus rhythm present in this patient. So we could use that data to simulate that the persons had been invited to an AFib screening by the health care service and had undergone a different type of screening at a random time. And these screenings that we investigated were time-point screening using standard ten second ECG during office hours and intermittent screening using single list devices, for instance, and short term continuous screening using external devices such as Holter or event recorder. So we simulated that the patients had undergone such screenings and we could also assimilate that the patients were screened several times on a monthly or annual basis such as, for instance, taking an ECG every year. And this simulation was then used to evaluate the sensitivity and negative predictive value of various screening regiments using the loop recorders' gold standard. Dr Greg Hundley: What were your study results? Dr Søren Diederichsen:  All of this data comprised, as I told you, the first participant in our trial that had been monitored for the full battery life of the device. So that was 590 participants entering nearly 700,000 days of continuous monitoring. So that was our data. And one third of those participants actually had previously unknown AFib and the number of AF episodes in our data was more than 20,000 AF episodes. The main results were that if we simulate the pseudo-random daytime ECG in those patients, we would have identified only 1.5% of those who had AFib while performing by daily 32nd ECGs during 14 days, we would have identified 8% of those with AFib. And if we took a 72-hour Holter, we would have identified 15% or a longer, for instance, a 30-day event recorder, we would have identified about a third of all those with AFib. So that was actually our main results. We were able to see how many would we have identified of those with AFib if we'd done anything from taking a daytime ECG to performing a rather long event recorder. Dr Greg Hundley: Were you able to put together maybe a combination of other variables along with the more lengthy recordings that could forecast future atrial fibrillation? Dr Søren Diederichsen: One of the things we wanted to do with this study was not only did we want to see what is actually the diagnostic performance of doing an ECG or screening patients at risk with different kinds of screening, we also want to look at specific subgroups of the population who were more likely to maybe benefit from the screening in terms of having their AFib diagnosed. So we looked at some population characteristics, age, sex and NT-proBNP. And we saw that the sensitivity of the screening was consistently higher among those who were older with a cutoff at 75 years, and also among males and among those with a high NT-proBNP. So we could see that if we had screened one of those risk factor groups, age, male sex or high NT-proBNP, we would have been more or less likely to identify if AF was actually present. Dr Greg Hundley: Changsheng, I'd like to turn to you. Can you help us put this results into perspective? How should we use this information in managing patients with atrial fibrillation? Dr Changsheng: The AI for screening is a very important clinical problem and a hot topic issue. The heart rate monitoring is a cornerstone for detecting suspected AF patients. And then emerging new technology make monitoring more convenient than before. But however the best screening strategy for those at higher risk of future AF stroke. And probably the strategy for the general population screening remain undetermined. On the contrary, they evaluated the performance of a large panel of AF screening strategy among the 600 persons with a stroke risk factor that was not known yet. The study used as an implantable loop recorder as a gold standard to assess the detection or difference in simulating a screening model. I've got to say, the method employed in this study is quite exquisite and there's a key finding our clients tried to forward. The time-point screening or the short-term monitoring could only identify a very small fraction of AFIB as compared for long-term loop recording screening. And diagnostic yield increased with duration, number and the dispersion of screenings. So this is done to provide important clinical implications that every relatively intense screening such as even now I knew 30-day monitoring would need more than four in ten with AF. And about one in six which are underlying more than 24 hours episode of AF. So the authors also gave the practical dispersion concept that when screening for AF, three times 24 hour monitoring are superior to one time 72 hour monitoring. So I think this is a very important study to understand the condition, to understand the screening of AF patient for the general population. Dr Greg Hundley: So really, helping us put these results in perspective. Maybe I'll ask each of you Søren first and then Changsheng. What do you think is the next research that needs to be performed after taking your results into account? Dr Søren Diederichsen:  In terms of what we should do next, I agree with Changsheng that there's a lot of attention towards AF screening at the moment, but we still really don't know if widespread screening in the population is actually something that could prevent heart endpoints. So the next thing we need to know is, first of all, if we screen, will we have fewer of those events or will we have more side effects from the screening such as anticoagulant-mediated bleedings? It's very important to keep in mind that we don't yet know if screening is something that would prevent heart endpoints. Second of all, we want to know more about what is actually the relationship between AF burden or amount of AF and risk of stroke. There's some evidences coming up that it's growing. Is it, for instance, from the CERT study that the amount of AF and the pattern of AF that you have might tell us a little bit about what is your risk of stroke? For instance, if you have long AF episodes, your risk of stroke is higher than if you have all the short AF episodes. And so that would be two of the next things I would think we should look at. Dr Greg Hundley: Very good. Changsheng, do you have something to add to that? Dr Changsheng: Yes, I agree with Søren. Now, on the detection, it's important but as a burden, even more important. So in practice in future, wouldn't we need more advanced technology and the patients or the participants frontally the monitoring device, which has the same ability to loop record them. But this is more easy to use because when we use frontal monitoring for the patients, the longer duration of your monitoring period. So worse complains to the patients, not as our study because we have a simulation methodology, that 100% of patient accomplishments. So I think in future, the watch with a diagnostic function of AF differentiation based on not ECG, but only based on the pulse. So, the watch diagnostic function, not by ECG that are by pulse, like a detection of pulse. And then depend on the artificial intelligence, the AI function, to make a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, not by ECG. That would be the future. Dr Søren Diederichsen:  And if you don't mind, I would like to add to that because I think that Changsheng raises an excellent point here with the smartwatch and how could they contribute to our prevention of stroke and in society. So the current smartwatches work by looking at the pulse by photoplethysmography. And they cannot look at the pulse continuously as we do with the loop recorder looking at the ECG continuously. This like with the photoplethysmography turns on when the patient is at risk and builds up an algorithm to look at what is actually the likelihood that the patient is an AF at this moment or today. So at this point it'll only detect fairly long AF episodes, but in this study, we also looked at the longer AF episodes and the AAF burden. How does that impact the likelihood of detecting AF and of course it's more easy to detect it in patients with long AF episodes. And if we find out in the future that a larger AF burden or longer AF episodes are actually required to increase the risk of stroke, then I believe that technology such as smartwatches could be a very feasible way to screen or to detect that kind of AF in patients at risk. Dr Greg Hundley: Well listeners we've had a wonderful discussion here with Dr Søren Diederichsen from Copenhagen and our associate editor, Changsheng Ma from Beijing, China. And really reviewing some important results related to screening for atrial fibrillation and the three 24-hour monitoring sessions combined with risk factors really help us identify who may be experiencing atrial fibrillation in our patients. And then also, very interesting projections for the future, both using technology to try to identify atrial fibrillation perhaps through watches. And then also how we could incorporate the duration, the time, et cetera of atrial fibrillation occurrences and how they may relate to adverse events. Thank you so much Søren. Thank you Changsheng. And to all our listeners, we wish you a very safe week and look forward to meeting with you next week. Take care. This program is copyright the American Heart Association 2020.  

In this episode, Dave tries to catch up with comments from previous episodes but gets distracted. Stay tuned for a bonus episode in the next one. Maybe I'll share the story about the cactus in it.Interested in the discussion? Share your thoughts here at Spreaker in the comment section or tweet them @dumbwithdave.Don't forget to also share the episode on your other social media platforms.Check out last week's episode!

In this episode, Dave tries to catch up with comments from previous episodes but gets distracted. Stay tuned for a bonus episode in the next one. Maybe I'll share the story about the cactus in it. Interested in the discussion? Share your thoughts here at Spreaker in the comment section or tweet them @dumbwithdave. Don't forget to also share the episode on your other social media platforms. Check out last week's episode!

I'm the most unreliable podcaster you know! Maybe I'll do better. Probably not, but I love ya'all anyway. Hope you're holding it together quarantine-style. Get ahold of me if you need help. Thanks pals.

FuryBSD 2020Q2 Images Available, Technical reasons to choose FreeBSD over GNU/Linux, Ars technica reviews GhostBSD, “TLS Mastery” sponsorships open, BSD community show their various collections, a tale of OpenBSD secure memory allocator internals, learn to stop worrying and love SSDs, and more. Headlines FuryBSD 2020Q2 Images Available for XFCE and KDE (https://www.furybsd.org/furybsd-2020-q2-images-are-available-for-xfce-and-kde/) The Q2 2020 images are not a visible leap forward but a functional leap forward. Most effort was spent creating a better out of box experience for automatic Ethernet configuration, working WiFi, webcam, and improved hypervisor support. Technical reasons to choose FreeBSD over GNU/Linux (https://unixsheikh.com/articles/technical-reasons-to-choose-freebsd-over-linux.html) Since I wrote my article "Why you should migrate everything from Linux to BSD" I have been wanting to write something about the technical reasons to choose FreeBSD over GNU/Linux and while I cannot possibly cover every single reason, I can write about some of the things that I consider worth noting. News Roundup + Not actually Linux distro review deux: GhostBSD (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/04/not-actually-linux-distro-review-deux-ghostbsd/) When I began work on the FreeBSD 12.1-RELEASE review last week, it didn't take long to figure out that the desktop portion wasn't going very smoothly. I think it's important for BSD-curious users to know of easier, gentler alternatives, so I did a little looking around and settled on GhostBSD for a follow-up review. GhostBSD is based on TrueOS, which itself derives from FreeBSD Stable. It was originally a Canadian distro, but—like most successful distributions—it has transcended its country of origin and can now be considered worldwide. Significant GhostBSD development takes place now in Canada, Italy, Germany, and the United States. “TLS Mastery” sponsorships open (https://mwl.io/archives/6265) My next book will be TLS Mastery, all about Transport Layer Encryption, Let’s Encrypt, OCSP, and so on. This should be a shorter book, more like my DNSSEC or Tarsnap titles, or the first edition of Sudo Mastery. I would like a break from writing doorstops like the SNMP and jails books. JT (our producer) shared his Open Source Retail Box Collection on twitter this past weekend and there was a nice response from a few in the BSD Community showing their collections: JT's post: https://twitter.com/q5sys/status/1251194823589138432 High Resolution Image to see the bottom shelf better: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9QTs2RR/0/f1742096/O/i-9QTs2RR.jpg Closeup of the BSD Section: https://twitter.com/q5sys/status/1251294290782928897 Others jumped in with their collections: Deb Goodkin's collection: https://twitter.com/dgoodkin/status/1251294016139743232 & https://twitter.com/dgoodkin/status/1251298125672660992 FreeBSD Frau's FreeBSD Collection: https://twitter.com/freebsdfrau/status/1251290430475350018 Jason Tubnor's OpenBSD Collection: https://twitter.com/Tubsta/status/1251265902214918144 Do you have a nice collection, take a picture and send it in! Tale of OpenBSD secure memory allocator internals - malloc(3) (https://bsdb0y.github.io/blog/deep-dive-into-the-OpenBSD-malloc-and-friends-internals-part-1.html) Hi there, It's been a very long time I haven't written anything after my last OpenBSD blogs, that is, OpenBSD Kernel Internals — Creation of process from user-space to kernel space. OpenBSD: Introduction to execpromises in the pledge(2) pledge(2): OpenBSD's defensive approach to OS Security So, again I started reading OpenBSD source codes with debugger after reducing my sleep timings and managing to get some time after professional life. This time I have picked one of my favourite item from my wishlist to learn and share, that is, OpenBSD malloc(3), secure allocator How I learned to stop worrying and love SSDs (https://www.ixsystems.com/community/threads/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-ssds.82617/) my home FreeNAS runs two pools for data. One RAIDZ2 with four spinning disk drives and one mirror with two SSDs. Toying with InfluxDB and Grafana in the last couple of days I found that I seem to have a constant write load of 1 Megabyte (!) per second on the SSDs. What the ...? So I run three VMs on the SSDs in total. One with Windows 10, two with Ubuntu running Confluence, A wiki essentially, with files for attachments and MySQL as the backend database. Clearly the writes had to stop when the wikis were not used at all, just sitting idle, right? Well even with a full query log and quite some experience in the operation of web applications I could not figure out what Confluence is doing (productively, no doubt) but trust me, it writes a couple of hundred kbytes to the database each second just sitting idle. My infrastructure as of 2019 (https://chown.me/blog/infrastructure-2019.html) I've wanted to write about my infrastructure for a while, but I kept thinking, "I'll wait until after I've done $nextthingonmytodo." Of course this cycle never ends, so I decided to write about its state at the end of 2019. Maybe I'll write an update on it in a couple of moons; who knows? For something different than our usual Beastie Bits… we bring you… We're all quarantined so lets install BSD on things! Install BSD on something this week, write it up and let us know about it, and maybe we'll feature you! Installation of NetBSD on a Mac Mini (https://e17i.github.io/articles-netbsd-install/) OpenBSD on the HP Envy 13 (https://icyphox.sh/blog/openbsd-hp-envy/) Install NetBSD on a Vintage Computer (https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/install-netbsd-on-a-vintage-computer) BSDCan Home Lab Panel recording session: May 5th at 18:00 UTC (https://twitter.com/allanjude/status/1251895348836143104) Allan started a series of FreeBSD Office Hours (https://wiki.freebsd.org/OfficeHours) BSDNow is going Independent After being part of Jupiter Broadcasting since we started back in 2013, BSDNow is moving to become independent. We extend a very large thank you to Jupiter Broadcasting and Linux Academy for hosting us for so many years, and allowing us to bring you over 100 episodes without advertisements. What does this mean for you, the listener? Not much will change, just make sure your subscription is via the RSS feed at BSDNow.tv rather than one of the Jupiter Broadcasting feeds. We will update you with more news as things settle out. Feedback/Questions Todd - LinusTechTips Claims about ZFS (https://github.com/BSDNow/bsdnow.tv/blob/master/episodes/348/feedback/Todd%20-%20LinusTechTips'%20claims%20on%20ZFS.md) Send questions, comments, show ideas/topics, or stories you want mentioned on the show to feedback@bsdnow.tv (mailto:feedback@bsdnow.tv) Your browser does not support the HTML5 video tag.

How to Set Your Pricing With Courtney Deagon Josh: We've got a very special guest for you today. Who here hasn't had that problem, that question, how do I price my item? Is it on what it's costing me plus a percentage? Do I look out into the wilderness and see what my competitors are doing, or do I somehow come up with some other equation? Get more tips on how to set your pricing at dorksdelivered.com.au Josh: It's always an interesting one and there's a lot of psychology into it. And I'd like to introduce Courtney here, who's going to talk a little bit more about how pricing works and why it's super important. So Courtney, tell me, what's the one thing you should never do when it comes to pricing? Courtney Deagon: Wow, Josh, that is such a big question. What's the one thing you should never do when it comes to pricing? One of the things that I always talk about is not just relying on your costs to set your price. And I know that it's such a common thing that's taught, especially to smaller new business owners, because it comes from cost accounting. It makes sense logically to calculate our costs and add on a percentage. Courtney Deagon: But in more cases than not, this can actually lead to business burnout and not having pricing that's profitable and even good for your business or your customers. The truth about your pricing is that your customers are going to pay, they show their willingness to pay and their willingness to pay doesn't change depending on your costs. Your customers don't care about your costs, they care about the value of what you do and what you provide. Josh: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so how do you make sure that you put the right value on that? Does that come down to the psychology, the message, or is that making sure that you're jumping into the why, or how would you start working that out? Courtney Deagon: Yeah, so the first thing that I would always encourage people to do is just to get to know your customers more. I love to tell people to be insatiably curious about their customers. When you take the time and effort to get to know people, that means a lot to them as well. That can increase your perceived value to them and their willingness to pay. Courtney Deagon: And what I often find working with my clients is usually the thing that they think people value the most isn't the thing that the customers value the most. And so they get in and they talk to them and they find out, oh, I thought this feature was the thing that they really wanted and valued. But actually it's this thing over here that I don't even talk about. It's just something that happens to be a part of my experience of working with me. Courtney Deagon: So, that's always really interesting, seeing that happen to businesses where they discover what the clients really value. When you know what your customers really value, you can then package your offerings, and price your offerings, and organise your marketing in such a way that it's so much more clear to your audience what you're selling. So much more clear to them what the value is going to be, and they're going to have a much higher willingness to pay for what you do. Josh: Cool. So I guess like you're saying, just cut through the fodder. Maybe you've looked at your client base and they happen to be full of similar sorts of people that love either going to high teas or playing a game of golf or whatever it is, it may be both. But whatever it is, if you're able to find that you're then able to gear that message and make sure that the value of this thing and the relationship they're going to be building with you, is already getting off on the right foot. As opposed to saying, I'm selling pies, and you're a pie store, saying you're selling environmental pies that are eco-friendly or vegan or something like that. It means it's not going to apply to everyone, but vegans are going to be like, "Wow, that's where I want to go." Is that what you're saying? Courtney Deagon: Absolutely. So you touched on it before in terms of the psychology. It's really important to understand that people, I feel are going to make decisions based on their perception. And perception does not map evenly to reality. You can think of the difference between an actual map like you see on Google Maps and actual reality. They're both very, very different. Courtney Deagon: Even if you try to create a reality for your marketing and advertising, the customer is still going to come up with their own perception. It's really, really important then to make sure that you understand what kind of value they're looking for, what kind of things might turn them off? Because it could be something that you're saying, it could be something in your wording, it could be something in the imagery that you're using. Courtney Deagon: But the most important thing is to take off that hat as the professional, because we know so much about our skill and about our product or service, we know so much about it, we know the impact it has on our customers and their lives. How happy it can make them, how much money it can make them and so on, our customers have no idea. All the customer knows is that they have this problem or they have this particular outcome that they really want to achieve. And what we want to do is we want to communicate the fact that we can help them meet that outcome. It's not, "Here's my product, buy my product." It's, "You have a problem. This is a solution you want. I can give you that solution. Here's how I do it." Courtney Deagon: So you start with the value first because that's what's driving the customer to you in the first place. It's not your product. There's a quote that I love that Mark Simon always says, where he says, "Nobody cares about your product." And it's a bit harsh but it's so true. No one really cares about the product. If you buy a drill, it's not because you want a drill, it's because you want a hole. Josh: Yeah, I like that one, yeah. On pricing and making sure... So let's say you've got your message, you've got that down pat, and you go, okay, I know what the product costs me. I know at least have to charge this much. And you're thinking, how high can I go? How do they perceive the value? And I guess, I'll liken it to something that I have a lot more input on actually. Courtney Deagon: Cool. Josh: So Heineken, more recently have released a zero alcohol beer. Now the zero alcohol beer, for a six pack, is going at the moment in Australia for about 16, 17 dollars for a six pack. Now, if you have a look at what a Peroni or a comparable beer would be, the beer would be maybe 20 to 21 dollars for a six pack. So call it a five dollar difference. And if you went for a less imported beer you'd be able to get it even cheaper than that. But let's work on a $16 and $20 for roundish numbers. Josh: The alcohol tax that they're paying on that $20 for that person, is getting significantly less money. The price that they're getting for that 16 it's huge. The margins are significantly more, given that they don't have to be paying any of the alcohol taxes or anything else that are going through. So, how do you think they came to the conclusion of $16? Would you say it's because people want to have that healthy, perceived look, the ability to have a beer and go for a drive possibly, or how did they find that magic number? Courtney Deagon: So I would say for a company like Heineken, they probably know a few things that I and many other pricing people don't know. They have access to the big data that I would love to get my hands on. I would love to say that Heineken took a completely value based approach, but I wouldn't say that the second. I would say that a large company like them, it would have been a mixture of prior sales data, the amount that they've been able to get for other units before. It would also depend on what geographies it was going into. They would have run some kind of research or focus groups I think. Big companies like that are huge fans of running that R&D stuff. Courtney Deagon: That's how I think they would have done it and I think that they probably would've balanced it with the profit margins that they're going for. But even then that's not really value based pricing because it's not about what they think the customer is willing to pay, it's just what they think that the customer might pay in order for them to get some kind of arbitrary target profit margin per bottle per six pack. Josh: The calculation of it, obviously as you said, they've got a lot more data than what we could even imagine. They had spreadsheets printed over the bed sheets. Courtney Deagon: Oh yeah. Josh: I thought, just from my perspective, I went, "Ah..." And just for the record, I'm all about the alcohol beer not the non alcohol beer. Courtney Deagon: Okay. Fair enough. Josh: But I could imagine the person that would be drawn to that would be, okay and no calories, or less calories. It's got about 30% less calories. So, okay, slightly healthy for me, slightly cheaper on my pocket. If you're looking at maybe millennials that might be interested in not having, because it sounds like everyone else wants to have a hangover. That's not what I'm going for. Josh: But millennials might be a bit more health conscious about what they're doing and what they're putting into their body. They might then be more geared towards that, but also they seem to be more financially incapable versus people that have a mature income and have had a career for a number of years or decades. So I think that, I don't know, I thought that that might be how they've geared into that box to say $16 would be cheaper than getting a hangover. Courtney Deagon: I would like to think they have a really smart advertising person. They're Heineken. Because one of the other things is that a 0% alcohol might also make people think that it doesn't taste as good. So that could be another reason for the slightly lower price because they want to make a distinction between the product that they're offering there and other products that do have the alcohol in them. So, that could be another thing. Maybe I'll email Heineken and see what I can do. I would not be surprised if they came back and said, "No, we can't tell you that." Josh: Because there's lots of things that you look at and you go, "Oh..." Especially when it comes to the software as a service market, which I'm sure we're very familiar with. You have a look and you think, oh okay, it's only going to cost $5 more a month for me to have a logo on a page. That's costing them nothing at all. But people are going to pay it because they want to be able to have their brand on things. If it's a form of- Courtney Deagon: They've still got the value. Josh: Exactly, and so it's very, very smart the way that that's gone. Again, the cloud, the way that the cloud has been manipulated to make everyone feel like it's going to cost them less money. It doesn't. The total cost of ownership is significantly more by a factor of 30% or more over a five year period. And so you're looking at, okay, well that is, it's costing more money but the perceived value is high and you have less infrastructure. It's interesting. How do you, short of having a huge audience to be able to test, if you're just a green field company going out, where do you start? Courtney Deagon: You can ask friends if you have honest friends, put it that way. Honest friends, ask them because they usually are pretty trustworthy. You can use companies like Conjoint.ly. That's the one that's in my mind at the moment, who do actually conduct market research. And I think with Conjoint.ly you pay per data point or something like that. Courtney Deagon: But there are companies out there where you can actually get outsourced market research. Also, even if you have a decent sized mailing list, things like surveys, talking to customers who've used your product. If you can have even 10 or 20 or more one-on-one, half hour, hour long conversations, asking really, really good questions, that will give you a huge amount of value. Courtney Deagon: But running surveys and having some statistical good questions in there next year for Conjoint.ly, questions that are specifically related to help you figure out the willingness to pay of your audience and how much they value it. But really a mixture of surveys and having those one-on-one conversations with people who have used your product, who aren't friends or your mom or your cousin and all that, is a really, really good idea. And the more people you ask, the better quality information you're going to get as well. That is a really good place to start. Josh: I'm going to ask a question. I know a lot of people are probably thinking, asking, at least it's in the back of their mind discounting. Discounting- Courtney Deagon: Uh-huh. Josh: Never discount your product, don't do it. You're discounting your product, you're discounting your business, you're discounting everything, you're going to get discounted clients. Then there's the build a discount into the product itself to sell them at a high price and then drop them down in price. Josh: And there's a whole bunch of different ideas and mentalities around the way that it works. Sell a cheap product or it will come across as a cheap product and people are going to think that you're only going to get cheap clients and... What is the best way to make sure you position yourself accordingly, or is that very industry specific? Should you write in a discounting percentage? Courtney Deagon: Yes, I would say it's not industry specific because every single industry, whether you're B2B or B2C, your customers are humans unless you're a vet, I suppose. But even then your end customer is a human. And humans perceive value in very, very similar ways. There are some psychological thinkings that are common to all humans regardless of what industry you're in. So that would be the first thing I'd say. Courtney Deagon: I generally tell people don't discount unless you know how to use a discount properly. Because most of the time companies don't use discounts very well and they use them in such a way that, like you said, it damages their branding, it damages their pricing integrity. It can make customers very unhappy. It can have the opposite effect to what you want it to have. Courtney Deagon: There's a difference as well between internal discounting and external discounting. So external discounting is where you post publicly that you're having some kind of discount sale. So say you post up on your website, we're having a 20% off sale of all of our subscription services. That's an external discount. Courtney Deagon: An internal discount might be you email your mailing list or customers who've just bought something, and you say, "Hey, thanks so much for being a loyal customer. We would love to thank you by giving you a 5% discount off this product or this service." Or something like that. So it's internal. It's limited to a select number of people who may have bought with you before, they may be leads and you're trying to generate a deeper relationship with them. But then again, I would also mark that with an asterisk of, it really depends on what kind of perception you want to create for your brand and what position you want your brand to have. Courtney Deagon: If you want to be a high end, high ticket service or company, discounting might not be the way to go, and I would use different wording like adjustment. So, as an example, if I'm constructing a proposal for someone and they have a very, very limited budget, I'll say, "That's okay. Let me know what your parameters are and I'm happy to do an adjusted proposal for you." So it's not really discounted, but I'm using different language to indicate that I'm not a company who discounts. I'm a company who will make adjustments and change what I'm offering so that I'm giving you value, and then we can come up with a price that's fair. Josh: Okay. So if you were to be looking to adjust the price, if you adjust your whole system, you've changed around from trading time for money to trading value. Okay. Courtney Deagon: Mm-hmm. Josh: And you're going through this transition, you're trying to do this for your business and it doesn't matter, I guess, if you're a plumber or you're selling cakes. Whatever the process is, if you're going through that and you've got people that are used to the previous system, how do you go about changing that for them and having them introduced to that if they're already very comfortable with the previous system? Courtney Deagon: Yeah, so every transformation starts with language. I coach people on being able to change their language around the way that they talk about their business, the way they talk about their business model, their marketing. Everything, as well as pricing as well, and how they think about it. And then as they start to tell their customers about, "Hey, our business is changing. We're doing these great things. It's really exciting." You want to talk about it in a way that you're being transparent about how it's going to benefit them, and be really clear about what the potential changes are. Courtney Deagon: When you're bringing in things like guarantees at the same time, more transparency and less risk for the customer, it doesn't become a scary change anymore. It becomes, oh my gosh, they're transforming their business into something that's going to be better for me as well as better for them. Here are all the things I'm now going to get from that. I'm going to have less risks. I'm going to have value guarantee of price, and guarantee of other things like that. Courtney Deagon: And it also teaches them what to expect from you, as well. And it shows them that you're dedicated to having a better business so that you can give them a better experience. And that just increases the perceived value even more. Josh: Right. I know that we went through a transition a number of years ago where we were charging a set price per computer, a set price per server. And then we thought, let's change this model and just charge a set price per staff member. And it makes it simple for everyone. Like, okay [crosstalk 00:15:47]. Courtney Deagon: Absolutely. Josh: Straight, easy. Then if a guy came, okay, we're getting another server. That's going to cost this much more. So that's another overhead. It's an ongoing thing. If they're getting to a spot that they need three or four servers or something like that, they've also increased their staff head count. And so it makes it nice and simple. Courtney Deagon: Absolutely. Josh: So there's a bit of psychology that I've read on the number seven. Have you heard about this stuff? Why do you want to have a 9997 drive away or something like that. What's up with that? Why do people want to end in sevens? Courtney Deagon: So I mentioned that Mark Simon before. He wrote a thesis on price endings. And you can probably google that and find it and read it if you wanted to. When you think about our brain, we're being bombarded by information all the time, right? I'm looking at you, but I can also see in my periphery the window, and there's some things over there and my phone's there. And there's a lot of information coming in at my brain at the same time, right? Josh: Yeah.

Tahnee is joined by Nicole Jardim on the Women's Series today to wax lyrical on all things menstrual. Nicole is a Certified Women’s Health Coach and the creator of Fix Your Period, a series of programs that empower women to reclaim their hormone health. Nicole's passion for women’s health arose in response to her own hormonal journey and negative experience using hormonal birth control in her early twenties.  Nicole takes a holistic approach, placing her focus on identifying and addressing the root cause of dis-ease within the bodies and minds of her female clients. Nicole believes that the fundamentals to healing any hormonal imbalance lie in an approach that addresses the unique physiology of every woman, and that this is essential to reclaiming and maintaining optimal health and vitality at any age. We say amen to that sister! Tahnee and Nicole discuss: Nicole's period journey - how the traditional medical model failed to connect the dots between her oral contraceptive use and the myriad of undesirable health complications she experienced as a result. The lack of education and female body literacy in our society. The fact that menstrual disharmony is generally considered normal. The horrific side effects synthetic birth control can cause. The menstrual cycle and female empowerment. What a normal menstrual cycle looks/feels like. The sensitivity of the female organism, how this aids our fertility and serves as a defense mechanism at the physiological level. "We are exquisitely sensitive to stressors and it is a good thing." -  Nicole Jardim The impact of diet culture and "health" fads on female reproductive health. Nutrition - the power of mastering the basics. Self observation as simple yet profound tool in health and healing. Nicole's take on hormone testing.   Who is Nicole Jardim? Nicole Jardim is a Certified Women’s Health Coach, writer, speaker, mentor, and the creator of Fix Your Period, a series of programs that empower women to reclaim their hormone health using a method that combines evidence-based information with simplicity and sass. Nicole's work has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of women around the world in effectively addressing a wide variety of period problems, including PMS, irregular periods, PCOS, painful & heavy periods, missing periods and many more. Rather than treating problems or symptoms, Nicole treats women by addressing the root cause of what’s really going on in their bodies and minds. She passionately believes that the fundamentals to healing any hormonal imbalance lie in an approach that addresses the unique physiology of every woman. This is essential to reclaiming and maintaining optimal health and vitality at any age. Nicole is the author of Fix Your Period: 6 Weeks to Banish Bloating, Conquer Cramps, Manage Moodiness, and Ignite Lasting Hormone Balance, and the co-author of The Happy Balance, a recipe book filled with over 80 hormone balancing recipes. Finally, Nicole is the co-host of The Period Party, a top-rated podcast on iTunes—be sure to tune into that if you want to learn more about how to fix your period—and has been called on as a women’s health expert for sites such as The Guardian, Well+Good, mindbodygreen and Healthline.     Resources: Nicoles Website Nicole's Programs Nicole's Podcast Nicole's Book Nicole's Instagram Nicole's Facebook Nicole's Twitter Nicole's Period Quiz       Q: How Can I Support The SuperFeast Podcast?   A: Tell all your friends and family and share online! We’d also love it if you could subscribe and review this podcast on iTunes. Or  check us out on Stitcher :)! Plus  we're on Spotify!   Check Out The Transcript Here:   Tahnee:   (00:01) Hi everybody and welcome to the SuperFeast Podcast. Today I'm joined by Nicole Jardim who's a Nicole is a Certified Women's Health Coach, writer, speaker, mentor and the creator of Fix Your Period, a series of programmes that empower women to reclaim their hormone health using a method that combines evidence-based information with a lot of simplicity and sass.   Tahnee:  (00:23) Her work has impacted lives of tens of thousands of women around the world and effectively addressing a wide variety of period problems including PMS, irregular periods, PCOS, painful and heavy periods, missing periods, and much, much more.   Tahnee:  (00:38) And Rather than treating problems or symptoms, Nicole treats women by addressing the root cause of what's really going on in their bodies and minds. She passionately believes that the fundamentals to healing any hormonal imbalance lie in an approach that addresses the unique physiology of every woman. We are so behind that at SuperFeast Podcast. And this is so essential just to reclaiming and maintaining optimal health and vitality at any age.   Tahnee:  (01:02) Nicole is also the author of Fix Your Period: Six Weeks to Banishing Bloating, Conquering Cramps, Manage Moodiness, and Ignite Lasting Hormone Balance, and she's the co-author of The Happy Balance, a recipe book filled with over 80 hormone balancing recipes.   Tahnee:  (01:16) And finally, she's the cohost of The Period Party, a top rated podcast on iTunes, which is with Nat K. I believe, a friend of ours. So be sure to tune in to that if you want to learn more about how to fix your period.   Tahnee:  (01:29) She's also been on The Guardian, Well and Good, Mind Body Green, Healthline and she has an awesome Instagram and a really great website. We're so stoked to have you here today, Nicole. Thanks for joining us.   Nicole Jardim:   (01:39) Thank you so much Tahnee. It's so great to be here. I'm thrilled to be joining you on your podcast.   Tahnee:  (01:44) Yay. We're so stoked to have you as part of the women's series because we've been covering all this different perspectives on women's health and the underlying theme is really that women are having to take responsibility for their own menstrual health, to really change their own cycles, to seek out the individualised care that every woman needs and deserves.   Tahnee:  (02:06) I'm really curious about your own journey because obviously you're here and you've got your business and you're really passionate about educating women around periods, but you must have had your own process to get there, so where did your passion come from? How did you get to be where you are today?   Nicole Jardim:  (02:20) Oh girl. Was it ever a process? Let me tell you. Just feel like I landed in this role accidentally. It was one of those kinds of careers, because my whole teenage years, I was dead set on being in film production, and I was going to be a producer, and do all kinds of fun things, and it was going to be so glamorous, all of that.   Nicole Jardim:  (02:42) And that's actually sort of what happened, but then life got interrupted by period problems and I started exploring different options, and then suddenly I became so passionate about it, I decided to change careers. So yeah, it goes all the way back to being a teenager and I was the quintessential period problems girl.   Nicole Jardim:  (03:03) I had really heavy periods, the kind that you've got to have a towel on your bed when you go to sleep at night, and you're terrified to go to school the next day because you know that it's probably going to leak through all the protection and the clothes. And it was super painful as well. I definitely remember missing days of school at a time, almost every month.   Nicole Jardim:  (03:25) And then something weird happened, over time, I started noticing that my period was coming less and less and I wasn't really a big tracker or anything like that. I really didn't know anything about my body or my periods. Andn I always laugh because I was totally that girl who would think I had a yeast infection or something every month because of my cervical fluid would change, and I was like, "What's going on here?" To this, totally body illiterate.   Tahnee:  (03:50) Very cute.   Nicole Jardim:  (03:51) Anyway. Yeah, I know. Right? Hilarious. Fast forward, a few years and I thought, okay, it's coming every three or four months now, this is getting ridiculous because when it would come it just came and all hell would break loose. So finally, I went to my gynaecologist and she really didn't ask me any questions. She just got out her prescription pad and wrote a prescription for the pill.   Nicole Jardim:  (04:16) And I was thrilled because I was finally joining the ranks of all the cool period popping, pill popping friends of mine and I was psyched because I was now going to have this sort of like period panacea. It was a silver bullet as far as I was concerned. And that's really what happened actually.   Nicole Jardim:  (04:34) All the symptoms that I had, the super heavy periods, that irregularity, the horrible pain, the crazy mood swings, the horrible bloating, all of these symptoms I was experiencing pretty much completely disappeared. And I thought, sweet, I have definitely found the answer. And then I fast forward a few years and unfortunately I started to notice all of these other symptoms that didn't really seem related and they just seemed like really arbitrary symptoms, and I thought, oh, okay, whatever. I guess I'll just deal.   Nicole Jardim:  (05:05) And eventually they got to the point where it was just unbearable. I had chronic urinary tract infections, I was terrified to have sex, chronic yeast infections. I was always in and out of my gynecologist's office, and I also started noticing like terrible gut health issues, like just chronically constipated. It was just terrible. I'd go a week, those kinds of... So fun.   Nicole Jardim:  (05:30) Anyway, and then I started having joint pain, and my hair was falling out. I had melasma all over my face. The dermatologist was like, "Oh, that's so strange. You're only 21. This usually happens to women when they're pregnant." I'm like, "Oh great, that makes me feel awesome." And then I did a colonoscopy with a gastroenterologist and they were like, "Oh, you're fine."   Nicole Jardim:  (05:49) And I went to a rheumatologist for my joint pain because my mum has rheumatoid arthritis, so they thought maybe I might have it. I was the poster child not only for period problems but now for pill side effects, and nobody connected the dots. I went to all of these different doctors and no one could really say what had happened or what was going on with me.   Nicole Jardim:  (06:12) On a whim I went to my friend's acupuncturists because I kind of given up hope on modern medicine and they were just not able to give me any definitive answers. And he immediately said, "Are you on the birth control pill?" And that opened this... It was like a light bulb went off and it was like the flood gates basically because then he started explaining how it all worked and I just thought, oh, okay, well nobody's ever said this to me before. Interesting. Okay. And that really was the catalyst for this whole career.   Nicole Jardim:  (06:45) I was in my early 20s, I just was finishing up university. I just spent four years getting a degree in film production and digital media, and now I was getting into health and wellness, and trying to figure out my hormones. It was hilarious. And that like I said, it really got the ball rolling and by the time I was 30 I switched careers and did a whole tonne of training around women's hormonal health, I became a health coach and just knew that... It's hilarious.   Nicole Jardim:  (07:13) I remember distinctly thinking this, if I could just help one woman not go through what I went through, my work would be done here.   Tahnee:  (07:19) It's your small vision..   Nicole Jardim:  (07:21) And here I am.   Tahnee:  (07:21) ... For such a huge achievement.   Nicole Jardim:  (07:25) Yes. I know. My goals have clearly changed a little bit, but yes, that was the original trajectory.   Tahnee:  (07:33) It's such a common story like this whole... I guess what I'm really hearing and it always devastates me, but I understand it's the way it is, but it's like the lack of education around these medications that we're given as young women and how your role is to become an educator really it's to fill in that gap I suppose between the person who's seeking treatment and then the kind of medical institution which is like, "Hey this fixes everything. Just go take it. It has no possible side effects."   Tahnee:  (08:04) I remember being told by a university lecturer because I studied medicine... Oh, not medicine but like biochemistry and a whole bunch of the prerequisites for medicine at uni and they were like-   Nicole Jardim:  (08:15) Yes.   Tahnee:  (08:16) ... "Take the pill every day, don't bleed. That's what the indigenous women do, they have less breast cancer and all this stuff because they're constantly pregnant and you just like..." And you know as an 18 year old you're going, "Oh well, this is like what a really impressive-   Nicole Jardim:  (08:29) Makes sense.   Tahnee:  (08:30) ... PhD researcher a guy is telling me." And yeah. The me now is like, "What the actual fuck?" That's a terrible thing to do, but-   Nicole Jardim:  (08:40) Yes.   Tahnee:  (08:40) ... my 18 year old meas was like, "Oh wow. Yeah. Okay, great." And I don't have to have my period. Like,   Nicole Jardim:  (08:45) Yeah.   Tahnee:  (08:45) ... "this is such a sort of...   Nicole Jardim:  (08:48) Sign me the hell up. Yes. Exactly.   Tahnee:  (08:50) Yeah. And I think it came with me [crosstalk 00:08:52]-   Nicole Jardim:  (08:52) I can still relate.   Tahnee:  (08:54) ... like there's no kind of at school, even within a lot of families, like culturally there's just such a lack of conversation, and even reverence for bleeding and talking about what's going on beyond, like demonising periods because everyone I know talks about periods as almost being a negative. It's sort of shifting in the last, I think four to five years, and I'm sure you've seen that too in your work.   Nicole Jardim:  (09:20) Yes.   Tahnee:  (09:20) But like, "Bad periods." It's just like what people expect is the joke amongst men is like, "Oh, she's on her period," or whatever.   Nicole Jardim:  (09:29) Yeah.   Tahnee:  (09:29) Statistically crazy normal, but one of your big passions is to explain that this is biologically not normal. Like what's going on? Why are we so prone to these kinds of problems? I know this is a big question but I'm curious as to see your take on it.   Nicole Jardim:  (09:44) Oh man, I know. There's so many things that I want to say in response to what you were saying and just with regards-   Tahnee:  (09:51) Go!   Nicole Jardim:  (09:51) ... our culture. I know, right? It's so hard. I know there's... you want to say all the things. I'm like, "Oh I could just read my whole book to your audience here because that's basically what I'm talking about, this idea that culturally we don't know how to deal with periods. We really don't.   Nicole Jardim:  (10:09) And it's so interesting because girl's self esteem plummets if puberty, which is not surprising at all considering that we live in a culture of misunderstanding and fair when it comes to how female bodies function. And in my opinion, I think so many hormonal imbalances and subsequent period problems are tied to a girl's experience in puberty to some degree because we really don't have a like a formal initiation into womanhood in our culture.   Nicole Jardim:  (10:43) And I just think that's so unfortunate and I believe that's why we really need to have or implement education, and be able to give the tools that these girls need to go into this phase of their lives with more respect for their bodies and valuing their menstrual cycles and the gifts that their cycle can give them.   Nicole Jardim:  (11:05) And I'm sure there's a few women who are rolling their eyes when I say that, but it really is true. Your period and your entire menstrual cycle is a barometer for your overall health. It's going to tell you pretty much every time you get it or don't get it, what is going on with your health.   Nicole Jardim:  (11:24) And there's now so much scientific evidence pointing us to the fact that your period is... or your ovulation is a sign of health. Your menstrual cycle is also a sign of health and it will definitely tell you that there's something deeper happening. And the problem is that we don't know how to read these signs. We don't know how to interpret the signals that our body is sending us or the way our body is speaking to us and its own language.   Nicole Jardim:  (11:56) We speak English or whatever language we speak. We don't speak our body's language and really needs to happen from a much younger age. That's really what I'm going for in my work because like you said, this idea of period problems being statistically normal and not biologically normal.   Nicole Jardim:  (12:17) There's so much I can say about that because I really think that we have been led to believe that these problems are basically our lot in life. This is what we've got and we just have to deal with it. Like, "My doctor told me that this runs in my family and so I've got this." Or, "My mum has this, and my grandmother has this, and now I have it." Or, "I have to be on the pill to regulate my periods," or, "I have to be on the pill if my heavy periods," or, "I'm now on a Mirena IUD because my period was super heavy and my doctor says it lightens periods."   Nicole Jardim:  (12:52) We are never ever searching any deeper than the surface to find the clues that will lead us to a resolution., like an actual resolution of the problem.   Tahnee:  (13:03) Yeah. That isn't like medicalised or some kind of-   Nicole Jardim:  (13:07) Yeah.   Tahnee:  (13:09) Form of alternative... This is the thing I think with these synthetic hormones as well as is the effect they have on the liver, the toxicity that builds up over time and we see so many people coming off the pill that are just having horrendous symptoms, and I had that experience coming off. It was just like-   Nicole Jardim:  (13:27) You did?   Tahnee:  (13:28) ... crazy ance.. Yeah. I'd never really had a pimple growing up. I'd get like one or two [crosstalk 00:13:34] really. And then I came off the pill at 26 or seven and I just had insane acne and I ended up going through a whole bunch of liver support and dah, dah, dah. I cleared it all up naturally, but it was just like one of those things.   Tahnee:  (13:47) It was a great experience for me, it's like I can't ok I learned a lot, but I was like, "This is insane." It's just never told [crosstalk 00:13:56], and we learn so much through our own suffering I suppose. But yeah, I suppose.   Nicole Jardim:  (14:01) Sure.   Tahnee:  (14:02) If someone else cannot have that experience, wouldn't that be great? [crosstalk 00:14:05]... Yeah. People take a lot of these medications thinking they've been studied and researched and it's like, "No, we're literally the Guinea pigs of, I think it's now like a 40..? Are a 60 years into the pill?" 1960s, right?   Nicole Jardim:  (14:20) Yeah.   Tahnee:  (14:21) It's like we've seen the generational issues, we've seen that it's creating issues with fertility and all of this stuff, and it's still just being given out like candy.   Nicole Jardim:  (14:31) I'm so happy you've brought this up because I could not agree with you more. I'm getting all fiery and annoyed, but I just feel like... Because first of all, it's interesting, I'll just preface this by saying that I did this Instagram series because I wrote a blog post on the Mirena IUD and the side effects and whatnot.   Nicole Jardim:  (14:54) On one of the posts in the series, I probably had like maybe 115 comments or something like that, and probably about 99 of them were women describing horrible experience with this form of birth control. And granted, I know that when it comes to medicine, there are going to be people who don't respond well to it, understand that. But I was talking about this with a man on our podcast whose daughter died of a blood clot after being on the pill.   Nicole Jardim:  (15:29) And I just feel so strongly that there are just some people who are collateral damage as far as the pharmaceutical industry is concerned and that's just the nature of this work. And I feel like there's systematic denial or even suppression of this information. There are so many people having side effects and in fact, I think there are more than we are even led to believe because they're not reporting this to their doctor in many cases or maybe their doctor isn't reporting their patients side effects. I don't really know.   Nicole Jardim:  (16:05) This has been my work, and I know this is your work too, so you're obviously, and I'm obviously seeing a lot of the negative impact of these medications or these forms of hormonal birth control that are just so detrimental to women's lives. I mean I had one woman tell me that their IUD perforated her uterus and travelled all over pelvic cavity, and she lost her ovaries because of it, and she's 27. That's just craziness.   Nicole Jardim:  (16:34) And again, I just keep coming back to the fact that there is an easier way we can actually learn to figure out our signs of fertility. It's not that hard, and use that as birth control, and we don't have to have foreign objects implanted in our arms, or in our uteruses, or be cycling through synthetic hormones every single day of our lives for fertility that really only lasts for 24 to 48 hours really at the most.   Nicole Jardim:  (17:08) I get really fired up for this because I just feel like there's something seriously wrong with this situation.   Tahnee:  (17:14) Yeah. All right. Look, I completely agree. I speak to people a lot that are in different circumstances and I understand that there's always nuance around this conversation, but to me just taking that time to get to know your body on that level has... For me it's built such self-respect, and such self love, and kind of appreciation for just the complexity of my body and... It's just been such like a wow.   Tahnee:  (17:42) Like a wonder kind of experience that I have this incredible capacity to create life and I can choose whether or not I engage with that. That's such a privilege I think, and it's almost like an act of feminism to say, "No, I'm going to be responsible and just become the master of this domain I've been born into."   Tahnee:  (18:10) Even if you still aren't sure, whatever, to start trying to get to know, there's so many resources now and fertility awareness is I think becoming more and more popular. There's all the tracking apps, like I use one called Flo and I've been using it for, I think now close to six or seven years. I used a different one for a while and then I've moved over to Flo, but there's so many resources now that people and-   Nicole Jardim:  (18:32) Certainly.   Tahnee:  (18:32) And I saw on your website you've got some conversations around that, right? Or do you [crosstalk 00:18:38]-   Nicole Jardim:  (18:37) Yes.   Tahnee:  (18:37) ... or?   Nicole Jardim:  (18:39) Tonnes, yes. I have a blog post on the apps that I've used over the years that I would recommend or that clients have suggested that I've checked out. I'm a bit of a tech junkie, so I really love all of these devices. I have probably like 12 apps on my phone currently that I've tried over the years and I also I'm a big fan of these different fertility monitors because there's a number on the market now and I feel like there are different types that are suitable for people's differing needs.   Nicole Jardim:  (19:15) Like I use the Daysy fertility tracker, but I also practise the fertility awareness method as well because I always have. I started when, I'll never forget when I got my first iPhone, which feels like a really long time ago at this point. They had this very generic app on there, it had a really crappy menstrual cycle tracker and I was thrilled, so I use that.   Nicole Jardim:  (19:38) That was probably like 12 or 13 years ago now, it's probably 2007 maybe I think. And yeah, wow. And so I feel like we've really come a long way ladies, so you have no excuses whatsoever. I was using a calendar on a wall [crosstalk 00:19:51]-   Tahnee:  (19:51) They're very pretty and interesting now.   Nicole Jardim:  (19:53) Are they? I know. We really are so lucky, so spoiled. Then there's the Ava Fertility Bracelet, which is so cool. I joke that it's like the Fitbit of fertility and it really is. You wear it on your wrist and you sleep with it. It takes your temperature, but it also measures various parameters that change, either are different before you ovulate and they change after ovulation. So in addition to your temperature, it measures your heart rate variability, it measures your pulse and a couple other things.   Nicole Jardim:  (20:25) And so it's very cool to see the changes, and it can really pinpoint your fertile hour window. It's amazing. And then there's other things too, like the Mira Fertility Tracker. It's not really a tracker so much as it's a device that you can pee on these little sticks and then you insert the stick into their device and it'll tell you what's going on with your hormones. It's sort of, again, pinpointing your fertile window.   Nicole Jardim:  (20:50) So these aren't necessarily used to prevent pregnancy. I know people do and I don't advise that if you have never done this before, but it's fascinating to be able to read this information and know exactly what your body's doing. I've been able to predict the exact day my period is coming now for 12 years. It's pretty impressive for someone who used to think she had a yeast infection every month. So if I can do it, you can do it too. That's exactly. Oh my gosh.   Tahnee:  (21:20) Yeah, I think it's such empowering, I don't know. I feel like it's just such an empowering thing. And I think when you look at how... Because people have been preventing children for a really long time as well, like way before-   Nicole Jardim:  (21:32) That's true.   Tahnee:  (21:33) ... technology and way before, so we can just without any add ons get really in tune with our body and our cycles. I find from my partner, he's a lot more confident with us using I guess the fertility awareness method when I'm able to show him like, "Hey, this is my cycle and this is when I'm fertile, and this is what I'm not." And so I use the app to help him feel okay because he's like-   Nicole Jardim:  (21:58) Yeah.   Tahnee:  (21:59) ... "I don't want any more babies right now?"   Nicole Jardim:  (22:00) No, yeah. Exactly.   Tahnee:  (22:02) So it's great to have a resource as well. But yeah, I feel like I've got to this point where I'm super like, yeah I can actually feel when I'm ovulating a lot of the time, and I feel like when my period's about to come and stuff. And just this idea of not being in pain all the time. I know people that are suffering like three weeks out of the four, like they're.. [crosstalk 00:22:24]-   Nicole Jardim:  (22:23) I do too..   Tahnee:  (22:24) ... their cycle. Yeah, they're in pain, or they've got symptoms, or something's going on with their bodies. And I think-   Nicole Jardim:  (22:30) Yes.   Tahnee:  (22:31) Can you explain to us what a healthy period looks like versus what most people deal with, I guess?   Nicole Jardim:  (22:37) Oh my gosh, I would love to. Yes. I get this question often, "What's my parents supposed to be like, Nicole?" And I also get a lot of questions around what's normal and what's not, like how big should my clots be? Should I even have clots? What colour should my period be in? How long should it last? And all of this stuff.   Nicole Jardim:  (23:00) Again, this comes back to this lack of education, this lack of body literacy in our society. And so I think that the first thing that everyone should know is the difference between what a period is and what a menstrual cycle is because I do get that question often enough that I felt I needed to actually put it in the book.   Nicole Jardim:  (23:21) So for anyone who doesn't know, your period is the days that you are bleeding during your menstrual cycle, which are the first day of bleeding all the way through to the last day before your next period. So the menstrual cycle is a long one, the period is a short one. And when I talk about a period, I'm talking roughly about three to seven days of bleeding. That's the window I like to see, and this is always followed by ovulation because if you're not ovulating, you're technically not having a period.   Nicole Jardim:  (23:56) So I think it's important for people to understand that because a lot of women go on the pill to quote, unquote "regulate their cycles." And I'm like, "You're no longer ovulating on the pill so technically you're just having a withdrawal bleed." So just so everyone knows that. And I also get a lot of questions about whether you should have a period or not because there is a lot of messaging in the mainstream media and from conventional medicine around whether it's necessary to have a period or not, and most people you'd say the consensus was that you don't need a period.   Nicole Jardim:  (24:30) I'll never forget there was a cosmopolitan article I saw last year that was saying something like "You can just say goodbye to that shit," or whatever. And I was like, "Wait, what? What is happening right now? This is not saying goodbye to a bad boyfriend, this is a fundamental aspect of your health.   Tahnee:  (24:45) I've actually met that a lot from like the row vegan community beCause they have a tendency to get [inaudible 00:24:50] on account of the diet and then they're like, "No, no-   Nicole Jardim:  (24:52) Yes.   Tahnee:  (24:53) ... it's because I'm so healthy." I'm like, "Noooo."   Nicole Jardim:  (24:56) Yes, it's real crazy. I saw that recently. I saw someone post about this and there was probably a hundred comments under her post agreeing-   Tahnee:  (25:04) I know. More like [crosstalk 00:25:04]-   Nicole Jardim:  (25:04) ... agreeing with her.   Tahnee:  (25:05) ... "I want to be like you." It's like no.   Nicole Jardim:  (25:08) I was really stunned. I could not believe it. I was just stunned. Anyway, it is what it is. Everyone's got their thing. So when it comes to like the length of a menstrual cycle, I really like to see somewhere between 25 and 35 days. The average length of a cycle according to the studies that I've seen is about 29 days long, which is funny because the moon cycle is 29 and a half days, living for the moon. A girl can hope.   Nicole Jardim:  (25:38) But anyway, the point is that I love to see that 25 to 35 day cycle, and the reason I say that is because I find that when you have cycles that are under 25 days, what I see a lot of is a short luteal phase and that's the second half of your cycle after you ovulate. And when you have a shorter luteal phase, there are multiple issues; one of the biggest ones is that it can potentially impair your fertility, meaning that a fertilised egg needs time to travel through the fallopian tube and implant in your uterine lining.   Nicole Jardim:  (26:11) And so if your luteal phase is too short and that uterine lining starts to disintegrate before that little fertilised egg gets there, then you have a problem, it can't implant. And so that's what I tend to see a lot of. I see the short luteal phase or I see ovulation happening really early in the cycle, so you have a shorter follicular phase or I see this accompanied with really heavy, painful, long clotty periods.   Nicole Jardim:  (26:39) So again, 25 days and up is really where I like to see things. And then over 35 days, that's an issue too because what it means is that you're just not ovulating earlier in your cycle, in that window that I like to see. I like to see somewhere between like days 10 and 21, somewhere around there. And what I find is that on those longer cycles, it just means that ovulation is being delayed, so something's going on in your life that is causing you to ovulate later in your cycle.   Nicole Jardim:  (27:10) And what I also find too is that when you have cycles that are over 35 days, you tend to have a lot of irregularity in your cycles. So like one cycle is 36 days, and another one is 47 days, and then you go back down to 35 days. There's a lot of fluctuation, which to me again indicates that there's too much stress, there's not enough fat in your diet, maybe not enough fat on your body, you're not eating enough calories. You have the specific nutrient deficiencies.   Nicole Jardim:  (27:41) There's some gut health issues happening. Maybe celiac disease even because that's definitely connected to period issues. So there are multiple problems that could be happening if your cycles are longer and a little irregular. So I think it's important for us to be cognizant of that fact.   Nicole Jardim:  (27:58) And I think that even within the 25 to 35 day window, I think there shouldn't be a lot of fluctuation in there either. Like I said, I feel like if there is a lot of fluctuation, that just means something's up. I like to see very little fluctuation, so by like two, three, maybe four days. Like one month you have a 27 day cycle, the next month it's 30 days, the next month it's 29 days, so there's not a whole wide range going to 25, to 35 back to 25 because again, that to me indicates something's up.   Nicole Jardim:  (28:33) So that's just something that I think that we can be aware of, and also if you have you irregularity, don't freak out. I don't want you to go digging through your life's calendar or whatever to figure out what the hell happened last month or the month before because again, it could be stressors in that month, in that cycle or it could be something that's been going on for a long time and it's just now manifesting.   Nicole Jardim:  (28:59) So it's just important to be cognizant of the fact that this is not really that normal, and if it's happening to you, you can start to pay attention and do something about it. And then-   Tahnee:  (29:10) I think looking more for trends over time as opposed to like one or two random events, because I know when I try to-   Nicole Jardim:  (29:15) Random months, yes.   Tahnee:  (29:16) ... I'll get like a delayed or an early period if I've done like a couple of timezones or something.   Nicole Jardim:  (29:22) Oh yeah. I know.   Tahnee:  (29:23) [inaudible 00:29:23] my body, yeah, and it's like, "Okay, I'm just really sensitive to that," and I just try and take it easy and eventually it's back to normal next month.   Nicole Jardim:  (29:33) I think that's so great and it's a really good point to bring up the fact that we are really sensitive. I think that we sort believe that we can just be like guys and go through life, pushing, pushing, pushing and there are going to be no repercussions. And that unfortunately is just not the case because our bodies are cyclical in nature. We very much are more attuned to the stressors that exist in our lives.   Nicole Jardim:  (30:03) In all honesty, our bodies are more sensitive to stress than, or not as resilient to stress as men's and that's really because of our menstrual cycles, and our fertility, and our ability to reproduce. Our bodies are using that as a protection mechanism and we have viewed it mostly in our society as a weakness, which is so unfortunate.   Nicole Jardim:  (30:25) Because really what it is, it's your body is sensitive to stress because you procreate and it's going to do whatever it can to protect your growing foetus and protect your resources as well. So just keep that in mind as well everyone who is listening that you really have to be aware of that.   Nicole Jardim:  (30:44) Like if you're pushing yourself super hard and you're seeing all of these health issues, trust that that is the reason why. And it takes time. There's short term changes one can make and then there's longterm big changes. So just always be aware of the fact that we are exquisitely sensitive to stressors and it is a good thing.   Tahnee:  (31:05) Yeah. I feel like you've been talking about of it being like a report card. We often talk about how fertility is a sign of health, so it's like if your body's in a state of readiness to reproduce, even if you don't want to take advantage of that, it means that you're really in a harmonious and healthy state because biologically you're only going to be there if all conditions are right to reproduce.   Tahnee:  (31:30) And I think people really take that for granted when they do too much exercise or they eat really extreme diets and they lose their period or they have all these hormonal issues. It's like that's your body telling you it's time to make a change to find that window of fertility again. And we see it in men and women, but given we're talking about ladies here.   Nicole Jardim:  (31:54) Definitely.   Tahnee:  (31:55) Like this culture of fitness and stuff is such interesting one and-   Nicole Jardim:  (31:59) Mm-hmm (affirmative).   Tahnee:  (32:02) ... I just think like-   Nicole Jardim:  (32:03) Oh.   Tahnee:  (32:04) ... the wellness industry actually has a lot to do with this too, but anyway, that's really-   Nicole Jardim:  (32:09) It does.   Tahnee:  (32:10) ... a conversation [crosstalk 00:32:10]-   Nicole Jardim:  (32:10) Overall should we go there? Oh my. Yeah.   Tahnee:  (32:13) Maybe we [crosstalk 00:32:13]-   Nicole Jardim:  (32:13) I know, right?   Tahnee:  (32:14) I sometimes feel like... I'm like, "Oh man, I don't know if I like being a part of the scene," because there's so much pressure on women to cleanse, and to fast, and to do all the things, and all the exercise, and then to be a career woman. And it's like, "Man, we were not built for that." And it sounds like [crosstalk 00:32:32]-   Nicole Jardim:  (32:31) No kidding.   Tahnee:  (32:33) ... And it sounds anti feminist in some ways, but I feel like it's this real act to really embrace your feminine essence. I don't know, I think that's a really powerful statement I suppose.   Nicole Jardim:  (32:47) I would agree with that. I know. I think about this a lot and I definitely address this in the book and I've always talked about this in my programmes because I really think there is no one right way to eat or to take care of your health. There's your unique way to do that. And I feel like this sort of modern day approach to nutrition has left a lot of people feeling very confused.   Nicole Jardim:  (33:14) It's a lot of noise and I just think that all of the diets are like, "Yeah, this is the one and you've got to do this because this is going to help you do X, Y, Z." And what I found in all of my research is that food actually impacts people differently. Surprise! I quoted this actually the study that where... There was a study where researchers fed people an identical meal and then they tested their blood sugar and so many people reacted differently.   Nicole Jardim:  (33:47) I'm like, "Again, wow, that's not surprising." And so it's really about how you can figure out what works for you. And if we're talking about body literacy and really understanding your menstrual cycle and just your health in general or what you respond to and what works for you, you'll really start to see a pattern and you will be able to meet your body where it's at when making changes to your diet and whatnot.   Nicole Jardim:  (34:18) And so I think that it's so much about tuning back into our bodies and its wisdom, and for women and I think that we have been led so far astray and we have moved really far away from what feels right for us and that our bodies are actually telling us. So we really have to check back in, I think with our bodies on a consistent basis.   Nicole Jardim:  (34:42) And part of that is in tracking your cycle and paying attention to how you feel after you eat. Like how do you actually feel after you eat breakfast? I think we just reach for a huge mug of coffee and we don't even think that the meal we ate is possibly making us feel like we want to crash at 10:00 AM.   Nicole Jardim:  (35:01) It's become so normal. I know we can talk about hormonal imbalances and stuff, but to me that's a beginning sign of a hormonal imbalance. We think of period problems, but that's later on down the line actually. There's other signs of hormonal imbalance.   Tahnee:  (35:17) That's always something I think people... The things my partner talks about, which I love is, he's like, "This is affecting you 20, 40, 60 years down the track. You've got to think that long term." And a lot of the time I see people, especially all these health trends at the moment and there is like the celery juice, [crosstalk 00:35:37] and What the Health just came out.   Tahnee:  (35:39) I've been meeting all these vegans, I'm kind of like-   Nicole Jardim:  (35:42) Oh yes.   Tahnee:  (35:42) And I know for some people that can be a really powerful transition for sure. My opinion is that it's a really catabolic, cleansing diets so a lot of people benefit in the short term from it, but longterm not so much.   Nicole Jardim:  (35:59) Yes.   Tahnee:  (35:59) I have-   Nicole Jardim:  (36:01) I would agree with that.   Tahnee:  (36:02) Yeah. And I have strong opinions around that we should probably be eating as close to nature as possible and that involves things like animal . Anyway.   Nicole Jardim:  (36:11) I know. I do, I have strong opinions about that too [inaudible 00:36:14].   Tahnee:  (36:14) Especially [crosstalk 00:36:14]-   Nicole Jardim:  (36:14) It's gotten me a lot of trouble. Yes.   Tahnee:  (36:18) It's not popular, but it's like we need fat, like you said, about even having body weight. I was very skinny and I wasn't getting my period, and it's like, if I want to have my period, which is a sign of health, I need to have a few more kilos on me, and that's just the way it is. It's like this weird... We're trying to have both sides of it and it's like you need [crosstalk 00:36:40]. You just can't, the body has what it needs and we have to honour that.   Tahnee:  (36:44) I don't know, how do you-   Nicole Jardim:  (36:46) Yes.   Tahnee:  (36:48) I guess when people are trying to work out what's right for them, there's so much conflicting information and even nutrition is not a perfect science by any stretch.   Nicole Jardim:  (36:56) Yeah.   Tahnee:  (36:56) You can't just feed someone the same food for five years and see what happens to them. There's ethics involved in all this kind of stuff. And some-   Nicole Jardim:  (37:05) Very true.   Tahnee:  (37:06) ... studies are really flawed and like you look at some of the most popular studies cited by media, even the food pyramid, all that stuff around Ancel Keys and around the grain industry lobby and all that stuff. It's certainly interesting-   Nicole Jardim:  (37:19) And low fat lobby, and-   Tahnee:  (37:21) Yeah.   Nicole Jardim:  (37:21) ... the great.   Tahnee:  (37:23) And how many processed foods, if you look at what processed food marketing, basically just stay away from that stuff.   Nicole Jardim:  (37:30) Yes.   Tahnee:  (37:31) But yeah, I think it's just a really... I feel like people get so confused, and conflicted, and they don't even know what would feeling good if you were going... All right, I'm trying to help you understand what's working for you.   Tahnee:  (37:42) Is it smooth digestion, no bloating, stable energy because a lot of people seem to get addicted to that like hit from coffee in the morning and they do these fasting things and like, "Yeah, I'm just surviving on coffee all morning." And I'm like, "Oh, I don't feel like that's so great for your hormones, but hey, that's my opinion." Can you speak to any of that or is that just like we need [crosstalk 00:38:04]-   Nicole Jardim:  (38:04) Totally.   Tahnee:  (38:04) ... [inaudible 00:38:04].   Nicole Jardim:  (38:06) Oh my gosh. Yes, I really can. I feel like we're kindred spirits. We're totally in agreement on so much of this. I feel like anything that seems extreme and is too good to be true, it's usually too good to be true. Just saying. It's funny because I really have always kept it relatively basic in my programmes and in my work with women.   Nicole Jardim:  (38:31) And if there's a requirement for the keto diet or something, extreme low carb for whatever reason, I usually work with someone else in conjunction with this person because I just want to make sure that this is done in the right way because I'm not a dietician and I'm a health coach. I'm not a trained, registered dietician or nutritionist, and I have nutrition training, but I think that it's so important to start with the basics.   Nicole Jardim:  (39:03) I find that what has happened is that these recommendations, and the diets, and everything have become more and more complicated and sort of convoluted actually over the years. And I think that we're all at like step number six when really many of us should just be at step number one still. The most basic of the basic things for me is can you make your plate? Like here's how you make your plate, this is what you arrange on your plate.   Nicole Jardim:  (39:36) So my whole thing is that I really like to see, first of all, I like for people to not just cut out entire food groups. I just don't know that that makes a whole lot of sense when you are in a state of hormonal imbalance, especially when the hormones that are triggering that imbalance are usually the stress hormones like cortisol, and epinephrine, and whatnot.   Nicole Jardim:  (40:03) And then the other hormone that triggers imbalances, I think are insulin, which is your blood sugar balancing hormone. So what we were saying earlier right about the morning time when someone wakes up and they're fasting or then they're drinking all this coffee and whatever, and they're crashing, or they just feel like they really need coffee, like to me, that's your first sign of hormonal imbalance.   Nicole Jardim:  (40:27) If you are getting a full night of sleep, and you get up, and you can't function without caffeine or you're eating a little bit later on and you find that you're crashing where you're... It's like 10:00 in the morning and you're craving sugar or you eat breakfast and your blood sugar crashes and you've got like within an hour, you're just starving again.   Nicole Jardim:  (40:55) There's mid-afternoon sugar cravings, and then there's the wine or alcohol craving later on in the afternoon, and or you can't fall asleep when it's time to go to sleep at night, or you're up until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, or you wake up and throughout the night. These are all signs of imbalanced cortisol, and melatonin, and blood sugar/insulin.   Nicole Jardim:  (41:16) And that to me is the beginning stages of a hormonal imbalance, but the problem is that we have so normalised all of these symptoms, right? Oh my gosh. Have we ever?   Tahnee:  (41:27) We celebrate them. [crosstalk 00:41:27] I've been at the risk of-   Nicole Jardim:  (41:29) Me too.   Tahnee:  (41:29) ... sounding really obnoxious, that's literally what a culture celebrates. It's like, "look at me, I work 500 hours a day, and I got no sleep, and I don't need food cause I drink coffee and fat." It's like, "Oh my God."   Nicole Jardim:  (41:43) Oh wow. It's so true. I feel like we need three more podcasts episodes to talk about this stuff, it's unbelievable. Yes, I agree completely. We really do and it's not okay. I'm always really cautious of something, even something like intermittent fasting, man, if that was the popular kid in school, that would be it right now, and we're [keto 00:42:09]... Don't get me wrong, I've done IF, I get it, it's fine.   Nicole Jardim:  (42:15) It works for me because I feel like I've gotten my hormones under control, but it doesn't work for everyone. And what I've found is it's really problematic for women who are so depleted and their hormones are a mess, and there are blood sugar's all over the place and I'm just like, "Can we just start with like a blood sugar balancing breakfast?" Can we just [crosstalk 00:42:36]-   Tahnee:  (42:35) ...Like three meals a day, keep it easy.   Nicole Jardim:  (42:38) Right. Can we just start with the basics seriously? And so when we're talking about that, like I talk about this idea of making your plate and really all I'm saying to you is that you've got to just sort of reimagine your plate like half of your plate is veggies, a quarter is fat and a quarter is protein.   Nicole Jardim:  (42:52) And veggies can include some carbohydrate, heavier veggies too, and if you want to have some rice, or potatoes, or something like that, stick it all into that hash there of the plate and see how you feel. Literally, I ask women to remove the judgement and approach your meals, and the way you're eating, and how you're feeling with curiosity, and in a sense of experimentation to see how you respond because literally nobody is going to fix you, you have to fix yourself.   Nicole Jardim:  (43:26) And the only way to do that is to literally know that yourself, know what it is that your body is doing when you're eating a certain type of food, or you're eating a meal, or you're drinking alcohol, or you're drinking caffeine. There is no way to know unless you are paying attention.   Tahnee:  (43:47) If someone's really struggling... I speak to people that are just like, "I just don't know how my body feels." And I'm a yoga teacher as well, so it's often something I observe in students is they're just like... You're like, "Relax." And they're like, "I don't know how to." Or, "How do you feel?" It's like, "I don't know. How should I feel?" It's like, "No, no, no. How do you feel?"   Tahnee:  (44:09) We just sometimes are so used to having people tell us what to do or giving our power away, and that's a whole complex conversation in and of itself. But if someone does have food allergies or suspects that they might have something like that going on, do you recommend people get testing, or do you recommend like elimination diets, or do you have a.. I saw on your site that you've got some links? Should people just go have a look at that or?   Nicole Jardim:  (44:35) Yeah. I love this question about not knowing how to feel or not knowing how you feel. I think that paying attention to your symptoms is a way for you to know how you feel. For instance, if you drink coffee, do you feel anxious at any point in the day? Seriously. Do you feel anxious after you drink it? Do you have anxiety later on in the day? Do you have problems falling asleep at night? Do you feel tired but wired kind of thing? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night?   Nicole Jardim:  (45:03) Those are really good symptoms of too much caffeine and they will definitely tell you how you feel. And then I think the other thing is when you wake up in the morning, how do you feel? Because we have been so programmed to believe that you hit the snooze button five times and you go back to sleep a couple of times more, and then you just drag yourself out of bed and you drink a coffee or whatever. Or you take a shower and you wake up, and then you haul ass to work or whatever.   Nicole Jardim:  (45:37) If you knew that you were actually not supposed to feel that way, would you pay attention and see how you actually are feeling? And so I'm always curious about how you feel in the morning, how you feel at night in the lead up to going to bed, and how you feel after eating meals emotionally. Do you get angry or upset too easily after you've eaten sugar, for instance? That means that something's happening.   Nicole Jardim:  (46:01) So really tuning into those physical and emotional symptoms I think can really help you know how you feel without having to do too much work to try and like really figure that out.   Tahnee:  (46:18) I think that's so helpful for people just to have those little points in the day where they pay attention and it sort of builds the capacity I think to become more self aware and tune into your feeling state or whatever it is.   Nicole Jardim:  (46:34) Feeling state, I love that.   Tahnee:  (46:35) That's something I say a lot in yoga, I'm like, "Maybe that would apply." The other thing I think is hard for people is when they are in those periods of transition like from when you're a young woman, like you were saying, first getting your period, it's such a confusing time anyway. Being in high school and all of the madness that comes with that, and then you suddenly having to deal with this really biological thing, but culturally you have not been prepared for.   Tahnee:  (47:03) And then similarly, we've got postpartum, we've got perimenopause, and so that beginning of the menopause process. So many women I know really struggle in those transitory times and I think... It's obviously a great time to reach out for help and support, but I wonder if you have any thoughts on when... or even if there's just a lot of stress in your life, is it just a matter of pairing back for you and being a lot more mindful of having regular meals, and being really kind to yourself, and taking space? Or do you recommend-   Nicole Jardim:  (47:34) Or is it more?   Tahnee:  (47:36) Yeah, like seek more medical helpful or?   Nicole Jardim:  (47:40) I really like this because again, this builds on the fact that we tend not to reach out for help in our society, another wonderful trait of modern humans. We don't do that and it is very much to our detriment. I know you'd asked about testing and that kind of thing. Maybe I'll talk about that for a second.   Nicole Jardim:  (48:02) I do really like testing, but I do also want to... I feel like it comes with a bit of a warning that you can go down a rabbit hole because what you look for, you will find, just so you know, and it can be very expensive, and it can also not necessarily tell you accurately what's going on with your particular cycle. Not all testing can do that.   Nicole Jardim:  (48:27) However, it can give you a baseline and it can certainly help you to create a roadmap for healing. I'm certainly a fan of testing, I just think that it can get out of control. And I also really like to encourage women to really tune back into what that little voice is telling them and what's going on and tracking their cycles so that they can really see what symptoms are happening, and where they're happening in their cycle. And that can tell us a lot about what their hormones are doing too.   Nicole Jardim:  (48:59) With that said, I really like the DUTCH test and I know you've had Carrie Jones on your Podcast and you've talked all about, so I won't go down that road too much, but it's just excellent for really seeing on a multilayered way or in a multilayered way what is happening with your hormones on so many levels.   Nicole Jardim:  (49:19) So I think that's really great, but if you don't have access to that, which I know the majority of people do not I would say, asking for your doctor to pass just the following hormones. So you want to be thinking about estradiol, which is the most potent oestrogen. It's the most prevalent oestrogen when you are still cycling.   Nicole Jardim:  (49:39) Progesterone, and testosterone, and DHEA. And then some other tests you can do, especially if you're looking at fertility, would be FSH and LH, which is Follicle-stimulating hormone and Luteinizing hormone. And those two hormones are quite dominant in the first half of your cycle as you lead up to ovulation.   Nicole Jardim:  (50:01) And then estradiol can also be tested with FSH and LH between days two and four of your cycle. And those are really going to tell you what's going on with your fertility for the most part, again, because they're involved in the ovulation process and kicking that off.   Nicole Jardim:  (50:18) So I think the other thing that's really critical for everyone to understand is that you can't just test these hormones in any old time in your cycle. If you're getting a period and you're ovulating, you actually have to test them about five to seven days after you've ovulated. And I can't tell you how many people have come to me and said, "Oh yeah, I tested on, I don't know. I don't even know what day, Nicole. Maybe day 12 in February."   Nicole Jardim:  (50:42) I'm like, "Oh great. Okay. That does not help us because your hormones fluctuate people, so you have to make sure that you're testing after you've ovulated so you can get an accurate reading on your progesterone levels." And so I would say, that's a good baseline. And of course tracking your cycle as well, and knowing what the symptoms are or what your symptoms are so that you can see if they correlate with the test results.   Tahnee:  (51:09) A lot of the stuff we've discussed today is in your book anyway, for people that are interested, it's coming out in April. Like I said, I've seen on your site you've got links to all the different tests you recommend and so much content on your website.   Nicole Jardim:  (51:24) Oh thanks.   Tahnee:  (51:24) I was just like, "Wow. She's really put a lot of work into this..   Nicole Jardim:  (51:26) I know. I've been busy. I don't value my spare time clearly.   Tahnee:  (51:32) Because I really love like you got the period quiz, which I think is a really great way for people who are unsure just to get a bit of an idea of maybe where to focus their attention and energy because I think sometimes it can just be like, "Oh my God, is there something wrong with me?" And it's like, well, maybe it's just that these couple of things need to be addressed or this is a good place to start. Or maybe it's just a few tweaks to lifestyle.   Tahnee:  (51:58) But are there any other ways people can connect with you? I know you're on Instagram as well.   Nicole Jardim:  (52:04) Yes. Obviously, on my website there are bonuses if you purchase the book. You just go to fixyourperiod.com, pretty easy and straight forward and you'll get a whole period toolkit. And then yes, I'm on Instagram, Nicole M like Madeline, Jardim. And I'm also on my own podcast, The Period Party.   Nicole Jardim:  (52:23) So there are lots of ways to connect with me and I do... I just share an obscene amount of content. It's kinda crazy, but I really just want everyone to have this information so that they can make more empowered and educated decisions about their health and their bodies.   Tahnee:  (52:41) Just feel how passionate you are about it and it's really amazing, and such a great contribution I think to women's health.   Nicole Jardim:  (52:47) Thank you.   Tahnee:  (52:49) Can people actually work with you as a coach or are you pretty full up with that?   Nicole Jardim:  (52:52) I am not taking private clients at the moment because life is a little intense. However, I do have live group programs that I do throughout the year that people can do with me. Yes.   Tahnee:  (53:04) And they're promoted through your site, right?   Nicole Jardim:  (53:07) Yes. They are promoted through my sites, so you can sign up for... You basically take the quiz or you can sign up for my mailing list directly on my site.   Tahnee:  (53:15) What I wanted to say is well, a couple of the girls in the office have used your work to really get to the bottom of some of their stuff. They will sit on the DUTCH test and a few things, but it's been really beautiful speaking to them about how much your work helped them. So I just wanted to say thank you from the team at SuperFeast as well because it was really nice to have you on the show and just to hear your thoughts. I feel like we could have a really great hang.   Nicole Jardim:  (53:42) I know, we really could if only we lived not like a million miles away from each other, seriously.   Tahnee:  (53:47) I know.   Nicole Jardim:  (53:47) I know.   Tahnee:  (53:47) [inaudible 00:53:47]-   Nicole Jardim:  (53:47) Thank you so much [inaudible 00:53:53] literally.   Tahnee:  (53:55) I know. We had a chat earlier before we came on about whether your book could be available to Australian's on launch in April. We're not sure, but we will try and find out and we will let everyone know. I reckon we might be able to get it through book depository or Kindle maybe. But otherwise it'll be coming out in October in the UK, which should reach us in Australia as well.   Tahnee:  (54:14) And so yeah, it's such a great book. I've had a chance to read quite a lot of it and I am really excited that we can recommend it to people, and you've done so much work and you should be really proud of what an achievement it is. So Thank you so much [crosstalk 00:54:29]-   Nicole Jardim:  (54:29) Thank you so much. I was so thrilled to be on you podcast, and really happy to hear that some of the girls in your office have utilised my work and that just thrills me. So thank you.   Tahnee:  (54:40) Big fans. Have a good day and we will hopefully have again one day soon.   Nicole Jardim:  (54:46) Sounds great, thank you.   Tahnee:  (54:47) Bye Nicole.   Nicole Jardim:  (54:49) Bye.

Not really sure what to do with the numbering system on these episodes. Maybe I'll just make it more and more confusing. Maybe I'll just restart from episode one, and count all the episodes equally? Who knows! But even that doesn't really work because there are a couple of "lost" episodes that count in our episode numbers but have never been released. Mysterious! Anyway, here I am talking Batman with my friend Cody Grenada! Cast and crew: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0136164/ Complete movie: https://xhamster.com/videos/the-erotic-adventures-of-bedman-and-throbbin-1989-2594686

Show #733   Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Monday 30th March 2020. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.   VW: HOPE IS RETURNING Just two months ago, China was considered the center of the corona pandemic. Meanwhile, there are signs of relaxation, with the car industry also slowly returning to normality. Production of vehicles and components has resumed at 22 of 24 Volkswagen locations. Volkswagen Group China sales figures are showing signs of improvement following the Corona-related crash. The overall market trend is pointing slightly upwards. More than 95 percent of all Volkswagen Group dealers have reopened their showrooms. Customer frequency is around 60 percent compared with normal phases. The Volkswagen brand alone is represented in China by more than 2,000 dealers. There are 430 dealerships at Audi, 470 at ŠKODA and 120 at Porsche. Around 40 percent of the planned investments alone will go into electric mobility. This year, for example, production of new electric models based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) is due to start at plants in Anting (SAIC VOLKSWAGEN) and Foshan (FAW-Volkswagen). Both plants are specially designed for the production of purely electric cars. From 2025, Volkswagen Group plans to sell 1.5 million electric cars per year in China. This is also based on the introduction of the Volkswagen ID. Family, which will be launched this year.   https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/news/stories/2020/03/on-the-chinese-market--hope-is-returning.html   TESLA REOPENS WUHAN STORE Vice President of Tesla China shared a message online, user Grace Tao Lin: "“I received a video from my colleague in Wuhan before the meeting in the morning, and the Guoguang store was officially resumed. Wuhan friends went out to work for the first time in two months.”   Teslarati says: "Wuhan has allowed many businesses to reopen amidst the virus, as authorities lifted the mandatory quarantine that lasted over two months. Wuhan’s government has permitted retail locations and malls to resume business to revive the world’s second-largest economy. While residents are now being allowed to go out and shop in local malls and shopping centers, they are required to stay within the Hubei province that the city of Wuhan is located in until April 8."   TESLA GIGAFACTORY EMPLOYEE TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 "An employee at Tesla’s sprawling battery plant outside of Reno, Nevada, has tested positive for COVID-19 according to internal communications obtained by CNBC.  KRNV NBC Reno previously reported on the matter on Sunday." writes Lauran Kolodny for CNBC.   From Tesla: ""If there is a future confirmed case, our protocol at Tesla is to interview the individual, investigate their whereabouts, and speak to their managers to determine to the best of their ability who had contact with the individual at work. We will notify individuals who had direct and extended contact and tell them to self-quarantine to watch for symptoms. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.""   CHINESE EV MANUFACTURER IS NOW WORLD’S BIGGEST FACE-MASK MAKER "As the virus spread throughout China in January, BYD began re-engineering its production lines to allow the company to produce face masks and disinfectants. The company says it was able to get production of these items up and running in just two weeks. A face-mask production line requires about 1,300 parts for various gears and rollers, and BYD was able to source most of these in-house." reports Ride.tech: "Currently, the company produces roughly five million face masks and 300,000 bottles of hand sanitizer per day. BYD claims this makes it the largest producer of face masks in the world."   MUSTANG MACH-E DEVELOPMENT DOESN'T STOP FOR CORONAVIRUS "Ford Motor Co. engineers are keeping the Mustang Mach-E program on track to launch this fall even as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts manufacturing, sales and other business." says The Detroit News: "As they work from home, the developers have traded team rides in prototype vehicles for recorded video, labs for garages, co-workers for children and office conversation for virtual chats. But the team developing Ford's first battery-electric Mustang SUV says it remains focused on completing the base model's final evaluations and continuing work on other versions."   Aleyna Kapur, a Mach-E calibrator: ""If there is a different calibration we want to try, I will jump into the vehicle, the flash goes in, I will take the car around the block, come back, look at the data, and see how things reacted. Maybe I'll get back in the vehicle, tweak a few things, and come back to the desk. It's right there. If I need something done in one vehicle, I follow up with my fellow calibrators, and say, 'Hey, can you grab this data for me? Can you try this out? Can you make sure this diagnostic checks out?' We kind of help each other out at the end of the day. We’re making it work."   https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2020/03/30/ford-mustang-mach-e-development-doesnt-stop-coronavirus/2925506001/   TESLA CHALLENGE TO DOOR PATENT SHOT DOWN BY APPEALS BOARD "The Patent Trial and Appeal Board declined to review Nikola Corp.'s truck seat door patent that Tesla Inc. argued was obvious and therefore invalid." according to Bloomberg Law: "Tesla in September asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tribunal to review Nikola’s U.S. patent no. 10,077,084, that covers a semi-truck vehicle door that provides access to the cabin interior from a seat’s backside. The electric car maker, controlled by billionaire Elon Musk, argued that previous patents and publications show the same door position."   https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/tesla-challenge-to-door-patent-shot-down-by-appeals-board   GROUND LEVELING FOR GIGA BERLIN TO BE COMPLETED SOON "According to the latest video reports from the Tesla Gigafactory 4 (aka Giga Berlin) in Grünheide, near Berlin in Germany, the ground leveling is coming to an end. Most of the area is already prepared and this stage of work should be completed later this week. As the COVID-19 outbreak spreads across Germany, the question is whether Tesla will be able to start construction works smoothly?" says InsideEVs.   https://youtu.be/wTF4lStmbq4   VOLKSWAGEN WITNESSES INCREASED DEMAND FOR E-UP! AND PASSAT GTE IN GERMANY "Volkswagen is focussing on stepping up electric mobility and is significantly expanding its range of fully electric models and hybrids." repotrs newmobility.global: "Even before the launch of the new ID.3 this summer, the demand for electric mobility has considerably increased in Germany: already every second order for the up! model series is for the fully electric version, around 20,000 orders have been received. The GTE versions of the current Passat generation have also become increasingly more popular amongst buyers: Every seventh customer now opts for the plug-in hybrid (PHEV)."   https://www.newmobility.global/e-mobility/volkswagen-witnesses-increased-demand-e-passat-gte-germany/   FIRST DAF CF ELECTRIC REFUSE COLLECTION TRUCK DELIVERED TO ROVA "first DAF CF Electric 6x2 refuse collection truck has entered operations with Dutch public waste disposal firm ROVA. The vehicle features a zero-emission VDL electric powertrain alongside a fully electric VDL refuse collection superstructure. The vehicle will be operated by ROVA in the Dutch city of Zwolle." says Green Car Congress: "The driveline is powered by a battery pack with a (gross) energy content of 170 kWh; sufficient for covering regular garbage collection routes. Waste collection trucks typically return to the depot every few hours to unload, at which time a DAF CF Electric can recharge up to 80% battery capacity in only 30 minutes."   https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/03/20200330-daf.html   LIEBHERR PRESENTS ALL-ELECTRIC TRUCK MIXERS "The vehicle manufacturer Liebherr, in cooperation with Designwerk and ZF, have developed the first fully electric truck mixers with a drum holding ten or twelve cubic metres on a five-axle chassis. The first applications are planned for autumn 2020 at the customers Holcim and KIBAG in Switzerland." according to electrive: "The Futuricum chassis, based on Volvo Trucks’ FM series, houses an electric motor with an output of 500 kW and, according to the Swiss manufacturer, copes perfectly with the weight of the concrete in the drum. A drum drive is a unit consisting of an additional electric motor and a mixer gearbox installed directly on the drum. All hydraulics are superfluous, says Liebherr."   https://www.electrive.com/2020/03/29/liebherr-presents-electric-concrete-mixer-truck/   LUCID MOTORS DELAYS LAUNCH OF AIR EV "The debut of Lucid Motors Inc.'s first production car, a luxury electric sedan called Air, has been put off until later this year due to uncertainties around the coronavirus pandemic." says Biz Journals.com: "The Newark-based company headed by former Tesla Inc. chief engineer Peter Rawlinson had planned to unveil the car next week at the New York Auto Show, which was postponed until late August amid travel bans and a mounting COVID-19 outbreak. The company's principal investor is Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which committed to providing $1 billion of capital in September 2018. Rawlinson said the relationship that sovereign fund and other investors remains solid."   https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2020/03/30/lucid-air-debut-update.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo   QUESTION OF THE WEEK   With VW ID.3 facing software rewrites, how hard should we be on legacy auto makers when they hit EV speedbumps?   I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the 242 patrons of this podcast whose generosity means I get to keep making this show, which aims to entertain and inform thousands of listeners every day about a brighter future. By no means do you have to check out Patreon but if it’s something you’ve been thinking about, by all means look at patreon.com/evnewsdaily   [mention for Premium Partners]   You can listen to all 732 previous episodes of this this for free, where you get your podcasts from, plus the blog https://www.evnewsdaily.com/ – remember to subscribe, which means you don’t have to think about downloading the show each day, plus you get it first and free and automatically.   It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast.   And if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing.   Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I’ll catch you tomorrow and remember…there’s no such thing as a self-charging hybrid.     PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE (PREMIUM PARTNER) BRAD CROSBY (PREMIUM PARTNER) AVID TECHNOLOGY (PREMIUM PARTNER) BRIGHTSMITHGROUP.COM – FOR CLEANTECH TALENT (PREMIUM PARTNER) NEW! 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“Maybe I'll be back here in fifty years from now, sitting under the sun with wrinkles and grey hair, a pocketbook full of photographs and a life lived and out of the corner of my eye, I'll be looking for a boy I once knew. I need to memorize him, I tell myself. His dark eyes and the way they speak Italian to me with a look. The curve of his back and the way the muscles in his jaw are tense, as if he's holding back words. It's dark now and my plane is in the morning.” You can find Elissa on Instagram as @itselissanotalyssa.

Retail trends in real estate continue to change with the and for the consumer. Tom Londres is the CEO of Metro Commercial Real Estate Brokerage based in Philadelphia, PA.  The core business focuses on suburban retail strip centers, big box, community centers, supermarket anchored centers, and downtown urban.  They provide third party solutions for retailers, owners of retail and investors in the greater metro area, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.   Location, Location, Location Location was, is and will be key to the value of commercial retail real estate.  Depending on the criteria of a particular business, the value of a location will vary from business to business.  If you are trying to sell tequila on the morning side of the street, you are going to struggle. You have to make it easy for your consumer to access your business.  For a retailer, location is a surgical strike! Retail Trends In the 1980’s the growth of the retail strip centers grew with suburban sprawl.  This is when the big box retailers' growth exploded, think Wal-Mart & Home Depot and the deconstruction of the department store began.  Instead of being located in a department store, the departments became a store of their own. Apparel, appliances, tv’s all became a single mega center, often located across the street from the mall.   From there came the open air shopping centers with one or two categories under one roof.   Omni Channel Online and bricks & mortar used to fight for the customer, you stay in your cage, I’ll stay in mine.  No more.   Now, we have the omni channel.  No longer can a successful brick & mortar retail business thrive without an online presence, nor can an online retailer thrive without a brick & mortar presence.  They need both. Retail has to have an online presence and a bricks and mortar presence. This race to grow is creating disruption and opportunities for those who can execute.   Buy online, purchase in store (BOPIS) is the evolution of online with bricks and mortar.  Stores are now trying to balance the physical space needs with just the right amount of merchandise on hand to increase sales when you pickup your online order in the store. This eliminates the delivery cost, and the numbers show that the consumer will make an additional purchase when they pick up their order in the store.   Consumer Demands The consumer demands quality at a good price, now and the ability to get out of the transaction whenever they want.  For the retailer that gets this wrong, they will forever lose the consumer. These consumer demands are changing the physical configuration of the store.   Stores have to create an experience in their store.  The consumer goes to the store to have the experience, then makes their order.  The product can be shipped direct to the consumer or available for the client to pick up in the store.   Data Driven  Today, data drives decisions.  For years data has been collected but only recently has it been analyzed and applied in a recognizable form.  Now the consumer and retailer can lean into the data collection for greater convenience for both parties.   Apparel Reconfigured Apparel reconfigured is happening much like the hotel business and Airbnb.  Consumers recognize that they want the nicest brand, but realistically will only use it once.  Instead of a closet full of once worn garments, why not rent. Millennials value material possessions less than prior generations.  They want the experience, not the possession. Good Stewards Retailers have to be good stewards to meet the consumers expectations.  Consumers expect a responsible retailer. The consumer is rejecting retailers that ignore conserving energy.  Roofs, parking lots, solar power, recycled water, lighting, etc. If you do not conform and retrofit your store, the millennial buyer will pass you buy for the responsible retail option. Opportunities in Retail Disruption continues to reveal opportunities in real estate for those who can see the opportunity.  The reconfiguration of retail is greater in the urban core than suburbia. Mixed use projects and established urban retail show great potential. BIGGEST RISK  Each week I ask my guest, “What is the Biggest Risk Real Estate Investors face?”   BIGGEST RISK: I'll give you what I think is the biggest risk or one of the big risks if you owned retail real estate. I'm not going to get into the mind of a retailer where they think they should be other than I think they should be always in the online world and the bricks and mortar world. That, that is universally agreed if you're a retailer and want to move forward with some exceptions, but if you want to, generally speaking, if you want to be a vibrant, relevant retailer moving forward, you have to have an online and a bricks and mortar presence that's effortless, that has a great customer experience. And we can see that with both of those retailers that are disciplined in each one of those corners trying to get, um, into the other space. But I would say if you own retail real estate and you have an exposure, um, high exposure to department stores and apparel retailers, I would say if your portfolio contains a large portion, the percentage of your occupancy, is coming from department stores or apparel retailers. I would say you need to rethink when those options come up.  If you have the opportunities to downsize to mitigate your risks, you have to inject entertainment, you have to inject food, you have to inject convenience, services. Fitness, theater. And again, moving towards diversifying your center, not away from retail, to diversify and add apartments. Although some assets would lean towards that just in scale and size you need mitigate and say, I'll take one wing of retail and make them apartments or luxury condos or townhouses.  Maybe I'll add a hotel or something, but generally speaking, if you look at your portfolio, if you're owner of a retail real estate and you're leaning more towards a department store and or apparel, I'd say probably rethink it. Because I think apparel is shrinking, uh, in its category and its demand and its consumption. And I think department stores, most of them, if not all of them, will be radically different or completely eliminated within a decade. For more go to:  https://www.metrocommercial.com/

I'd like to ask you, Tom Londres, What is the BIGGEST RISK? Tom:  Well, you know, I'd have to take a position to establish a vantage point on answering that. Am I a retailer looking into the future saying where's my biggest risk? Am I an investor or an owner of a piece of retail real estate looking to position it, um, to minimize my risk or assess where am I most exposed going forward? So I'll take the latter. I'll tell you, I'll, I'll give you what I think is the biggest risk or one of the big risks if you owned retail real estate. I'm not going to get into the mind of a retailer where they think they should be other than I think they should be always in the online world and the bricks and mortar world. That, that is universally agreed if you're a retailer and want to move forward with some exceptions, but if you want to, generally speaking, if you want to be a vibrant, relevant retailer moving forward, you have to have an online and a bricks and mortar presence that's effortless, that has a great customer experience. And we can see that with both of those retailers that are disciplined in each one of those corners trying to get, um, into the other space. But I would say if you own retail real estate and you have an exposure, um, high exposure to department stores and apparel retailers, I would say if your portfolio contains a large portion, the percentage of your occupancy, um, is coming from department stores or apparel retailers. I would say you need to rethink when those options come up. If you have the opportunities to downsize to mitigate your risks, you have to inject, entertainment, you have to inject food, you have to inject convenience, services. Fitness, theater. And again, moving towards diversifying your center, not away from retail, to diversify and add apartments. Although some assets would lean towards that just in scale and size you need mitigate and say, I'll take one wing of retail and make them apartments or luxury condos or townhouses. Maybe I'll add a hotel or something, but generally speaking, if you look at your portfolio, if you're owner of a retail real estate and you're leaning more towards a department store and or apparel, I'd say probably rethink it. Because I think apparel is shrinking, uh, in its category and its demand and its consumption. And I think department stores, most of them, if not all of them, will be radically different or completely eliminated within a decade.

  This month on Episode 10 of the Discover CircRes podcast, host Cindy St. Hilaire highlights four featured articles from the February 28 and March 13, 2020 issues of Circulation Research and talks with Dr Mary McDermott about her article Cocoa to Improve Walking Performance in Older People With Peripheral Artery Disease: The Cocoa-Pad Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.   Article highlights:   Rykaczewska, et al. PCSK6 Is a Key Protease in Vascular Injury   Lebek, et al. SDB Induces Arrhythmias via CaMKII and Late Ina   Mueller, et al. Brain Damage With Heart Failure Napierski, et al. Cut and Paste of cMyBP-C Domains In Situ Transcript Cindy St. Hilaire: Hi. Welcome to Discover CircRes, the podcast of the American Heart Association's journal Circulation Research. I'm your host, Dr Cindy St. Hilaire, and I'm from the Vascular Medicine Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. Today I'm going to share with you four articles selected from the February 28th and the March 13th issues of Circulation Research as well as have an in-depth discussion with Dr Mary McDermott, who is the corresponding author of the study COCOA-PAD Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. So first, the highlights. The first article I'm sharing with you is titled PCSK6 Is a Key Protease in the Control of Smooth Muscle Cell Function in Vascular Remodeling. The first authors are Urszula Rykaczewska, Bianca Suur, Samuel Röhl, and the corresponding author is Ljubica Matic from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The family of proprotein convertase subtilisins/kexins, or PCSKs case for short, are a group of proteases whose role in vascular disease was only recently recognized. Humans with gain- and loss-of-function mutations in PCSK9 exhibit very high or very low levels of cholesterol, respectively, and this information was leveraged for the development of novel, albeit extremely expensive, drugs for regulating cholesterol. However, the role of other members of the PCSK family in cardiovascular disease is not known. This group previously found that PCSK6 was one of the most enriched molecules in human carotid artery plaques as compared to normal arteries, while other PCSK family members did not show the same trend. This prompted the group to further explore the role of PCSK6 in vascular disease. They used a very integrative approach drawing from several independent human biobanks for genetic information, conducting in situ functional investigations using human tissue, also conducting in vivo animal models of vascular injury, including using the PCSK6 knockout mice, as well as ex vivo and in vitro mechanistic studies. And they found that PCSK6 was a key modulator of smooth muscle cell function in vascular remodeling and atherosclerosis through a very novel mechanism implicating MMP14 and MMP2 activation upon cytokine stimulation. Future studies will investigate the role of PCSK6 on atherosclerotic plaque remodeling and instability because, as we know, plaque rupture can have devastating consequences. The second article I will highlight is titled Enhanced CaMKII-Dependent Late I Na Induces Atrial Pro-Arrhythmic Activity in Patients with Sleep-Disordered Breathing. The first author is Simon Lebek, and the corresponding author is Stefan Wagner, from the University Hospital Regensburg in Regensburg, Germany. Sleep-disordered breathing is an umbrella term for any chronic condition involving the complete or partial interruption of breathing during sleep, and this is commonly called sleep apnea. Aside from daytime sleepiness, people with sleep-disordered breathing run the risk of developing arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation. Arrhythmias are an electrical problem as opposed to a mechanical one. And at the cellular level, arrhythmias are associated with increased activity of the enzyme calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 2, or CaMKII, and this protein regulates cellular electrophysiology. Despite the role of CaMKII in propagating electrical signals in the heart, its activity has not been investigated in sleep-disordered breathing patients. This group now shows in a study that used 113 patients undergoing heart surgery that those with sleep-disordered breathing have higher CaMKII in biopsied myocardium than those without the condition. Furthermore, this CaMKII increase was associated with other pro-arrhythmic alterations to the tissue, including increased reactive oxygen species production, enhanced phosphorylation of a major sodium channel, and consequent late firing of sodium currents. Importantly, these alterations could be prevented by pharmacological inhibition of CaMKII, suggesting that such an inhibitor could be a novel treatment strategy for patients with sleep-disordered breathing to reduce their arrhythmia risk. The next article I want to share with you is titled Brain Damage with Heart Failure: Cardiac Biomarker Alterations and Gray Matter Decline. The first authors are Karsten Mueller and Friederike Thiel, and the corresponding author is Matthias Schroeter, and the work was completed at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany. Heart failure leads to decreased blood flow due to a reduced pumping efficiency of the heart, and as a consequence, this can cause insufficient oxygen supply to the tissues, including the brain. Cardiovascular insults, including heart failure, increase the risk for the development of neurological diseases later in life, such as vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Patients with heart failure can show neurological symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and dizziness. However, the long-term consequences of the effects of heart failure on brain integrity are not well understood. However, several studies suggest that structural changes in the gray matter can occur. This study sought to identify correlations between cardiovascular biomarkers and structural gray matter changes in the brain. They found that patients who suffered from heart failure undergo detrimental brain structural changes. Reduced gray matter density in several regions of the brain correlated with decreased ejection fraction at baseline and increased NT-proBNP, which is a heart failure biomarker. While these observations might reflect structural brain damage in areas that are related to cognition, whether these structural changes facilitate the development of cognitive alterations will need to be proven in future longitudinal studies. The last article I want to share with you before we switch to our interview is titled A Novel "Cut And Paste" Method for In Situ Replacement of Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C Reveals a New Role for This Protein in the Regulation of Contractile Oscillations. The first author is Nathaniel Napierski, and the corresponding author is Samantha Harris, and they're from the University of Arizona. Actin and myosin are the respective thin and thick filament proteins that allow for muscle contraction, including in the cardiomyocytes, the muscle cells of the heart. Cardiac myosin binding protein C is a critical protein that regulates heart contraction, but the mechanisms by which this protein affects actin and myosin are only partially understood. One reason for this is that cardiac myosin binding protein C localization on the thick filaments may be a key component of contraction, but most in vitro studies cannot spatially replicate arrangements of cardiac myosin binding protein C within the sarcomere. To address this technical gap, this group created a novel hybrid genetic/protein engineering approach that allows for rapid manipulation of cardiac myosin binding protein C in sarcomeres of permeabilized myocytes isolated from genetically engineered Spy-C mice in situ. So essentially, they can do some gene editing in tissue in situ. Using this approach, they were able to rapidly remove and replace cardiac myosin binding protein C. Deletion of this protein fully recapitulates effects obtained using traditional knockout and transgenic mouse models of cardiac myosin binding protein C. However, the ability to rapidly remove and replace this protein identified a new regulatory role for cardiac myosin binding protein C where it functions to dampen contractile oscillations. The novel cut and paste approach should be very useful in testing these new hypotheses of the role of cardiac myosin binding protein C function as well as in defining the role of how spontaneous contractile oscillations affect cardiac contractility during both health and disease. Okay. Now we're going to switch over to the interview portion of the podcast. I have with me Dr Mary McDermott from the Departments of Medicine and Preventative Medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. And today we're going to be discussing her manuscript titled Cocoa to Prevent Walking Performance in Older People With Peripheral Artery Disease: The COCOA-PAD Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. Thank you for joining me. Mary McDermott: Oh, it's a pleasure to be here. Cindy St. Hilaire: Before we dig into the details and the nitty-gritty of the study, could you maybe first explain to us what peripheral artery disease is and perhaps maybe why it's so pernicious? Mary McDermott: Sure. So peripheral artery disease is atherosclerosis of the arteries that supply the legs, and it is a problem because it causes great difficulty with walking. People with peripheral artery disease, or PAD, can typically walk only at one or two blocks before they have to stop because of symptoms or weakness or pain or tightness in their lower extremities, in their legs. And it's also difficult to treat because we have very few medical therapies available that are effective. Cindy St. Hilaire: So this is really something that you only know it's there until you're feeling the adverse symptoms. Mary McDermott: That's correct. Cindy St. Hilaire: That sounds very difficult to treat clinically. This study was called the COCOA-PAD study, and it was a double-blind pilot, randomized clinical trial, and it was designed to test the hypothesis that daily cocoa consumption for about six months improves or prevents the decline in something called the six-minute walk distance test. So my first burning question is, is it okay to eat a lot of chocolate every day? And then my second question is, what is the significance of the six-minute walk test? And maybe you could tell us a little bit about this trial's design. Mary McDermott: Sure. Maybe I'll go in reverse order for those questions. Cindy St. Hilaire: Sure. Mary McDermott: So the trial design, it was a randomized clinical trial. 44 participants with peripheral artery disease were randomized to receive either the cocoa beverages, we asked them to take three a day, or a placebo control, which was very much like the intervention except that the placebo did not have cocoa or cocoa flavanols. And participants were followed for six months, and at baseline and six-month follow-up, we measured the six-minute walk test, and we also did muscle biopsy on those who consented to that, and we also measured lower extremity perfusion with MRI. Now, the six-minute walk test is a test that's very well-validated in patients with peripheral artery disease, and it's really a measure of walking endurance. The way you conduct it is you need a hundred-foot hallway. We use standardized instructions. We actually use a script where the research assistant reads the script with the instructions, and the goal of the test is for the participant to walk as many lengths as they can in the six minutes. And often what you see in people with peripheral artery disease is they start out fine, but after maybe a few hundred-foot lengths, they start to slow down or they start to limp, and many of them cannot finish the six-minute walk without having to stop and rest. If they need to stop, then they can start walking again. Cindy St. Hilaire: That's interesting. Is it a fatigue or is it a pain, or what is prompting them to stop? Mary McDermott: It's symptoms in the legs or the hips classically, and it can be either of those symptoms that you mentioned. It may be a fatigue or a weakness. Some people will say, "I don't have pain. My legs just get weak, and I can't keep walking." Others will have pain. Many will have tightness or burning. And it's interesting, some people will get symptoms mainly in their feet or ankles, others will get it classically in the calves, but many will get it in the hips. And the location depends in part on the location of the atherosclerosis and where they're experiencing the ischemia. Cindy St. Hilaire: Interesting. And so ultimately this is due to the atherosclerotic plaque blocking blood flow? Mary McDermott: Exactly. Right. So when they go to walk, their muscles are not getting an adequate oxygen supply, and that causes these symptoms or weakness in the legs. Cindy St. Hilaire: Interesting. What's so special about cocoa, and what are these flavonoids that you mentioned? Mary McDermott: Sure. Cocoa actually comes from the cacao plant, and in that plant there's cocoa, but also something called cocoa flavonoids, and this is a nutritional substance. And there's a variety, but in cocoa, epicatechin is the most prevalent flavonoid. And flavonoids have health benefits that include improving blood flow by causing dilation of vessels, but also, they've been shown to have favorable effects on muscles, skeletal muscle. And so this is particularly potentially helpful in peripheral artery disease because, obviously, patients with PAD have difficulty with blood flow because of those atherosclerotic blockages, but also they've been shown to have skeletal muscle abnormalities, probably because their leg muscles aren't getting enough oxygen. So they develop loss of muscle mass, they develop mitochondrial dysfunction and other abnormalities in their muscle that also make it hard for them to walk. So cocoa and cocoa flavonoids are an attractive therapy in PAD because they both can improve blood flow and improve the health of the skeletal muscle in the legs. Cindy St. Hilaire: Interesting. So it's kind of a two-pronged approach to possibly helping these patients. What was the scientific evidence out there that the flavonoids or maybe even just dark chocolate may be beneficial, and how was your study different from other studies? Mary McDermott: Some of the evidence comes from animal studies where it's clearly been shown to improve skeletal muscle mitochondrial activity and muscle growth and also blood flow. But there were also some preliminary studies in humans, a couple of them really small sample sizes of patients with heart failure, showing improvements in skeletal muscle health. But there was one trial published about five years ago in patients with PAD where the PAD patients were given one dose of dark chocolate or one dose of milk chocolate, and that one dose helped them achieve increased walking distance on a treadmill about two to three hours later. But to our knowledge, no prior studies had tested whether a daily dose of cocoa could improve six-minute walk or improve skeletal muscle or blood flow. Cindy St. Hilaire: So should I eat chocolate every day? Mary McDermott: Well, there's a couple of important things about chocolate. First of all, most of the chocolate that you can buy at the store is not the type we used in our study. Oftentimes chocolate is alkalized, and what that does is it makes it taste better, but it also removes some of those cocoa flavonoids that are thought to be responsible for the health benefits. The cocoa that we studied was rich in the cocoa flavanols. It had not been alkalized, and it was more of the dark chocolate. So if you want to eat it for health benefits, you need to read the label, and it should tell you whether the chocolate has been alkalized. The other thing to take note of is, of course, many forms of chocolate come with a lot of calories or sugars, so that can be problematic if it leads to weight gain. The chocolate that we used in our study and the placebo added about 180 calories per day to the diet, and prior to starting the study we did a little bit of diet counseling with all the participants, and we helped them identify drinks or foods they were eating that maybe could be removed so that they could take the 180 calories without gaining weight. And we did not find weight gain in either group in this study. Cindy St. Hilaire: That's good. That's good. One of your results I found interesting was that it showed that this daily supplementation of cocoa in the diet improved the six-minute walk test at a timeframe that was shortly after the chocolate dosing, but not 24 hours after. Can you maybe talk about that result and what the implications for that mean? Mary McDermott: Sure. Because of that prior trial that I mentioned, which indicated that cocoa had an acute effect, we were interested in separating out the acute and the chronic effects. So we did two six-minute walk tests at six-month follow-up. The first was performed two and a half hours after the final cocoa dose, and the second was performed 24 hours later. And we saw the biggest benefit at the time point that was two and a half hours after the final cocoa dose. The benefit was about 42 meters favoring the cocoa intervention. When participants came back 24 hours later, the difference between the intervention and the placebo was only 18 meters, and that didn't quite achieve statistical significance in our primary analyses. Now, we were a little surprised by the difference in those findings. One possible explanation is that cocoa has both the chronic and acute benefit and that first measurement reflected both the acute and the chronic benefits. So that's one possible explanation. Another is, interestingly, we found that the placebo group had a bit of a learning effect between the two-and-a-half-hour time point and the 24-hour time point, and it's possible that that explained the diminishment in the difference of the 24-hour time point. But we didn't see that learning effect in the cocoa group, so that didn't quite make sense. In my mind, the best explanation is there may be both an acute and a chronic effect, and we saw the benefit of both of those at that first time point. Cindy St. Hilaire: Interesting. And a learning effect, by that you just mean the patients just learned to do the test better? Mary McDermott: Yeah. So they got more comfortable with it between the first and the second measurement, which were just 24 hours apart. Prior study in peripheral artery disease patients has not shown a learning effect. But in the prior study, the six-minute walk tests were performed one or two weeks apart. And to my knowledge, no one's ever tested it just 24 hours apart. Cindy St. Hilaire: Interesting. Very interesting. What was really the most challenging aspect of  this study? Can you talk about some of the limitations also? Mary McDermott: Sure. I'd say the biggest limitation was the sample size. This was a pilot study. It's not a definitive result. There were 44 people, so that is certainly a limitation. And perhaps related to that, we did see some imbalances at baseline between the two groups in terms of BMI and prevalence of African-Americans between the two groups. Our analyses do adjust for those differences to try to overcome that potential difference. With regard to challenges, well, recruiting for studies of peripheral artery disease is always a challenge because the patients are limited in their own mobility, and it can be hard for them to come in for the study visits. A study like this requires multiple visits at baseline and follow-up. Another potential challenge is that the adherence rate was about 64% in the intervention group versus closer to 80% in the placebo group. We don't know- Cindy St. Hilaire: Oh, interesting. What do you think that is? Mary McDermott: We don't know exactly why. It's possible that the cocoa intervention had a different taste and maybe was not as palatable, but since participants only had their own drink, we didn't ask them to compare, and we can't say that for sure. That could've been just due to chance. Cindy St. Hilaire: Sure. Wow. Well, hopefully, a future study can help figure that out. Speaking of that, what would be next really in terms of kind of translating this study into either a bigger study or really translating it to the clinic? What do you see for this moving forward? Mary McDermott: Well, couple things. I think most immediately, because there are so few therapies for peripheral artery disease and because cocoa has essentially no side effects with the caveat being the potential for weight gain, that it would be reasonable to recommend it to patients who are really symptomatic and can't seem to get better with standard options such as exercise or maybe in addition to exercise. But I do think before we can reach a definitive conclusion, a definitive trial is needed. We have applied, we have submitted a grant application to obtain funding to do a larger study, but we'll need to wait and see how that goes. Cindy St. Hilaire: Well, hopefully, that gets funded because I would love any excuse to eat a little more chocolate, even if it's non-alkalized. Well, great. Well, thank you so much for joining me today, Dr McDermott. This is a wonderful study, and I wish you the best of luck on that next funding to do a larger study. Mary McDermott: Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate your interest in this work. Thank you. Cindy St. Hilaire: That's it for highlights from the February 28th and March 13th issues of Circulation Research. Thank you so much for listening. This podcast is produced by Rebecca McTavish, edited by Melissa Stoner, and supported by the editorial team of Circulation Research. Some of the copy text for highlighted articles was provided by Ruth Williams. Thank you to our guest, Dr Mary McDermott. I'm your host, Dr Cindy St Hilaire, and this is Discover CircRes, your source for the most up-to-date and exciting discoveries in basic cardiovascular research.  

James: Hey audience and listeners, this is James Kandasamy from Achieve Wealth True Value Add Real Estate Investing Podcast. Today I'm happy to get Ivan Barratt into our show. Ivan is a multifamily owner-manager syndicator who specializes in large apartment complexes in the Midwest and he has been doing it since 2015 with over $18 million in equity, with more than 3000 units as the primary GP. And he has grown his company, which is Barratt Asset Management to be best in class two time inc 5,000 private equity and management firm. And he focuses a lot on equity, finance, acquisitions, and companies' strategies. So currently managing over 300 million in assets, comprised of almost 3,500 units. Hey Ivan, welcome to the show Ivan: James, so good to see you, dude. I always love talking to you man. It's good to be on the show officially. James: Absolutely. I know we postponed it a few times so this is going to be very, very valuable to me and to my listeners as well. And so, Ivan, let's get started. How did you get started, right? Let's quickly go through it. How did you get started and how did you end up with $300 million in assets under management? Ivan: Yeah. You know, for me it all started with one duplex that I house-hacked back in 2000. I'd wanted to be in real estate my whole life. My dad is in real estate. He was an attorney, always owned rental properties on the side. A couple of entrepreneurial uncles on both sides of my family that owned apartments, gas stations, car washes, all kinds of businesses. So at a really early age, I wanted to be an entrepreneur and I wanted real estate because I thought, gosh, why would I want a real job when I could just go out on a lot of property and do whatever I want and watch the rent cheques just come in. So I went to school, went to college, went through business school, got a degree in real estate finance, got out, house-hacked a duplex. For the first eight years, I worked for a mentor in mostly development, but also property asset management. All kinds of different jobs that I got to have that I got to where I working for this real estate developer. And most importantly, I got a front-row seat to the great financial crash in 2008 at a really young age, a huge gift. I learned. I wasn't as smart as I thought. I learned that I was doing real estate the wrong way and that's when I really started modeling multifamily companies. Because I'd always wanted to own apartments, but I also saw that in a downturn, those multifamily companies got bigger, they got stronger, they acquired more assets because of the way they were financed. And so that really was the impetus to get me started in my own pursuits. Then I actually started in 2010 as a property management company first because I knew that if I could figure out the property management game and doing that for others, that when it was time to buy bigger deals for myself, I would have a higher likelihood of success of execution. So I started buying a few small deals at the same time, was managing for other clients. Anything I could get my hands on where I didn't have to carry a gun and I was doing everything. Started from the bottom, then started being able to buy larger apartment deals. And when I say large, I mean, my first apartment deal was six units and about 35 and a 30. Then I said I'd never do another small deal again and I bought 15 cause it was just too good to pass up. And then from there, I started syndicating. I did my first syndication of 60 units and I bought 112 and all the while, still managing for other people as well. That was really how we grew the company in those early days. Once we got to onsite staff size properties, there was really no turning back, pretty addictive. Fast forward to today, we still do some management for others but we mostly manage our own assets now. And we are far and above are our biggest clients. And that's the shorter version of where I come from and how I got here. James: Got it, got it. So is this 3,500 units, is it all you? I mean, your company or you guys do fee manager part of it or how does that? Ivan: Yeah, so I own about 3000 units. We're down to about 500 units that we manage for others, it's not really a focus moving forward. We still have a few close partnerships that we like managing for. But really the way I've built and designed my company is not to be a profit center of property management, more to be an execution machine for my own wealth strategy. And so I think you and I've talked about this before, you know, on the property management side, I could be Scrooge and I could really be tight and I could probably make a 15% margin but instead, we focus those dollars into our culture, our people, growing leaders within the organization, having fun. Property management is not easy. You know, having great events and really trying to create this beautiful machine of people that want to come to work, want to do a good job, want to stick around a while and believe in what we're doing. We call it the band fam. James: Awesome. Awesome. So let's go deep into the, you know, how you got started and it's just so interesting, right? I mean, you had that vision to start from property management first and then added assets, which is, you know, how like even like Ken McElroy started, right. He started being a property manager first. Ivan: Ken McElroy was a huge influence in my career. Yeah. Huge influence. I read his book very early on and that was one of the key influences for starting my management company and figuring that out first. James: Yeah. And I think he had mentioned it many times. I mean, for the audience who doesn't know who's Ken McElroy. He is one of the largest owners of multifamily in the US. I mean, he is an advisor to Robert Kiyosaki and he's a big guy, well-known guy, a well-respected guy in the multifamily industry. And he mentioned very clearly in his book, right? I mean, to get started, you probably want to work for someone or go work as a property manager. And I don't think so many people are following it because people think it's just buying assets and letting it ride through a, it's okay. But what did you learn from that experience? And starting from property management and going into as an owner as well. Ivan: You know, this is 2011, 2012, I've got 70 units and I am everything. I'm the busboy, the cook, the maitre D. I'm the leasing agent. I'm the property manager. I'm the rent collector. I had a little bookkeeper that came in every other week cause I didn't want to screw that up. So I literally did everything first and learned to be efficient with it and also learn, you know, strengths and weaknesses and made a lot of mistakes. I've finally just decided early on that I knew I was gonna make a lot of mistakes and that was just part of it. I finally figured that out in my mid twenties, that being an entrepreneur is a lot about failing forward, making mistakes and learning from those mistakes and not quitting. It's not a calm, okay sort of method, but it's the backstory to a lot of successful entrepreneurs. So I just copied what those who had been there before me had done. James: Got it. Got it. And I mentioned it in my book, I mean, across all commercial real estate, multifamily is a really, really good asset class but the hardest part in multifamily is property management, right? I mean, managing that 300 or 100 units income stream from different people is just the hardest. I mean, you'd rather buy an office, have three tenants, professional tenants and you're done. Ivan: Yeah. Multifamily is the best asset class for return on investment on the planet until you move in the people. James: Yeah. Until you move into the hard job of multifamily, which is basically the property management and, you know, you'll figure it out. You'll figure it out beginning in itself that, you know, property managers, I mean, you want to start from property management and going into asset management. I mean, you and I know that you really don't make money in property management. It's basically a time-consuming job. Ivan: The most important one, but very, very time-consuming. The most important job, James: Absolutely, the most important and we do it for control, right. For control of our value... Ivan: Oh, absolutely. I couldn't imagine hiring a third-party manager for my own assets. It's just the way we do things and the amount of control we have, the ability to move pieces around. For instance, we had one property that was suffering a little bit. We were still trying to get the right management team in place. We took our best leasing agent in the entire company and we moved her across the state to do her thing at an asset that needed her assistance. And that's very easily done when you control the management side of it. If you're out there and you're just another number to a third-party company that's a far more difficult solution to get. They're not necessarily going to give you their best people or move around their best people. James: Yeah. And I also think property management is the best way to make deals, numbers work in this market cycle, right? Where the market, it's not like appreciating like what it used to be in the past five years. Ivan: You're giving away my best secrets, James. James: I know. Ivan: How we get our value-add picture to work is a big part of it is being able to manage these units efficiently and knowing exactly what it's going to cost to run them and finding inefficiencies and reducing expenses. It's one of the three legs on the stool right now for making deals, achieve target returns. No question. James: Absolutely, absolutely. I think that's very important for...that's why we do vertical integration. Because deals at this stage of the market cycle, where everything is overpaid and people are bidding for high prices for everything and it's just so hard to do, you know, if you're doing it third-party. Ivan: No question. James: So, yeah, I mean, to be frank with you, in the last one month, I have like four guys, four friends who are syndicators, who never had a third party. I mean never had their own property management. They called me for a meeting. They say, Hey, how can we do our own property management company? And I asked why and they said, Oh, you know, all these guys are not good. All this third party, what I told you guys like two years ago, right? And I say, do not do it. But they say, no, we are going to do it. Right? So I mean, yeah, if the market is 150% and your property management is 70% capable, market is 150%, your property management company capabilities are mask off by the market. Right? But if it's the other way around, right now, I don't think the market's at 150% probably is 90 80% right? But now you know, everybody's getting undressed on how capable they are. Now, everybody's like scrambling to go and say, now they're seeing all the weaknesses of all the third-party property management companies. Right. Ivan: Agreed. James: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So come back to deals that you buy in the Midwest. So is it you are in Midwest and is that why you buy in that market? Ivan: Well, I'm lucky. I live in a place that's really great to invest in right now. Midwest, it's steady. The markets we look at have been growing on average 3% a year for 35 years. They don't boom, but they don't bust either. And so, we like a lot of these tertiary and secondary markets in the Midwest that have also successfully decoupled from the Roosevelt economies of old and have government education. Health care is big. There's some blooming in the tech space, R and D, there's some big insurance companies, financial services. So there are these markets like Indy is a great example that hasn't quite seen the boom that some other markets have, but they've just continued to steadily grow, which is really good on a five to seven-year hold period if you can find the right assets inside those markets. James: Yeah. Midwest I mean, I'm not sure where I read it, but essentially the whole Midwest is very stable in terms of economy, right? Ivan: Yeah, it really has become that way. And also in the B, B plus rental cohort, the percentage of rent income is still in the mid to high 20% range versus a lot of hotter markets where it's higher than that. So I would see that as a sign that there's still room to grow rents if you're good at picking growing submarkets within those markets. James: Got it, got it. Yeah. If you're able to identify the submarkets within the market itself.  Ivan: The submarket within the submarket, within the submarket, right? James: Well that's what real estate is.  Ivan: Hyperlocal.  James: Hyperlocal. Yeah. And I'm sure you being local, you would be able to know a lot of areas on your own and then you'd be able to figure it out things. So what are the States are you investing right now in Midwest city? Ivan: So far we're in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, we've got lots of submarkets in these areas that we are targeting. And then from there, there are certainly other States we've got our eye on, here in the Midwest as well. James: So, the deals that you are getting from this Midwest, is it through brokers or how are you guys, through relationships or how's that? Ivan: At our level...so our typical deal is going to be somewhere in the 30 to $40 million range and all those assets are controlled by the brokers. If you try to circumvent them and start going direct to sellers, they're really not going to keep you on their deal flow list. So we use the brokers to our advantage and we get a lot of off-market deal flow from our beloved brokers. We've closed a lot of transactions with them. They know we're a great company to do business with. We never retrade, we close quick. And so, we ended up being on the shortlist when they've got a seller that may be willing to transact but doesn't necessarily want to go full bore on market. James: Got it, got it. So let's say today a broker sent you a deal, right? So what would you look for in that deal that may be attractive for you? Ivan: Yeah, so we're looking for newer assets that are late 90s, early two 2000s. We'd like some stability because our fund dictates that the property can pay monthly cash flow to the LPs starting within 30 days of closing. And we liked that cashflow to be current to the preferred return of 7%. So it's got to have cashflow, day one. And then we still want to see some upside from value add, bringing in our management team, like you and I just spoke of, to manage it more efficiently, but also to make some improvements. If it's the mid-90s, it likely can stand some amenity upgrades and some cosmetic upgrades to the units. So we're looking for, for those two pieces.  And then third, we want a market where the rent is still growing, jobs are coming in, it's a good school district, you've got population growth. So those three components. If those add up to a reasonable expectation of 15, 16, 17, 18% IRR on a five to seven-year hold, we'd like it. We underwrite it to attend. So, if we're holding it more than seven years, we want to do two and a half, three and a half X equity multiple net, or we really want to harvest every five years if we can. James: So how do you determine the exit cap rate? I mean, I know you can't really determine the exit cap rate but in the Midwest States, how would you underwrite, what is the market cap rate plus how many...? Ivan: Yeah, I know there's a lot of talk right now about exit caps and what makes sense. We always just provide a cap rate sensitivity analysis. So we show what it looks like if the cap rate goes up every 25 bips, we show what the return looks like. It's our suspicion that cap rates are maybe a little bit lower than they will be over the long run, but not as much as you'd think. The spread right now between the 10 year treasury, which is at 150 today (actually it's a little less than 150 thanks to the coronavirus) and say a cap rate on buying out of five and a half or six, you're talking about 500 basis points spread in some cases.  In 2008 when the economy crashed, the spread between the 10 year and commercial cap rates was 50 75 basis points. So if you think about the spread between what you get for leaving your money in a 10 year bond and what you get for putting your money in multifamily is still very, very fast. So I don't see that spread going up unless interest rates go up a lot and there's a growing consensus that interest rates aren't going up anytime soon, the debt would just get too expensive. There are too much deflation and global slow down in the macro global economy to force rates up. They're actually continuing to have to ease and keep rates down. And so, I am certainly in the school of thought that we are going to look much more like Japan over the next decade. We're not going to have a lot of negative GDP but we're not going to have a lot of positive growth either. So rates will stay fairly low and there will be a demand for risk assets that offer a healthy spread above the 10 year. So that being said, you know, I probably went down a rabbit hole, maybe a little too deep, but with that being said, you know, we're typically looking at 50 basis points on the exit at five years but we don't get too caught up into that. We never show our pie in the sky and projections to our investors. We never show what we think the maximum rent we're going to return is. For example, I just bought a 272 unit deal, a fantastic deal I'm excited about in the submarket called Greenfield, Indiana, it's inside the Indianapolis MSA, third fastest growing County in my state. And I just have been organically raising, for instance, closing $150 a door on renewal and I'm painting and carpeting. James: That's awesome. Ivan: So I'm not really worried about my exit cap on that deal. You know what I mean? The thing is if cap rates, this is the other reason why you and I get 10 year, 12 year agency debt is because if there's this point in time where cap rates spike, I'm not selling, I'm going to hold the property in cashflow. Just think about it, James. If cap rates are going up, it's because of inflation. Interest rates are going up to fight inflation. Agree? James: Yep, absolutely.  Ivan: Well, if inflation goes up, rents are going up too. And the best part about apartments is that we get to reset our rents every month and every year. And so if I don't have to sell at this little point in time and I can raise my rents and wait for things to stabilize and cash flow along the way, I shouldn't be as worried about an exit in a specific year. Where people should be worried about exit cap are these shorter terms bridge loan deals where they're banking on a big rent increase in a refi or a sale two years from now or three years from now. I think that's taking on a measure of risk that would be a little more than I'd be willing to buy it off. We locked in that agency debt early. James: Yeah. Yeah. I've been doing my agency, all my deals has moved to agency, you know, for the past two years I've stopped doing bridge loans just because of the exact reason that you are talking about and yeah, I agree. Bridge loan do have some risks. Some people like it because they think they can flip it but you don't want to flip at the end of the age of the market now [21:51crosstalk]  Ivan: It can also flip the other way on you. James: Yeah, exactly. I mean, bridge loans and turning around huge deep value add needs a lot of skills and you are really banging on the market timing right now. There are a lot of factors to put in. I mean it's like a flipping a house, you're flipping an apartment. So is that how you started from the beginning itself, where you have trained your investors to focus on the cash flow of the deal? And a lot of my investors now, they want like annuity, just give me a cash flow. I don't really look at the pop the bag and it just give me an annuity because you know, six to 8% return cashflow is an awesome return. Right? And it can be much more awesome going down there. Ivan: Yeah. So, how we work with our investors is first, we educate them on how we mitigate the downside. Why we do agency loans, why we lock in for a longer period of time and we plan to hold it. Why we're buying a little bit newer of an asset versus what we were buying in different stages of the market cycle. Then we look at the yields of the property and we look at with them, like you just said, look at this asset. If nothing else works, it's still going to yield seven, eight, 9%. And then we're looking at what's the potential upside down the road, in that order because people do want to see cash flow first and they don't want to lose money. And it's nice to be in a situation where if the stock market is down 30% or if it's 2008 2.0, we might not be selling anytime soon, but we're still going to be cash flowing. Whereas, other parts of their portfolio will be hammered. James: Correct. At that time, that seven to 8% would reap some really, really good return. I mean, you are basically getting it now and you're just maintaining it throughout your market up or down cycle. Ivan: And it's harder but that's why we look for deals that have that seven, eight, 9% cash flow very quickly. And we pay monthly on our distributions is because I like monthly cashflow. I know you do and investors you do. James: Yeah. But is that how when you started like six units, 30 units, 35, is that how you were looking at the apartment? The perception of change. Ivan: No. [24:17inaudible] 2010-2011. When I bought that property, it was bank-owned, REO so that those were heavy value add deals. So early on, I was learning how to reposition a property. Because that was the market cycle that we were in, the stage of the market cycle at that time. And so, I started off buying those, I bought some C properties and Bs and we're looking for more of those heavy value-add deals. And as the market changed, we changed with it. James: Got it. That's very interesting. That's the part that I did. I did a lot of deep value-adds and you know, prove ourselves. I mean, deep value-add takes a lot of skills. I mean, even value-add takes a lot of skills or how fast the turnaround or how we manage a contractor, how you manage your finances, how do you manage your scope of work and the schedule itself. It's very complicated, right? I mean, a lot of people would have done it by skill. A lot of people could have done it just because the market appreciated, not to say because they did the job itself. Ivan: I'm sure you are excited for those deep value-add deals to come back one day down the road. But today a deep value-add deal, we just underwrote one. There was a moderate value-add, maybe $15,000 a door and if everything went according to plan, we would make a 15 IRR. James: Then what's the point of doing deep value-add? Right? Ivan: What's the point? Right. Because I just bought a 1998 vintage deal. It's fully occupied. And I just told you I raised rents organically already and that's going to do a 17. And so, there's so much demand and there are so many buyers trying to crowd in and buy these so-called value-add deals that we've gone to a different strata within our space to find value. And then, when those value-add deals, get back up above a 20 IRR, I'll start taking another look at them. James: Got it. Got it. Got it. So you have changed your strategy just because of the market cycle, and you think that is what the investors want, and you still get, I mean, a lot of investors who had even one, three, 4% return, right? So if you're able to give them like, you know, 15% IRR or 17% IRR, they would be ecstatic. Ivan: Yeah, in my opinion, I've got to be mindful of the market and work within my marketplace. There's opportunities in every stage of the cycle. But you have to go right with the market, not against it. James: Yeah. So how are you competing with big institutional players? Because they look for this 1990s, 2000, and they'd be able to look at the same deals that you are looking at. Right? Ivan: Yeah. It's very hard. It's very hard. I'm very lucky that I started this several years ago. And that I've got a reputation and a track record with the biggest brokers in my region which are all national brokers. And we lose a lot, we lose a lot to big guys. I've just lost a deal yesterday for a deal, I loved it, at 41 million and some out-of-town buyers who've done it for 44 million so they can have it. A lot of times it's off-market. And then some of these submarkets that we're keenly interested in are off the radar of some of the bigger fish from out of town. And that's really how we're finding a lot of value. We know where the emerging markets are, the old Dave Lindahl approach, right? We know how to spot an emerging market and that's a key to getting that value. That's really, in my opinion, one of the only ways that you can get those returns up to where they need to be to continue to please your existing investors and attract new ones. James: So let's go into details on how do you identify emerging market. Can you give like top three things that you look for to identify this as an emerging market? Ivan: You know, there's a lot to it. I'm lucky that I'm in an area that I want to be in, but we're looking at infrastructure improvement is a big one. We're looking at population growth, job announcements. Have the developments. So example in Indianapolis, I know where the growth is going. I know where the good submarkets are that it'll be the big suburbs of tomorrow. Infrastructure is probably one of the biggest ones. For instance, we're buying in a market right now or they're building a brand new federal highway over the Ohio river that is going to bring more jobs and more commerce. Right?That's just a few of the nuggets James: I think the local knowledge and the local connections, right? Just, just the local knowledge itself is just very powerful. Ivan: Yeah. But it's not as hard as people think to find. I mean, if you're looking at the entire map of the United States and you're like, okay, I got to find an emerging market, that's going to be tough. But if you can start to focus in on an area and say, okay, what's like one rung out, where's the growth going? Where are the new big infrastructure projects planned? Where are the good schools out in those areas where people are moving to, where the housing starts, right? Housing brings commercial, commercial brings jobs and jobs bring multifamily. James: Got it. Yeah, it's very interesting to see where is the path of progress and just go and target that where the big fish is not really looking at.  Ivan: And then if you're buying below replacement costs and you're doing it right, you should have a rental range that gives you an economic moat between what a new construction project would have to deliver and would have to charge in rent. So if I'm in an area, like I told you about Greenfield and Indianapolis, I'm in that area and right now my target rental rents are maybe 1150, 1175 target rents after renovation. If I know in that market that somebody wants to come in next door and their rents have to be $1,400- 1,500 a month just to get a shovel in the ground then, I've got a decent defensive asset. So new supply, in many cases for me, isn't as dangerous. It's actually, it can be a good thing. James: Got it. Got it. Yeah, that was my question because in 1990 2000 vintage, sometimes can be competing with a new supplier.  Ivan: Yeah. You really got to make sure your Delta is three, four, five, $600, especially if you're buying A-minus like me. It used to be the difference between A-minus and A-plus was maybe $200 and now in a lot of markets, it's 500, 600, 700, maybe a thousand. And so, if you can figure out where to enter that market and have a large spread between you and new construction, you're much more insulated from A-plus concessions. James: Yeah. Got it. Got it. So apart from getting good loans, because right now, the interest rates are pretty low, apart from the buy itself, you're probably buying at a certain price that you think you can hit the investor target. How do you do value-add? I mean, what do you look for in this 1990s, 2000 vintage that is common. What are the biggest value-adds that you see that is your favorite? Ivan: Oh, that's none of your business. James: Come on, man, reveal the secret. I have to work hard on 1980s, 1970 probably. I want to go to 1990. What are the things, apart from the price, apart from the loan? Ivan: Well, listen, I'll give you a nugget. James: Yeah, you can give a few. Ivan: A lot of operators are spending way too much freaking money on unit improvements. James: Okay. Ivan: Okay. And so because we're vertically integrated because we're property managers and we know everything going on on the front lines, in the trenches, we know where we're going to get an ROI. We know that maybe granite countertops don't get us the ROI but really nice Formica does. We know that a yoga studio...in redoing a 90s fitness center with new equipment and a little yoga studio, it's going to get us a much better ROI than stainless steel appliances, for instance. So it's just knowing your market, it's knowing really the ROI on those improvements and how they impact rent and it's different everywhere you go. It's not like you can just take what I say, go do it anywhere. You have to know in that market what works. James: So is it by doing market surveys where you look for, I mean, in terms of...? Ivan: Well, remember we don't have to survey the market here because we are in the market. We manage the properties. We have leasing agents all over the Midwest that are giving us instant, realtime feedback, right? James: Yeah. Yeah. Ivan: But with that said, we shop our competition. So, because we control our management company and we're part of the apartment association, it's a very tight family in the apartment industry and we really hire from within most of the time because it's such a specialized job. And so, my team can call anybody on any apartment project anywhere in the Midwest and say, hey, it's Cat from Band. Can I shop you today? And they do the same to us and we all trade information on what's working and what's not. And that's really one of the really cool things about property managers, we help each other, right? James: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, it is a very small... Ivan: No here is what we do: We shop ourselves, we secret shop ourselves. We're very upfront with our competition. When one leasing agents calling my competitor and saying, Hey, can we trade what's working, what's not? What are you guys renting for? But then we secret shop our own people and they get scored on how they do by outside sales consultants. James: So, you talk about two things. One is the amenity where certain amenities are desirable, where you can raise rents because it's more desirable. The second thing you talk about is the efficiency within the pipeline of property management. Ivan: Listen, nobody uses the gym but it still sells people on renting. James: Yeah, I know. It's crazy, right? I mean, right now I'm being more cautious about what I spend on a gym because I know people may not use it. So I know there's a gym…  Ivan: Yeah but it's the wow factor, James. Oh, you've got a yoga studio. Maybe I'll do yoga now. I've been meaning to do yoga. The year goes by, I never did any yoga but I rented from that guy, James. James: And I see my property managers using the gym, not my residents. That's okay, you need everybody to be healthy.  Ivan:  #culture. James: So let's talk about amenities. How do you decide on which amenities are more attractive? Ivan: It's all a functional market. And, again, it depends on what marketplace that we're talking about. So we're looking,  we will redo pool furniture. Bark park is an easy one to put in if it's not already there, we're typically redoing the gym. A lot of times we're redoing the clubhouse with new paint, new furniture, maybe a couple of computers. Again, things that sometimes we will never use, but just to give that wow factor when they come in to be able to close them on living there. James: So do you increase, like, I mean, you'd be mentioned in the beginning, $100-150 per door just by adding amenities and better management, I guess. Ivan: Yeah. It doesn't always work out that well and usually that 150 is coming from multiple areas. We're raising certain fees so maybe the owner hasn't raised pet fees or water fees since they bought the property. I get bad reviews on my website because we raised water fees to market, you know, but that's just part of it. It'll come from organic rent increases, which is where we're just raising the rent on turn. And then it comes from quick cosmetic improvements to the units, on turn as well. Paint, countertops maybe new cabinet hardware. We rarely ever take out the cabinets. Maybe new switch plates, maybe some new flooring in the kitchen and bath. Very light improvements. James: So among the things that you mentioned just now, what do you think is the most valuable improvements that is the biggest bang for the buck that all your residents love? Ivan: Yes. James: Which one? You've mentioned like five or six, which ones? Ivan: I've given you more nuggets that I should, man. I feel exposed to you. I feel like I got to tell you these things, but no, no. I'm like, keep this to myself. You know, it depends. Sometimes it's organic, right? We bought a couple assets where it was a big company. They own 5,000 units, but they still ran it like a mom and pop and they were like 20 years old and they never raised rents. If people don't move out, they don't renew them and increase them; we do. Another property, it was the amenity package that really started getting more income in other properties. So it's all those things and it's property by property, which one's going to move the needle the most. But typically you need all those components to get into that target rent. That 125, 150, 175, it's going to help you achieve your target returns over the whole period. James: Got it. Got it. So yeah, that's very interesting. So let's go back to whatever you mentioned just now to the demand of the property, which are the residents. Do you think the residents in this 1990s vintage, 2000 year apartment residence is harder than class C, 1960, 1970 residence. How did you manage? Was it more maintenance? Ivan: In some ways, it's less maintenance but in other ways, the tenants can also be the residents. We don't call them tenants anymore, James; the residents. James: Yes, exactly. Ivan: The residents can be more demanding, have higher expectations. See you've got to have the right people there that are used to managing that particular product with the income of the residents that live there. So yeah, some people would misunderstand and thinks that A-plus is easier because everything's new and shiny and oftentimes A-plus is extremely management intensive because of the expectations of the residents. So in some ways easier and in some ways not. James: Yeah, someone told me, a regional manager told me that A or A-plus residents are much harder to manage because they have all this ego that they can pay. They expect a lot of things from the property management company and sometimes their delinquency can be high because they say, I can pay next week, you don't have to really come up... Ivan: We find the collections are usually better. James: Okay. Got it. Got it. So let's go to financing. So on top of agency debt you also do hard debt,  right? And why did you choose some of the deals to be under hard loans? Ivan: It's a great way to take a ton of risk off the table. It's a 35-year amortization and it's full and meaning, you can hold that note for 35 years without having to refinance yourself. So you take a lot of risk off the table. The interest rates are somewhat lower, although Fannie and Freddie have gotten very competitive in the last couple of years. It allows you to get an 85% loan to value on after repair value, so you can finance a lot of improvements as well, which is great in some circumstances. So if you want to hold the deal a while, like 10 years or more, HUD can be a good alternative. It's also very compliance heavy. There are audits, there are physical audits of the property, so you really have to know what you're doing.  We like it just simply for risk management. So we have several assets that are HUD. Big myth is that HUD means it's an income subsidized project and that's actually incorrect. HUD finances A, B, C, D assets. Their mandate is to help provide rental housing so it's available to a lot more people. A lot more assets than people may recognize. It's certainly not for everyone, but in certain circumstances, I think it's advantageous. We locked in our last HUD deal November of 2018, a $34 million deal. Locked in with HUD, our all in note rate is 313. James: And I remember November 2008, the interest for agency debt was pretty high cause I did lock in some deals at that time and I think that was, I think, November, December is when it picked up and it came down again. Ivan: Yeah, it was luck, we were able to catch the bottom of that treasury dip, which helped but it was still lower than the agency. James:  I know HUD like a six months once distribution, where you can take out the money. How do you do distribution to your investors when you have that kind of limitation? Ivan: That's one of the downsides of HUD. You can only distribute every six months. That's why we don't use it very often. It's a different investor profile. Some investors want to be defensive. They want to have their money in something and they want to have leverage but they want to have downside protection. So HUD works really well but it does not provide the same sort of cashflows that agency and Freddie do, which is why we typically use the agencies. For instance, I think I said earlier with our fund, it distributes monthly; I couldn't do that with HUD. James: Got it. Got it. Hey, Ivan, let's go to a personal side of you, right? Why do you do what you do? Ivan: You know, for me, multifamily and growing BAM as a business is a lot of fun. Because the bigger it gets, the more fun I get to have and it's a great business for designing the life I want and designing the business in a way that it's the life I want for myself, my wife, my family. And so I liked the wealth and the freedom with real estate. Yeah, that's the crux of it. James. I've got some big goals and being a good dad and a good husband and a good member of my community and leaving behind the legacy. And for me, owning real estate and owning a business to operate it, is the path. James: Would you do this for another 20 years? Ivan: You know, it's funny, I got to sit down with an older guy on the banking side of our business of multifamily. He took his bank public. I dunno what he's worth, but it's over half a billion dollars. He's probably approaching 70. And he says, Ivan, you don't stop; you just play the game at a higher level. And I can tell you he's having a lot of fun, has a lot of freedom, has a lot of time with the grandkids, travels wherever he wants for as long as he wants, with whomever he wants. So I don't see myself retiring in the traditional way, I want to continue to just play the game at a higher level. James: Yeah, it is so fun to keep on improving things. Ivan: Yeah. And I like to tell young entrepreneurs this and people that are newer to the business, if you're getting bigger and you're not having more fun, you're not doing it right and you need to refocus on your people and your process and so that you can scale it. Because none of us can just keep working harder. It's unsustainable. James: Correct. Yeah. That's one of the challenges that we are having and we are trying to grow and you know, it's becoming harder to find that process and people especially to replace what we do. And we have set an expectation on how things should be done, but not everybody is gonna work like what we do. Ivan: The first coach I hired four years ago, all we focused on was figuring out what my one thing is that if I spend most of my time on that, I will be successful and then finding the right people to do everything else. And then the hardest part is from a guy that started myself and did everything myself, the hardest part but the key is getting out of their way once you hire them. James: That's really hard. And you're right, that is the hardest part. Ivan: I think Tim Sarah(?) said it best. James, he wrote some articles about letting little bad things happen and that's key. Excuse me, I thought I was going to sneeze. Learning to let people make mistakes even when it costs you money and letting them learn and fail forward just like you had to do, it's very freeing. And when you have a management company and you've got fees coming in every month, it becomes a little bit easier to start to let those little bad things happen. Let people fail forward, let them learn and make sure they're not just coming to you for the answers all the time. James: Got it. Got it. Yes. The art of delegation and managing people. So it's just so hard to master, right? Ivan: Well, if you get the right people, there's far less management. You get the right people in the right seats. That's a big part of it. James: Yes. Yes. I agree with you. Let me ask you one more thing. I mean, you started from six units to now, almost 3000 units. So I mean, you have gone through a lot of experiences. Tell me one proud moment that you can never forget that you were really, really proud of yourself. Where you think, Hmm this is something I will never forget in my life, what is that moment in your real estate career? Ivan: Oh, so real estate category? James: Yes. Something related to real estate. Real estate family, I mean, anybody, just a human interaction. What is that one moment where you think that, 'I'm very, very proud that I did this and I can never forget this until the day I die'? Ivan: So it was one of our first bigger deals, it was only 89 units. I think I bought that one after I bought [48:53crosstalk] Yeah, I bought 112. I had already bought 112 units. And so I almost passed on this deal. It was only 89. I'm like, I don't want to do a deal that's only 89 units. And it was in kind of a rough area that we thought was maybe emerging. We kind of looked at each other or like my partner and me, like six months ago, this deal would have been huge for us, why are we turning our nose at this deal? We should do it. And we did the deal, we got it at a good price and people thought we were crazy. And it was a little bit difficult to raise the money. And we bought it from a construction guy that had already done all the heavy lifting on the value. So people thought, right, what's left to do because this guy already improved it physically, but we had the suspicion that we could manage it better. And two years later, we sold it for almost $2 million more than we bought it for, ended up selling it at a two and a half X to our investors in two years, a little over two years. And that was my first like really big home run. And I remember thinking, gosh, we almost didn't even do this deal. James: Yeah. So what did you guys do in that deal to make that much money since it's already done..? Ivan: We got a much better manager in place. We got a really good maintenance guy in there and of course, we asset managed them and we were able to raise rents, we got occupancies up. We reworked the utility bill back to make more revenue there. So the cap rate on that one didn't compress all that much on the sale. It wasn't just like the market went up. We just got in there and turned around the NOI because this guy was really good at making all these physical improvements and he was a terrible manager. And so we got all that straightened out and a couple of years later, had a big win to show for it. James: Awesome. Awesome. Yeah, I remember my third deal was like, everything's done, well, I was trying to find out what's wrong with this deal and it was a smaller deal from what I used to do, trying to really analyze what's wrong. Something is wrong but it ran in and out of contract like five times and the seller was really frustrated, so he wanted someone to close it so that's where I came in at that time. So Ivan, why don't you tell our listeners how to find you, how to get hold of you or your company? Ivan: I'm all over the internet. The easiest way to find me and my team is probably Ivan barratt.com. B A R R A T T If you Google Ivan Barratt, you can find ivanbarratt.com. Barratt Asset Management. Ivan Barratt Education, which is a site I put together for accredited investors, but they all cross-pollinate. So you find one, you'll find them all. I'm all over LinkedIn. Okay. And then if you want to talk, 317 762 2625 James: Is that your cell? Ivan: That is my scheduler to get you on the phone with me.  James: That's going to be, I was surprised. It sounds like a cell phone, but it's not. Awesome, Ivan, thanks for coming over. Hope you enjoyed it. Ivan: I had so much fun, man.   James: I learned so much from you and I'm super happy to know you and thanks for coming in and add value. Ivan: Yeah, I'm sorry to miss you in New Orleans. I can't make it. I'll see you at the next one, dude. I always enjoy our conversations and I gave my banker a ton of crap, thanks to you. I appreciate that. James: Oh yeah, absolutely. I gave you that tip.  Ivan: Oh, yeah. James: All right, so thank you.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED...• No Boss Talk: https://nobosstalk.com• Monday Morning Routine: https://www.bethholdengraves.com/routine• The Camp Elevate Facebook Group:https://thecampelevategroup.com• Beth’s Instagram: @bethholdengraves• Beth’s website: https://www.bethholdengraves.com• Profit HER Way Course: https://www.bethholdengraves.com/profit• 10 Ways: https://www.bethholdengraves.com/10waysKEYNOTES DISCUSSED:• It's just that you've got to stay consistent with it and adjust your sales as you go. But realize that if we show up on Monday but not on Tuesday and maybe next week on Friday and then we let self-doubt, we let crazy words of not being worthy or this isn't, this never works out for me. (05:12)• They call this implementation intention and write down, and even say it, that during the next week I will partake at least 20 minutes in vigorous exercise on this day at this time in this place. (06:41)• So how can we implement this Atomic Habit by James Clear, when he talks about that into our business? Well, it's easy. So my daily method of operation, I wanted to keep it super simple. (08:55)• You can make a commitment to that, to showing up for just your meditation, for showing up for just your thought downloads, everything that you want to shift can have this plan. (11:29)• How are you meeting two new people every single day? And by meeting them adding to my list, I always like to attempt to get them over on social media because then I can get to know their world, see how I can serve, see how I can help? (17:16)WHEN DOES IT AIR...February 24, 2020EPISODE TRANSCRIPT...Beth:Welcome to ‘You’re Not the Boss of Me’. If you are determined to break glass ceilings and build it your way, this show is for you. I’m your host Beth Graves, and I am obsessed with helping you to not just dream it, but make the plan, connect the dots and create what you crave. Are you ready? Let’s get started.Welcome back bosses. It is episode number 26 of Your Not the Boss of Me. Today, I am streaming on Facebook as I'm doing the audio, so it will feel a little bit differently. And I want to just thank you for hopping on with me every Monday. And, all of the messages that have been coming through for me that you've been telling me are you in my head, which means that we're hitting it on the nose with what we're doing here with this podcast. And that is my goal is to take my experience, take the interviews, get those out to you so that you can build a business your way. And my philosophy is that we do not have to be in the hustle and grind every single day. We need to have systems, we need to have rituals, routines that allow us to not only build businesses that make lots of money, but also to be living that life, to be engaged, to be present. And today's episode is going to be a shift in, first of all, that you need to make in your life. And when I discovered this, and you may already do this because, this book has been out for a long time, Atomic Habits. I'm going to show it to the people that are live with me, by James Clear. And this episode is going to take one shift in your habits and I'm going to show you how to apply it to your daily method of operations, so that you have something every single day that is income producing in your business. Because so much of the time we are scrolling, we are looking, we're doing one strategy. Then the next we're inconsistent. We're not showing up. And I want to give a little bit of an example of that. But before we do, I want to read this week's review. And those of you that are new to the podcast, when I read every review, I send a boss hat. Well, this person already has a boss hat. So, her gift this week for sharing this review, and the five-star review is from Stephanie Britt. I'm going to send her a copy of Atomic Habits, if she doesn't have it. So, Stephanie, I have your address and I know where you live. I know it's snowing there today, so I won't be showing up at your door in North Carolina. And Stephanie says this, ‘somehow this lady is able to get right inside my head. I've gained confidence on how I manage my business, and clarity on where to focus my time and efforts, and no longer spin my wheels gaining no momentum or results. The shift in my mindset has positively impacted my income and business. Absolutely. But my relationships with family, friends, and my team have grown in ways I had only imagined. A must subscribe’. Thank you, Stephanie. That means the world to me. And here's the thing is when Stephanie says that she's got clarity on where to focus her time and her efforts, we're going to talk today about a daily method of operation that Stephanie had been using for a year. But what had to shift for her was the energy and the and really her vision of where she wanted to be in her life. And that came from really committing to thought downloads, getting out that notebook. And, having that thought download, I used to say journaling and Stephanie said, call it a thought, a thought download because journaling might sound intimidating, but so much comes out when we're starting to think about what vision we have, where we want to be going, what drives us, what frustrates us, and doing that. And if that a thought download. So, today's episode I want to share with you something that James Clear shares and Atomic Habits, and this is fascinating to me. And then I'm going to bridge it to how you can use this to grow your network marketing business, your online business, your coaching business. It really works for anything, whether you are, who is that? What did SpongeBob have? They had a pineapple under the sea. And I always think about those, what were those, those crab patties that they had and they had little gummy ones for kids. And I think about that. Every business has to have certain ingredients. That's what I call my CEO framework. But most importantly, if you talk to 10 people that have made over $1 million in the network marketing industry, there is one key ingredient and that is they have a list that continuously grows and they have a consistent daily method of operation, a daily intentional plan, however you want it to look. So, I'm sure that most of you have downloaded, have opted in, have asked and have printed out many different plans, but then it feels like you're swirling. Can you agree with this? I know that I had done that a million times and I always like to relate business building to something that most women can relate to, and that is the consistency of showing up in maybe a workout plan that everything works. It's just that you've got to stay consistent with it and adjust your sales as you go. But realize that if we show up on Monday but not on Tuesday and maybe next week on Friday and then we let self-doubt, we let crazy words of not being worthy or this isn't, this never works out for me. We've got to raise our energy and vibration by sticking to that morning plan, the affirmations, the dream boards, the thought downloads and surrounding yourself with positive people that make an impact. Listening to things like this that are going to say, yes, you can do this. So, this study that James Clear talks about an Atomic Habits. It had three groups, okay? And they were being asked to do 20 minutes of vigorous exercise at least once a week. So, the first group, the control group was just asked to write it down. How often do you exercise? Write it down. This is your goal. We want you to do the vigorous exercise at least 20 minutes one time a week. The second group called the motivation group was given a list of materials to read about why vigorous exercise was good for their cardiac output, input health. And they were also given a presentation. So, think about a podcast being on a zoom for your team and hearing that motivation. And the third group was given the same presentation, but they were asked to formulate a plan, an intentional plan. They call this implementation intention and write down, and even say it, that during the next week I will partake at least 20 minutes in vigorous exercise on this day at this time in this place. So, think about this. The first group was just asked to log it. The second group was given more information, a motivational fire 'em up. The third group was giving the motivational fire up, but they actually did an implementation intention. And the results are fascinating. Okay? The results are that groups went into basically had the same results. So even showing up and, and hearing a motivational podcast or being on a Facebook live, or being on a zoom with your team, or going into that meeting. 35 to 48% committed to that one time per week during this controlled period in the group that did the implementation intention when they planned, when, where, how wrote it down. And I would even go as far to say it out loud and have affirmations around it. Visualize yourself doing it. Their results. 91% my friends. What does that tell you about how we're living our lives and how we're showing up for the people that we love, how we're showing up for our business and how we are doing the things that we know will move our business and our health and our relationships forward. So, let's think about this. How do you intend to implement a particular habit that you know these habits will grow, your business will grow, your relationships will grow you into the person that you want to be. So, if you write down the time, the location and the place you set the intention, you read it, you see it, you have it in your affirmations, you are going to have results that are 91% versus the 35 to 48% of people that just leave it by chance. So, it works for flu shots, colonoscopies, sleep, voter turnout. They even did studies for voter turnout of saying to people, tell us the route that you will take. Tell us the day, tell us the time. So how can we implement this atomic habit by James clear, when he talks about that into our business? Well, it's easy. So, my daily method of operation, I wanted to keep it super simple. Shared this with my team. I've shared this over and over again. We're doing it over in profit her way and next week we're going to really dial in on it again on the basics on the foundation and Camp Elevate. That's my free group. If you are not in Camp Elevate, thecampelevategroup.com. I'll also put in the show notes for you to hop on in. And the five, four, three, two one. I'll also have a download over in that group for you. And I've got a special gift today that's just getting ready that I think that you will love. So, stay tuned till the end. So, five, four, three, two, one is the daily action. That is the daily action that I want to go back to how those vigorous once a week exercises made the plan. So, if you were to say that during the next week, daily, Monday through Friday or whatever days, I mean seriously, if you just show up one day, your business will grow two days more. Three days, even more, four days if you want to have, we talk about the different kinds of money we want to make. I will partake in the five, four, three, two, one at 7:00 AM on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at my desk after I have my, you know, my morning yoga routine. You're just literally writing that down. Do it for date night and see what happens. You know, my husband and I have been saying, Oh, yeah, we need a date night. We need a date night and then something always gets in the way. But if we do this that during the next month on Fridays, we will plan our date, we will leave at seven, and you write down what will happen, and you set that intention. Listen, our lives are drastically going to shift, and you know, I want you to think back to the times that you've had success. It was because you probably had made a commitment, maybe an accountability partner, but you had a plan that you implemented and people, the results are here. The results are in front of you that this actually works. But what we do it right. You'll probably do it today and it lasts for seven days, 14 days. I'm going to ask that we say, how about we give this five, four, three, two, one or whatever your daily method of operation is and do it and watch your business grow and realize that it's a balance, right? We've got to have the right energy, vibration mindset. That's a commitment. You can make a commitment to that, to showing up for just your meditation, for showing up for just your thought downloads, everything that you want to shift can have this plan. So, the plan that I came up with, I use sticky notes to track my leads, and that's a whole nother podcast of the hundred sticky notes on the wall. It's one of the things that every time I meet someone, they're like a hundred sticky notes, changed my life, and then I said, okay, I want to have a daily method of operation. That's how I look at my lead list. So, I'm going to walk you through how I do things and how you do it. Maybe a little bit different, and I call mine the daily intentional plan because it feels better. I'm a little bit like daily method of operation. I don't know. It sounded like we were going to manufacture something that wasn't exciting, but a daily intentional plan is how I intend to have my day go out in front of me. And we're just talking about a sales process, a sales funnel for, for personal activity right now, not for connections with team, not for what I do for my mindset, but this is literally how to get more eyes on what you do. All right, so first of all, you guys feel this and last week the CEO shift of always having marketing and visibility and showing up. That's what this is. This is my visibility. I'm showing up to share what I do, right? Marketing visibility. How are you showing up? So, the first thing is five, four, three, two one is five reach-outs a day. So, could you say that during the next week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I will reach out to five people at 12:15 during my lunch break, while I'm sitting in my car using my phone, I'm at, we already said the time. If you say I'm doing it at 12:15, that's when I'm going out to my car to have these reach-outs because you will not grow your business unless you have conversations. Now there's all ways to have conversations to make connections. There are all different kinds of strategies that you can have. Some people use a very cold reach out. Some people will connect and say, Hey, I've been thinking about you, a referral method, however, it is that you reach out and have a conversation, commit to five, five, reach out today and write it down. The next thing is that I, and when I do my reach-outs, I'm usually inviting to take a look at something. So, look and see what your teams have. Is there an event? Is there a video? I just recorded a video with my friend Hailey who she wanted to hear my story because she said I'm in. I think people will be inspired that when you started, you did not have a podcast or an online presence. You guys know I had an AOL account, 133 Facebook friends, so she wanted to have that be my story. So, now that's in a group. Now my reach-outs today will be around that invite, that event, or Facebook live. So, I will do my five reach outs on this day. So, I'm just giving you some ideas of reach out so it's easier in my mind to make a connection to say, Hey, I'd love for you to take a look. Can I invite you over to watch this Facebook live that I just did, that is recorded and it talks about my story and why I would love for you to take a look at it. So, reach out is in the invite and there's all different strategies and ways that we do those. A lot of my podcasts talk about that, but it doesn't you guys, when I first started in network marketing and I was having the most massive growth, I did not think about strategy. All I thought about is I need to make a connection. I need to have a conversation. This friend of mine needs to know what it is that I'm doing and I want her to come along with me and I don't even remember what I said, but I can tell you that we had massive growth because I said, on this day I will show up. I will do the work. I will ask these questions and here is my list of five reach outs for follow-ups. People need a follow up. People need you to tap them on the head. Hey, just following up with you, just want to see if you, if you want to take a look or sharing something new with them or whatever. That follow up system looks like. People need you to reach back out to have that follow up. Also taking a look at who's newly starting on your product, who's newly watching that Facebook live that you invited them to follow ups are important. Five reach-outs four follow-ups, three is social media. I've shifted this a bit because it's showing up on social media for your marketing and visibility in three different ways. So, I love to show up in groups. I love to show up and give value and connect and groups to make new friends to grow my list. I love to show up in my stories to share what are, what are the things that I think will motivate, inspire to share the success stories, to share information about the industry, to share the podcast out, but showing up in the stories every single day. And that for me, I had to do, I had to absolutely have an implementation intention on stories. And so, and I'm still working at that. I need to say during this next week, I will show up in my stories three times a day with X, Y, and Z. I will do this at this time from this place or it never will happen because we just, you know, we blow things off, right? Not that we are intending to blow things off. We just don't, we just don't do it. So, three social media and some of you do social media very differently. I am telling you that showing up and being you and being authentic and not trying to bait and not say like, just show up and be, you. Share what you do, share who you are. Share people, share books and make connections. Right? And then too, I always, every day if your lead list, we're in salespeople, we are in the business of meeting new people. How are you meeting two new people every single day? And by meeting them adding to my list, I always like to attempt to get them over on social media because then I can get to know their world, see how I can serve, see how I can help. Sell more. Right? So, adding to your list a day and that's just not like going out and spamming a group. That's two connections. And yesterday the two people that I added to my list were two people that I met while I was out, doing something other than my business. And we just connected. I was like, Oh, that's so interesting. Are you on Instagram or Facebook? Let's connect over there. So, adding to your list every day is so important. And if you are not doing activity that creates list growth, then that's the piece that you need to say, I need to learn more about this. I mean, you could, if you ride a Peloton, not that you're going to ever go into a group and spam someone, but you're making new connections and you're adding to your friend list and you never know where that might go. Right? You never know. Asking for referrals is adding to your list. And then the one, the one thing is three-way validation, three-way connection, some sort of validation every single day. So, many times. So today, like I said, I did that video. If I have a new person that wants to take a look at the product, I could do a three-way connection on a three way messenger chat. I could also do the validation of adding to a customer group and saying, Hey, this video or really speak to you. I think it will answer your questions and I will tell you that as much as we build automated online businesses, the people that are growing the fastest are doing three-way connection chats are connecting and I do this all the time like, Hey, Oh you want to know about intermittent fasting? I'm new at it. It's something I'm starting. Let me introduce you to my friend Kristin. She has been doing this for much longer than me. Like she can give you all the information now. Am I gaining anything? Like that's not a three-way validation for my business. But that's an example. It's super easy and simple because it's just a connection. So, five reach outs, follow ups, three social media visibility, marketing ways that you're out there sharing. And there's, as we know, social media is a whole world of how we're showing up to give value when we share products and there's so much that we can study there, but just get started. Don't hold back. Find somebody that's showing up the way you want to show up and start inspiring and share a transformation story or share something about your product up in your stories. Get people seeing that you're amazing and awesome and you're giving great value. And then they're like, huh, what's she all about? Oh my gosh, she's talking about gut health. Oh, she's talking about travel. That's cool. Like how your social media is like walking into a cocktail party. They can't just look at you and know everything about you, but the more that you talk an interesting intrigue and then the connections will happen. So, three social media, adding two to your list every single day. And then one way that you're giving validation to somebody that is, that is ready to take the next step. I like to call that the one close a day, right? One piece of validation a day. And I even go as far with that last one too to say validation for service because the more that you can give and send thank you's and have gratitude every single day, the more that the more people will come your way. So, on that last one, if you're like, Oh, I don't have anybody that's ready for a three-way chat for my business, then go out and share something or give validation and gratitude for someone. That to me is just the connection, one connection. How can you connect the world and make it a better place? So, let's sum this up and we'll wrap up this podcast episode, which is 26, I don't know if I said that yet. I can't wait to get to 100, we need to have like a podcast party. Maybe I'll have a podcast ‘You're Not the Boss of Me’ dinner. And we'll have like a really cool dinner that people can come to and we'll have some great speakers. And number 100, somebody remind me that. I promise that. I think that would be really fun. So, remember we talked about James Clear and Atomic Habits, and we talked about a plan that has an implementation intention that there is research to show that results happen. When you say the time during the next week, be specific, the time I will partake at least what are you doing in what? Give the time. Give the place, write it down. Say it out loud, tell another person and then document your results. And what if you did something, one small thing, if that five four, three, two, one is too much for you and you're not going to stick to that every single day, then do one, one, one, and one, one, reach out, one follow up. Do something on social media. It makes them add one to your list. One piece of gratitude, whatever those pieces are that you know, grow your business. But I will encourage you this. You've got to ask on that list. If you want your business to grow, you've got to ask. People will not guess by your stories. People will not guests by an incredible post that you want them to either take a look at being a business partner with you, hire you to be a coach or buy your products because you know what your products will do for people, right? You know what the business partnership will do for people. And I want to share one more thing with you and this is a little bit off topic, but this was so brilliant, and this is from my friend Rob Sperry. So, I'm going to get over, he sent it to me and Voxer, and I want to get over to his message and I said to Rob, what is it? And I'm going to end this episode with this, because many times when we're doing our reach out, someone will say, Oh it's network marketing. I'm not sure. And so, I said to Rob and I encourage you to ask people why they chose network marketing and have a journal about this and keep like have it written down. And Rob said, when I said, why network marketing? And he says, because it is the most moral form of compensation that exists. It doesn't discriminate. It doesn't your age, background, race, or gender. You get paid based on your results and you keep getting paid based on the value you provide to the marketplace. Now, if that's not the most brilliant thing you've ever heard in your life, I don't know what it is. So I want you to think about that when you're doing, your reach-outs, and when you're doing your social media and when you're showing up, you will continue to get paid based on the value you provide. And it is the most moral form of compensation. It doesn't care if you start a business at 47 with 333 friends on Facebook or 133. It doesn't matter if have a PhD or a GED. But what matters is, is that you make an intention. You make the intention that you look at the research that shows you can have all kinds of goals, but unless you're ready to create a habit around that goal and then make the intention and make it happen, you will not get the results that you desire. How's that sound? So, I want to thank you all for being with me today on the 26th episode of Your Not the Boss of Me. I have a special present for you. It will be available Monday. So, if I'm commenting on Facebook, you can put that below that you wanted and it's BethHoldenGraves.com/10ways, and this is a guide. It's a free guide that is going to show you how to make connections on social media to grow your list in an authentic and genuine way that feels aligned and right with you. I want to encourage you to pick up that 10 Ways Guide, BethHoldenGraves.com/10 ways, it will be in the show notes. I also want to encourage you to, to reach out to someone that you know is wanting to build the business and ask them, say, Hey, listen to this podcast. I'm going to share it with you. And of course, shameless plug. Please leave a review. Please download. It means the world to me. And what I want to ask you is to get an accountability partner and say, Hey, let's do this together. Let's write down, let's listen to this podcast. Let's write down the implementation intention. I encourage you to get the book Atomic Habits, listen to it on audible, have the book. Mine is marked up. I love James Clear. I love everything about Atomic Habits. Tiny changes will give you remarkable results. So, with that, I'll catch you all next week and thanks for being a part of, You're Not the Boss of Me.Thanks so much for hanging out with me today on 'You're Not the Boss of Me'. I'm hoping that you've found one thing that you will do today that will allow you to move forward to that big, audacious goal. And I have a favor to ask of you, and that is leaving me a five-star review over in iTunes every single week. I read your reviews. I love hearing what you have to say, and it allows me to bring you more, to get more people to interview that are doing the thing, breaking the glass ceilings, creating what they crave, and helping you with your game plan. So, leave me a five-star review, and when you do, I will enter you to win the 'You're Not the Boss of Me' swag. So, make sure you leave it and we'll reach out to you if you're the winner. Thanks so much for hanging with me today and we'll chat with you soon.

The world is funny, isn’t it?One minute, we are all gathered to watch grown men hurtle their bodies through time and space, aiming to inflict enough force to flatten their opponents. We cheer, yell, clap, scream at the impact. We watch these games, knowing that there are precious brains under the helmets that aren’t designed to absorb such brutality. We know that men who spend their careers knocking heads often suffer grave consequences. Such sacrifice is honored in our patriarchal culture. Male aggression is not just normalized, it’s lauded.The second quarter ends and instead of flipping the channel and engaging the family in a round of charades, we all watch the familiar show with some strange, feigned shock at the sight of breasts and bottoms while we clutch our pearls and reach for our phones.The screen is flashing with sequins and there are women everywhere, flipping, turning, rolling, singing, gyrating. It’s a whole production.Small screens flash, too. Christian social media is immediately ablaze.“Trash.”“Don’t they know God didn’t design their bodies to be used this way?”“This is not empowering to women.”“Disgraceful!”“I wouldn’t want my daughter to see a performance like that.”I am not here to offer a moral admonition to Shakira or J-Lo. I’m sure they wouldn’t be terribly interested in my opinion on the matter, anyway. I bet you wouldn’t, either. Enough has been said already.I am not here to pass judgment on any of my dear friends who found the performance inappropriate or even offensive.I am wondering, though, if there aren’t some important questions we should pause to consider.First, why is a free, adult woman choosing to dress and move provocatively on a stage a cause for such uproar? Is it that her body is a temple? Is that why so many of us took to the internet, exclaiming disgust and outrage?If so, why is the violence and injury the players were visiting upon each other moments prior a thing to celebrate and revel in? Are these hulking men’s bodies not temples for the Spirit of God, the same as Jennifer’s and Shakira’s? Do those bodies not also deserve tender care and preservation and protection?What are we really saying about our bodies as temples of the living God when we can’t abide the sight of a woman commanding an audience of thousands with her body for a few minutes at an event where men professionally visit violence upon each other for hours on end to our great glee?  Where is our lament for the bruises, the breaks, the irreversible damage professional football can cause?Here is the NFL player arrest record from 2019. Where is our outrage with the NFL players who beat their women, even their pregnant women? What about the players who abuse animals? Drugs, guns, DUIs, these all get a pass but rump shakers like Shakira and J-Lo we will not abide. We light up the night with our critique of them.I watched the performance again a few minutes ago and I was reminded of the story of the woman who had been caught in the act with someone else’s husband. Now, she lived in a time and a place where women were considered property or dogs and we can’t gloss over that. I think we have a lot of reasons to wonder whether she had actually committed any sin at all or if she may have merely been the victim of a man and the harsh, patriarchal culture of her time. I digress.When Jesus entered into her story, he did not shame or mock her or announce his disappointment in the way she was existing in her body. He did not call attention to her body at all.What Jesus did do, however, was call out the violence and name the secret shame of the men who foamed with the desire to break her will and her body and to beat the flame of life right out of her. He shattered the patriarchy, at least for that moment, simultaneously holding the mob to account and liberating the woman in a way that only the God-man could have.I don’t know what Jesus thinks about rump-shaking, whether the rump belongs to a white cheerleader or a Latina singer. Maybe I’ll ask him about it one day, but I have a feeling when I find myself face to face I’ll think of something better to ask. Maybe I'll ask Him how He felt when J-Lo and Shakira used their platform to speak truth to power in the name of the thousands of little children who have been separated from their parents in the name of America First.I don’t know what Jesus thinks about football. I am positive I won’t ask Him about that.I think I do know, as much as any of us know anything, what Jesus thinks about women and little children and violence and shaming mobs.That’s all I have to say about that.

This week, I tried something different. I live broadcasted this over instagram live. Maybe I'll start doing that for these solo episodes? Maybe? Dogleg-Kawasaki Backflip Spanish Love Songs-Beachfront Property Carly Rae Jepsen-Let's Be Friends Don McLean-American Pie Pkew Pkew Pkew-65 Nickels The Front Bottoms-Pale Beneath the Tan (Squeeze) Christian Lee Hutson-Northsiders John Moreland-Harder Dreams Craig Finn-It's Never Been a Fair Fight Follow me on Instagram: @jamespcrowley Twitter: @jamespcrowley68 jamespcrowley.com Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Hello! Welcome to day two of the 2020 Love Vision Podcast Challenge. Today is all about your love vision and if you haven't already listened to day one, I highly recommend you start there, so just scroll up on your podcast player. It is the next episode and listen to that. It's pretty short. And then come back here. And in case you missed it, this week on the podcast, I'm doing something a little different. So in celebration of Valentine's Day, I want to help you get refocused on your love life so that you can get unstuck and move forward. Each day this week on the podcast, I'm releasing a mini episode that will help you get clear on your goals in love, overcome blocks getting in your way, and of course, you'll end the challenge with some tangible action steps that will change your love life. So let's go ahead and get started with your love vision. Now, just like yesterday's challenge was all about where are you right now, now we need to know where do you want to go. Again, bringing back the example of Google maps or the cat from Alice in Wonderland, we know where you are now. Now we need to know where you want to go so that we know if you need to turn right, and then left, and then go straight, and then go right again. So often, I work with women who desperately want a relationship, they know they want a relationship in their heart of hearts, and it is something that consumes a lot of their emotional bandwidth and just their energy throughout the day. But then when it comes to actually getting clear, well, what do you want your relationship to look and feel like? How does that fit into your life? Then, often they're a little confused and not sure of what they want. And it's not surprising that many of these same women will often continue to feel frustrated and unseen in relationships because they don't know what to ask for. They don't know what they want. And so how can you even ask for something if you don't know what you want? Think of a child screaming that can't talk, so they're like a year old or something and they're screaming because they're hungry, or they're cold, or they're tired. They don't have the words at that point to articulate it. And so as their mom or dad, you just kind of have to guess what you think they want, or what they need, and then you try those different things and hopefully one of those things will get the child to stop screaming. But once we're adults, we know our words. You know your words. And at some point, if you're feeling unseen, or unsatisfied, or unfulfilled in a relationship, it might be true that it's not the right relationship or the right person. But what also is probably true is that they may not know what you need or want, and so they don't know what to do. And that's going to create a lot of frustration on your end because you're going to feel unseen and unwanted and unloved, and that's not going to feel very good. But honestly, they're going to feel really frustrated too, because they're going to feel like no matter what they do, it's not enough. And it really just comes down to good communication. But again, I'm beating a dead horse here, but I just want you to get this across that there can be no communication on this topic if you don't know what to ask for. So again, I'm going to give you some journaling questions that I really want you to take some time with. And I know yesterday I was like, if you don't want to journal, that's fine. Just think about it, meditate on it. But I really, really want you to write this down because I think it's really important to have on a pen and paper, or a notes app on your phone, just so that you can be reminded of what it is that you want in a relationship so that when you're in a situation where you're like, "I don't know if this feels good, something feels off. I don't know if this is what I want." You have something that you can refer back to, to help remind you of whether or not this relationship could be the right thing or not. Because sometimes when we're actually in the relationship, it's very easy to get lost in it and lost in all the emotions, and the triggers, and all that kind of stuff. And sometimes we can get a little googly-eyed and really forget the core values that you might have. So definitely write these down and of course if you want some support, help with these journaling questions, then head over to veronicagrant.com/podcastchallenge. And there you can download the workbook and the workbook has all of these questions and some more notes and just some thoughts about today's challenge there so that you can read through that and you don't have to take notes with what I'm teaching you in case you are out on a run, or a walk, or walking the dog, or doing the dishes or whatever. So the theme of today is, what do you want in love? And I just want to give you a few pointers before we get started with the journaling questions. The first thing is that I want you to understand that you might need to relearn what love feels like. A lot of times we have been in relationships that have had high-highs and low-lows and the high-highs feel fricking amazing. And the low-lows feel miserable. But we want that high-high again so bad. And so what happens is we begin to compare that high-high to what love is. And so then you go out with someone who seems like a nice person and you're like, "I don't know, I'm kind of bored. Why am I not into the nice guys? I'm only into the asshole guys." And that's because you've taught yourself that high-high is love, and that's not really what love is. If you want a little bit more information on this, I highly recommend you listen to my episode on this topic specifically, veronicagrant.com/episode111, and I'll put that link in the show notes so that you can go back and listen to it if you'd like. I do recommend if you can relate to this little conundrum that I know a lot of women find themselves in. So again, the high-high does not equal love. You might need to relearn what love feels like and in fact, that's going to be a challenge later on in this challenge series so we can work a little bit more on that. I believe it's day four so know that is coming. However, just know that this might be something on the horizon that you will have to work at. The other thing is that chemistry doesn't equal compatibility. Chemistry can be awesome. Chemistry can just mean great sex and it's nothing more. It's just great sex. But that does not mean that someone is actually going to be compatible with your lifestyle, with your values, with the things that you want out of life, with the things that you want out of a relationship, the things that you don't want a relationship, all of those things. So I want you to look beyond chemistry. And I know a lot of you, it's really important for you to have strong physical affection and a great sex life with your partner. And I strongly, strongly agree. I think that's important. That's really what makes a romantic partnership different than the other relationships that we have in our life. But I want you to know that chemistry doesn't equal compatibility, and often chemistry can come from compatibility. And so often if chemistry is there first and it's like you see the person across the room and you're like “Oh shit, gotta have that person!”, then that can actually be a trigger or it can be actually something related to your inner child. I've talked about this a little bit more on the podcast. I'm not going to go too much into it now. Maybe I'll do another podcast episode about this specifically if you're interested in learning more, but if you listened to Summer Love School when I had Ken Page on the program, he talked about this. Anyways, so just want to put that out there. So go ahead and grab your journal, or download the workbook, whatever you're going to do, and I want you to write down these questions so that you can either pause me and go through the questions now as you're listening or come back to them when you are going to do some journaling time in your day. Okay, so the first question is, I want you to think of someone in your life who you love or loves you. And ideally this relationship is not a triggered relationship, so it's likely not going to be a parent. It's likely not going to be a former lover. It might be a really good friend. It might be a pet. It might be an aunt, or it might be a child. It might be a sibling. It might be a really close friend or coworker, whoever. Just make sure that this relationship is trigger-free as possible. And then I want you to think about what is it about their love or that person that makes you feel safe and secure. And I want you to get really, really specific because those are going to give you some clues as to what's important to you in a loving, trusting relationship. Then the next question is how can that inform what you want in a relationship? Okay. So those questions all kind of cluster together. And then the next two questions cluster together. And that is how do you want to feel in your ideal relationship and what are your values? So what are your values in life? What are your values in love and relationships with men and women? With health? All of these things. Just what are your values? Because I don't think you necessarily need to have the same values as the person that you're calling into your life but I definitely think you need to have parallel values. They need to work together. And then the next three cluster of questions is a relationship envisioning exercise. And it's one of my favorites. The first question is who do you want to be in your ideal relationship? The next question is what do you want to do in your ideal relationship? So what does your relationship actually do? How does it fit into your life? Do you travel together? Do you go on walks every evening? What are the things that you do in your ideal relationship? And then what do you want to have in your ideal relationship? So think of the tangible and intangible. Do you want kids, do you want a family? Do you want a business together? Do you want a home together? Also do you want to feel like a team? Do you want to have trust? What kind of bond do you want to have? What kind of sex life do you want to have? What kind of communication do you want to have? So what do you want to have in your ideal relationship? And I just want you to really focus on the questions that I'm giving you rather than something along the lines of a “perfect man list”. I've talked a lot about a “perfect man list”. I really think they keep you stuck in single because it's just a way of taking our past experiences and projecting that onto the future as to what we think we want or what we think will make us happy. But ultimately why we want anything in life is because we think these things will make us feel a certain way. So I want to start with how you want to feel in your ideal relationship and work from there rather than saying, oh well if I have this kind of person and they've got this kind of job and they're this height and all these things, then we think we'll be happy. And ultimately more often than not, that is not true. So I can't wait to hear what you think about these questions, what comes up for you, what questions you have. Come on over to Instagram and let me know. I'm @veronicaegrant and if you're not on Instagram, that's totally fine. Head over to veronicagrant.com/contact and there you can submit any questions or insights or ahas. I'd really love to hear from you. Okay, so that is a wrap for day two of the podcast challenge and again, if you'd like a copy of the workbook that goes along with this podcast challenge, head over to veronicagrant.com/podcastchallenge. And if you've been thinking that I might help you get out of your dating patterns and truly transform your relationships as I've done in my own life and the lives of oh so many of my clients and help you craft a life that serves you, I'd love to work with you. My clients have left toxic relationships, started to actually enjoy dating and meeting people, met their partners, gotten married, and even had some babies. You can also expect to grow in your career, spirituality, sense of self and more because guess what? You are the common denominator in your own life. So if you're ready for a massive transformation and are no longer available to stay stuck, I'd love to help you get out of this pattern. Head over to veronicagrant.com/coaching to learn more and take the next step, which is to schedule an introductory call with me. During our call together, we'll get to know each other and see if working together is the next right step for you. Again, that's veronicagrant.com/coaching. All right, that's it. I will see you tomorrow where we'll dive into your love blocks. Thanks for listening to the Love Life Connection Podcast. You can find the show notes for this episode at veronicagrant.com/podcast and that's also the place you can sign up to be coached by me here on the show. And if you love this podcast, please leave a review over on Apple Podcast. It helps more incredible women like you find this show and find real love. Until next time, remember wherever you are is exactly where you need to be. You're not broken and you don't need to be fixed. Just because you've never had the relationship you want before, doesn't mean you can't have it now.   After you listen to this episode, here are your next steps: Don’t forget to download your workbook for this challenge.  Learn more about how your past can impact your love life and how to break old patterns in my virtual retreat, Shift Your Dating Patterns In A Weekend, March 7-8, 2020.  Ready to explore what working with me is like?  Learn more here. Interested in being coached on the Love Live Connection? Learn more here. Are we connected on Instagram? Come tell me WHO you are here! If you get value from the Love Life Connection, please rate & review it on Apple Podcasts. It only takes a sec to impact our ranking + it’ll help other women find our community!

Episode Notes felt a particular sadness. interactions with R, VL, Buffalo chick, LA, and a new girl from McAllen. Maybe I'll call her McAllen girl. Or maybe I'll just call her "D".Support Journal Therapy by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/journal-therapyFind out more at https://journal-therapy.pinecast.coCheck out our podcasting host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free, no credit card required, forever. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-4dfb59 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Journal Therapy.

Alright. We promise. Last one. (Blake hopes.) This is the continuation of our questions and conversation amongst ourselves on Calvinism and Arminianism. We discuss and try to answer some of the main questions around Arminianism, though mostly from our perspective and interpretation of Scripture. Forgive us if we do not cover questions you may have. We dwindled the Q's down to the main ones often asked. Also, does anybody read these anymore? Like, it's ok if you don't. I was just wondering. Maybe I'll hide my plan to takeover the podcast and turn it into a podcast about the show Three's Company or The Simpsons. I'm just spit-balling here. Anyway, this episode was real fun to record and discuss our thoughts on some different points of theology - especially where we disagree. You know you can follow us on Twitter: @FutureFamilyPod or Instagram: @futurefamilypodcast or email us at futurefamilypodcast@gmail.com

Office ergonomics is not just about your mouse or your keyboard or your chair.  It’s an integrated look at all the factors; human, environmental, and equipment, which affect how we work at a desk.  For the episode, Ergonomics in the Office, Peter speaks with Maureen Anderson, Certified Professional Ergonomist and Safety Management Consultant with MEMIC.  They talk posture, habits, gravity, focal distance, even lighting.  Maureen brings a wealth of experience to the table, as she discusses the long- and short-term effects of a poorly designed or set up workstation.  Have a great workstation, but still experience aches and pains after a long day in front of the keyboard?  They get into how a well-designed workstation isn’t the lone solution for reducing musculoskeletal injuries in the office.  What to know more about Office Ergonomics?  Check it out at the MEMIC Safety Experts Podcast.   Peter Koch: Hello, listeners, and welcome to the Safety Experts podcast. Does your back hurt by noon or the end of the day? Do you get headaches staring at the screen? Does that chair start to hurt you after a while? Peter Koch: Is the solution to standing workstation or maybe a different chair? Peter Koch: Well, I can tell you if the answer is yes to the first three of those questions, then the answer to the last is no. And today we're going to dig deep into the topic of ergonomics in the office. The Safety Experts podcast is presented by MEMIC, a leading worker's compensation provider based on the East Coast. A new episode of the podcast drops every two weeks featuring interviews with leaders in the field. Top executives MEMIC staff and other industry experts discussing how safety applies to all aspects of our lives. I'm your host, Peter Koch. And for the past 17 years, I've been working for MEMIC as a safety expert within the hospitality and construction industries. What I realized over that time is that safety impacts every part of each position you have or tasks that you do. So, bear with me. I need to exorcise a demon here. So, who would have figured that simply working at a desk would be so bad for you? We've even talked about the hazards of sitting in a previous episode up your need with Al Brown, so check that out on MEMIC.com/podcast. But what the heck happened to us? Sitting down used to be a break, a relief, a reward at the end of the day. But now for many workers, it's a possible vector for musculoskeletal disorders. Get up, drive to work, sit at work, sit at lunch, drive home, sit down, watch TV. A pain in the back, pain in the neck, down the leg, in the wrist that leads to poor sleep, contributes to poor posture, and the cycle just continues. It's not so much the sitting as how much we do it and how we sit and how our workstation is setup. So, on today's episode, the ergonomics in the office episode, I'm speaking with Maureen Anderson, a safety consultant with MEMIC, to better understand what ergonomics is and how it impacts our business. So, Maureen is a certified professional ergonomist and has been helping businesses get a handle on the workplace risk factors for more than 20 years. So, Maureen, welcome to the podcast. Maureen Anderson: Thank you. Peter, it's an honor to be here. Peter Koch: That's awesome. So, we're gonna jump right into it. So, what does it mean to be an Ergonomist? Maureen Anderson: OK, an ergonomist is not a doctor. It's not a physical therapist. When I go out, I am looking at the environment, the environment the person is working. And what I'm trying to do is trying to match that environment to a person and to see what I can change in the environment to optimize the work of the person. So, when I go in someone says, you know, I have carpal tunnel or something like that, I can't fix their wrist. I'm not a doctor, but I can try to see what I can do in that environment to either prevent them from worsening the condition or allowing them to have time to heal. But I do not physically fix them like a doctor would, I can't prescribe, I can't do that. I am all about the environment. Peter Koch: Ok, so really, when we look at your certification as an ergonomist and then looking at ergonomics being that study of the person's efficiency within the work environment, and how to fit work to the person. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: What are some of those short-term effects that you see of a poorly designed or poorly fit workstation? So, what are the short-term effects? Maureen Anderson: Oh, my goodness. Where do you start? So, when I said I'm just looking at the environment, I'm looking at sort of the match between the person and the environment and how the person interacts with the environment. So, when the environment does not fit a person, a person will often adapt what we call awkward postures. Right. They are not working in an optimum way. They're slouching. They're leaning. They're compressing, pressing onto things. So, in the short term, what I'll generally see are aches and pains. Right. That's your body telling you that something is not right. It is a way that your body is complaining to you. And when the problems start to rise, the complaints start out pretty polite. You know, a little bit of discomfort, you know, maybe you're just move your shoulders a little bit. But if you ignore those messages over time, those complaints, those cries for help are going to get louder and louder until you end up with pain. Pain is that scream from the body that you need to do something, and you need to do it quick. Peter Koch: So that the stiffness that you might feel after sitting at the workstation for a little while, your shoulders get little stiff, your eyes might get a little tired, your wrists get a little sore. That's the short-term effect. Maureen Anderson: That is the short term. And that's the easiest time to do something either. I don't know if I'm jumping off topic, but, you know, stiffness, if you just get up and move a little bit and get the blood flowing, that's going to help that. OK, that's going to get the blood flowing and really help you, but if you then go right back to a poorly designed situation, those symptoms are probably going to come back. So, if you can fix the environment at the same time, the person listens to your body. You're going to get a much better result, a much better fit. Peter Koch: Ok. So in that poorly designed workstation, when you have someone who is adapting to that poorly designed workstation and you're looking at the person and you're looking at the environment, what are some of those risk factors that you might be looking for that are going to show up with that complaint later on? Maureen Anderson: Right. Peter Koch: The cause of the stiffness possibly. Maureen Anderson: Probably the first is awkward postures. So, we start out with what is good posture and we usually talk about the neutral posture and that is standing. The ears are in line with the shoulders so that your head is supported. There's no bends in the wrist. OK. So, anything that is away from that becomes an awkward posture. Coupled with that is what our static postures. So even if you had perfect posture and you were standing up and that sort of military upright posture, you know, absolutely wonderful posture, if you do that for a long period of time, that becomes a problem because human beings have evolved to be dynamic, to move. We do not handle being in one position all the time. No changes. So those are probably the two dominant ones, awkward postures and static postures in the office environment. Peter Koch: Ok. That’s good. So, let's think about neutral posture for a minute, and so take me through how you would put somebody into neutral posture. So, if I'm at the workstation and you describe some of those parts, but what do you do first to get into it, to get to feel what neutral posture would be? Maureen Anderson: Ok. So right now, you're talking about. If I go and do an office evaluation. Peter Koch: Well just right now, so let's talk me through. Maureen Anderson: OK. So right now, you would be a closer to a neutral posture than I am because number one, I'm seated. OK. So, seated takes you out of the neutral posture. You lose some curve in your back. That puts a little more pressure on your back. So, a neutral posture would be standing posture. OK. As I said, the very important to have the ears in line with the shoulders, the head upright. OK. In a neutral posture, your arms are by your side. Your palms are facing inward, OK. Or a slight turn, about a quarter turn to the back. Often when someone is seated at a desk, they're seated. So, we have the back issue and then we put a bend in their arms and then we also twist them. Right. Peter Koch: Palms down instead of palms... Maureen Anderson: Yeah, pronate them. Right. We put them pronated. So, we've got a whole bunch of issues going and we talk about the angles and dangles. So now all the muscles, the tendons are all pulling at different angles and that greatly changes the force requirements for doing work. Peter Koch: Oh sure. So, in a neutral posture, we're supporting more of our body weights through our skeletal system than relying on our muscular system. Which will tire over time. Maureen Anderson: Right. We are allowing gravity to do its work on our skeleton, our skeletal system. Right. Peter Koch: Very good. So, in a neutral posture than just thinking about it, if we can kind of take our listeners through this. So, from a standing posture, stand up tall, chin forward, try to keep your fingers and shoulders in line and then shoulders and hips and in line. Maureen Anderson: Yes. So, we do spend some time talking about the neutral posture. But I have not met anyone who works in the neutral posture at this point. Right. Peter Koch: It's hard to stay there. And I think part of that feeling, if you could get into neutral postures and even if you're seated listening to this in the car at the dinner table. Maureen Anderson: Right. Peter Koch: Just try to stay in that neutral posture for a while. It can't be tiring. Maureen Anderson: It's tiring. It is very tiring. And there's things like locking your knees. A lot of experts on say don't lock your knees. But if you ever tried to stand for a long time and not lock your knees? It's exhausting. You wouldn't do it. Everyone locks their knees when they're on their feet for a long period of time. But as I said, no one works in a neutral posture. There's not a lot of call in this world for well-paid jobs, for people just to stand up straight all day. I wish there was. But most people have to perform tasks at work and perform work. And that's OK, because we deal with change really well. So, moving doing tasks like that is great. But the modern office environment, we've done so much now to get people sitting in front of a computer and not moving. And that's where the problem comes up. Peter Koch: So that's the key piece. That's not just awkward or being in neutral posture. And it's not just being an awkward posture, but it's. Maureen Anderson: It's the static statics are a problem combined with the awkward posture. I'd rather see someone sitting at their desk, slouching, crossing our legs, fidgeting, leaning on one elbow, but moving rather than the perfect, rigid, upright person, 90-degree angles like you see all the pictures. Someone doing like this and sitting there all day never moving. I'd bet they would probably have more aches and pains than my fidgeter. Peter Koch: I could see that happening. So, the risk factors that we're looking for in office ergonomics initially are the largest ones for contributors would be static postures or static awkward posture. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: Would be... Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: ...the challenges, but then you also have force and pressure. Maureen Anderson:  Yes. My asking people like leaning on hard edges and compressing, cutting off blood flow, potentially compressing nerves. Usually it's leaning on the hard edge of a desk. We see it sometimes in drivers with leaning elbows onto windows, you know, doing this for a long period of time. Backs of a chair that are digging into the back of a knee and potentially cutting off circulation. So that compression would be another risk factor that would cause problems. Temperature, cold temperatures hinder blood supply. So, people working in very cold environments on Hinds will have issues. Not so much in hot environment, it's more the risk of dehydration, but from an ergonomic perspective, we see more problems probably in the cold. Not usually a problem in most offices, though I will tell you when I go into an office, probably that is one of the most common complaints I hear is the temperature of an office. I'll have two people sitting, you know, cubicles or desk next to each other. And one person is telling me it is frying hot in here and they are sweating all day. And the other person is telling me it is so cold. Their fingers are going numb. They can't feel their fingers. It's so cold. So, temperature is one of those risk factors. That interplay is with a whole bunch of other factors. Peter Koch: Sure. Because it changes circulation, which causes issues with static postures, and then on and on. How about lighting in the office? Can that be an issue? Maureen Anderson: That's also another common complaint that I get in the office. The overall trend in office lighting is to less overall light and more task light. You don't need a lot of light to talk to someone. OK, to look someone in the eye, to have a conversation. You really do not need very much light. As many people in the romantic world know. Candlelight is wonderful for that. But to do an office task like if you have to look at small text like a spreadsheet or something. Print out. The finer the task, the lighter you need. So, we try to get offices to put the light where you need it. A lot of people are bothered by really bright lights the whole day long and we are seeing increases in eye fatigue and dry eye. I think the dry eye might be a little bit more complicated. That's a lot newer research coming out about looking at computer screens. We're kind of at the first generation now that has worked in front of a computer screen their whole career. Peter Koch: All the time. Yeah. Yeah. Maureen Anderson: So now people have been working with computers, you know, 40 years staring at a screen and we're seeing a lot more dry eye. You blink a lot less when you look at that. It's direct light into your eye. Some people say the blue light spectrums think there's a lot more research that needs to be done there. But just out in the field, I am hearing that. Peter Koch: Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. And is very two dimensional as well, where if you're doing something at a desk, you have the three-dimensional effect of a pen or a pencil, the paper, and you're constantly changing the... Maureen Anderson: You're changing your focal distance all the time. So, you're looking at close far, you know, small changes. But when people are at a computer screen, you know, it's arm's length away, you know, 20 to 24 inches. And they're looking at that focal distance all day with very little interruption. And that can be very fatiguing to the eyes. And it's interesting because that distance, that arm's length, I would think it's kind of interesting that comes from resting focal distance. If you're to close your eyes in a completely dark room and let your eyes relax and they flick on the lights. That's the distance you would be focused on. No kidding. Yeah. So resting eye accommodation that they think comes from, you know, cavemen, people coming up to attack you. You have to be able to defend yourself at an arm's length. Peter Koch: So interesting. So not even just to learn peace, but over almost an evolutionary part for us, which is... Maureen Anderson: Right. Peter Koch: We are changing, or you know, we've have to think about it. If I'm working at my desk, I'm close to an arm's length if I'm seated in a relaxed posture. Yeah, but if I'm looking at a computer screen, I know I've seen people that are leaning the way in. Maureen Anderson: Yes. They're trying to get their eyes a lot closer. Yeah. And then we also have in the office world, frankly, most people wear some type of glasses these days, too. Right. So, we have the basics and then we have this other tool that sits in between it. So, you have to accommodate for that, too. A lot of people use readers, drugstore readers, which actually are designed for a focal distance of 10 to 12 inches, like you're holding a book and a computer is a little bit further away. So often what I'll see when people are wearing those, you know, the Dollar Store readers is they are leaning forward either like this or like that, trying to get into that 12-inch focal distance. Peter Koch: Sure. Maureen Anderson: They do make computer readers. They're slightly more expensive. You can get them at a lot of dollar stores and drugstores and those have the focal distance of the 22 inches. Peter Koch: I think it is interesting. So, I have progressive lenses that I wear. Yeah, well I have to because otherwise I have to... Yeah. Well that's a whole other story. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: So, for me to work in front of the computer, I actually have a pair of glasses, prescription glasses for my script that is... Maureen Anderson: Yeah. Peter Koch: ...That computer distance away. So that's interesting. I just thought it was I did it because it was the best way for me to be able to see the whole screen instead of looking through the section of my glasses that are there, which caused me to have awkward posture. Maureen Anderson: Yes, it's very common. I got my first progressive lenses this year and I couldn't adapt to them. I don't even use that. That's a terrible thing for an ergonomist to say but had to do with astigmatism that they're correcting for, that every time I turn my head, I felt like the whole world was spinning with me. I need to go back and do something about those. But yes, if you wear a progressive's or bifocals, often the monitor has to be lowered and angled because that tool, those glasses, are assuming you're going to be focusing at something down here. Keep your distance vision is right at eye level. Peter Koch: Excellent. OK. So, we've talked about the risk factors a number of risk factors. So, we have lighting is a risk factor. We have awkward posture, static postures. We have pressure... Maureen Anderson: Force. Peter Koch: ...Force and pressure, reaching. Maureen Anderson: And repetition that often comes up because, gosh, when was it back in the 80s and 90s. Carpal tunnel was a huge thing. And it's interesting that we don't see as much of that anymore, though. It's still out there. People assuming that it was all the repetition in the fingers from typing. Turns out the hands do handle repetition very well. I mean, we can kind of type along fairly well without having problems from repetition. But when you combine it with a bent wrist, increased force deviation like this with the risk, then we don't handle the repetition as much. NIOSH at one point put out some guidelines for repetition that were never really adopted. They kind of died on the vine for political reasons, I think. Saying that, you know, the repetition for hands would be around typing 90 words per minute your hands can handle, it was like, 200 exertions a minute. But when you get into something like your shoulder then it's only like three times per minute before it becomes problematic. Right. So, our shoulders do not handle repetition as much. So, what we're finding often with a computer, sometimes it's not the typing, but sometimes it's that reaching to the mouse. OK, especially, when the mouse is at a distance. So now we're getting some shoulder exertions and elbow exertions that are going on quite frequently, some typing mouse like that. And so, we do see some problems in the elbow and sometimes the shoulder and sometimes even down into the hand. Peter Koch: Now, that makes a lot of sense. OK, so we have awkward postures at our workstation. We have odd reaching postures, pressure, lighting, and our body tells us that we are having an issue, stiffness, a little bit of pain. But if we ignore those and we just keep on going. So, what are the long-term implications of having those risk factor or engaging in those work factors or risk factors within the workstation? Maureen Anderson: Ok. So, the long-term effects can be permanent damage to the nerves. OK, muscles heal fairly quickly. So, stiffness and muscles you usually can do something about. But when you don't address it, sometimes you can lead to damage. In the nerves and in the tendons and in the ligaments, ligaments take an awful long time to heal. Nerves essentially do not heal. OK. Once a nerve is damaged it's kind of done. Fortunately, in the human body, we have a great system with so much redundancy that the nerves of the electrical system, they can reroute usually, but you can get to points where you have done so much damage, it cannot be repaired easily with today's technology, which is always changing. So that's really where you're getting into some of the long-term effects. There's other things like from prolonged sitting and lack of movement, you know, your blood chemistry starts to change and that can lead to increased risks for heart disease, even some stroke and things like that, the DBT, the blood clots in the legs and things like that. So those are all long-term effects that you don't want to deal with. Peter Koch: Yeah. Interesting. So, something as simple as again, sitting at the desk in the office. If we ignore the effects that a poorly designed workstation might have or even if it's a well-designed workstation and we're engaging in it poorly because of our habits. Maureen Anderson: Right. There's always that. You have the environment and you have the person and you have the behavior. So, you can have the perfect environment. You can have the perfect five-thousand-dollar office chair. If you sit there all day and never move, you're going to end up with some problems. Peter Koch: Have you seen that? Have you seen a really well-designed workstation and the person's just still having issues at it because of just the habits, the postural habits that they've learned over time? Maureen Anderson: Yes, I do. I see people with a lot of habits. I'm seeing actually sometimes people don't have the issues yet. And that's always a hard thing for me to deal with. I'll see generally a younger person I'm gonna pick on a young male that I worked with once who tells me he is perfectly comfortable, and he is working what I call kind of the gaming posture. Hard to demonstrate in this chair, slouched back like this as if they are gaming on their computer and they tell me that this is the most comfortable way for them to work. They're not having any issues. And if I try to make them sit up, they say this is uncomfortable. I can't work that way. And that's a really hard thing to do because I feel I work in the prevention business. I want to prevent injuries. So, when you go when you see someone like that, I'm thinking, no, you're not having any problems because you're 22 years old. You do this for another, even 10 years in your early 30s, you're going to be feeling it. Probably the first place is gonna be up on their neck because there, when they're doing that, they have poor head posture. So, yeah, that's the issue. Peter Koch: Let me just describe that that gaming posture that you had there. So, it's not a typical office posture that you might have, but we do see it. We see it all the time in offices now. Yeah. It's become more and more prevalent because of the habits that they have when they're outside of the office, so they are bringing that in. So that gaming posture that you describe as slouched down low in the chair, hips very forward on the seat pan that they have. Maureen Anderson: Arms up high. Peter and Maureen: Arms are up high, neck forward and dense and... Maureen Anderson: Sometimes support and sometimes not. Peter and Maureen: Yeah. Maureen Anderson: I think sometimes people do that not only from gaming, but also because of laptops. And I think in schools, in college, a lot of people are using laptops only. And so, when you have that monitor so low and the keyboard there, they're sort of adapting to it by get either going like this or going like that. Peter Koch: Sure. So, hunching forward or leaning backwards. Maureen Anderson: Yeah. And in an office environment, we like to say we're a little bit more evolved. We have docking stations or external monitors, external keyboards so that we can adjust more to the human body, how it's designed. Peter Koch: And so very interesting, too. So, the habits that people bring with them can really even overcome good workplace design. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Yes. Certainly. Behavior is Huge. And how people choose to use it. Peter Koch: So, I think going back and just considering that in that the first item we discussed was neutral posture. So, understanding neutral, not necessarily being able to work in neutral posture, but understanding what neutral posture looks like and then how far you deviate from neutral posture in your work posture can then help you understand the effects of that work posture over time. Because if neutral posture is going to be the best overall, not from a fatigue standpoint, but actually from a support standpoint. Maureen Anderson: Right. Peter Koch: Using the body dynamics and structure as it was designed, then I can look at it. And so, if I work out of neutral, I need to make sure that I only do that for so long before I change the posture into another posture that could again be neutral. Maureen Anderson: We always say around 20 minutes; you should be changing your posture every 20 minutes. And so often in an office environment I try to set people up to neutral as close to neutral as I can get in a seated posture as the kind of starting posture, so you get people, give the people opportunity to have that posture, and then if they choose to slouch, to go back, to change it, at least in theory, they will come back to that neutral in between those other postures. We often talk about comfort postures, things like people crossing their legs. And, you know, a lot of research will tell you, oh, people shouldn't cross their legs. That's not good for the circulation in the legs. But I can tell you, there's almost no way you were going to change those comfort postures, especially when people are stressed, they revert to them. They're going to cross their legs. You know, they're going to chew on their fingers. They're going to do what they're going to do. So, I would much rather tell people it's OK to do that limit it to 20 minutes and then switch to a different posture. So, if you're gonna cross your leg, that's OK, but you only do it for 20 minutes. The dreaded one is people sitting on one leg, which is more common amongst women. That they'll kind of curl one leg under them and sit on one leg and it's usually always the same leg. So, I tell them again, 20 minutes, then you've got to switch to something else. Peter Koch: Interesting. So, let's think about this. So, before we get into how to change the workstation, let's talk about what someone can do besides changing the workstation. So, if I if my body's telling me that, like I'm stiff and I'm a little sore or I'm tired, I'm fatigued, what can a person do at their workstation to combat some of that besides changing it? Maureen Anderson: Right. So, the movement is probably the biggest one is to change your posture, to probably stand up, perhaps reset your back by going into a slight back extension. I mean, we love it if people do stretch programs, but it almost doesn't matter which stretch you do in a lot of ways. I think it's the fact that you bring that attention back to yourself. You've thought about your posture because that's what you're thinking about when you stretch it almost to sort of just resets the person. So, I also believe in compromise. A lot of times people say we don't have time to stretch. And I'm like, well, you might have time to do five shoulder rolls. You know, that's five seconds. And you can be talking on the phone at the same time. You can be thinking about what you're doing, but you could do five shoulder rolls, and something is infinitely better than nothing. Peter Koch: Yeah, very true. Maureen Anderson: So, to do some kind of movement, it's probably the number one thing that you can do. Peter Koch: Ok, so, yeah shoulder rolls would be a good one, even just standing up if you have to answer the phone instead of staying seated while you answer the phone. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Yes. We used to give that advice. We still do sometimes that, you know, if you can just stand when you answer the phone to say hello. Hello, Maureen. This is Maureen at MEMIC. And then you can sit right back down. Even that couple of seconds can really be good. But also, just standing and sort of gently taking your back into extension, that can be really good for the back. Peter Koch: Excellent. Peter and Maureen: Yeah. Peter Koch: So, any kind of movement and activity at the workstation can help combat, maybe not overcome, but they can combat some of those awkward postures from starting postures. Maureen Anderson: In ergonomics we talk about reengineering as the change. And then what you can't change, then how do you sort of adjust to accommodate it? And that's usually what we're talking about in movement. So, if you can't change your workstation, you know, then you can change your habits, your behaviors. Add a little bit of movement. Stand up. Talk to somebody. You know, I love to see water bottles on people's desks or big coffee mugs because I know they have to get up to get the water in. They have to get up to get the water out. So that's going to promote some motion. There's a movement in the office place just by having that. Peter Koch: And certainly, hydration overall. Maureen Anderson: Yes, hydration is good. Yes. Peter Koch: Very. And even outside the ergonomic part, hydration helps with cognition, helps with focus. Helps you. Helps your brain activity in your body activity. So, hydration and health go hand-in-hand. So... Maureen Anderson: And so, does movement. I mean, they've done research. I think it was on rats navigating mazes. And if they put the rat on a little exercise wheel for, I don't know how long it was, I forget all the details, but like 20 seconds, then they would navigate the maze more than 20 seconds faster. Right. So would make up for that little bit of motion. Peter Koch: Interesting. So... Maureen Anderson: Not that we're rats in mazes, but... Peter Koch: No, but when we think about it. So, brain activity, which is essential for all of our work, no matter how monotonous it is or how high stress that job might be, brain function is critical to all of that. And hydration and nutrition motion, blood flow... Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: All help with that. I was listening to or I read a study somewhere that said that the brain consumes somewhere around 50 percent of. The calories taken in during the day just for brain activity. I might be a little off on that, but a lot more than you would think, considering that it is a very small part of the overall body mass. But it consumes a lot of energy. Maureen Anderson: A lot of resources. Peter Koch: A lot of resources. Maureen Anderson: Yeah. Peter Koch: So, if I'm just static sitting there, it's kind of like standing with your legs locked. Maureen Anderson: Yeah. Peter Koch: A neutral posture for a long time. I'm burning a lot of calories to stay in that position, but I don't have a lot of demand for oxygen. So therefore, I'm not as efficient doing it. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Yes. And I was just going to talk about when people talk about dynamic workstations and standing. We do know in the applied world that if you're doing real heavy cognitive lifting, really difficult tasks, most people will prefer to sit because I think their brain needs a little bit. So, I tell people when they're first moving into dynamic workstations, make sure you use it for all those routine tasks. That's why I tell people sometimes leave it in the up position when they go home, because usually when people come to work, the first 15, 20 minutes are, you know, firing up the computer, checking the e-mail, checking the schedules, all those routine tasks. And if you can stand during that, that's usually pretty easy. But if you're doing really tough, difficult tasks and what's difficult for one person, it's not difficult for another person. And when people are starting a job and learning, everything is difficult. So, all those things are going to change over time. Peter Koch: Very good. Hey, we're going to take a quick break. So, we're going to continue with more discussion here with Maureen, but we'll take a short break and we'll be back in just a moment. Maureen Anderson: Ok. Peter Koch: Welcome back to the Safety Experts podcast. Today, we're talking with Maureen Anderson, safety consultant and certified ergonomist at MEMIC. So, let's jump back into more questions, Maureen. So earlier we were discussing how your workstation, or your desk setup can affect you, those short-term effects, some of those risk factors. And we also talked a little bit about what you can do at your workstation to combat some of those risk factors or those early warning signs that your body's providing you with. To tell you, to start moving. But let's talk about what you can do to change your workstation. So, as you come into an office and you're looking at an office setup, what do you look for in the setup itself and how the person's interacting and what things might you change in that workstation? Maureen Anderson: Ok. I'll sort of walk you through how I do a workstation evaluation and everyone or other ergonomists might do it slightly different. So, when I go in, what I like to do is take a picture of their posture. OK. The first thing I'd like to do is I say, show me your how you would send an email. OK. And then I take a picture. Now, a couple of things happen with that, is one, whenever you put a camera on someone. They show you what they think they want to show you. And that may not always be the truth. So, I will generally, though, start with that picture and then I'll ask them what's going on. And the other thing I've learned from people over time is they're going to tell me what they want to tell me, whether I let them or not. So, it's best just to get it out in the open right away. So, someone might say everything in here is fine, but this rug is really bothering me. And if I don't let them get that, we are gonna be stuck on the rug the whole evaluation. So, it's best just to let people have their little free for all. Tell me what's going on. They often do know what's going on better than I can know in a few minutes of watching. So, they will give me a lot of good information. When I first started doing evaluations, I would use a checklist method to do an evaluation. The wonderful thing about a checklist, it makes it very thorough. It reminds you of all those things, so you don't skip a task. Maureen Anderson: So, I would use a checklist and I would go through and would measure the height of their tasks, the distance of their monitor, information like that. Generally, I might note about if height was an issue. For instance, I evaluated a woman who is four foot nine yesterday. So, I would note that in my notes and then I would try to get all the measurements of that person. Maureen Anderson: I might look at their seated elbow height. That's when their feet are flat on the floor. So, I adjust the chair, so their feet are flat on the floor. And then I would measure from the floor to the bottom of their elbow to get that height. I do that without looking at the computer because it may be different than how they are set up when they're at the computer. Peter Koch: So why is that important, that seated elbow? How do you how does that factor in? Maureen Anderson: Because your elbow height should be approximately the same height as your keyboard. OK. So, if I get a seated elbow height, let's say it's 26 inches and then I have them turn and go back to the computer, but I already know their desk is 29 inches. I know that there's a disconnect there, and so then I want to see how they're adjusting for it. It can be either they're hunching their shoulders up to get their elbows higher or it could be that they're pushing things further away. Because when you extend your reach, your elbows come up. So, I like to have that information because I already know that there's a disconnect there between the two heights, but I want to see how they're adjusting to it. Peter Koch: So, you're looking at... initially you're looking at the person and how... Maureen Anderson: They're interacting with their environment. Peter Koch: How they're interacting with their environment before you actually look at the environment to see how it affects them. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Yes. So, I usually start with the person get sort of a basic overview of the person. And then I'm starting to look at their environment, getting the lay of the land, so to speak, and then also the whole time we're sort of talking and sharing information about what they do. For instance, often there's some physical complaint. They may say that, I don't know, their shoulders are really achy. Only on one side, let's say their right side. So, you know, I may ask are you righthanded or lefthanded? You know, what else do you do in your day? They may say that they are scanning documents and feeding pieces of paper into a feeder for three hours a day. And they're doing one every second or something like that. So, I'll try to find out what else they do in their day, because those are also contributing factors. My job is to look at the work environment, but sometimes they will share information about what they do outside of work. Sometimes that's just more of an FYI, if we're looking at something that may be a repetitive issue and they tell me there are into competitive crochet or something like that, that's highly repetitive, I may note that down. But generally, that's not really a concern of mine. What they're doing outside of the job, I'm looking at the workplace. Peter Koch: Sure. But it might even make what they're doing outside of work. My highlight for you to them how important it is for them to move more to keep it set up more correctly, because the risk factors outside of work can challenge the risk factors that work. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Yes. Peter and Maureen: Enhance them or make them worse. Maureen Anderson: I will tell a little amusing anecdote about a gentleman I evaluated once and he had really terrible posture leaning on to his elbows like a 45-degree forward bend, really onto his elbow, everything down low. And I was like, wow, you know, this is interesting. Why do you do this? And he said, well, he was a triathlete and he used aero bars on his bike where he's really hunched forward like that. And he said he's training himself at work to hold that posture for a long time to help his triathlon performance. I was like, well, I really don't think that's going to help. I think it's actually probably going to hurt you to be in that posture for hours and hours a day and then to get on your bike and continue to do that awkward posture all that time. And I said it's different when you're on a bike, you're pedaling, you're moving. You have a lot of other things going on. So, I felt that was a little bit misguided of him. But we had a little chat and I'm not convinced that he's probably still not doing that. But that gets back to behavior. I only can do what I can do. I can make recommendations. I don't have a whip. I don't use a cattle prod to zap people when they are doing things they shouldn't be doing. Peter Koch: Certainly. But in a just a brief Segway, though, you hit on a really important point, that post evaluation, when the recommendations come back and whether it's a change in the workstation or it's a change in behavior that the employer has to hold accountable the employees for doing this, because I mean, it happens often that people will try to do things at work that will, in their mind, help them in personal activities. And that's sort of an extreme example you brought up, but I think it can be applied in other areas. So if the recommendation is to change your posture frequently at your workstation, then the employer's supervision has to be there to help hold those people accountable to do that, because at some point in time, those static postures, regardless of when you do it, will be harmful to you over time. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Yes. I don't know how you could... a lot of this we are talking about people changing behavior, and that is the hardest thing to change. And I don't know from a worker's comp perspective, even how you hold people entirely responsible for behaviors. For instance, someone who does static posture all day and then is convinced that they're so busy that they need to eat lunch at their desk while doing tasks. Right. So, they're not ever taking any breaks. You know, there's a personal side to this. They really do need to take those breaks. Their employer needs to set up an environment, I think, where they're encouraged to take those breaks. But I'm not sure. As an employer, how you would force someone, do you take away their chair from twelve to one every day? Peter Koch: No, but I think you did hit on the three components that are in any performance management formula. Even when you look at it and you start to think in order to have some sort of performance, you have to have motivation, opportunity and ability. So as the employer you can affect motivation by education. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: You can affect opportunity like here at MEMIC inside the office, there's a stretch break that happens. It gets announced. And from a supervision standpoint, I know when I was working more in the office instead of out in the field, that when this the supervisors and the management team got up at the stretch break. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: And we all got up with them. But if they didn't, we didn't all tend to come out of our cubicles. So, it's an interesting piece of there's a little bit of motivation, opportunity provided, an expectation provided by the employer. Peter and Maureen: The expectation that, you know, that they get up in the cafeteria or eat in the break room or don't sit during all day and never take any breaks, because people think that that's going to make them seem like they're working harder. But it's really not a good way to be. Peter Koch: Very good. Peter Koch: So, let's continue on with the workstation evaluations. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: You were looking at the person. You had that seated elbow height measurement. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: Which then is important because it is in how it interacts with... Maureen Anderson: The keyboard. Peter Koch: The keyboard and the desk that they have in the mouse and then everything else that's on it. So, after the seated elbow height measurements and you're starting to get information about what they do, how they do it, how often they do it complaints that they already have. Where else do you look? Maureen Anderson: I look at the monitor height. The top of the monitor should be approximately eye level. OK, unless they are wearing glasses like progressive's or bifocals and then it may be lower. The distance should be about, we say, arm's length. But again, everyone's vision is different. And I have had people who like it a lot closer. I've had people who have it to me what seems freakishly far away. But they insist that that is the distance that works best for them. And they want what they are showing me is basic good head posture. So, I have to, you know, believe them. Peter Koch: And they're not having complaints that would associate distance... Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: For that complaint as being one of those factors that would cause something. Maureen Anderson: Right. I look at their wrists. I'm trying to get as close as I can to sort of a straight wrist. No bends up or down or deviating off to the sides. Then, I look at the mouse use. The mouse is one of the evilest devices ever invented by people, I think, as it causes so many problems. I'm looking at the mouse placement, the mouse over time and often will walk further away. I don't know why that is, but I'll see people with a very long reach to their mouse. So, I'm trying to keep that mouse kind of in close. What we're trying to do is most frequent tasks go to sort of the windshield wiper zone in front of them, about 10 to 12 inches away from their torso. Trying... Peter Koch: So, if you think about that, if I am standing at my desk from the sort of the center of my torso, I should come out 10 to 12 inches in an arc... Maureen Anderson:  In an arc, right. Maureen Anderson: So, it allows you to do your motion while keeping your upper arms kind of close to your body. Peter Koch: And so that would that 10 or 12 inches would be where with my elbow right down on my side. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: Reaching out to my desk. And then if I move my hands to the side, that's that arc that we're looking at. Maureen Anderson: Yeah, the windshield wiper. Now, I will say there are some slight changes for that. I do see for women with large chests often that 10 to 12 inches is too close. So, they may need to be a little bit further. It's just the way they're built... Peter Koch: Or men with large torsos as well, women with large torsos depending on stature. Maureen Anderson: Yup. Differences in stature, that may not work. That is a rough guideline. You know, in rough guidelines that are always meant to be adapted or changed a little bit. So I'm looking sort of for the hand posture and I'm looking at the shoulders distance, the reach distances, I'm looking at head posture a lot and really trying to keep people to keep their head in a good posture because that causes such havoc up and to the neck and shoulders. Often when I see people using the telephone and they do what we call cradling, they're trying to hold the telephone between the ear and the shoulder to use both hands on the computer. That, if you do that for more than two minutes at a time, that's considered a risk factor for neck and shoulder pain. Peter Koch: How come? Maureen Anderson: Well, you have the mass of your head that 12 to 14 pounds, which is tilted off its axis, and that's a problem. You're hitching your shoulder up, which takes a lot of muscle activity, and then you have a hard piece of plastic pressing into the soft tissue of your shoulders. So, it's just kind of wrong, wrong, wrong. Usually it causes problems on that side of the shoulder, but sometimes on the neck, on the opposite side can be affected. Peter Koch: And then you're trying to do fine motions either with keyboard or pencil at the same time. Maureen Anderson: Yes, at the same time. And so that can carry all the way down through your hand, down into your hand and into your fingers. So, yeah, it can cause a lot of problems. Peter Koch: And of course, if you do it once, not a huge issue, but it's doing it multiple times throughout the day. Maureen Anderson: And I will have people tell me, oh, I do that for, you know, an hour when I'm on the phone for an hour. And basically, I can tell you there's no way you could hold that posture in a static way for an hour. I don't think a human is capable of that. So, what they're doing is they're doing that and then they're having either to switch it to the other side or they're going to have to take it out. But that is a big risk factor. So, when people do that, I tell them you need to use the telephone headset. And some people are very adverse to a telephone headset because of the quality of sound. And I will tell people the quality of sound has improved, or they're just not used to the whole, I don't even know how to explain it.  With a telephone headset sometimes, people can't tell and they're talking on the phone, and they're dealing with a lot of other people interrupting, and they haven't developed sort of the body language to I tell people I'm on the phone, please don't interrupt.  Though, they do make little, you know, light up tools to alert people. So, I tell people to use a telephone headset or use speaker phone or just use the phone and hold it in their hand. Peter Koch: So that's interesting. I know one of the, well the local automotive shop that we use the receptionist as you walk in the door, the receptionist is right to the right and she has a little light on the counter and there's a sign that says if the light is lit, I'm on the phone. Maureen Anderson: Right. Peter Koch: And it helps her because she's got a headset and five or six years ago, she was one of those that would cradle the phone between her shoulder and her head and then they ended up getting her the headset and she's much happier. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: But it was a habit changing piece and the reason that she struggled with it was just what you said was there is that demand between productivity and the quality of service that she wants to provide both to the customer on the phone and the customers in there. Maureen Anderson: Yeah, and the other issue often is whether they're wireless or not, whether they're tethered, because some people are just so used to jumping out of their desk and running over to here, and if you've got that leash on you, that can take a while to get used to. But even at MEMIC, you know, not receptionists, a lot of people where telephone headsets. And when you walk up behind them, depending on how, you're never sure if they're on the phone or not. Right? So, you're always it makes you very tentative, you know, are you on the phone, you know, trying to figure it out. But most people master, you know, putting their hand up in some signal to say, you know, please don't interrupt me. Peter Koch: Yeah, interesting. Maureen Anderson: So, it takes a little while to get used to. But that's a great, great office tool. And certainly, with cell phones, we're going that way that people should be using headsets or hand free for everything. Peter Koch: For everything, for sure. Talk to me a little bit more about how evil the mouse is. Maureen Anderson: Evil mouse. Well, I already talked about neutral posture. So, when you bring your hand up to use the mouse and you pronate it down to use the mouse... Peter Koch: Palm down. Maureen Anderson: Palm down, right. A lot of mice, some of them are very small and people use a lot of grip to hold them. They will often grip it between their thumb and their pinky, which can be a very fatiguing grip for the hands. And then also couple that with the external rotation in the shoulder. So, they're kind of reaching off to the side and trying to use their mouse. So, it's almost as if their arm is held way out to the side to use their mouse. Ideally, that mouse is used as a straight line from your shoulder, okay? It's partially it's the design of the keyboard. We have those, the ASDF keys, all the alphabetic keys, which are right in front of you, and if you took high school typing, those central keys should be lined up with your belly button. But the design of the modern keyboard, you have the keyboard, then you have a numeric keypad and then you have your mouse. So that mouse ends up being way off to the side. So sometimes we'll recommend people using their non dominant hand, usually they're use the mouse with their left hand, and most people find that very difficult unless they're in pain. Pain is an incredible motivator for people to change. I myself have tried to left mouse and I could never stick with it. It interrupts your whole cognitive flow. It takes so much attention to use the mouse. It's like I can't think about what I'm trying to mouse to. So, I have a keyboard where the numeric keypad is on the other side. It's called a mouse friendly keyboard. And that allows me to have the keys directly in front of me and my mouse a lot closer. It was easy for myself to train myself to use the numbers with my left hand, already type with my left hand. I can type, touch, type with my left hand. It's a task I can do. So that's one way to approach it. Or some of the keyboards have a detachable numeric keypad and then you can put the mouse and then the numbers way off out at a reach. If you don't use the numbers that often or you can move the numbers either away, if you don't use numeric keypad, or off to the left. Peter Koch: Sure, sure. Maureen Anderson: So, there's ways to do it. Or there is a bar device that goes in front of the keyboard called the Contour RollerMouse, which replaces the mouse. And we've had a lot of great success stories with that task. It's pricey, though, so a lot of companies don't like to go there. They only go there as a last resort. Peter Koch: And with anything else, that change takes time to incorporate into your workflow. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: So, the mouse being challenging because it causes you have to use… or many people will use increase pressure because of the side, which puts that static posture again. Maureen Anderson: They'll hover a finger sometimes over the top button, so they'll be hovering, and so they're sort of holding that finger in contraction for long periods of time. They don't realize it. If you're not doing something with the mouse, you really don't need to be hovering your fingers, you know, at full attention. Peter Koch: I was in an office setting at one time walking in for a meeting, and it was silent in the office space. Everyone was pretty focused and all you could hear were the keyboard actuations and then mouse clicks and the volume of the mouse click, I thought it just struck me as being very loud - louder than I thought it should be because and if I think about it, even my own, as I get focused on my own task, many times I'm clicking that mouse button pretty forcefully. Maureen Anderson: Well, people like to have feedback when they do a task. And there's actually an interesting trend going on in keyboards right now. Back towards mechanical keyboards are digital keyboards they're making smaller and the height of the keys is less and they're very quiet, and sometimes you can't even tell when you hit a key. So, there's been a movement. It's actually come from the gaming community back towards mechanical keyboards, which are rather old fashioned, and they have a real clicky feel. But people like that. Peter Koch: Yeah there's a lot of tactile feedback. Maureen Anderson: Lot of tactile feedback as they're working along, they know what they've done. Peter Koch: And I find that, too, when I'm typing. So, I have a keyboard for my iPad, which is electronic. So, it's just a button actuate and it's not a mechanical actuation and then I have a mechanical keyboard at home that I use with my desktop and I type much harder, the keystrokes are much more forceful on my iPad because of that physical feedback. Maureen Anderson: Yes, and they've done a lot of work, like with an iPad. If you're using the on screen keyboard to make like a little sound or a little bloop to give you to give you some feedback, because without the feedback it's you have to keep checking like did I, did I do it? You know what happened here. Peter Koch: Do it right. Maureen Anderson: Yeah. Peter Koch: Interesting. OK, so let's go through and recap. If I were to have a workstation set up appropriately, what would it look like? Maureen Anderson: Ok. So as an ergonomist, I like things to be highly adjustable. I love the new dynamic workstations. You know, electric desks that can go up and down. The converters on top are OK for some people, not for other people. We haven't even talked about dynamic workstations. So much to talk about today! But I like to see people that are working their elbow height is about the same as their keyboard height, the monitor is about eye level, arm's length. These are all sort of just your basic starting points. If what you do needs to be different, then we can, you can adapt to that. But that should really be it. So, elbow height, good head posture, the ears over the shoulder. Generally, we say some back support. It's good to have some back support because it is difficult to sit all day without any back support. Peter Koch: So generally, whether it's standing or seated for a workstation. My elbows should be at my keyboard height. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: The monitor top of the text should be about I height for the monitor. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: So, I shouldn't look up or down. But is it dependent upon glasses? Maureen Anderson: Glasses are often a big factor. Yes. Peter Koch: It should be approximately an arm's length away. And then my mouse should be on the same plane as the keyboard? Maureen Anderson: Same plain as the keyboard, right. So, we're not doing any excessive reaching as it should be as close to you as possible to reduce the reaches. Again, to get a little off track. What I see in the real world, often, is when I go into an office, people have pushed their keyboard and mouse far away in order to have papers close to them. Peter Koch: And so, the important part there is we really want to switch that around. We want to have the keyboard closer or whatever you're using closer. Maureen Anderson: Yes. We try to get the keyboard and the mouse closer and then we get like an inline copy holder to get the papers a little bit further away. Peter Koch: That's a good key point right there. Maureen Anderson: It really depends, though, on what you're doing when it comes to handwriting, that's really the issue because people say, well, I need the papers close because I do a lot of handwriting. And so, then I try to probe. Do they do more handwriting in the day or are they doing more keying? And for most people, it's more keyboard and mouse than it is for writing. Very few people will write long, long parts with a paper and pen. What they're doing is just writing down a phone number. They're just writing down a quick note. They're checking something off. They're not really writing. Peter Koch: Or they might be keying. So that numeric keypad and the mouse so your paper can be here in front of you. The numeric pad that could be separated from the keyboard could be on the left-hand side and your mouse to adjust the cell if you could be on the right. So, but still, everything is within that... Maureen Anderson: Should be close. Peter Koch: Windshield wiper plane, nice and close to you? Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: Good. Maureen Anderson: But you have to look at what a person does. And as I said, when I go in, they usually are changing their behavior for me because, right. They're going to sit up straighter. Peter Koch: They want to get a good grade. Maureen Anderson: They want to get a good grade. So sometimes I will look at their co-workers actually not them to see what everyone else is doing, because that's sometimes, you know, we have sort of a herd mentality. So, if I see everyone else has things pushed way far away, then I start to suspect, you know, maybe they do. Or I'll see wear and tear on the desk. I'll see worn spots in their chair. Maybe I'll see really ripped up arms. So, I know that chair is banging into the desk. So, I'm looking for other hints as to where things are. You can you know, you can almost see dust patterns from where their stuff usually is, and I can tell they've moved it just for me. Peter Koch: So, do you have or are there any tips for - because we're seeing this a lot more in the workplace now, for multiple monitors? Maureen Anderson: Oh yeah. Peter Koch: Let's look at like a two-monitor setup. Where should they be in relationship to like the center plane of the person? Maureen Anderson: I did have one person with six monitors once and I was like, that is a lot of information to be looking at. Peter Koch: They win. Maureen Anderson: Right? They won. Right. We take whatever they look at most of the time, that is their dominant monitor. We like to have that front and center. OK. The secondary or tertiary and I don't even know what you call it when it's six your, “sixtiary” one. You can have arrayed around you, trying to minimize a static neck twist. So, you don't want to be looking for an hour with your head twisted off to one side. That's why we say the primary one is directly in front of you. Most common now I see is two monitors. So, if you use them equally, then we would have them sort of centered in front of you. But it's all about head posture, trying to get you in the best head posture. I do see a lot of situations where people have one monitor in front of you, in front of them, and then they'll have a small monitor like on a laptop or an iPad. And so, I really have to you know, if they're just looking over at that because it's their calendar, and that's all they're doing, then it's, you know, I'm OK with it. But if they're looking down and typing on that one, then I'm saying, well, maybe that's your primary monitor and we need to get that in a better location. Peter Koch: So those key points would go back to the multiple monitor setup. So, whatever you're doing primarily should be in that center line. So. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: Your body center line, your keyboard should be in the center. Your primary monitor should be in the center. Maureen Anderson: Should be in the primary. Yep. Peter Koch: The things that you do most frequently should be closer, use most frequently should be closest to your body. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: And then the things that you do intermittently, whether it's like stapling or printing or whatever those are. Move them farther away, so it forces you to actually get up and move. Maureen Anderson: And that's a great point. I'm glad you brought that up. It's somewhat counterintuitive. But like printers, sometimes people try to have that printer in close because they're reaching to it all the time. Really, they're probably not reaching to it all the time. And sometimes we do we say move that further away. That's a technique to get people out of their chairs or if they're in a dynamic workstation and they're standing to take a couple of extra steps to get that movement back in their day. Peter Koch: Awesome. Maureen Anderson: Yeah. Peter Koch: So, as we come to a close here. Think about, are there maybe a couple, three or four key points that you'd like to leave us with from our workstation setup or how to work safely in an office setting? Maureen Anderson: Right. So first of all, I would say everyone is different. So, you have to adjust that workstation for the person. Right. So, if they're very short, their keyboards are going to need to be lower. Their monitors are going to be lower if they're very tall. You know, we're gonna need to change that. Most workstations are designed to hit kind of 90 percent of the population. But having said that, there are plenty of people who are below 5 foot 2 or above 6 foot 2 because that 90 percent is about 5' 2" to 6' 2". So, people at those other ends may not work well with the off the shelf equipment. They may need some special things. Peter Koch: So. Maureen Anderson: So again, yeah. Peter Koch: From an onboarding standpoint, if I'm bringing people in to work in an office, knowing that if I'm going to have workstations that fit these people, I might be hiring somebody that's outside of the design parameters for that workstation. Maureen Anderson: Yes. Peter Koch: I have to look at the person and the workstations. Maureen Anderson: And the workstation. And that. Peter Koch:  So, it should be adjustable. Maureen Anderson: Right. One of the great things I love about the dynamic workstations is even if people aren't using it as much as they should. And I'm always telling them they should be changing. At least I know when a new person comes into that workstation, if they're a lot different stature from the previous person, you know, with a couple of hand cranks or a push of a button, you can adjust it to their needs, which is great. Peter Koch: Workstation adjustability would be key, it helps not only to get the person to move, but it also helps the company to allow the workstation to be adjusted to the stature of a person. Maureen Anderson: Right. And for their changing needs and staff, to make those changes. And the other one is behavior, right? It's to change the workstation, to be adjustable for the person, but to encourage the behavior where people are going to move and change their posture during the day. You talked about giving opportunities, things like there is a place to eat away from their desk. There are plenty of opportunities for people to get up and move. And so, you know, in the culture, sometimes people don't like to see people away from their desks. You know where it may be better if you have an issue to get up and walk down the hall and talk to that person rather tha

How much importance do you put on getting praise at work? Is it time to end your attachment to it, as I did? This is episode ten of the Busy Mum. Balanced Life. podcast. Incudes affiliate links. This is something I've really wanted to talk about for a little and I have a personal story to share about this as well. It's about attachment and acceptance. Maybe I'll just share my experience to put this in perspective. I've come to realize recently just how much importance I put on getting acceptance from others. And I'm not here to say I'm cured and am now super confident but in a couple of areas of my life, that is true. One, in particular, is work. What I've realized is that I was really dependent on getting a 'thank you', a 'well done', a 'great job' or pat on the head when it came to doing things for somebody else, particularly at work. This has gone on for years, it isn't just a recent event. I've really put a lot of importance and emphasis on getting other people's acceptance and the attachment that I put on that is if they don't tell me I've done a great job or thank me or say, well done, or credit me or praise me in some way, I have turned that into a story in my head that it's because either I haven't done a good job and in which case I felt pretty crap about myself. Or, they are not a nice person because they don't credit me or appreciate me or they're taking me for granted. I could literally take this to extremes in a couple of examples, I think. I realised I was putting so much importance on getting the acceptance of the wrong people because it's only my opinion that matters, isn't it? It's only your opinion if you do a great job for someone and you're happy with the work that you've done, only you need to be aware of that. Only YOU need to pat yourself on the head. You don't need others to be proud of you. And of course it's nice when people say well done and they praise you or you move up the chain in terms of pay rises and promotion. Obviously those things are important to a lot of us but it's the attachment that I particularly was putting on it. I've always taken huge pride in the world at do for others, I know I've got a great work ethic. I take my job very seriously because I absolutely love it. I only take on work that I really love and enjoy and I do a good job. But there have been certain times in my life where I've probably gone too far and delivered too much, and that's on me. No one's ever had a gun against my head and made me work longer hours etc. I'll do more than I need to do and I've chosen to do that, but I have put too much importance on what others then do in return for me. And you know what that's resulted in, and I think you'll relate to this as well, when you put expectations on other people, whether it's work or any kind of relationship or even transaction, but when you put expectations on them that are too high, obviously we're always going to be really disappointed. And that's the way I felt time and time again. You know, I've put so much importance on them delivering back to me things in a certain way that they've constantly fallen short and that isn't fair to them, is it? You know, people can't get into our heads and work out what we really want unless we tell them. And just because I wanted to have certain credit or praise, that doesn't mean I'm necessarily entitled to it either. I'm not always entitled to be promoted etc. And there's always office politics and other situations that can skew all of those things anyway. But I just came to realize that this error was really on my part and what actually made me think about it in the first place is a podcast episode (links above). In fact, there's a few episodes, but one in particular was from Jim Fortin, who's also my coach. It was episode 15 and episode 28 that I really enjoyed on this subject, episode 15 in particular. The title is "the greatest cause of your suffering is attachment". This episode is so life-changing, not just about the subject I'm talking about today but in terms of the attachment that we place on things when we don't realize we are doing it. I think that he quoted the Buddha in "your greatest cause of suffering is attachment". When I listened to that and had a conversation with my coaching group, I was like, you know, I realize now this is my issue. For years, I can think of examples in the workplace where I've been really pissed off that someone hasn't given me the credit I think I deserve or hasn't promoted me or praised me. If any ex-colleagues or bosses are listening to this, I think you'll know! And don't get me wrong, I'm a good employee: I get results. I don't cause too much trouble! But this is just something I know that I've had that thing within the past and this is why I wanted to share it today because I actually found a way to get over it and I'm going to tell you what it is. And it's really super simple but it's worked for me. There is no benefit to having attachment to other people giving you praise and credit for something that you've done at work. It's only going to result in negative stories and feeling shit about yourself or about other people. And I don't want that! I'm sure you don't either. So, I've written this mantra down and I've stuck it on my monitor. It's about how I'm now going to deal with things in the workplace going forward. So whether I'm in a job or whether I'm doing a piece of work. I'm a freelancer, so I work for lots of different people. Are you ready? Brace yourself! And this is very personal to me so you could take this or you could write something that pertains to you and your thoughts. "I take pride in doing great job and delivering excellent work for my clients. The only validation I need is from myself in knowing that I delivered why I said I would. And then I move on." Life-changing! It's very factual and it just sums everything up for me. If somebody else says 'thank you', 'well done' or raves about how the great work I've done, that's really nice but it's not going to change the way I feel in the work I do anyway. And that means if they don't say anything or if they're miserable or critical or like I say, just don't give any credit whatsoever, that's fine too. I've put this into practice in the last few months and it works. It doesn't bother me anymore. In fact, as time goes on, I'm almost recognizing less and less when people do rave or don't say anything because it doesn't matter to me anymore. And then the final part of that little mantra is, "and then I move on". And that was the biggest thing that I wasn't doing before. I was really holding onto resentment about why they haven't said something or what that said or how the power situation had played out or how I felt slighted in some way. And it was really making me miserable. You know when you're really down about something, even if it's only in one aspect of your life, like work or relationship or health or whatever, it completely clouds your thoughts on everything else as well. So, I was kind of walking around with this resentment over the years, every now and again. And it was clouding how happy I was in other areas of my life and I didn't want that. You don't want that either, I'm sure! We want to feel as happy as we can. When things are in our control and attachments is 100% in our control. We get to decide how other people make us think. I am not a victim. I was putting myself in the "oh, poor me, it's not fair" position and I felt like a victim. Not because of what other people were doing, but because I was making myself feel like one which is clearly not very happy and healthy! Let's be real though - obviously when people tell me I've done a good job or praise me or give me some positive encouragement, I really like that. Of course I do. That's great. I guess it's motivating. But I now don't now rely on it and I don't feel resentment when I don't get it. And I hope that that's always the way I feel because  it seems a much healthier way for me to go about my business and my day. Does this resonate with you? Can you look back on occasions, especially in the workplace, where you know you've been pissed off if you feel you've been overlooked for promotion or you haven't had a thank you or someone has been critical about your work or you think you've done something exceptional and no one really says anything. Can you think of examples like that? And can you now think of a way that you might tell yourself a story differently so that it doesn't matter what other people think? You did a great job, you know that and that's all matters. And then you can move on, draw a line under it, move on and do the next piece of great work. And I hope that it's as simple for you to start thinking that way as it has been for me. It did take this realization that I can't keep blaming others for how I feel about this kind of thing. I've got to take responsibility for myself and I do now and it makes me feel a lot better. I've made some big changes in work recently because of that and it just feels like everything is now falling much more into place. So long may that continue! Let me know if any of this is resonating with you as well?

Hey everyone. I know what you're thinking, why haven't I uploaded this week's episode? Well, to put it plainly, I wanted to keep true to a promise I made earlier in an episode. I remember the disappointment from not getting a year-end healthcare debate, after my very unfortunate mishap, and so, I promised that if I were to be able to salvage any form of sound recordings of that episode, I would upload it in its full glory on the internet. Now, I never expected this day to come, but here it is. In all of its glory, here is, the healthcare episode. Rough around the edges, and with some gags, this episode is all-around a pretty solid and brilliant debate, between 2 opposing forces. Healthcare for all v. freedom of choice. Contentious, loud, but overall jovial, I hope you all enjoy this episode as much as I did making it. Uploads will be weekly from now on (although I can't predict the future) and I hope you'll tune in. Maybe you'll listen? Maybe you'll like it? Maybe you'll tell a friend? Maybe I'll stop asking so many questions? ANYWHO, I hope you enjoy!

Here's the link for those wanting to play!! Maybe I'll give away a Bikefriendlyatl Sweat Suit!! https://www.tourneytopia.com/RacquetBracketAussieOpenATP/BBB2020/default.aspx Let's go, I hope you loose!!! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/BB-B/message

Maybe I'll just run away

Oh what a beautiful happy loving time it is today as we review... WEDDINGS! If you yourself have had a wedding or you know anyone who has had or been to a wedding, please, give this a listen and take in all the knowledge we offer on this less than 30 minute long podcast episode. It truly is such a magical time to be a podcast fan (not of this one, just in general) and we are so lucky to be sharing it with you. Now, before it's too late, click that play button and enjoy the ride. Goodbye (for now!!!) Was that funny? As I typed it I was picturing it sound like some of of disney character. idk, we have no rules when it comes to these descriptions so it really goes off the rails. I could just copy and paste Eve 6 lyrics. Maybe I'll do that for an episode. It'll be like "Oh they reviewed Tennis, hmm, not sold yet. Let me read the description and see if it changes my mind." *scrolls down* "I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds, but the lack thereof would leave me empty inside!" *keeps scrolling, decides to listen to Comedy Bang Bang instead* Anyway here's our socials if you wanna follow us IG | @EverythingReviewedPodcast Twitter | @EveryReviewPod EverythingReviewedPodcast@gmail.com Facebook.com/EverythingReviewedPodcast

This podcast wasn't planned, edited or anything. Just raw af. I literally recorded it on my way home after I gained some composure. The overwhelming feeling that this experience left me with had to be shared. Please listen as I recall my perspective on one of the most powerful events I've had so far in 2020. Thank you for holding space and listening to this. I appreciate you tremendously. Shout out to Animal Alliance Network. Please follow and support them at https://instagram.com/animalalliancenetwork?igshid=oacqabs18fg5. Maybe I'll catch you at the next vigil! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/OurForthPeriod/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/OurForthPeriod/support

Aerospace engineer April Blackwell works at NASA’s Mission Control. She dreamed of being an astronaut but her type 1 diabetes diagnosis at age 11 changed everything. Since that day, though, she has found ways to break down barriers and pursue her love of space. Check out Stacey's new book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom! April calls herself a "rule-questioner" and shares where asking those questions got her. She and Stacey talk about everything from family – she has two young children – to what it’s like to work as part of history in the space program. Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group! In Tell Me Something Good, a milestone for a tween with T1D – and her whole family gets in on the celebration. Sign up for our newsletter here This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider. Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners! Get the App and listen to Diabetes Connections wherever you go! Click here for iPhone      Click here for Android Episode transcription (Note: this is a rough transcription of the show. Please excuse spelling/grammar/punctuation errors) Stacey Simms 0:01 Diabetes Connections is brought to you by One Drop created for people with diabetes by people who have diabetes. By Real Good Foods real food you feel good about eating, and by Dexcom take control of your diabetes and live life to the fullest with Dexcom. This week, aerospace engineer April Blackwell works at NASA's mission control. She always wanted to be an astronaut, but she was diagnosed with type one at age 11. And that changed everything. But since that day, she's found ways to break down barriers and pursue her love of space. April shares where asking those questions got her and we talked about everything from family - she has two young children - to what it's like to work as a part of history in the space program in Tell me something good a milestone for a tween with type one, and the whole family gets in on the celebration. This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your healthcare provider. Stacey Simms 1:32 Welcome to our first full show of 2020 Happy New Year everybody. Hope your year is off to a great start if you're new to diabetes connections, welcome. I'm your host Stacey Simms. We aim to educate and inspire about type one diabetes by sharing stories of connection. My son was diagnosed 13 years ago, just before he turned two. He's now a freshman in high school. He's 15 years old. My husband has type two diabetes I don't have diabetes, but I have a background in broadcasting and local radio and TV news. And that is how you get the podcast. As you have heard, if you are a longtime listener, some new things this year, we have some new sponsors. I dropped a minisode, a short episode last week. We're going to be doing those every week. So you get the full episode, which is something like this where it's an interview and we have some segments and then you'll have that minisode and planning for every week right now. We'll see how it goes. Which is a much shorter episode just me on one topic. And please follow along on social media because we're doing more new stuff this year. On the Tell me something good segment which has become really popular in the show. We're putting that out on social media every week, making sure you're following on Instagram. I am Stacey Simms on Instagram, there's only the one account on Facebook, Diabetes Connections the Group, although I do post everything on our page, but you know how Facebook is sometimes they are just obnoxious and don't show you everything you want to see. Something else I'm trying in the new year is transcription. I am putting in the show transcription of every episode. On the episode homepage. You can go to diabetes dash connections dot come, and you scroll down. Make sure you look at the current episode, click on that. And in the show notes will be the transcription of the interview and hopefully the whole episode as well. as well. Something new we're trying we'll see how people like it will see how you respond if it's popular and people use it will keep doing it. I have had a lot of requests for the transcripts over the four and a half years of the show and as Technology is better and better. It's been a lot easier to get that done. Done. Maybe I'll do it behind the scenes minisode One of these days and tell you about all the changes that we've gone through and some of the technology as podcasting really grows, how things have changed, but I know you're here to talk about April and NASA and how she got involved in the space program. It's such a great story. My talk with April Blackwell in just a moment, but first Diabetes Connections is brought to you by One Drop. One Drop is diabetes management for the 21st century. One Drop was designed by people with diabetes. For people with diabetes. One Drops glucose meter looks nothing like a medical device. It is sleek, compact, is sleek, compact and seamlessly integrates with the award winning One Drop mobile app, sync all your other health apps to One Drop to keep track of the big picture and easily see health trends and with a One Drops of script You get unlimited test strips and lancets delivered right to your door. Every One Drop plan also includes access to your own certified diabetes coach. If you have questions you don't feel like waiting for your next doctor visit. Your personal coach is always there to help. I am so excited to have One Drop on board. Their program is amazing. Check them out, go to diabetes dash connections calm and click on the One Drop logo to learn more. My guest this week is not someone who takes the answer No, and accepts it and goes away quietly. April Blackwell grew up dreaming of the space program. As you'll hear, she watched out for NASA news. Like most of us watched Saturday morning cartoons when we were kids. But a diagnosis of T1D in sixth grade grounded her astronaut dreams. But how did you decide to carry on anyway? You know what did you have to do? To get where she is at mission control. her blog name and her Skype handle are nerdy April, and you'll hear me ask about that. But I gotta tell you, when you talk to someone on Skype, which is how I do a lot of these interviews, the the avatar, the logo, whatever you want to call it, of their name, or their face is on the screen. So the whole time I was talking to her, it said nerdy April on the screen, which really made me smile, all right here, which really made me smile on the screen, which really just made me smile, and I did have to ask her about it. Her story, though, is it's a story of grit, of asking questions and refusing to give up. Here's my conversation with mission controls. April Blackwell. Stacey Simms 0:03 April, thanks for joining me. I'm sure you're really busy. And I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. How are you? April Blackwell I'm doing wonderful. How are you? Stacey Simms I'm great. And I'm excited to be talking to you. I have lots and lots of questions. But I have to start with, with your name online and on Skype as we're talking nerdy April. Did you reclaim that nerdy title? April Blackwell 0:27 Oh, I am a I'm a proud nerd. I think all nerds who are truly nerds are proud of it. So it actually started though, because the my blog title started as Nerdy April's Space Adventures. And if you take that as an acronym, like, you know, everything NASA related, it spells out NASA so it kind of was a little bit of a play on words and acronyms there, but it kind of turned into just Nerdy April and that's how I've been rolling lately. Stacey Simms 0:59 Okay, So I want to ask you at the blog, I want to ask you about NASA, but let's start at the beginning. You knew that you wanted to be involved in science and in space from a very early age, right? April Blackwell 1:13 Yeah, I was only about five or six years old. I was in a kindergarten and my dad actually, he is an aircraft mechanic. And so there's a little connection there. But he also is just a deep lover of the space program. And he grew up in the Apollo days, sort of that romanticized moon landings and everything and he was just an amateur but it and his love for the space program just really captured me. And so that's kind of where that all was inspired from. Stacey Simms 1:45 What were you doing, though, at age five? I mean, when you were with your dad, looking at stars were you watching launches? April Blackwell 1:52 We weren't watching launches. I grew up in Arizona, so it's pretty far away. Florida, where most of the launches happened. Well, Stacey Simms 1:58 (laughs) I was thinking about on TV. April Blackwell 2:00 Yeah, yeah, I definitely watch some on TV we did have a very rudimentary telescope. So we would go out and mostly look at the moon since that was it a big target we could watch. It didn't have a tracker or anything on it. So it was all manual. And it required some fine tuning by dad before I could look through it. We built model rockets together and launched those later on. I went to sort of local science camp during the summer, and started getting excited about computers and everything that had to do with science. So robots and engineering type problem solving. And so it just stayed with me my whole life. Stacey Simms 2:45 Wow. So when you were diagnosed, not too many years later, you were 11. What happened? were you hoping to actually be an astronaut at that time? April Blackwell 2:55 Yeah, so I i think that was always the pointy end of the spear for was to be an astronaut. And, you know, that's when you watch TV and everything those, those are the people that you see. And so that was always kind of my final goal. When I was diagnosed at 11, it took a little bit of time for me to realize that, you know, astronaut was going to be more difficult now that I had type one diabetes. And some of that sort of came into focus later in my life. But at 11 it was kind of just heartbreaking. You know, I was watching launches and getting excited about space, but then knowing that that probably would never be a reality for me. Stacey Simms 3:41 So at age 11, you know, I guess you have many choices, but you can say to yourself, well, that's that I've got to find something else and be devastated or too bad. Or I'm going to move forward and do this some way somehow. Did that decision happened for you? immediately. Did it take some time for you to continue to love science the way you did? April Blackwell 4:01 It definitely took some time. And I guess I'll just touch on the fact that I think being diagnosed with diabetes at 11. Well, in the first place, there's no great time to be diagnosed with diabetes. But I think being diagnosed at 11, it sort of puts you on this really fast trajectory towards adulthood. Because you want to maintain your independence as much as you can. My parents implemented it, such that I had to be able to give myself shots and test my own blood sugar before I could spend the night at a friend's house, for instance. And so that was a big motivator for me. And I think, you know, maybe I always had a little bit of an inclination towards being a little older than what my physical age was. You can ask my mom I used to wake up early on Saturday mornings, to watch the news, not cartoons, just in the hopes that I might see you know, some information about NASA. But I think, you know, sort of that catalysts of putting me on a trajectory towards adulthood helped steer sort of my ideas about what I wanted to be in the future. And while I knew I could never be, or probably could never be an astronaut, space was so exciting to me and talking about rockets talking about, you know, low Earth orbit and traveling 17,500 miles an hour, five miles per second, thinking about these huge engines that need to take astronauts and supplies up to space, I just couldn't get it out of my blood out of my brain. And so I decided that even if I couldn't be an astronaut, I would love to work in the space program in some capacity. And that sort of led me to looking at an aerospace engineering degree. Stacey Simms 5:54 All right, let's go back for a second about your parents in the transition at age 11. What was your diagnosis story like, were you very sick for very long? I mean, I know we kind of sometimes we talk about it like and then you you didn't have diabetes and then you did and then life went on. Can you kind of fill us in on on how you found out? April Blackwell 6:13 Yeah. So it was, I guess nothing extremely remarkable about it, but maybe that's why I should tell it is because, you know, there is this sort of the normal warning signs that everyone comes up or comes up against. And so it was kind of in the Christmas time frame, December timeframe. I just got a cold. And then, you know, my grandparents were in town for the holidays, and we usually would stay up late playing cards, and you know, eating Christmas candy, and I just, I couldn't I just physically couldn't I was extremely fatigued. And then when I started getting up multiple times during the night to go to the bathroom, you know, my mom bless her heart, thought that I was probably suffering from a urinary tract infection. And her old wives tales, of course, told her that we needed to treat this with the cranberries. Unknown Speaker 7:14 Of course, April Blackwell 7:15 yeah, so. So we hit up the cranberry juice pretty hard for a little while, and it just wasn't getting better. And so we started going to the pediatricians office. And it took almost a week of daily pediatrician visits. I, I joke to that I could just pee on command, because every time I would show up there, they would tell me to, you know, get a urine sample. So it sort of became this joke. And then I was finally diagnosed on December 30. And they told us that we needed to head over to the children's hospital right away straight from the pediatrician’s office. We had no idea what diabetes was about at all. I absolutely had zero idea. I don't think my parents really understood it at all. They were just scared. And so we had we went over to the Children's Hospital, but unfortunately it was a sort of a skeleton crew because it was the holidays and New Year's and stuff. So they told us to just go home. And it turned out that my old pediatrician, he actually lived next door to us. And so he came over for a couple days to help give me some insulin shots and test my blood sugar. While we still had no idea what you know, was to come more shots every single day and blood sugar tests every single day. So it was definitely a steep learning curve as I think most diagnosis stories are. Stacey Simms 8:41 Yeah, it can just take so much time to get the diagnosis. I get so frustrated by that. But you know, at least they got it before it was even more devastating. Fast forward a few more years, you have kept your interest in space as you said, What did you wind up studying in college or did you go you know what, where did your path lead you to continue after high school. Right back to April answering that question in just a moment, but first, diabetes connections. is brought to you by real good foods. Have you tried them yet? high protein, low carb, grain free, gluten free. They have so many delicious products from breakfast sandwiches to pizza. The stuffed chicken is delicious, the little poppers that they make are just excellent. You know, it's really nice to have something convenient when you're not in the mood to cook or if you're a 15 year old boy, you know you're starving and you need something to get you between the half an hour before dinner. So Ben evil just get a little personal pizzas and heated up. We're really big fans of really good foods. I'm thrilled to have them back on the podcast for the new year. The new year and I'm excited to try some of the new products they have out right now. And I'm excited to try some of the new products they have out right now. We will be bringing you some taste tests as we go forward. But find out more and go to their store but find out more, go to diabetes dash connections dot com and click on the real good foods logo. now back to April talking about what happened after high school. Let's go now back to April and I'm asking her about what happened after high school How did she get to where she is now April Blackwell 9:01 Yeah, so I was very fortunate to get a full ride scholarship in state in Arizona, and because of my grades, so I went to Arizona State University and studied aerospace engineering. And then once I got out, I kind of hit a little bit of a roadblock because there was a period of time in the aerospace industry that the space shuttle was looking at being retired. And so the the future of NASA was a little bit unclear as to what was going to happen. So a lot of companies and related industry sort of put put a hold on hiring right around that time. Which was unfortunate but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I ended up getting a job working with the army of all things in Huntsville, Alabama. So I moved across the country. Free to work in a triple wide trailer we like to call it in Huntsville, Alabama, which just sounds so glamorous. Unknown Speaker 10:10 Oh yeah, the stars all end up there. April Blackwell 10:14 But it turned out to be a really great experience. So Stacey Simms 10:17 did I also see somewhere where you were testing helicopters? April Blackwell 10:22 Yeah. So that's what I was doing for the army. And it was really awesome. It wasn't it wasn't quite space. But it was a really great way to get my feet wet on just what it means to be an engineer and what kind of engineering I personally like because there's so many different avenues you can go with that degree. So I got to fly on experimental helicopters and boss test pilots around which was really fun. The group I was in actually was really tight knit and it I'd say even more so than my group at NASA Now. And part of that, I think is because, you know, you had to fill out paperwork that said, who in your group would go tell your spouse or your significant other that there had been an accident. And so we really counted on each other to to watch out for each other. And all of them absolutely supported me with my diabetes. You know, my flight suit had specific pockets with snacks and blood testers and stuff. And so we always kind of joked, like, oh, if you need a snack, April always has one in her left lower leg pocket or whatever. Stacey Simms 11:42 Let me just jump in and ask. So when I said you were flying helicopters, I was gonna ask you how the heck did you get clearance to do that as a person with diabetes, but it was as a passenger? April Blackwell 11:53 Correct. Yeah. So I flew on them not actually physically flying them, but it did still require FAA medical clearance which took about six, six months to get all of the paperwork in and get clearance to finally fly on the helicopter. Stacey Simms 12:10 so that's what I wanted to ask you about. Can you talk a little bit about doing this because it's it sounds so exciting and I know so many young people who want to serve in the military or want to fly and Yep, we've just got, you know, the, in the United States, FAA says now you can be a commercial pilot with type one. So progress there. But right, what do you need to do, you know, as we're going to talk about your path going forward, to kind of accomplish what you've done. You've mentioned medical screenings, things like that. You there's just a lot is there a lot of paperwork and exams? I April Blackwell 12:44 Yes, I will tell you it's a little bit of a black box. Even now with the FAA ‘s new guidance. That type ones can apply for these waivers for class two and class one medicals. It's not clear to me how many type ones they've actually accepted into those medical clearance buckets. That data is never published. And, in fact, the process to get a medical for me, like I said, took about six months. And it was really me going to an FAA Doctor who said, Hey, I can't clear you because you have type one diabetes, I can check you for all the other stuff, but that's going to require some special paperwork. So he sent in his recommendation, of course, I had to get letters and agency readings from my endocrinologist. Initially, the paperwork I started with about a year's worth of data. I sent that in and it took about three back and forth between me and basically a blackbox doctor in Washington DC at the FAA to finally get the amount of paperwork they wanted. And to be honest, I just got frustrated with The process and so I called my mom and dad back in Arizona, and I said, Hey, can you just run down to the Children's Hospital and literally make copies of every single piece of paperwork that they have, since my diagnosis? Back then it was all paper, not, you know, digital, it was literally copies of these pieces of paper, you know, probably a three inch thick, you know, stack of papers, and I literally sent that into the FAA and I said, this is all the data that I have from my diagnosis, you know, X number of years ago, and I have nothing else to give you, basically, and they finally said, Okay, okay, that's that's enough. And they granted me clearance for one year. But it was it was a frustrating process and I haven't tried to get another one. You know, since moving to Houston because I do all of my medical clearance now through the NASA doctor so I can talk with them directly. There's an actual face to face, but the FAA doctors are a little bit of an enigma I guess. Stacey Simms 15:06 So I guess the lesson there if a parent is listening or if an adult with type one is listening is be persistent. April Blackwell 15:13 Yes. If it's something that you really want, you know, you're going to find a way to overcome it and do it. And I just, I just always say, never give up and be a rule questioner because there are a lot of rules that are based on old data and old diabetes technology and management techniques. So it's worth asking the question, because a lot of these doctors especially, you know, if you think military doctors and FAA doctors, they deal with really, almost perfect human specimens, if you will. And so they're just, they just don't have the knowledge of you know, what is going on in the diabetes sphere these days? Stacey Simms 15:54 What an interesting thought, Yeah, why would they know because everybody is like GI Joe walking in. Unknown Speaker 16:00 Yeah, exactly. Stacey Simms 16:02 That's a really interesting thought. Okay, so you're, you're, you're in these experimental helicopters, you're following your career. You're in a triple wide in Huntsville. How’d you get to Mission Control? April Blackwell 16:16 Yeah, it's a great question. Um, I will say just before I leave the helicopters for a minute there in Huntsville, you know, I had this opportunity to sort of push a lot of barriers that type one diabetics came up with against because the military doesn't allow type ones, you know, that were previously diagnosed at least right now. And so I got to go through the altitude chamber, the helicopter dunker trainer, which is basically two days of being drowned alive. And I went through the parachute course. And all of these required talking with doctors and just explaining the situation to them because they literally don't deal with type 1 diabetic patients, because that's a disqualification right off the bat. And all of them were super receptive, super open to it. My military friends supported me going and talking to them and coming up with plans. So you know, we would come up with a plan, like we're going to leave your pump on till we get to this pressure, and then we're going to take it off and leave it outside of the altitude chamber, you know, and that's going to be 15 minutes. So make sure your blood sugar is at least 130 at that time, or whatever it is, you know, but it was a really great way to sort of break down those barriers. And I even included a two week course at the Naval Test Pilot School, in Pax river, Maryland. So that was a really kind of culmination of all these, you know, sort of barriers that I had overcome and a way to, you know, sort of solidify that I was on the right path. Stacey Simms 17:54 That's fantastic. Wow. And that's great to have that support from the people around you. I love to hear that. April Blackwell 18:00 Yeah, they were really great. Stacey Simms 18:02 You get, you get dunked, that sounds so enjoyable. I mean, I know you and I, it sounds like we have very similar personalities and enjoy a lot of the same activities (laughs) April Blackwell 18:11 Bananas. Unknown Speaker 18:14 Tell me about what led you then to your position at NASA? April Blackwell 18:17 Yeah. So from my my helicopter job, I was doing a lot of traveling around two weeks every month I was gone. And for a newly married person, it was just a little bit hard on the family so started looking for, you know, some other opportunities and found these jobs pop up in Mission Control. And I had absolutely no inkling that I would even get called to interview for them. But it turned into, you know, this flight test experience that I had, working on the helicopter as well. Well, it sounds completely different, actually was a lot of the same skill set that they look for in flight control. rollers. And so that sort of, you know, allowed that door to be open to get an interview at NASA. And of course, I ended up falling in love with it. I mean, it was job working at the home of manned spaceflight and now crude spaceflight with women, you know, joining in and getting to work in such a historic building like Mission Control. And you know, I'm even going there tonight I'm working this evening, that evening surf to fly the International Space Station. So it's, it's just really a dream come true. YOUAREHERE Stacey Simms 19:33 Okay. I have chills as you're talking about controlling the International Space Station. The the setup, I just want to take a moment because I think we all do know what Mission Control and flight control you know, what it looks like and what you do, but and correct me if I'm wrong here, but what we're talking about is what we see in all those movies. Right. When you know when they say Houston, we have a problem your Houston I mean, you were that big room, right? Yes. The diagram was all the guys in the white short sleeve t shirts and the glasses from the movies that we've seen all these years. That's Mission Control. April Blackwell 20:07 Exactly a skinny tie and a pocket protector. We don't smoke anymore and missing control. Yeah, but if you get in the elevator it's in, it's in the same building so that the room for instance, if you've seen the movie, Apollo 13, the room that that movie was based on is actually just one floor up from our current International Space Station control room. And so when you get in the elevators, I always joke it's sort of this aroma of like 1960s cigarettes and coffee mixed together. But that's just the way missing control smells and it's, it's hard to describe. Stacey Simms 20:47 Alright, so when you're going to work tonight, and you know, controlling the International Space Station, tell us what that really means. I mean, do you mind breaking it down a little bit? What are you going to be doing? I mean, in Yeah, I understand. April Blackwell 21:00 Absolutely. It's not that hard. So basically, you know, we sit at a big console that has several computers, we monitor a lot of telemetry data coming down from the space station all the time. And it uses a satellite constellation to make sure that we can get our data even when they're on the other side of the world. So we look at that data, we make decisions based on that data. If we see any anomalies, we may send commands up to the vehicle. And then on certain days or nights, you know, there may be a big event like a docking or undocking, maybe a spacewalk. And on those days, you know, it's our job is even a little bit more critical because we'll be sending lots of commands and making sure that the space station is performing. Its absolute best to make sure we don't have any anomalies where maybe there's another vehicle really close by, so Stacey Simms 22:00 Have you ever had an experience that was kind of frightening is the right word, but you know, where, where someone or or a mission was in jeopardy. April Blackwell 22:13 Um, I've had a few kind of small anomalies happen. I haven't been on console for anything very major. But that doesn't mean that major things haven't happened. This was, you know, hasn't lined up with my console shifts. But it's interesting because even when when stuff happens when you aren't on console, you sort of have this adrenaline because you know what that person sitting in the seat is feeling, you know, the whole lead up to being a flight controller. It's not like you're hired and the next day here on console, we call it almost a second master's degree. So you have about two years of training. About a year, a little over a year of that is sort of bookwork so you're learning a lot of information about that. The system we control, and you're taking oral examinations. And then the next piece of it is simulation. So we actually simulate, you know, really bad days, days that are worse than any any days, we've actually seen real time. And this is all to prepare you for that prioritization skill of being a flight controller and being able to work through stress. stressful situation. So we always joke that, you know, one small anomaly in the real room feels like 5050 anomalies, you know, in the simulation room, and that's just how we have to train ourselves to be able to cope with that stress. Wow. Stacey Simms 23:44 What is the best part of it for you? Is it walking into that building? Is it knowing that you know that elevator is there and you're part of all that history? Is it just you know, logging in for the day I'm curious what you know what gets you still very excited about this? Because obviously You are? April Blackwell 24:02 Yeah, so I'd say there's kind of two pieces of it, there's sort of a physical, almost just, you know, like chemical response, when you cross the threshold into Mission Control, you know, you have to swipe your badge like five times, you know, to get in the building, and then get in the room and all this stuff. So when you cross that threshold, it really is like, you're just leaving all your other problems and everything else that you've thought about that day, outside, because you need to focus. And you need to bring your best self, you know, in here, because there are literally at least six humans on board that are counting on you to take care of them and take care of their spaceship. And then as you sit down, we have what we call big boards and the friends so they're like these big projection screens and we're always getting video down from the space station, usually in about six channels. And we call it the windowless room with the best view because the view is just incredible. I mean We now have these HD cameras on board. And as you're flying my favorite place to fly over the sort of the Mediterranean Sea, and just the colors juxtapose there with like the desert sand and Africa, it's, it's just incredible. And without actually being an astronaut, I feel like it's close to being the next best thing. And then the second part is sort of what you were talking about the history, you know, in this in that very building just one floor up is where the controller sat when we landed on the moon. And they worked through problems real time, you know, to tell the astronauts what to do. And these were people that had computers with much less computing power than our iPhones today. And they were very young. If you look at any of the documentaries and everything, these were like 20 something kids fresh out of college, you know, space, there wasn't as much history then. So it's hard to you know, lead your whole life thinking you're going to be working in space. It's like something you just thrust upon you basically. And they were able to overcome all of that and be able to land man on the moon. It just, it still blows my mind today, even when I walk in that building. Wow, Stacey Simms 26:17 that's amazing. So does Type One Diabetes on your job? Do you mind telling us a little bit about your routine? Because there's some very long shifts, lots of pressure, you know, you can't exactly take a lot of breaks, I would assume. Can you talk a little bit about how you manage it? April Blackwell 26:32 Yeah. Um, so I mentioned before that we're constantly monitoring telemetry from the space station. And as type one diabetics, we're kind of used to that already. Actually, we constantly monitor telemetry coming from our own bodies. I use a CGM. So I set that in a prominent place. And it is just become part of my scan pattern. I scan all of the data that I'm looking at Looking for anomalies. And then I also glanced over at my CGM, and just make sure that I'm trending the way I want to be trending. And generally on console, I'll keep my blood sugar a little bit higher. So try to avoid going below about 120 or so just because I know if at any moment something could hit, basically. And so, you know, I don't want to have that rush of adrenaline drop me really low. So I try to keep it a little bit higher. I always have snacks in the control room, we're allowed to eat, you know, as you mentioned, they are long Fest, so you usually have a meal that you eat while you're there. And then all of the flight directors also know that I have type one, that's not a requirement or anything, but I think as a member of their team, it's important that they know that's something that I'm also monitoring and so it may require that I you know, step out for a quick two minutes to go grab a snack or, you know, do a little Check or change the site even I've had to do that at work. And so I think just being really candid and open and and, you know, open to answering any questions that they have is really important in sort of these high stress jobs like this. Stacey Simms 28:19 And a while back, I interviewed Ernie Prato, who also works at NASA and also lives with type one. And I know you know each other. Unknown Speaker 28:27 I don't, this is gonna sound so weird. So I just kind of a mom question. So I'm sorry for asking it. But like, do you guys see each other at work? Do you check in with each other? I mean, I know not everybody with type one. Diabetes has to be friends. But the mom and me is kind of hoping that you support each other. April Blackwell 28:44 Yeah, so it's funny that you mentioned Ernie because we sort of have this unofficial Johnson Space Center Type One Diabetes club and Ernie actually sits in Completely different building off site. He sits over at the airport now. So I don't see him daily, but we have sort of instant messaging capability and so will frequently talk on there. And we have another friend who actually works in the search and rescue area. So he's doing a lot of cool things with the military in order to get our astronauts safely home after they land. And so it's really fun we all meet and you know, you think we would like talk about space and stuff because that's what we do. But we always end up just talking about our diabetes and what devices were using which ones are you know, giving us trouble which ones were low on supplies for, if anyone's tried to like, you know, come up with engineer way to make something work better or whatever. So it's really fun to sort of have that outlet and especially at work with kind of like minded people. Unknown Speaker 30:01 I'm glad I asked Stacey Simms 30:05 what do you think would be next for you? Do you have other goals within what you're doing now? I mean, what you're doing now is so exciting. And I would assume you would want to do this forever. But are there other things that you would like to accomplish that you're working on? April Blackwell 30:18 Oh, that's a loaded question. There's so many things. Right now, I think my focus is just to you know, be the best engineer I can at work. And then I also have two little kids. So I Unknown Speaker 30:33 yes, I want April Blackwell 30:35 a three and a half and a one and a half year old. So they are taking a lot of my energy right now. And I think that's totally fine. That's, that's the season I'm in and so I want to be able to enjoy that. And so I think as far as my career goes, and everything, I definitely still have that astronaut dream out there. And I think there are opening up some new ways To be able to make that happen, and if not for me, then definitely the next generation of diabetics or maybe, you know, if we come up with a cure, then the non diabetics. But I'm really excited to see where that goes. And then I, I think, also just kind of spreading this message that you know, even if you perceive that there's a something that could hold you back as a type one diabetic, make sure that you are asking questions because it may not always be a hard know, and you sort of need to figure out what it is that is really keeping you from doing those things. Stacey Simms 31:36 I don't want to get too personal, but I know a lot of listeners will be interested. You know, when you have type one. There are a lot of concerns about having children. I mean, less so today, but you have to do so much work, it seems to me, you know, was it? Gosh, you seem like such a disciplined person anyway. And again, I don't want to pry but healthy pregnancies you did okay. You said you had a CGM. Do you mind sharing a little bit about that? Yeah, April Blackwell 32:01 um, so I actually don't get this question very often, I think because everyone's so focused on the NASA and space scope, but I'm really happy to share it because I think it is important. It's not something that a lot of women talk about. So, yes, I had two kids, three and a half and a one and a half, one and a half year old now. The first was a girl and everything went really, really well. I was induced, and that was sort of just my ob was being a little cautious with having diabetes and making sure I didn't go too long. And so I was induced, which turned into like a 40 plus hour labor, which was unfortunate. But everything turned out just fine. And she has a lot of attitude now. So something worked there. My son, so he's just about 18 months now, a little bit different flavor of pregnancy. As weird as that sounds. He had a lot of fluid around him while I was pregnant. So I gained a lot more weight. And I was just generally uncomfortable because I felt like my stomach was literally just gonna like burst open, it was so, so stretched out. And he ended up being a C section baby and he was over nine pounds. And that was again early induced about 38 weeks, so to completely different pregnancies. I had good control through both and you know, all of the non stress tested all of that when we're going well, and it just turned into a little bit of a different labor situation with my son so but I have two awesome Healthy Kids now and they do take a lot of my energy It's interesting because you know, my daughter being three and a half, she understands I have these sort of extra devices hooked to me. Console, she, she knows the word diabetes, she knows the word pump, she knows that sometimes I eat her applesauce pouch when I'm low and we're at the playground. Because that has happened before. Sure. And my son is still you know, he's just, he isn't quite to the point of communicating those feelings yet. So he'll touch my site, and I'll tell him No, you know, but it's just interesting seeing how they react to it. And I think in a way it will hopefully make them more empathetic to you know, friends or people in the future that they come across and this is just a normal part of life. And you know, everyone has something they're dealing with, I think, you know, Type One Diabetes happens to be mine, but everyone has something and so keeping an open mind and judging people based on devices or things that they see right off the bat I think is really important. Stacey Simms 35:07 Do you mind if I ask what devices you use? But pumping CGM? April Blackwell 35:11 Sure I use the tandem. x to polymer and sex sex. com g sex ctm. So I get that data right on the pump, which was really nice. Yeah, I like both of them's though. I'm a big fan. Before Stacey Simms 35:30 I let you go, you know, this is kind of a tough question for you to answer. But your mom and dad, you were 11 when you were diagnosed, you shared this love of space and science with your father. Your you have an incredible career. You have two children, they must have been worried during the pregnancy. You know, have you had a conversation with them about Wow, did you ever think after that diagnosis where I would be today? April Blackwell 35:55 Oh man, we've had a lot of conversation about this. Yeah, it's it's very cyclical. I think for us, you know, when I was growing up, I would definitely have months where I was not literally diabetes high, but just high on life and really excited and full of energy. And then I definitely had points where I was really low and upset that I had diabetes. You know, the one person that I knew that really wanted to be an astronaut, and literally couldn't because of this disease, you know, somehow I was chosen to have this disease, of course. So I went through all those emotions and those feelings and my parents were always there. They always supported my dream. And they really stressed to me the importance of working hard. And I will tell you, engineering is hard work. And it is hard to get through engineering school, even if you're really passionate about it. And so that support was priceless. I know my mom, you know, see Susan emotional person. And I think she was sometimes afraid that I wouldn't be able to sort of realize some of these dreams. And it's so great. Now, you know, I'm in my early 30s and I have my dream job. And I send her picture hers, you know, for Mission Control probably every week, just because I think it's really cool. And, you know, seeing her and the being able to decipher that, hey, like, we made it together. It's not it's not just me. I mean, they did so much to help me and my poor Mom, you know, she's, she's not the most most into space, but she like dragged herself to those space museums that me and my dad wanted to go to Oh, man. Sometimes she would be doing her crocheting over in the corner. So bless her heart. She was such a trooper. through all of that, but I think it's really important now to, for her to see, you know, these moments in my life. And now she gets to share those with other people that she meets that, you know, maybe they've just had a diagnosis like this, or they know someone going through an issue that's, you know, putting up some barriers and she can say like, hey, look like we got through it. It's totally doable. I think that's the key, it's doable, and it's going to be tough. But if you want something, you need to just go for it, and it'll absolutely work out. So we've just sort of on and off had those conversations, you know, let's see, I've had diabetes for 20 years now. So the last 20 years, I would say there's been conversations like that throughout the whole time. Wow. Stacey Simms 38:48 Well, that that's great. I'm so glad that you've had this conversation with your parents, you know, as a as a mom have a son who is figuring out what he wants to do, you know, and we don't want diabetes to hold him back. Don't mind saying I find your story incredibly inspirational. So April, thank you so much for joining me. And, you know, I'll be following you on Instagram and elsewhere and looking for those pictures of Mission Control and everything. Thanks for joining me April Blackwell 39:13 absolutely anytime. Stacey Simms so much more about April at diabetes dash connections come and I'm going to talk about her had a really emotional reaction to something. I'll share that in just a moment but first… Diabetes Connections is brought to you by Dexcom. And you know when you have a toddler diagnosed with type one like we did, you hear rumblings for a long time about the team years, but when it hit us at full force a little early, I was so glad we had Dexcom early. I was so glad we had Dexcom Benny's insulin needs started going way up around age 11. And frankly, they continue to go up and told, I think they started topping out about age 14 really just late last year. And you know, those hormones, swings, everything we had to do all the adjustments we've made. I cannot imagine managing diabetes during this crazy time. Without the Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring system. We can react more quickly to highs and lows, see trends adjust insulin doses with advice from our endo. I know using the Dexcom g six has really helped improve Benny's A1C and overall health. If your glucose alerts and readings from the G6 do not match symptoms or expectations, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions. To learn more just go to diabetes dash connections calm and click on the Dexcom logo before I move on from April Blackwell, in her terrific story, I just want to share one more thing. So when I, when I talked to all the guests, I always grab pictures of them, right? You see that on social media, when we put the episodes out or at the episode homepage, there's usually a picture of a product or the person or you know, the crux of what we're talking about. And often they email me photos, but sometimes I scroll through just to kind of see which one I'd want. Then I can say, Hey, can I grab that one picture or whatever. So I was doing that with April. And I came across, and I'll see if I can get her permission to share this in the Facebook group. She has a picture of herself dressed as an astronaut. And that picture is from about and that picture is from, you know, she was diagnosed, she was diagnosed at the end of December. So it's Halloween. I mean, it's just really a couple of weeks before she was diagnosed and seeing her as a little girl, knowing what she wanted to do, and knowing where she is now. And just I guess I could have been sad about it because I got very emotional. And I guess the reaction could have been, oh, it's too bad that you didn't get to be that astronaut but my reaction Was this? I mean, I really got emotional, it's kind of embarrassing. Was this, this swell of admiration, I'm not sure I'd be that strong, whether I was 11 years old or, you know, an adult, to be able to turn that situation into what she has been able to do with it. You know, and as she mentioned with Ernie Prado, who also works at NASA, and you don't have to be a you know, an aerospace engineer, to just kind of overcome what type one throws at you. And I think that's what happened when I saw that photo. I just thought, gosh, you're all of you.. All of you just have to be strong. You know, even if you don't feel strong, you kind of have to be you kind of have to be and yes, parents too, but it's a different kind of strong for us, right. That's a that's a different story altogether. So I'll see if April will let me post the photo and I wonder if you'll have the same reaction that I did. Foot boy What a great story and I can't wait to follow along with her. It's nerdy April I'll link it up in the show notes on her Instagram account on her Instagram account all right time for Tell me something good brought to you by our friends at real good foods. And this one is real good foods. And I know it's a podcast and I shouldn't be saying things like you got to see the picture. But you got to see the picture. And I will post it in the Facebook group. I will be posting it later this week on Instagram as we start posting the Tell me something good stuff. But Amanda lovely. posted a photo of her kids celebrating what they call their last Lantus party. And she says the reason they were having a party, Annika, who is her daughter with type one is 10. It burns right Lantus burns a lot of people if you're not familiar, this is a long acting insulin. This is a commonly used long acting insulin. And Amanda said that Anika isn't a fan. This was a big moment. The picture shows as they're having their last Lantus party, Anika with two of her siblings in party hats. party hats, so it's Nina and chi and they are hugging her and everybody looks like they're having a It looks like a birthday party. I mean, it's really cute. And apparently Malin, who is five but not in the photo was also wearing a party hat. party hat and the dog was as well but not pictured Amanda, you got to send us a picture of the dog. But they were really excited and supporting their sister, which is why this is the Tell me something good. Not so much about the pump start although I'm sure she appreciated that and that's fun too. But, too, but it's always just so nice to see a family kind of get behind each other, right? I mean, gotta have that kind of support. And I will say that if Lantus burns, you or your child know that there are long acting alternatives, not just switching to an insulin pump. And by the way, Amanda make sure you save some of that long acting just in case you have pump issues, right? You know, you never want to have no long acting on hand, just in case talk to your endo. But if you're having an issue with Lantus, ask about switching, there are other long acting's out there that don't burn as much and that work differently, but that's definitely an endo level decision. Do you have a Tell me something good story. It can be anything from a diversity a milestone of a last Lantus party. We have lots of fun stuff to share. And I love telling your good stories. You can always email me Stacey at diabetes dash connections. com or post in the Facebook group message me, you know, send a carrier pigeon, whatever works for you. We will be sharing these pretty far and wide this year. And I'd love to hear your story. With the time shifting nature of podcasting, as I've mentioned before, you know, sometimes and recording before things are happening that I want to talk about, and then they'll the show airs afterwards. And all of that to say, a lot of you've been following along with Benny, who has been on crutches for six weeks. And as I am taping this, he is hopefully getting the word in the next couple of days that he can be off crutches, and maybe start some physical therapy. So next week, I hope to tell you a little bit more about that. And we're also going to the endo, which is a really good time for me to interview Benny because we're alone in the car and we're in the same space for once because that kid is so busy, I don't even see him half the time. But I'm going to try to talk to him about control IQ in the last year and lots of things changes he's made. Control IQ and things that have gone on since we've last talked we've made some other changes. And you know, he's just a different kid than he was even a year ago which is kind of breaking my heart and kind of fantastic but Boy, it's been it's been a big year for him. I don't know about you. But when my kids went from middle school to high school, it wasn't it wasn't just a different school. It was like a different life. High School is very different. The schedule is different. The work is different. And I remember with my daughter, who is now a freshman in college, and as you're listening is going back to school next week to do her second semester there. It just flies by it goes by so quickly. So I'm trying to hang on for dear life. And hopefully Benny will will talk to me talk to you, and we'll get him on the show as well. Tons of events coming up. I'm not even going to run down the list. I will ask you though, to go to the community page at diabetes dash connections calm. You can see where we've been where we're going. I've got a kind of a de facto book tour, because I am the world's worst diabetes mom, which is taking me on the road right now but two events a month. You can see them on the community page and see if I'm coming to your town. And if not, and you'd like me to come speak or tape a podcast or whatever. Just let me know. Just let me know. Next week, just let me know. Alright, later this week we have our second minisode. This one's going to be all about sleep overs. What worked for us, I had some questions about that. And I'm answering them. So we're gonna be talking about sleep overs. That episode will air on Thursday, January 9, and then our next regular interview episode will be next Tuesday. Thank you, Tuesday. It's gonna take me a little time to fall into the rhythm of this, but I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. Let me know what you think. As always, the show is here for you. Thanks, as always, to my editor, John Bukenas from audio editing solutions, and thank you so much for listening. I'm Stacey Simms, and I'll see you back here on Thursday. Transcribed by otter.ai

Learn More About The Content Discussed...No Boss Talk:https://nobosstalk.comMichelle Cunningham Website:https://MichelleCunninghamOnline.comMichelle’s Instagram:@directsalesmichelleThe Camp Elevate Facebook Group:hereBeth’s Instagram:@bethholdengravesBeth’s website:https://www.bethholdengraves.comProfit HER Way Course:https://www.bethholdengraves.com/profitKeynotes discussed:She's earned a six figure income consistently and led a network marketing team to over eight figures in sales, hosting home parties and Facebook parties. (01:31)I'm tired of saying I'm shy. Yes, you're shy, but don't say that to yourself. Like shy is just another word for insecure.(07:21)Then all of a sudden introvert Michelle who went from being shy to being bold is like we've got a system and it's working. So how did that look?(10:52)All I learned is change your story, make it super inspirational and then at the end give them two options.(13:14)I want to talk about owning your awesome, and that when someone owns their story, and someone has confidence, and it takes time.(16:10)When Did It Air...January 06, 2020Episode Transcript...Beth:Welcome to ‘You’re Not the Boss of Me’. If you are determined to break glass ceilings and build it your way, this show is for you. I’m your host Beth Graves and I am obsessed with helping you to not just dream it, but make the plan, connect the dots and create what you crave. Are you ready? Let’s get started.Hello. Hello and welcome to episode number 19. And Happy New Year, If you're listening to this in real time. So today I am so excited because I have been stalking Michelle Cunningham. She is my guest and you are going to love her Own Your Awesome. And you will walk away, literally fired up like pulling your car over to the side of the road and getting started taking action after this podcast. So let me tell you a little bit about Michelle and then we'll bring her on. She teaches network marketers around the world to successfully build their business through Facebook parties, home parties, and using the power of video. So after you see this wonder woman on YouTube, you are going to see the power and the impact. She's called the queen of video branding for direct sellers and teaches you to Own Your Awesome to have a massive impact for success. She's been involved in the industry for 16 years. She's earned a six figure income consistently and led a network marketing team to over eight figures in sales, hosting home parties and Facebook parties. So she's playful. She's on YouTube. She's so much fun. She's made an impact with thousands and thousands and thousands of network marketers. And so here she is. Let's talk to Michelle Cunningham.So, Hey everyone. I am so excited because I have been stalking. She's my new best friend. She doesn't know it yet. I sent her like a half a heart necklace. Her name is Michelle Cunningham and I literally have been watching her for months and months and months, obsessing over her content, her energy, her YouTube channel. And so, you know, I asked for everything so I thought, I'm just going to ask Michelle, she's super famous if she would hop on this podcast to help us hear more about how she's built her business in direct sales and thousands of others with her quirky, honest, but deliberate presence on YouTube and on social media, and just being an awesome pink princess. So hello Michelle!Michelle:Hi. That was quite the introduction.Beth:Well you didn't know like I always like to admit that I'm stalking someone because it's just weird if you don't, right?Michelle:Yeah, well I stalk people too so I totally get it.Beth:I know I just, I study, I love to study success and so I know that we have some people that may not have been introduced to you yet and now they are. And I'm super excited because after meeting you and talking with you, and we're going to give you guys this offer at the end, is I'm going to do the YouTube thing this year, and I have like seriously dark videos that are sharing my sticky note challenge and you've inspired me. So can you give us a little bit of history? I know that for those of you that, you know I said it on the intro, but give us the real version. How did you get started? When did you start realizing that the video presence was really a thing to build the business? So give us the scoop. Who are you? What do you do? Yeah, all that jazz.MichelleAll right, well I'll give you the quick background because I feel like a background is really important. I grew up incredibly poor. My mom was a single mom so I came from very little. I had two brothers and myself and everything I've ever had for in life I've had to pay for on my own. And so I grew up always wanting to be like the kids who just had like Pantene shampoo and fresh apples. So just to put it in perspective, like where I live now and what my life is like is not what I grew up as. And so I'm very thankful for life, the journey. But I'm also, it's what drove me. It was realizing like, I don't want to have a moldy basement and like snakes in my basement and have a house, I'm embarrassed by. I want to have more and so...I went to college, paid my way through college, and then entered direct sales into my life. I got my first job as a pharmaceutical sales rep and then I landed at an event, and it was a direct sales event. My coworker's wife invited me and I'm there in this hotel room, the holiday Inn, and there's a lady in the room claiming to make six figures. Another one's a millionaire, another one's driving a free car. And I'm like, dude, this is either a fantastic opportunity or this is a scam. So I went home and I told my mom at 23 years old, and she goes, Oh yeah, honey, a hundred percent scam. Do not get involved. I was not doing it. And then a week later I remembered that I was 23 and at 23 you don't listen to your mom. So I signed up anyway. And that was 16 years ago, 17 years ago.And so when I joined, there was no text message. There was no Facebook. And so they said, how you're going to build your business, honey, 23 year old, you're going to go up to strangers in parking lots, and like, Oh, that's horrifying. People doing that. Like I'm an introvert, I don't like to bother you. I don't like to be in people's way. It's just who I am. I want everyone to like me. That's just my personality, right? So the idea of approaching a stranger and having them yell at me was like my worst nightmare. And so I, for the next six years, did not tell anyone. I was involved in network marketing like for six years. But in that six years I studied it. I looked up ideas, I ordered my full inventory, I was ready to go, but I did nothing for six years. I think I held like a party or two.Beth:Wait, wait, wait, wait. I gotta repeat that. You guys six years of studying. And so many people are like, Oh, I just, I mean I was that person, Michelle, that I bought every kit, signed up for a billion things and didn't study, didn't do a thing until, you know, when I launched the current business that I'm in. But I didn't know it was six years. What made you keep holding on?Michelle:Yeah, it's just a fantastic part of the story. And it always, when I'm sharing in front of an audience, they're like, you gave me hope. Because I've been, you know, 5 years, I haven't started. I'm like, Oh you're fine, you're actually ahead of me. So for six years I loved the dream of it, but I was too shy and too nervous to approach people, you know? And I was like, but I loved it. But I was like, but I can't. And so it was self talk, this negative self talk that I had, that I don't want to bother people. I don't want to, you know. And, in that six years I tried, it's not like I did nothing. It's like I'd study an idea and then I call my recruiter. I'm like, maybe let's do your mall thing. You said we could do a scavenger hunt.Then we'd go do the mall thing. And so we'd go up to people and I actually met a lady who said, Oh my gosh, your sell for that company? I would love to host a party with you. And I'm like, really? Okay. But I got home and I was too nervous to call her. Talk about, this is not going to work. And I called her the day before the party to confirm because I was nervous. But she was like, I never heard from you. What would make you think I am going to host a party with you? And I was like, you're right. Okay, bye. So little like mouse Michelle. One day I made a decision at 29 I was fed up enough with my corporate job and I think that's when you see someone make a big change where I was like, you know what, I'm tired of being a mouse.I'm tired of saying I'm shy. Yes, you're shy, but don't say that to yourself. Like shy is just another word for insecure. There's all of these things. I was telling myself they were not serving me and I thought, you know what? What makes me different from that girl over there that's wildly confident? She just acts confident. Why don't I just start doing that? Why don't I just like stop caring and let's just like do this? Because I just made that very conscious decision. And it was January, 2009 yeah, 2009, and I went online and I found someone that worked for the company that I had signed up with. She was not my recruiter, but they have a we'll help you no matter what thing. So she, when I met her, what was amazing about this lady is, she changed my life forever because when I met her, she's 4ft 11in, tiny. She wears short, spiky hair. She doesn't wear a ton of makeup. She's not loud. She's not bold. She's not crazy. She suffers from social anxiety disorder. She fainted at her first home party.Yes, And over three weeks. Yeah. You're like, that doesn't sound like a good mentor. But see, she earned over $3 million in her career and was driving the top level car. And I was like, Oh, okay, so you're a little broken. I'm a little broken. If you can do this, maybe I could do this. And so it was in meeting her, then I met someone that wasn't perfect. Sometimes you meet people in this industry and they're perfect and they talk perfect and they smile and perfect and you're like, that's scary and weird. So she was normal. And so she taught me her system. She said, if you don't want to call people then just text people, you know, just do whatever it's going to work for you. Just find a way. And I was like, wait, I can do that. And so I actually started texting people, in that first month I made $1,000 not knowing what I was doing.Six months later, I made over $5,000, built a team of 50. A few months after that I had earned a car. That month I earned another free insurance, and then earned another car a few months later. And then four years later I learned a system that taught me how to recruit like crazy. And I taught that to my team and we went from a hundred people on my team to over a thousand and it changed my life forever. We became an eight figure sales team. My team did over eight figures in sales and just crazy, crazy. But it's just crazy to think that for that long I struggled, but it was just one day to saying, you know what? I'm fed up enough. We're just going to like make this work. Yeah. So that was the beginning.Beth:Well, and okay, a couple of things that I love is, you notice that she wasn't perfect and I think that that just like made my face light up. Even though we're on a podcast, you can't see it, because that's what I think that vulnerability of you on video is. You're the real deal in showing up and saying, we may not be perfect. And I say that all the time, is like I built my business with sticky notes because I couldn't figure out how to use the Excel spreadsheet, and I've got like, my drunk uncle was driving me around when I was trying to use systems. And you also said find what works for you but have some way that you are booking, like in your case, booking the parties, booking the shows, booking the online events. So you said something to that. I know everyone was like yeah, pulling over to the side of the road, getting out their notes on their phone. You said you developed a system that worked for your team. Do you want to talk a little bit about that? Because that's a Renegade. You are in a company that had been around forever, like the beginning of time. Everyone knew that person that had earned that car in town and then all of a sudden introvert Michelle who went from being shy to being bold is like we've got a system and it's working. So how did that look? Can you share a little bit of what that time looked like? And what you guys all did?Michelle:Absolutely. So that fourth year I had been sitting at a team of about a hundred. I was pretty consistently making about $5,000 a month and I heard a speaker that year that said, or at an event. And the one thing that I took away, she said, Hey guys, I believe that while you're on this earth you should make as much money as humanly possible. And I was like, wait, where's she gonna go with this? I don't know if that, you know, the the poor girl in me. It was like, I don't want to, I don't know if I want to hear this...because I believe that you should live completely debt free. And I was like, okay, I can get on board with that. And then I also believe you should have tons of savings for your future. I said okay, I like that you said. And I then believe you should live below your means.I do. I like to shop at target and resale shop. And you should give back frequently, generously, and anonymously. And that last line of frequently, generously and anonymously, I said to myself, Michelle, you need to step up your game. You could be helping so many more people right now. You have enough to provide for you and your family. How many more humans could you help if you decide to step up your game because the fact that you got to where you are, what if we did that same amount of crazy work like over and over and over again. And I thought, Hmm, I need it. I need to find something. And it was like a God thing. I was on Facebook that night and this cute little blonde appeared on my screen and it was a Facebook ad and she was just pretty, I just clicked on her and I said, let me see what she's all about, cute little blonde thing. And it was Sarah Robbins from Rodan and Fields, the number one seller for Rodan and Fields, and she's making like $1 million a month. I mean, it's just like something, or million dollars. I don't, it's something so insane that you're like, okay, let me learn from you a little human. So I clicked on that.Beth:I love, Love you to learn from you little human. I love it.Michelle:Yes literally, because she was just a little thumbnail is what I mean. She was a little person on my screen. I clicked on the little human and I ordered her book, which is How to Rock Your Network Marketing Business.Beth:That was my first book! I bought too! Oh my gosh, this is crazy. Yeah, that's it. It's tattered and it's highlighted and every, yes, yes, yes. Okay, keep going. I love it.Michelle:So I read the book and all I learned, you don't have to go read the book, I'll just tell you what it is. All I learned is change your story, make it super inspirational and then at the end give them two options. You can join my team today, if you decide not to do that, you can take home products. Those were two things I was missing. I was missing the inspirational story. I had a ho hum story. It was kind of inspirational but not really. So I changed my story to be like, I was the number one person in all of my company. I Owned My Awesome. So I made it like I was in a play with this amazing story and I'm glad to share it if you wanna hear how I roll it out. But yeah, that story. And then at the end I said option one, join my team.Oh, and that's the best deal of all. And then if you decide not to do that, you can take home products. And I usually was just selling product, product, product. And then after I would invite them to meet for coffee after they liked the product. This whole long three week process, which sort of was effective, but I was like, wait, if I could sign people up on the spot. And so I rolled this out for the first time in March, 2000 and gosh, I don't remember what year. But it was, I don't know, six years ago. And I roll this out and my first appointment, I had a lady over to my house, tried the product, I did my arrogance story at the beginning and it was, it was like arrogant, but I was doing what I was reading in the book and I had practiced it all day. And at the end she goes, okay. And I give her options. She goes, okay, so here's what I've decided. I'd like to join your team and I'd like to buy the whole skin care system.And I was like, ah, what the heck just happened? I'm like, that's not definitely supposed to happen. I'm like, you do want it? Yeah. And in my head I'm like, just Michelle, write it up, sign her up, sell her the thing, just do it. So I do. And she goes home inspired, which is what was different. She went home inspired and she told her husband about this inspirational woman that lived a few towns over that was on fire. It was, you know, changing your life. And the next day she called, my husband wants me to get the whole package. He wants me to get started now, because he was inspired. I had never had someone do that before. And it was in that moment that I believe like God was knocking on my head like Michelle, do more of that be loud, because by you being loud and you being proud, you can impact people's lives, you can change their financial situation.And so I had to stop being introverted Michelle and say, okay, I need to be awesome because by me being awesome, I can impact lives. And so the next lady came over that day with her husband and at the end her husband goes, yeah, you should just sign up. And so she joined my team that month. Following that system, I recruited 22 reps personally and my team followed the same system and they recruited another 20. So in one month we brought in 42 new reps to my team, of like a hundred, that's sitting at a hundred for four years. And I was like, that was awesome. Let's do that again. And so we did, we did it again, did it again. And that year I earned the top level car. We had five people become the top 1% of the company. I mean everything changed, right? I went to London that year. I mean just everything, massive movement because of a tiny little shift Owning Our Awesome lead with the opportunity to default to the products. It was such a simple idea. Yet it made such an impact.Beth:I was like, I have chills because so many times that I want to talk about Owning Your Awesome. And that when someone owns their story, and someone has confidence, and it takes time. Those of you that are listening today and you're thinking, but I haven't had the success yet. I don't have that voice that Michelle has or that Beth has. You can be that person, and there's visualization, and seeing yourself on that stage, and there's creating that story that allows you to Own Your Awesome. So I think you might be able to walk us through, if someone wants to walk away from this podcast and Own They're Awesome, and they're being coached by you. what would you tell them?Michelle:I would say to them, and I said this in my group the other day. I said, guys, what is the most you've ever sold at one party or in one day? What is the dollar amount? One girl wrote $1600 and another girl wrote $300 another girl wrote $800, and I said, do you have any idea that the average person out there, that an extra $200 a month would dramatically change their financial situation? Like do you have any idea? And the fact that you can host the party or you can be in front of humans and then two hours of your time you can make $200? That is mind blowing to most humans. That is literally mind blowing. And so if you have a story like that, like in the chat when I shared this, girls were like, Oh yeah, I made $800 in two hours. I'm like, you should be at the every appointment. Yeah, like hanging from the roof, swinging on a Tarzan rope saying, guys, I'm a big deal!I made $800 dollars, I made $400 in two hours. Whatever it is, that is such a huge story. And so putting that dollar amount into your story can make such a huge impact and can really inspire someone. So I always tell people, throw a dollar amount in there. What did you do in a two hour time span or in a day time span, one week I made this money, whatever it is, put your marketing hat on. And you know, as women, we're taught to not be arrogant, but I would say, no, no, this is Owning Your Awesome, and this is going to change lives. So put that away, the arrogance part of it and just Own Your Awesome and share those stories.Beth:And I just had this vision, because I've talked Michelle into being at real life camp. We're going to have a Tarzan rope and we are going to do an Own Your Awesome activity. We're swinging from the rope. I mean I think we should have one in our offices. I love it. Okay. So we're at this point of your business, you're teaching women to own their stories, to lead with the business, to really be real about what's happening in the direct selling network marketing industry. And that was what I needed to know for me to finally say yes and go all in what was possible and why not me? So you've got this team and you're rolling and a lot of what you were doing because of your business was a party plan business. And then you transitioned to a lot of online coaching, training and parties.Can you talk about that transition for those people that might not have the opportunity? And I always, I want to preface this, you guys, you always have the opportunity to be in a person's living room. And I know that we see a lot of things that say, build online. Never leave your house, never talk to your neighbor. But I will always tell you to earn multiple seven figures. I was willing, I wanted to be connecting with that neighbor because I know that in person and online sharing what Michelle just shared, swinging from the Tarzan rope, changing lives is in person. It's online, it's everywhere. If you are passionate, right Michelle?Michelle:It's 100%, and I built so much in my business in person, you know, then I did transition. I did a lot online. I had a lot of success online. But I, most of my clients, all that reorder from, it's all mostly in person. Yes I do get people that find me on YouTube and stuff like that. But it started, and I yes, I 100% agree with you in person. So great. And it's so good for introverts like me to be in front of people because if I'm not in front of people, I find for me it's like a muscle, I can get just quiet and not really want to be around people. And so for me, I kind of force myself to be in front of people to learn human interaction. Because I just sometimes, I just want to be home. I just want to do my thing. So getting out and challenging yourself will make you a more confident person. That's what I found and it brought me success.Beth:Well and I say to people, if I told you that your income would double, triple, that you would impact your family's life, be able to impact the lives of others because you were willing to go to that event, to go and meet with that one person. I remember early in my career, we had had a tough summer and I was tired and I was supposed to get on an airplane and go to Vegas and there was a team growing there and I made it. I think that was when I saw a rising leader, I would get on an airplane and go and meet that person in person, meet their friends, help with the event. It was an investment I was willing to make and I almost canceled this event. I thought, Ugh, I don't really want to fly that. And then my husband said, they are responsible for the money that you're making, your personal actions are, but this team is waiting for you.And I have to say, Michelle, I heard a story at that event from one of the promoters on my team and I journaled about it. And it was how the product had helped her overcome grief. And she shared with me how much she wanted to tell me that in person. And I literally said, I will never miss the opportunity to be in front of people. And it has been what drives me. So let's fast forward, because we're now quite a few years later and now you're this YouTube sensation. You've got this following that is like crazy cult like. You needed to get your systems into the hands of many. You are called to do that. So how did it go from your team to worldwide people just finding you and saying, Michelle, give me what you've got. How did you make that transition and how does your business look today?Michelle:So, it's such a great question because it wasn't ever my intention. I believe that God had a hand in this. Like there's no other good explanation and you know, depending on what your beliefs are, the universe whatever. But literally, six years ago, as an introvert, I said I'm going to start a YouTube channel. Why? Because at that time I was a little bored with my business. So you know how you have a month where you're like, I just feel bored. What can I do in my spare time? I was bored. My son was like three, so I wasn't exhausted and I think it was pregnant, like I'm going to start a little YouTube channel. Or maybe it was right before I started to get pregnant with the next one. And so I have a little, you know, I had downtime, and I don't like downtime.I don't like to watch movies. I get bored, I like to work. And so I'll start a YouTube channel, I'll just make a video. And initially I was like, I don't know what I'll make it about. Maybe I'll make it about organizing. And they made a few videos. That channel still exists. It has 900 followers. I made eight videos about organizing. It's the stupidest videos ever because I don't like organizing, not like I have a very organized office, but my house, you know it's not. So it was funny though, I was making that channel and it stressed me out cause I had to clean before I filmed, and then I was like this isn't my jam. And then one day I was like, but I really like to talk about network marketing and direct sales. Why don't I just do that?Until I started to put out what I was doing. I was just sharing my tips and I could not believe it, but people were like messaging me at 3:00 AM in the morning, and my inbox saying, Michelle, your video just totally changed my life. It changed my business. I love you forever. Oh my gosh, you're so amazing. Do you have more stuff? And I was like, I'll make more videos, I'll make some more. And I just literally for six years, I just kept putting out new videos. I tried to aim for once a week putting out a video, and that was my goal, and I didn't always hit it. I mean, you know, it was sometimes two weeks or three weeks, but I just tried to put out content. Okay. I did not think anything else beyond that. Never thought it would ever turn into else. Well, crazy.But I got a call from a company, they said, Hey Michelle, we found you on YouTube. Can you come and train our sales force or a brand new startup network marketing company? I was like, Whoa, that's awesome. And I was like, sure. And they're like, how much is your fee? I said to my husband, how much? He's like, just say something outrageous. I'm like, well, I wouldn't go there for, I'll say $2,500.00. He's like, yeah, just say that. I said that. And they said, sure. And I was like, Oh, my word, this is awesome. Right? So, say that, go and speak to the company. And a few weeks before I go, they said, Michelle, do you have any training materials? We'd like to purchase your training materials? And I was like, purchase, like I just do free training.What's this purchase stuff? Okay, yeah, I'll make a CD. So I literally went into my son's bedroom. I don't know why, that's where I recorded it. I just remember it must have been quiet in there. But I recorded my first training. It was how to generate leads and then I recorded another one, how to host a home party, how to recruit like crazy, all my secrets on three CDs and I had some artwork made and I got a thousand of them printed. And those have gone on to sell. I think 7,000 of the lead generation have been sold, you know, just crazy numbers. But it all started with that little thing and I was like, Oh, I could sell something. That's interesting. And so then, this January I decided to start running Facebook ads. I was like, maybe these could help more people.So I started to run Facebook ads and then we started to sell like a really lot of them and I was like, well maybe I could make a course. So this new business of mine just kind of started this year where it was like half CDs, but maybe I'll do some courses. So you know, I host Facebook live parties. My first one I ever hosted, we recruited 20 people in 45 minutes and we sold over $20,000 as a team. And everyone was asking me how I did that. I said, I'll make a little course about it called Mastering the LIVES. I made this course and put it out there. And I realized at that moment that when that course launched, I realized that God had said to me, Michelle, your calls are your next level, like I know that I gave you the success in network marketing but now you are called to something bigger.And I like pushed back for 10 months. I did. I said, you know what? No, I'm just, I'll just keep doing both. And I was doing both and trying to manage team and then building courses and, and it was a lot, but I just was like, no, I would go into the top of network marketing. That's what I'm doing. And he's like, but you don't understand. I've given you like literally seven times the income than this other thing. What are you doing? And so I had to honor that and say, you know what? I think you're right. I think I love training people. I love making videos. I love changing lives. I just want to do that. And I have literally like, that's all I want to do. And I made the very difficult decision to leave a team of a thousand reps, eight figures, sales team.Like, I mean, people are like, have you lost your mind? I'm like, well no. I mean it sounds silly that you would leave something this big, but I grew something that was infinitely bigger that required less of my energy. That 100% filled my cup. Yeah. And brought me 100% joy. And I live a life now that I'm like, this is my dream. I'm with my kids all the time. I make videos, I change lives and I absolutely love it and I never thought any of that would happen. But I will tell you, I have, I talked about this with Beth and she'll reveal, but I've got something coming out that reveals how I use video, and not knowing, I just did it to be nice. But that video changed my life forever, and my financial situation forever. And I now am so passionate about showing other people the power of video. You just put out free content, you help people and you accidentally make a following. It was all an accident, but it was a pretty awesome accident that happened to me and I want to show people how to accidentally do what I've done because it's awesome.Beth: I love it. And so when I look back at give back frequently, generously, and anonymously, you are not, you know, God's knocking on your head saying, look, we need to impact more people so that we can make this, not just you giving back in big ways, but teaching others to give back in big ways. The other thing I love Michelle is, you went to the top, you learned to lead, you learned what the frustration was of your people. So that, as a mentor and a coach, like you waited to coach until you had basically done it all and said, okay, I'm called to do more to impact more. And you did show up in my feed on a Facebook ad and I saw the pink office of yours. And I was like, who is this? Who is this? She's so darn cute. Who is this little person? I need to learn from her! Who is this little human? And there's so many ways that our lives run parallel. And so I'm really, really excited. Two, I'm diving in to your video launch course. We're going to put in the show notes, and what is it called again? What's the specific name of it?Michelle:It's called video creator classroom. Yes. And there's also a Facebook group.Beth:So I'm all in because one of the things entrepreneurial add that I have is, Oh, I'll start a YouTube channel. Oh, I'll do this. Oh, I'll do that. So I'm saying it here, because then people will hold me to it. That my commitment is to go all in with podcast content and YouTube content. So I'm all in, I can't wait to get started on the content and I'm following directions. I'm not doing it my way. I'm going to learn from the best. And I hope those of you listening, I can understand that free content. I have people even with my YouTube channel that will grow this year, but I made a tiny little video before we even knew how to turn our phones or have ring lights. And that one video has so many views. And I've recruited many people who have reached out to me to say, Hey, could I join your team? And I was like, what? Like out of the blue, right? You get these messages. So imagine that content that we find. So it's free, right? It's free to be on YouTube.Michelle:It's free. I had a girl, and I forgot to share this, she found me online and joined my team and added over 700 people to my downline. 700 people. And so yeah, those were the things as it was making the channel, I was like, wait, this is awesome. So you know that was happening. I was like, I can't believe this is happening. So the blessings that came from the videos, I mean there's no way my team would have grown to the size it did without her and without a few hundred people in it found me online.Beth:So this power of YouTube brings you high quality leads. and the lesson I'm taking away is do it before you feel ready. Going into your son's room, making that CD back in the CD days and saying yes before you had a perfect presentation. And then that shift that was like, you know what, I need to impact more people and I need to get out of my comfort zone and build a life for my family and for the legacy. I love those pieces. So we're going to close with one question and those of you that want to join us in this course, it is going to be Epic. I'm telling you. And we're going to give you a link below that you can get in because it's pretty new, right Michelle? This is like the first group, brand new.Michelle:Yep. So we had our pilot group go through it, and it is so great. It's just fantastic and people are just loving it and life changing things happening. So exciting. So, so yes, now the pilot groups run through it. It's ready to launch. So it's gonna launch in the next few weeks here. We're just getting all the emails ready and everything. But yeah, it's going to be fantastic.Beth:I love it. And where else? Tell them how to find you on YouTube. Find you on Instagram, Facebook, all the good things. Where do we find you? And then I have one big question to close with, so don't get nervous.Michelle:Okay, got it. So @directsalesmichelle is me on YouTube and on Instagram. And MichelleCunningham.com is my website. I just got my full name. I was so excited.Beth:That's really exciting. Did you wait a long time for your name or did you have to negotiate it? Okay.Michelle:Someone owned it. There was a girl that was a stripper that owned it to be totally honest, and I know, and then I called Wix a few weeks ago and they're like, ma'am, your name is available. I'm like, no, a stripper owns it. He goes, no, no, it's available. And I'm like, what do you mean? He's like, yeah, I have it for $600 or $700. I'm like, well, I kind of want that. I'm like, you think I can get a deal? And anyway, the stripper didn't give me a deal, but yeah, it doesn't matter. I got my name now.Beth:So a stripper owned your YouTube chat, I mean your website.Michelle:Yeah. Oh yeah. So I own Michelle Cunningham online, and then now I have Michelle Cunningham, but I haven't transferred everything over. But Michelle Cunningham redirects you to Michelle Cunningham online.Beth:I love it. I love it. Okay, here is your question. For people listening today that are ready, that need to take an action there where you were during those years of sitting around thinking, yeah, one day, maybe I'll do it. Still doing what they're not loving that they're doing. What are three things that after they finish their workout because we're in their ears or we're in the car. Three things that you can tell them to do today that will lead them to do that success that you are speaking of. Getting to the top of the company, doing all the things, having the freedom?Michelle:So three things. Number one, I would set a schedule, my life dramatically changed and I said, you know what, I'm going to hold appointments Friday at 6:00PM, 8:00PM and Saturday at 10, 12 and 2. I set a schedule and that was it. Those are the little windows that I worked, but that made such a huge impact. I got so much done in the Friday, Saturday that I worked my business. I booked appointments all during the week, but I knew on Friday and Saturday that's when I got dressed, got out of the house, did my thing. So that's number one. Set a schedule and make it. I used to do Tuesday afternoon, Friday mornings, Sunday, Thursday. And my family is like, are you going to be home today? Like no one knew anything. So when they finally knew every Friday, mommy's busy, every Saturday, mommy's busy.There was so much harmony that brought to our family. Number two, I would say positive affirmations all day long. I think as women we just are always overthinking things. So I think fill your cup with things that motivate you. I like to watch crazy people online. Gary Van Der Chuck, he swears a lot, but I do like his message. And so finding people online that have a powerful message. The Tony Robbins of the world, the Sarah Robbins, the really motivational people out there. Follow those people and absorb what they say. And my last tip would be run your own race. Run your own race. Don't look left or right. I think that when you think about what other people are doing and you're worried about what they're doing, it doesn't matter. They're on their own train track. You're on your own train track and your train track is moving. Your train is moving on your track at the rate it's supposed to move and you can make it move faster.But it doesn't matter what people do to the left or right of you. And that includes the people on your team. One person cannot dictate your success. Other people's trains have taken a break and they're having a snack somewhere. That's just fine. You keep your train moving. And so I always stayed in a very happy state because I personally worked my business and I didn't look left or right. I'm so disconnected to the world like, you know what's going on in the world. I don't watch the news, I don't watch other people and I just do my thing because I'm out here just Owning My Awesome. And I recommend the same for you because you can't really think when you don't know anything. It's great.Beth:Okay, the name of this podcast episode will be, Own Your Awesome with Michelle Cunningham. I have notes covering my desk. Michelle. This connection is so amazing because I know that, I already decided we're friends forever. Okay?Michelle:Done. When am I getting my necklace? I want to get the hat. It's actually really funny. That would actually be really fun. I totally feel the same connection to you. So like I want you to know, it's not like you're the weird friend that just likes me. I feel the same way. I also, I'm feeling like, my new best friend. I totally love her. So we're still on the same page and you're such a rock star, and you're so amazing in all that you do. And I just commend you and I am really, I've got to learn about podcasting from you because I want to start one and I've been dragging my feet a little, so it'll be good.Beth:I'll teach you podcasting. It's been such a great connection and so I want to challenge you guys to...I'm just, I'm going to go over, set a schedule positive affirmations and run your own race and just get started. Michelle is a perfect example. Before she was ready, before she had a plan, before she had the perfect pink office. But you guys are gonna be so jealous of the pink office and just do it. Get yourself started and ready and put out the free content and Own Your Awesome. Thank you Michelle. And we'll catch you guys all next week on You're Not the Boss of Me.Oh my goodness. How awesome. How awesome was Michelle today you guys? So let me just ask you to do this for me. Let's get some Instagram love today. So please screenshot this and tag us both @bethholdengrades and @directsalesmichelle and let us know that you loved this episode today. Also, there is still time. This is so exciting that ProfitHER Way is launching this month. We have so much to do and preparing your profit plan, helping you to make money your way. So go ahead and go over to bethholdengraves.com/profit if you are ready to be a part of a powerful mastermind and getting your plan in place for 2020. And as always, I'll see you over at Camp Elevate.Thanks so much for hanging with me today on the podcast and remember, you can create what you crave. If you're looking for a supportive sisterhood, I would love to see you over in our free Facebook group. As most of you know, I love camp. It's part of, 'You're Not the Boss of Me' because when we're building this thing, we're doing this thing. We need a supportive sisterhood and I also crave more fun and more connection. Join us at camp over in the Facebook world, thecampelevategroup.com or just click on the link above and we will see you around our campfire and help you to create what you crave.

There's a lot more to YouTube than most people come to know. In fact, most people have only scratched the surface! In this episode, Nate Woodbury will be answering some of the most common questions regarding YouTube. Check this out! Okay. We're tackling it. YouTube for dummies. You're not a dummy. But you know what, we're answering some really good questions about YouTube. I produce 13 different YouTube channels. My biggest one is making 600 thousand dollars a month. So, I have some answers for you. Okay. So, the first question that I have is: what are the best ways to make money on YouTube? Now, there's ad revenue that can be a good way if you're a really good entertainer, if you're willing to go a few years without making significant money. So, you've got another way of paying your bills, right? And you can make entertaining content for a few years. Wow, you can really do well with ad revenue. Personally, it took me several years. I did make $16,000 last month. It averages about 12 right now. $12,000 thousand dollars per month. But that's just icing on the cake because I have a lot of expenses. That's not all profit -- right? -- for my business. So, that's just one way. That's one way you can make money is ad revenue. YouTube will put ads. So here's your video. YouTube will put an ad in front of it. (or is that behind?) So here's your video right the front of it. So, here's your video. YouTube puts an ad in front of it and the advertiser pays money to put that there. Well, YouTube gives you 55% of it. So, that's how you can make money through ad revenue. But if you've got a business, you've got a product or service that you sell if you're an expert, like a coaches, speaker, and author, YouTube is an amazing place to share your expertise. And then people will want to buy what you have to sell. People get your free advice on YouTube and then they want to go to your website and hire you as their coach, hire you to come speak. They want to come to your events. They want to buy your courses. So, that last one -- digital courses -- that's where you going to start making the most money early on on YouTube. Let me just share with you a story. So, Kris Krohn, 2 years ago, he was hoping from all this YouTube traffic to get people to come to his local events in Utah. In the previous year, only one person had come to his event. And yet everyone was saying, "How can I work with you. I want to learn from you. This is so amazing. Can you help me invest in real estate?" And yet, no one was willing to come to Utah to attend his event. That's how he was mainly making money is by people coming to his events and selling them things at the end of event. So, we then decided to create a digital course. Long story short, we created the course, we launched it. We made 6 figures that month. It's done very well ever since. But guess what? Fast forward 2 years. Today, Kris puts on events and he fills them mostly with people outside of Utah. So, he just needed to get his channel to a bigger space. So the the courses are how you're going to monetize your channel the fastest and the most significantly. Ad revenue will start to come in after a few years. People start to get people coming to events or hiring you for speaking engagements after a few years. So hopefully that puts things in perspective. So, how do I personally make money on YouTube? Well, I mentioned ad revenue. I get a lot of leads for people wanting me to produce their YouTube channel. They're experts and they hire me to do it from start to finish. So, we help with the topic strategy. We do the filming we do the editing. And we do the  lunch. The thumbnail design everything. So, I make money from that. I also have an affiliate arrangement with... My biggest ones are virtualassistanttool.com. That's a great affiliate program. So, virtualassistanttool.com. Also procart.org. Okay, this question that came in is kind of interesting. I'll read it. It says is it still possible to make money on YouTube without making videos in 2020? This was it's still possible to make money on YouTube without making videos, what do you... How are you making... I don't know. I don't know if it's still possible because I don't know if it ever has been possible. That's what YouTube is all about is making videos. Maybe you're stealing other people's content? Sorry. I'm the dummy on this one. So, I don't know how to answer your question my friend. So, this is a great question: How do YouTube channels benefit from getting more subscribers? Right? The more subscribers you have, that's like your following. It's your tribe and when you post a video, a good portion of your subscribers are going to watch that video. So, if I've got 10 subscribers, one person watches. That's 10%, okay? if I've got a million subscribers and that's same 1% watches. Well, hey, at least I got 10,000 views. Or some channels get 100%. You know, they get it. They have 50,000 subscribers on their channel and they'll on average get 50,000 views on their videos. So, it depends on the type of content that you're creating. But the more subscribers you have, it's really a good indicator of the momentum that you have. How many views you're getting every single month. I can go back even more basic. You can subscribe to a YouTube channel. Let's talk about how does it -- subscribing -- benefit you. So, if you watched a video that you like, you think, "Oh, I would like to see more like this." Or "I like this channel." Then you can subscribe. And when a new video is uploaded to that channel you can get an email notification. You subscribe and turn on the alerts. Or when you go to your YouTube home screen, you'll see videos that YouTube thinks you would like to watch next. Because you're a subscriber, it'll suggest videos from that channel. So, by people subscribing to my channel, my content is shown to those people more often. Okay. So, this was a very specific question and it's kind of assuming. It says, "Why do financial videos on YouTube make more money than other videos?" Well, by financial, I can definitely agree that videos that are talking about how to make more money in business or how to make more money in real estate, those videos do make more money because advertisers are willing to pay more money for audiences that are looking to make money. Because they have programs to sell and like in the the space that I work with Kris Krohn, how to invest in real estate. And real estate is the largest commodity out there that we can typically buy and sell. You know, a property might be $250,000. And that's kind of an average price of a home. And so to learn how to invest in real estate, people are willing to invest at a higher amount. And so there's just larger amounts of money to be made there. Versus I can make a great channel about cute kittens and cute puppies and cute animals. But I don't know that I'm selling anything. I might just get lots of views. Maybe I'll get some some ad revenue but who wants to advertise next to those. How is it going to relate to their product it may or may not. Okay. So, why is video editing so important to a YouTube channel? Well, you've got there attention. It's not like a podcast or radio where you're just kind of listening to you in the background. With YouTube, they've got their phone out or their computer and they're giving you their full attention. If you've recorded for 17 minutes but there's some dry spots throughout there, you definitely want to go and edit out those dry spots. Since that video up to 11 minutes. So, that it'll keep their attention and you can keep their attention watching to the end. Because here's the thing: If people watch all the way to the end, the YouTube algorithm sees that and will recommend your video to more people. So, the more watch time you get, the more people watch the whole thing; the more people that video will be promoted to and the more people will watch there's a lot more watch time and so forth. Editing isn't really to make your video look more professional. It's just to keep people's attention more. This is an interesting question. Should I trust the Shopify gurus on YouTube? I'm going to go a little bit more broad and like how can you know if you can trust someone on YouTube? Yeah, that's a good question. Like how do you know that you can trust me? How do you know that what I'm sharing with you is true or not? It's kind of the same way that you you know it in real life. I mean, when you meet someone, you have a gut feeling, with YouTube, you have a little bit more advantages. Because you can dive in a little bit deeper. You can do some research. You can watch more of their videos. You can get to know them a bit a little bit better. I mean, it's not like when you're in a sales situation and and the person's right they're trying to move you towards the clothes. On YouTube, you can take your time. You don't have to go to their website for months and months, right? If you want to know if you can trust them, watch more other videos. Learn their personality, see if you agree with them, find a controversial topic that you have a strong opinion about. And go and watch and see what do they think about it. You know, integrity is doing what you say you're going to do. And what you teach. Right? So, if you teach to do something, are you doing that thing? That's a big ingredient for trust, right? So, pay attention to what they're doing in addition to what they are saying. See if you can research and find out. Okay. This next question, "How to outsource YouTube video editing?" Well, you can hire me and my team. We'll do we do the filming editing strategy and the launch. But if you just need an editor, you've got the filming side down... Man, I have a recommendation for you. It's virtualassistanttool.com. It's what I use. That's where I found all 14 of my employee. Oh, I have to take that back. I've got 2 sibling that was hired and I've got a friend that was hired. But everyone else was hired through the virtualassistanttool.com. And I've got other videos about why I hire people in the Philippines. I can link to it up there. You'll find other videos on my channel that teach the different of aspects of how you can actually hire a video editor. Okay. So, question here I've got a read to you. It says, "Every video I try to upload on YouTube says, it's copyrighted. How can I remove the copyright from those videos?" Okay, YouTube can scan your video and know if you have rights to that or not. And if everything that you upload it says it's copyrighted, it means you don't have permission to use that. It means it belongs to somebody else. So, how you can avoid that is to pull out your phone or your camera and make a video and you create the footage. Don't take someone else's content. Don't take someone else's music that you don't have the rights for. Buy the music or create the music. Make your own videos like this video right here. No one else owns the copyright. When I upload this to YouTube, it's not going to give me a copyright warning or notice because no one else owns this. It's my camera. I'm recording, I'm talking. I own it. I'm uploading it to YouTube. And that's what you've got to do to avoid the copyright garbage. How much does it cost on average to make a YouTube video? Well, if you you already have one of these in your pocket. So, pull it out. Hit record. Talk to the camera just be conversational. I can make an amazing YouTube video like that. Now, you can upgrade. You can increase production costs over time. But let's start at free. Start at free. Start getting results there and then you'll know when the right time is to buy a new light or to get a better microphone. Or to get a DSLR camera. Because you want to be able to blur the background. I love blur in the background. See, how I do that blur. I mean watch this. Now, look how blurry that is. That is awesome. See, if you want to be able to do that, like start with your phone. And then invest when the time is right. So, this question I'm going to twist my answer a little bit because the question is how do I stop the edge which come in YouTube. I'll actually give you two answers. Now, I don't see ads when I go to YouTube. I pay for YouTube's premium. It's like 12 bucks a month. So, my YouTube experience is ad free. The creators, they still get paid a portion of it. Instead of getting paid for the ads that I would see, now they get paid for the premium that I pay each one. They get their pieces of that. But the other way that I want to answer this question is I love ads. Because if I make a video that YouTube pairs an ad with and it does well, YouTube will promote my video and my video will get lots and lots of views. I have a video that's got 5.4 million views not because it went viral but because YouTube paired an ad with it and then started promoting it. So, you don't want to turn off the ads. You want ads before your video. Even if it's a competitor. Even if it's a competitor that competitor is going to bring you traffic. I love this question: Can one seek therapy on YouTube? Well, yeah. Live On Purpose TV, doctor Paul Jenkins. He's a positivity psychologist. There are lots of channels like that where you can get therapy. Now, I love watching content like that on YouTube. But I also have a therapist. So, I don't think YouTube can fully replace a real therapist. I think everyone should be seeing a therapist. In addition to my therapist, I have many coaches that I pay thousands of dollars to every month. So, that I can always grow and always learn. A therapist is not a bad thing. A therapist is a really good thing. If you have a therapist, good for you. If you're thinking "You know what? I'm just too hesitant. I don't want to go see a real person. Can I get therapy on YouTube?" I'm going to say do both. Do both. You can definitely learn a lot and gain a lot of insights. And use YouTube with a real therapist. Okay. I've got two last questions. Second to last one: How do we start our business on YouTube? Okay, start a business off of YouTube first. Okay? Just create your product, your service, your event. Whatever it is, create something of value and sell it. Start making money. If you have something that's a value that you can sell, then create a YouTube channel. And watch more videos on my channel to learn how to build a following so the leads will then go into your business. How do you start a business on YouTube? I guess the other way is you have a job and you don't need to worry about money. And you just start YouTube as a hobby. And after a few years, you'll have a big enough following and your audience will tell you what they want you to sell. They'll tell you what they want to buy. And so you can go that route. Last question: "Mr. Nate. How would you make a better YouTube?" That is a tough one because YouTube has done so many things right with their partner program. I mean somehow and I know that this is a controversial topic. I would clean up YouTube a bit. I want the full YouTube to be friendly for my children. I really have to monitor things a lot there. So, that's one thing. I love the results I'm getting. It takes a long time. It takes 12 to 24 months to really start to get real momentum. I mean, you want to make seven figures on YouTube. You've got a 7 figure business already, you want to use YouTube to market it, it's going to take two or three years to really build a significant following and to generate that additional seven or eight figures of revenue. The strategy that I use works there's a lot of people succeeding on on YouTube. But there's there's so much content being uploaded to YouTube every minute. Go ahead and look up the stats. You probably know the stats. You know, this might sound weird. but I want YouTube to continue making all the algorithm changes that they're making. A lot of my friends make content that chases the trends or finds a loophole. And when there's an algorithm change, they really suffer. Their income goes down. Their views go down. Their channel can contract. That's never happened to me. Every time there's been an announced algorithm change or whatnot, my channel is either steady at gradual growth or it's increased because I make content that people are searching for. And I make content that will make YouTube money. So, if they're making an algorithm change is because they're trying to filter out a lot of the garbage to find my channels and to find my content. Now, if you don't know about my leaf strategy, this is something you want to know about. If you want to succeed on YouTube, watch this video next. My leaf strategy video. That's how I've achieved the level of success that I have across all 13 channels. It's how you can make a video and get it to rank number one on YouTube on day one. Go watch my leaf strategy.

Welcome, Good morning, everybody.  The New Year is almost here and it comes with a warning about the apps on your smartphone.  Today I was on with Justin McIsaac who was sitting in for Jack Heath today and we discussed some advice about apps you may be using and what they are collecting and who has access to that information. Hint -- the people with access are not our friends. Here we go.   These and more tech tips, news, and updates visit - CraigPeterson.com ---  Automated Machine Transcript: Craig Good morning everybody. Happy New Year. Wow, I can't believe it is coming right up. It's hard to believe that another year, another decade, and another century. Oh my gosh, the time just flies by anyhow. I hope you had a great Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus, whatever it is you celebrate this time of year and enjoy time together with a family. We are going to be probably going to sleep at around 1011 o'clock. Maybe I'll make it to midnight. Who knows if the kids are up on New Year's Eve? It's always a good time. You know, we had friends and family come in for the Christmas celebration this year. And that was neat to see another granddaughter haven't seen in a few months. We try and get out there to Kentucky a couple of times a year. And my daughter as well. So shout out to them if they're listening and shout out to everybody else. So this morning, I was on Jack's show, and it was Justin who was running it today because Jack is out. Then the guest host ended up being out, and that left Justin trying to juggle all of these balls. But we had a lot of fun talking about maybe some new year's resolutions when it comes to apps on your phones. So here we go with Mr. Justin McIsaac. Justin McIsaac And joining us on the auto fair listener lines Craig Peterson, our tech talk guy. You can visit his website Craig Peterson dot com his show airs on the weekend Saturday right, Craig and all across these IHeart stations. Everywhere, all right. Craig Peterson I am. I spent some time on Netflix over the holidays watching the new Lost in Space TV show brings back memories you know still it says or when Alan man it just flashback to the 60s. But it's kind of fun. It's a different way to do things now where they released the whole season that one. I liked it a lot better because you got all the context continuity and everything, and yeah, and I like Season Two better than season one. So, I know you're a little bit of a sci-fi fan, but I back I enjoyed it. Justin McIsaac I watched season one with my wife, and we dug it. Who was it? The woman that was in Deadwood was a Mrs. Garrett was plays one of the leading roles. So we dug season one. Craig Peterson Yeah. Well, you're going to like to let me tell you, great, Justin McIsaac Lost the space guy, Matt Simon. I've never really watched it know what the audience is. It was pretty good. It's action-packed. But so so Craig focuses on the tech sphere. As one might say in Craig, a lot of people got to launch a lot of gadgets for Christmas, including Matt Simon, who got a Roomba that's currently mapping his house. But you've got some things as we close it on the new year that you might want to be careful with, especially some apps you might have kicking around on your phone that you might want to delete what sort of apps are we looking at, we might want to get rid of Craig Peterson Yeah, here's what's going on right now. There are a ton of apps. However, most people are only using about five to 10 of the apps on their smartphones. That's a bit of an issue, frankly. But you know, we all have the hundreds, at least over the years of different apps. The average American checks their phone 52 times a day, it changes our brains physically changes our brains. By spending so much time on these small screens. And so we've got to be a lot more careful about that. And, and I've got some categories that I think you should avoid here. First of all, 2020 is, as you mentioned before the break just around the corner. It's hard to believe it's almost here. So get rid of those apps that depress you. And guess what the number one group of apps that is responsible for that depression is guys. What would you think? Justin McIsaac Social media? My banking app, Yeah. Craig Peterson Yeah, absolutely. Getting off Facebook ditching Instagram, Snapchat, deleting TikTok, all of those will help you because they all tend to be kind of depressing, especially for the younger generations and TikTok, okay, as well as ToToTok, are apps that you have to delete. Justin McIsaac What you said, right so I told me guys are brilliant, I don't know, though. I understand what TikTok is because my kids don't have TikTok, but a lot of their friends do. Craig Peterson I know like the US military is telling, you know, their soldiers to get off the TikTok because that's a Chinese program. So what's ToToTok is that he had a Saudi Arabian program that does much the same thing. And both of them are designed to collect data to send it back to Beijing, and they're able to track who you are where you are. All the location information, what you're doing the pictures you're taking. They're using it to map our faces. The Chinese are number one in the world for facial recognition. And so you're right. The military's not only warning about TikTok, but we've had the NSA, the National Security Agency out there now warning us about it. So that's number one category, get rid of those social media apps. Number two is apps that don't protect your privacy. Of course, we already mentioned one TikTok, but Facebook Messenger is one such app because it is not encrypted end to end. So be careful of that. In other words, Facebook sitting in the middle, watching what you're saying watching what you're doing. However, Facebook does have another messaging app called WhatsApp. That does keep it safe. If you have an iPhone or a Mac. Imessage does keep it secure. It protects your privacy, and to and of course The FBI has for the last 30 years been pretty upset about that type of software. But be careful of spy software, which leads us to the next category. Apps that are free, but aren't. Most of these apps are using our data. They're telling the app developers where you are. If you ever wondered why you walk into that hairstylist in the morning, Justin, and then you get to add about a week later from other hairstylists that say they can do a better job. Justin McIsaac It's more like a minute later. Yeah, it's like I've noticed this, like if you talk about, like, oh, I'm going to buy a new car, and then I go on Instagram like 20 minutes later, all of a sudden, ads are going to my feed. Mercedes Benz. I guess Mercedes Benz isn't checking my banking app because I'm not buying one of those. But the point is like, yeah, your phone's kind of spying on you listen to it, right. Craig Peterson Yeah. Well, if we could get into that and take another hour, but yeah, Free VPN app today. Here are the worst ones right now for spying on you, the so-called free VPN apps, because they track absolutely everything you're doing and where you're going. Menstruation apps are one of the worst. Bible apps, Flashlight apps, and face morphing apps like face app. Now, these are kind of cool apps. But you know, where you can put in your picture, and I'll show you what you'll look like in 20 years, 30 years. But again, it's using technology to map us and onto the banking. The next category apps that are making you spend the money want to get, and you might want to get rid of Amazon, eBay, and Walmart apps out there. But also look at right I know somebody who is addicted to Candy Crush, and she pays to play Candy Crush, okay. Justin McIsaac Yes, night wizard tonight. So you know, get rid of all some of those. Some of those games. Not so much now. But when my kids were little, they're basically like pay to win, like data. I spend three bucks I can get more More, more XP and I'm like, no, we're not doing that. Let's just buy a PlayStation. They'll be cheaper in the long run. So all right, Craig. Craig Peterson's calm is the website Tech Talk. You can hear it here on these IR news-talk stations. Have you got big, bad plans for New Year's Craig? Craig Peterson Well, oh, yeah, kind of like you. I will probably just sleep through it until I hear someone say the ball just drops, and then I'll be back up and then go back to sleep. But yeah, I'll probably binge-watch another sci-fi show on the First. Justin McIsaac The Mandalorian. That's my pick if you haven't watched it yet. It is on Disney plus, that's my recommendation. It was awesome. Craig Peterson It is. It's terrific. I haven't watched the latest episode yet. Justin McIsaac It's excellent. That's all I'll tell you. All right, Craig Peterson. Craig Happy New Year. Thanks for joining us this morning. And today. You guys to take care. Bye. Bye. All right. There is Craig Peterson. I got noses tech stuff, and I'd say so he didn't warn you about your Roomba. So I think you're all right, Matt. Craig Peterson I think so. There is an app that comes along with that, though. Might I might want to check into that a little more. All right, yeah. Justin McIsaac I have to basically what Christ is I have to throw my phone in the river. So I'm going to do that during the break. And we'll come back with more. Craig Peterson Yeah, that's because Justin has an Android phone. And I'm always warning him calling you guys to do about Android phones. Anyhow, I should mention that the map got one of these shark robots to do some vacuuming is mapping out the house. People are wondering about that, and are worried about that. In reality, it is something that you must be concerned about why it is sending those floorplans up to the internet. I'm not as worried as I'd be if it had like cameras on it and things. But it's still you know, it's part of that big illusion, I guess. Anyways, have a great day, everybody, and we'll be back, and we got a big year plan next year. Bye-bye. Transcribed by https://otter.ai ---  More stories and tech updates at: www.craigpeterson.com Don't miss an episode from Craig. Subscribe and give us a rating: www.craigpeterson.com/itunes Message Input: Message #techtalk Follow me on Twitter for the latest in tech at: www.twitter.com/craigpeterson For questions, call or text: 855-385-5553

Sandra Samoska tells us how she dealt with her dogs having a romantic interlude that went on too long. She is loving her T-shirt that says "Sorry I'm late, I didn't want to come." She shares with a a crazy coincidence and the best advice she's ever been given.  Find Sandra on her blog, Outnumbered by Sandra Samoska. Follow Sandra on her Facebook page, Outnumbered by Sandra Samoska, Instagram @outnumberedbysandrasamoska, and Twitter @outnumbrd4kids. Subscribe to the show so you don't miss a laugh! Follow Fancy Free on Instagram, & Facebook. Request to join the Fancy Free Facebook group and go answer the question of the week!   Transcript: Joanne Jarrett: You are listening to the Fancy Free Podcast, where my girlfriends and I tell our most embarrassing, funny stories so that we all feel less alone in our imperfections. I'm Joanne Jarrett. And today I have with me a new friend that I met through a writer's group I'm a part of on Facebook. Her name is Sandra Samoska and Sandra is a writer, blogger, wife, mom of four, and a doer of all things. So she and I have a lot in common I think. She writes about faith and family and she teaches a women's Bible study and she spends most of her time caring for her little and not so little anymore people. Sandra, thank you so much for joining me on the show today. Sandra Samoska: Oh, absolutely. Thank you for inviting me. Joanne Jarrett: Yeah, so much fun. Well, fill in the blanks. What did I miss about who you are and what you do? Sandra Samoska: I am a stay at home mom. I'm married. I have four children. I met my husband in junior high. Joanne Jarrett: What? Oh. Sandra Samoska: Is that insane, or what? Joanne Jarrett: Yes. Sandra Samoska: We went to high school together and started dating our senior year and then we ended up going to two different colleges but stuck with it, with one another and got married almost 16 years ago now. Before I had kids, I actually did have a life. I was in journalism. I did journalism for a little bit and then after I got married, we moved. I started working at a consulting company for the oil and gas industry, which that's kind of what you do in Houston is oil and gas. And then after I started having children, I decided to stay home with them and luckily I still have a position with that company as a consultant. So I still have my adult time where I can kind of use my brain for something other than kids' schedules. And then I got into writing for fun, not just for work and journalism. Back when my youngest was little, my husband finally said, "You love to write, you should do something." And I did. Joanne Jarrett: As you know, the point of this podcast is to take someone who looks like they have it completely all together from the outside and show our listeners that nobody as this fancy as they look. So we can all feel a little less alone in our imperfections. What not so fancy story do you have for us today? Sandra Samoska: I have a lot of not so fancy stories. It's kind of embarrassing, but there was one that I just, every time I think about it, it makes me laugh out loud and people actually bring it up to me sometimes when we're in casual conversation, which isn't awkward at all. So, we have dogs and I don't know if you have dogs, we're a dog family. Joanne Jarrett: We have one dog, so we have singular dog. Sandra Samoska: Just the one? Oh, I'm so jealous. Joanne Jarrett: Well I decided I might need to get her a dog and then I dog sat for two weeks for another golden doodle and they didn't do anything together. I was like, "She does not need a dog." Sandra Samoska: That's smart. You tested it out first. I love that. It's wisdom. Joanne Jarrett: It was a happy accident. But it worked out for me. So you have multiple dogs. How many and what kinds? Sandra Samoska: Currently we just have two, which is great. When this particular embarrassing thing happened though, we had three, and before that we had had four. So we're slowly moving down to a more manageable, I feel like, number. Right now we have two, they're called black mouth cur, which is a hunting dog. My husband likes to hunt. Unfortunately, he likes to go hunting without his hunting dogs, which makes me a little bit upset because I feel like that's why he got them in the first place. Sandra Samoska: About three years ago we had three dogs. We had the two we had now and one older one that my husband had gotten before we got married. And the older one, her name was Rose, she was about 50 pounds, 15 years old, and she kind of had that, I'm queen of my domain and everything I see attitude, she mostly hated everybody except for my husband. She wasn't mean, but she was just kind of like disdainful, you know? We were all just kind of existing in her space. Joanne Jarrett: Like a cat? Like kind of just, I'm too good for you standoffish? Sandra Samoska: Yeah, very much. Very much like that. But she was like getting old and she had, you know, was partially deaf and arthritis and her legs would go out from under her and we were just like, "It's okay, Rose. Just hang on." You know? So we had her and then we thought that she needed friends and so we got a second dog and his name is Davey and he's a black mouth cur and he is super sweet but very, very deeply stupid. He's just a very dumb dog. But I mean like super sweet. Sandra Samoska: Like he loves us but just not smart. And he was kind of afraid of Rose and he would like slink under the table if she looked at him. So they weren't like friends by any means, but that's okay. We loved Davey. And then we got a third dog and her name is Jill. And Jill, even though that she's the same breed as Davey, she's a lot smaller. So she's only 35 pounds. And my husband assured me when we got her, super awesome, important breed and really amazing. And wouldn't it be wonderful if we could breed her one day, which I was not a fan of, but I was like, okay. But Jill felt like she should be the queen of the house. And even though she was kind of usually content to let Rose be the puppet queen, she kind of ruled from the shadows. Sandra Samoska: So we kind of had this interesting emotional dynamic going on. Now Rose and Davey, the older one and the boy, they were both fixed, because Rose had been a rescue dog and Davey was really too dumb to breed. But Jill was not fixed because my husband and my daughter ganged up on me and they were like, "No, puppies, wouldn't it be wonderful?" And I thought, "No." But okay, so we've kind of let that go. So Jill was not fixed. So Jill goes into heat right? And is like an emotional powder keg. I had no idea this was a thing. But dogs get hormonal too. Joanne Jarrett: Oh, no, really? Uck! I just thought about their period going everywhere. Does that happen too? Sandra Samoska: That happened, and someone suggested some kind of doggy pad and I said, "No, I'm drawing the line. I'm not changing a dog pad, the dog must go outside during this time period." It was ridiculous, like ridiculous. But before the bleeding starts is like this PMS period for dogs. Joanne Jarrett: Right, while they're fertile. Sandra Samoska: Right. Joanne Jarrett: Oh, gosh. Sandra Samoska: And so it made her super cranky, not with people, but she had less tolerance for Rose's shenanigans. Joanne Jarrett: Oh no. Sandra Samoska: So one morning I had gotten two of my older children onto the bus and I was starting to kind of get breakfast for the younger two and my husband's getting ready for work and evidently Rose, the older dog, looked sideways at Jill and Jill decided to take offense and like charged in and jumped on Rose and they start wrestling in the living room and everything. And even though Rose is bigger, she's not as strong and so, fur is flying and my husband comes in and breaks them up and sends Jill outside. And so, we're kind of trying to tend to Rose who, I mean she wasn't seriously injured, but it was a little bit shell-shocked. It was crazy. And we sent Davey, Davey, who's like in love with Jill, we sent him outside. We're like, "Okay, y'all go outside, let us take care of the older dog." Joanne Jarrett: Calm her down, Davey. Sandra Samoska: Right. Calm her down. Like you need to talk her through this because she's having a moment. And so my husband leaves, he really abandoned me on the field, it's how I feel at that moment. But he goes to work because that's what he does. And I'm kind of taking care of the kids and I look out the back window and I see that Davey apparently has gotten excited by the girl on girl fight and he's trying to mount Jill and he doesn't know what to do because he's very dumb and he's like on her back and on her leg and on her face and I don't even know. Joanne Jarrett: Oh, my goodness. Sandra Samoska: And I look out there, and I'm like, "Well, Jill can handle herself. Clearly she knows what she's doing. I'm just going to let that go because I'm not a dating service for dogs. So that is not my job." Joanne Jarrett: I got other things to do. Sandra Samoska: Exactly. So I go and I keep kind of caring for the kids. That's what I do. And a little bit later I kind of hear this weird noise coming from the laundry room, which is where we have a doggy door, that goes into our backyard and we can shut the door into the rest of the house so that the dogs can't come in. And so I hear this weird noise coming from the laundry room and I kind of opened the door and Jill is standing really still with like this weird look on her face right inside the doggy door. And I'm like, "What's going on? Are you okay?" And I get closer and I see Davey standing outside the door and they are attached like through the doggy door, Joanne, and they're attached together. Joanne Jarrett: Oh, no way. How did they even do that? Sandra Samoska: What? Thank you! Right? Joanne Jarrett: Yeah. What are the odds? They have to be infinitesimally small. Sandra Samoska: They're like fused at the inappropriate place, through the doggy door. I was like, "What do I do?" And so, my kids are coming, "Mom, what's happening?" "No, no, stay back. You don't need to see this." And I call my husband and I'm like, "Okay, this seriously, one, this is your fault. Like these dogs are yours. You left me. These are totally your fault. And what do I do with these dogs stuck together? Do I pull them apart? Like I don't want to get in the middle of that." Joanne Jarrett: That's right. There are so many reasons why that could be a bad idea. Sandra Samoska: Right? I don't want to break anything. I don't know. So my husband, who is giggling inappropriately, he's like, "I don't know, call our friend." We have a friend that's a vet. And so I said okay. So I hang up with him and I call my friend's cell phone, who's a vet. And she of course doesn't answer because she has a life. Joanne Jarrett: She's busy being a vet. Sandra Samoska: She's busy working. And so I said, "Okay. So my sister works for a different vet." And so I called my sister's office thinking, "Okay, well maybe I can get some help over there." And luckily a doctor actually answers, which what are the odds, right? Usually the doctors don't answer the phone. Joanne Jarrett: Man, that was lucky. Sandra Samoska: But he answered and I didn't know him. But he's like, "Okay, what can I help you with?" And I said, "Okay, well, so my dogs are kind of stuck together. Their bottoms won't come apart." And I'm thinking, "Please for the love do not make me use the word dog penis in this conversation. Don't." Joanne Jarrett: Did you feel like you had to reassure him first, "This Is not a prank phone call." I really literally need help with this. I'll send you a picture if you need photographic evidence. Sandra Samoska: I'm like, "I don't know what to do and I have this problem and they are stuck." And he's like, "Oh, okay. Well, how long have they been stuck together?" I'm like, "I mean, I don't know. Like a few minutes maybe. I don't know." And I'm thinking like my whole life really. Joanne Jarrett: Less than an hour, more than 30 seconds. Sandra Samoska: Okay, I've been staring at this atrocity forever now. I don't know how long. And he said, "Okay, well, they should probably separate on their own in a minute or two, but hold on, let me check something." And he kind of, I don't know, Google search, ask a friend. I'm not sure what he does. Joanne Jarrett: Uh-huh. Whipped out the textbook. Sandra Samoska: He says, "Well, unfortunately it could take an hour or two. And I'm like, "Okay, what?" Joanne Jarrett: What? Are you kidding me? Jill is like, "I cannot do this for an hour." Sandra Samoska: I know, like the look on her face. I just, I was like, "I'm sorry, baby, I don't know what to do for you." So the doctor said, "Well, just leave them alone." Joanne Jarrett: Did you happen to peek around at Davey? I want to know what Davey looked like. Was he smashed up against the house? Like, I can picture his jowls like smashed up along the wall of the outside of the house. Sandra Samoska: He'd like twisted his body somehow so that he was still like one leg up, you know, because he was inserted and the rest of him was like sideways. Joanne Jarrett: Okay. Neither of them are going to be able to walk for a week. Sandra Samoska: I was like, "You know, that's not comfortable." And I'm not about to shove Jill out the doggy door. I mean, I don't know. Joanne Jarrett: She's somewhat in the safety zone. You don't want to throw her back out to the wolves. Sandra Samoska: Right. She's like, "Get me away!'. So the doctor says, "Okay, well, just leave them alone and they'll come apart when they can." Like this is a thing. Like they just like get stuck like this. I'm on the phone, and I said, "Okay, well so it turns out that they're stuck together through the doggy door." Silence. There's silence on the other end of the line and the doctor's like, "So, they're tied together through the doggy door?" I was like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. So one is on the inside of the door and the other one is on the outside of the door." And I'm pretty sure he put me on mute, because it was like dead air, nothing, nothing. Joanne Jarrett: I'm crying. Sandra Samoska: I mean, Joanne, the kids are coming in, "Mom, what's Jill doing?" I'm like, "Stay back, stay back." And I'm listening to this dead air. Joanne Jarrett: I am not ready to have the birds and the bees conversation with you guys right now. Sandra Samoska: Right! And the doctor comes back and I kid you not. He says, "Okay, first you need to take a picture. Because, that's hilarious." Joanne Jarrett: You're like, "Oh yeah, veterinarians are humans too." Sandra Samoska: Oh my gosh. So then he's like, "There's nothing you can do just that's all. That's all I have for you." And we hang up. And like 20 minutes later my sister calls and she's like, "Oh yeah, the whole office is laughing at you right now. Right this minute. Our whole entire ... the doctor got off the phone with you and was like, 'Let me tell you what's happening.'" Joanne Jarrett: Productivity has come to a screeching halt while we laugh about what's going on in Sandra's home right now. Sandra Samoska: It's true! And then they called their sister clinic, where my friend works and I get a phone call from my friend, the vet, saying, "Hey, I heard you had an eventful morning." Joanne Jarrett: So now the veterinarian's offices are calling each other. Sandra Samoska: They are. They're just like, "let me tell you about what happened." And they're all, "Did you get a picture?" I'm like, "No, pervert. I did not take a picture." Joanne Jarrett: You're like, "Must she lose all of her dignity in one day?" Sandra Samoska: Oh my gosh. I feel like that would be like doggy porn. Like, I don't know. There's probably some kind of watch dog out there for that. Joanne Jarrett: Apparently that's where you draw the line. Sandra Samoska: It was fantastic. Joanne Jarrett: Oh my gosh, I have to blow my nose. I'm a mess over here. Oh, that's so hilarious. So how much longer did it take before they separated? Sandra Samoska: They got separate really not too much longer, and then she kind of went and took a nap and I'm pretty sure Davey went and found a beer. I'm pretty sure he had to go find a beer. Joanne Jarrett: And a cigarette. Oh my gosh. Sandra Samoska: Amazing. Joanne Jarrett: Wow. That is awesome and hilarious. I love, I love that the veterinarian's offices were calling each other like, "You guys will never believe this. This will surely make your day." Sandra Samoska: Right? Joanne Jarrett: So there's some kind of anatomy issue where there's a ... thank God that doesn't happen to humans where there's a ... what the heck? I mean, I'm a physician, so I'm like, I thought I was pretty up on anatomy. Although I did have to look up dog anatomy when I wasn't sure if my dog had a vaginal infection or a bladder infection and it turns out they pee through their vagina. Did you know that? I'm like, what? Sandra Samoska: I did not. Joanne Jarrett: Well, I mean, I Googled it, so I could be wrong. If you're a veterinarian out there, and I'm wrong, email me. But I was like, that seems like an odd design. I mean, I guess I understand why they would... Getting stuck together ensures a more effective transfer of genetic material. You know? Sandra Samoska: Seems like an odd design to me, but I'm not in charge. Joanne Jarrett: Yeah, we're not in charge. Thank goodness. I don't want to be in charge. Especially of stuff like that. Oh, that's so amazing. I love it so much. Poor Jill. Sandra Samoska: Poor Jill, poor me. Joanne Jarrett: So how was their relationship after that? I'm wondering, you said Jill was pretty smart, so she probably knew it was Davey back there. Sandra Samoska: Yeah, they're fine. We got her fixed shortly thereafter, because I said, "I'm going to have to draw a line here. This cannot happen again." Joanne Jarrett: We can't keep getting these two clowns stuck together. Sandra Samoska: This is not what I signed up for when I decided to stay home with my children. This was not in the job description. I'm done with this. Joanne Jarrett: Yeah. Sandra Samoska: So now they coexist very peacefully. Joanne Jarrett: I wonder if Jill have nightmares about it. Davey's like, "Why do I love looking at the back of the house so much? What is going on with my brain?" Sandra Samoska: Well, now she'll sit in the laundry room with her head out the doggy door and block Davey from coming inside because he still slightly scared of her. She sticks her head out and is like, "No." Joanne Jarrett: She is a smart dog. She's like, "I am not going to be caught unawares with my bottom anywhere near that doggy door ever again. In fact, you have to give me the password before I let you in here." Sandra Samoska: Oh gosh. Joanne Jarrett: That is great. I love it. Oh gosh. Yeah. So many things. So many things in parenthood and domestic life are like, I could say I look at my husband probably every week and go, "This is not something I signed up for." I really, the things that happen, but I think that one takes the cake. So now, every time I think I didn't sign up for this, I'll just think about you trying to figure out what to do with your poor dogs through the wall of the house. Sandra Samoska: At least I'm not having to explain to my children about the dogs and their reproductive system. Joanne Jarrett: Okay. So now that we're talking about reproductive systems, you have another sort of reproductive system related story regarding Sunday school teachers. Can you tell me about that? Sandra Samoska: Oh my gosh. Okay. So we go to this church and we love it there. My husband's gone there since he was a child and my in-laws go there. And so it's wonderful. We love it. But when my oldest daughter, when she was, I'm guessing maybe two or so, we had her in Sunday school, so she would go to Sunday school while we were in service. And one day I went to go pick her up from Sunday school and the teacher, she's like, "I need to talk to you." I said, "Okay." And so she kind of steps out of the classroom away from all the other children- Joanne Jarrett: Don't you hate hearing that? It's like, "Oh no." Sandra Samoska: Worst nightmare, right. You know something horrible happened. And she said, "So your daughter was talking about this show she watches with the crack brothers and she said they had power dicks." Wait, what? The what? And she said, "You know the crack brothers with power dicks?" No, no, no, no, no. And she said, "Oh yes, that's what she said." And the little boy next to her, when the teacher tried to say, "Oh no, I'm sure that's not what they're called." The little boy next to her said, "Oh yeah, dicks, you know dicks." So she's looking at me and like what are you showing your children, you crazy woman? And I was like, "No, it's on PBS. It's educational." And she's like, "What?" "No, no. So do you know the Kratt brothers, the Wild Kratts, it's a show about animals and kids and they have power discs, discs." And she's just looking at me. It's on PBS. I promise. Joanne Jarrett: That reminds me of one time I took my oldest daughter was, I think she was right around two years old, because my youngest daughter was still in a baby bucket and they're 22 months apart. I took her to the story time at the library and the librarian was reading this about a duck and she said, "Can any of you children think of a word that rhymes with duck?" And so my total extrovert, verbal, engaged two year old yells the F word out at the top of her lungs. And I'm like, it's crickets, total silence. The librarian looks at me like, "Oh my mistake." And then she just kept on reading and I was like, "Okay, how do I play this?" Because, my daughter does not hear that word at home, but probably some people in there are thinking, "Well, of course she hears that word at home." I was like, "No, she's just a really smart little girl and she picked a consonant out of the air, right?" Sandra Samoska: A consonant, yes, oh my God. Joanne Jarrett: I was like, "If I gather my kids up and run out of here, then they're going to really think that we are doing some crazy shenanigans at home. So I'm just going to sit here and try to recover my dignity." But I never went back to story time again. That was it, first and last time. Sandra Samoska: I mean, no, you're labeled, they put your picture on the wall. Joanne Jarrett: I like those don't accept a check from this woman. Do not allow this woman or her child to come to story time. Oh Lord have mercy. This is my 20th podcast interview I think. And you're the first person who's ever made me cry. Sandra Samoska: I'm so glad to hear it. Joanne Jarrett: My nose is just like dripping. And one of the reasons why I love to tell embarrassing stories to other people is because when people tell me their embarrassing stories, then it's like I keep it as a gem in the back of my head and it'll come back to me at random times and I'll just start laughing out loud and my kids know this about me. So they're like, "Which one are you laughing about now, Mom?" Jill and Davey are forever going to live in the little funny story area of my brain to be surfaced at random times throughout the rest of my life. Sandra Samoska: I'm so glad to hear it. Joanne Jarrett: Yeah. So you've given me a great gift. Joanne Jarrett: Okay well now that I've recovered my composure somewhat and I'm breathing normally again, what have you been loving lately that you think the listeners would love too? Sandra Samoska: My very favorite thing that I own right now, this is a silly thing, it's not really serious, but my husband bought me a T-shirt and it says, "I'm sorry I'm late. I didn't want to come." And he bought it for me because I'm slightly introverted. And for the most part, I prefer to be at my home. I have to go places all the time because I'm one of those people that volunteer for a lot of things and just I'm always going and doing things. And so it's coming so handy because I wear it all the time. Joanne Jarrett: Yeah. Well I think you and I are the same person. Like I am the sociable introvert that can't say no. They'll make an announcement at church. "Oh, we're looking for Awana's leaders." And my husband's like gripping my hand so tight. Like, "Don't you dare, you just keep your mouth shut." You know? Because if I volunteer for something then I'll be like, "I'm all out of words. I can't do this today. What is wrong with me? Why did I volunteer?" Sandra Samoska: Yes. And it's exhausting. And you finally get home and you just lay on the couch in your pajamas. Don't talk to me. Joanne Jarrett: Exactly. Like I know I look like I'm here, but I'm not here. I'm alone in my head and I can't come out right now. You have four kids. So that's a lot for an introvert. And I'm an extreme introvert, but I'm very sociable, so I don't mean to be deceptive, but people don't realize that I'm an introvert until I explain what I've got going on. I guess it's complicated. But anyway, sounds like maybe that's what you're like too. And I have one extremely extroverted child who needs a lot of face to face engagement. Joanne Jarrett: And I finally had to start saying like, "What's more important? I need to give my daughter what she needs." And my husband's pretty much like that too. And I need to give my husband what he needs so I have to cut way back on all of these people pleasing things that I'm doing that aren't as significant to the lives and souls of my loved ones. You know? Have you kind of experienced that too with four kids in your house? Sandra Samoska: Yes, I can totally relate to that. And I think as they're getting older, some of it is getting a easier because more of them are in school. And so I have these pockets of time where I literally schedule alone time. No. Joanne Jarrett: So smart. Sandra Samoska: So that I can like recharge and I try really hard not to put tasks in there. I don't know if you're like this, but I'm kind of a doer, I like to check things off my list, [inaudible 00:25:26] done. Joanne Jarrett: Heck yeah. Sandra Samoska: But you only have so much time. Joanne Jarrett: That's the reason why I'm late everywhere I go because I'm also an optimist. So I'm like, "Oh, I have to leave in five minutes, let me unload the dishwasher and forward the laundry." And then I'm late. And I'm like, "Oh." I did not mean to be disrespectful of whoever's waiting for me. But I just feel like I always have to be doing two or three things all at once. Sandra Samoska: Yes, I'm the same way. And so I had to start scheduling alone time so that I could fulfill my obligations that I'd already committed to, but not be completely shut off from the kids. Because I, just like you, I have a daughter who, she is very, she needs to be all up in your business all the time. You know? She likes affection and she likes to be with you. And if I'm sitting on the couch, she's sitting on me. So if I'm going to be able to like, like you said, be emotionally available to her then I really have to kind of schedule my quiet time so to speak. Joanne Jarrett: Yeah. Your recharge. Yeah. I feel like right now, in this stage of life, the inside of my car is my favorite place because it's like my sensory deprivation chamber. Obviously when I'm in there by myself, not when I'm in there with my kids, but we're to this stage now where I have to take my kids places that then I don't have to be in there with them. So I'll go to the library or I'll just stay in my car and have my "office hours" where I'm doing whatever I feel like I need to be doing. But I'm getting quiet inside my own head and I can totally control the atmosphere and that has ... it's so important. It's so, so, so important. Do you have any crazy coincidences that you could share with us? Sandra Samoska: Sure. Yeah. So this happened fairly recently, I was trying to put together a book proposal. So I'm trying to write a book. Joanne Jarrett: Good for you. Sandra Samoska: And I was kind of doing some research online and what I was coming across was suggesting going to writing conferences so that you can meet with other people who are involved in your craft and develop it- Joanne Jarrett: Yeah. Network. Sandra Samoska: Right. Exactly. And so I thought, "Okay, well we live here in Houston and obviously I'm a stay at home mom so we have one income so I'm not going to be able to fly all over the place and spend tons of money on the conferences." And so I do this Google search, because that's where you go when you have questions. Right? Joanne Jarrett: Heck yeah. Sandra Samoska: I Google Christian writing conferences near me. Right. And nothing comes up and I'm like, "Okay well, maybe now is not the time, I'll just have to do it another time." So I was kind of discouraged. I get in my car because it was time for me to leave to go pick up my son and I'm in the car. And it was funny because I was, you know, when I'm in the car, that's kind of my quiet time. And I was praying and I was talking to God and I was like, "You know, God, I get discouraged sometimes and I think that I need to be doing this, but I don't know how to do this. And sometimes I think I just need you to kick me in the pants. You know, God. So I just really need you to kick me in pants because I think I need you to kind of propel me a little bit." Sandra Samoska: And I have a thought, and I'm not saying that God was talking to me at that time because I did not hear a voice or anything, but I just had this thought, you know, you need to call Cindy. Cindy is a friend of mine from church who is very like, tell it like it is and she'll kick you in the pants if you need it. And I was like, "That's a good thought. Maybe I'll deal with that tomorrow." So, I went and picked up my kid and finished the day. And then the next morning I was sitting on the couch and I'm scrolling through Facebook and I see this ad for a Christian writers conference in Houston at the end of the summer. And this was like in the spring or something. Sandra Samoska: And I was like, "What?" Because sometimes I feel like God uses Google and Facebook and like has them talk to each other. Joanne Jarrett: Heck yeah. Sandra Samoska: And then like send me messages through those. Joanne Jarrett: Okay, why didn't this come up? And now all of a sudden it's popping up on my Facebook feed. This is like a personal gift for me. Sandra Samoska: Yes, super, slightly creepy, but amazing. And so I was like. So I thought about that a little bit and then I saw that Beth Moore was going to be there, which- Joanne Jarrett: Slam dunk. Got to go. Sandra Samoska: Right. I love her. And so I kind of verified it through Beth Moore's Twitter because that's where you go for your real news, to make sure it was legit. Joanne Jarrett: If you can't figure it from Facebook, then you have to cross reference with Twitter. Clearly. Sandra Samoska: That's right. That's how I get my information. Joanne Jarrett: Oh, I can tell my husband I'm not the only one, he's like, "Where'd you hear that, Facebook?" And I'm like, "Yeah." Sandra Samoska: So it must be true. I verified it with Twitter and Google. And so then I call my mother because she's my sounding board a lot. And so I'm kind of telling my mom about this crazy, creepy coincidence that had happened. And she's like, "Well, maybe you should really think about signing up for this conference." And I was like, "Well, maybe." ... And then I get a beep on my phone and I look at my phone and it's my friend Cindy just calling me out of the blue. Joanne Jarrett: No way. Sandra Samoska: Yes. Joanne Jarrett: What? Sandra Samoska: And I look at my phone- Joanne Jarrett: I was like, well maybe you should call Cindy after you hang up with your mom. No, she's calling you. Sandra Samoska: She's calling me and we don't talk a lot. We're not phone friends, you know. And so I look at it and I get back on the phone with my mom. I was like, "Mom, I got to go, God is calling me." She's like, "Well, I guess you better answer." Joanne Jarrett: That's awesome. So what did Cindy say? Sandra Samoska: Well, she was just calling because I had had a story published in a book and so she had seen that that had happened and so she wanted to just call out of the blue and congratulate me because she'd seen it and I said, "Well, I'm so glad you called. Let me tell you what's going on in my life right now." And kind of explained kind of what was going on in my conversation we've got about needing a kick in the pants and she's like, "Well, I don't know how I feel about the fact that you think I would kick you in the pants. If that's what you've been like, then sure." So I went to the conference. Joanne Jarrett: You did go to the conference. Okay. Awesome. Well you'll have to let me know when you have more information about your book. That is so exciting. I'm sure all my listeners will want to follow along with you. What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given? Sandra Samoska: The best piece of advice that I have been given actually came from my mother and she used to always say and still says it. It's the little things in life. So it's really about how it's not the big things or the super exciting moments that really make up your life. It's the little things, they kind of go in day by day. Those small little pieces of happiness or joy and those are the things that you need to cling on to and be grateful for instead of constantly waiting for the next awesome thing. Joanne Jarrett: I love it. That's such a good thing to remember and this is why one of those things you can do is keep these funny story nuggets in the back of your head and then when you feel like nothing interesting is happening, they can just roll into your mind and make you laugh out loud. One time I went to a party and my girlfriend invited all her friends from different walks of life and so it was one of those gift exchange parties. And when our number came up we had to tell our most embarrassing moment and then get our gift. And there are so many nuggets from that party. The interesting thing about that is these were women that I knew superficially and from a distance, most of them. And I left that party feeling like I knew them so much better. Joanne Jarrett: We laughed together. We kind of showed our underbellies. You know this one girl told a story about how she was in Home Depot in the morning and she had her toddler with her and she had just thrown some clothes on when she got up and she had loose soccer shorts on and she's shaped like a ballet dancer. She put her son down to pay for her item and her son was kind of trying to crawl up her leg to be picked back up and he ended up pulling her shorts down all the way to the floor and she was commando under there. So she had to bend all the way down to the floor to pick her shorts up and pull them up and then she's like, "Maybe nobody saw." Joanne Jarrett: So she looked behind her and there was a Home Depot employee standing right behind her and I'm like, "I am so sorry that that happened to you, but I am going to laugh about that off and on and as long as my brain works." I just said, "Thank you for that nugget." But anyway, I'm also kind of excited that you mentioned the whole conference thing because I have been trying to figure out a podcasting conference to go to, but I'm like you, we're one income. I live kind of in the middle of nowhere, unlike you and so I need a podcast conference that's in Spokane or Seattle. So if you're listening Facebook, Google, God, anyone. Joanne Jarrett: How can our listeners follow along with you and get more Sandra and make sure they know what's going on with you as these developments come along? Sandra Samoska: Well, I have a website where I have my blog, then that's SandraSamoska.com and then I'm most active on Facebook. My page is Outnumbered and that's kind of where I share a lot of blog posts but also just kind of like funny things that are going on in my life or things that I've noticed about life or crazy ways that God is working. It's more fun. And then I also have Twitter and Instagram, which I'm a little bit less active on because Instagram intimidates me because there's lots like pictures. But I'm getting there. Joanne Jarrett: Awesome. I will link to your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and your website in the show notes. So you guys, if you want to just figure out where to click to find more Sandra, if you're on an iPhone, go down to episode webpage and click on that and then it'll bring up all the links. And I'm sure it's similar on other things, but that's the only thing I know how to do it on. Thank you so much for being on the show with me today. It was super fun to talk to you. Sandra Samoska: I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much for inviting me. Joanne Jarrett: Well, that was a lot of fun. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Fancy Free Podcast. I hope you got some good belly laughs like we did and I hope you feel less alone in your imperfections. Make sure you return next week, I have Esther Goetz as my guest and she is going to tell us some really funny stories about parenting teenagers. Remember to subscribe to the show if you're having fun with it. If you have a story to tell, please email me at notfancy@fancyfreepodcast.com I'd love to have you on the show. I promise it's not scary at all. Also, request to join the Fancy Free Facebook group. We're having a lot of fun in that group. Every week we have a different question of the week and this week, the question of the week is, what is the funniest thing your pet has ever done? Have a wonderful week and until next week, remember, no one is as fancy as they look.    

Maybe I'll have the Second Noel next year!

This was more like 9 Minutes In, but it's not cause I don't love ya!  It's because it's fight night!  UFC 245 has been at the forefront of my mind all day and I'm stoked!  It's an insane card with massive consequences at stake! Get this!  The show now has a call in number!!  720-7-RANDOM Call in, leave me a message and let's talk about whatever YOU want to talk about.  Leave a message.  Ask a Question.  Or, just tell me what's on your mind!  Maybe I'll shout you out on the show!!

I'm doing something a bit different in this episode: instead of the usual interviews with authors, editors, performers, artists, fans and others, I'm posting a short radio play I've put together with some friends. Why? As some of you know, I'm currently taking a Bachelor of Education degree, and one of my course assignments is to write something and publish it. Last summer, a friend and I were kicking around the possibility of doing a radio play. We talked about doing a take on HG Wells' The War of the Worlds, except from the Martian perspective. And, since we're both former newspeople, we talked about presenting it as a nightly newscast on Mars, updating its citizens on the progress of the invasion. When I had to start thinking about the assignment for my course, I decided to see what I could do with the radio play idea, and since I've got this podcast channel already, I have a place to post it. Admittedly, I was a little pressed for time in putting the radio play together, so the editing isn't quite as tight as I'd like it in places, and a couple of the music beds could use some fading here and there, and a little more production for theatre of the mind effect would help. But, all things considered, I think it's a reasonably good production. If you enjoy the show, be sure to leave a comment below this post, send an email, or get in touch via social media and let me know. Maybe I'll look into producing a full series from start to finish if enough people are interested. Finally, a huge thank-you to my friends who helped with the voice acting: Mark Karjaluoto as Kram the reporter. Maya Gal as Political Pundit #1. Chris Shunamon as Political Pundit #2. Kienan Burrage as Political Pundit #3.    

For more information, visit teachingstrides.caYou can follow Dr. Rahilly on Twitter @TimRahillySHOW TRANSCRIPT:Meg Wilcox: I'm Meg Wilcox and this is Teaching Strides—MRU faculty daring greatly. In this episode, what exactly is good teaching and how can we support it?It's Dr. Tim Rahilly's first year at school—here at Mount Royal at least. But our new president and vice chancellor has worked across the country from his days studying in Montreal at McGill and Concordia to teaching in Manitoba and BC. He started in administration at Simon Fraser University in 2003 but that doesn't necessarily mean he's given up on teaching. That's what we'll be talking about today. Thank you so much for joining me, Tim.Dr. Tim Rahilly: I'm happy to be here.MW: So first off to you, how would you define good teaching?TR: Wow.MW: I'm just getting to the big stuff.TR: Yeah, nothing's been written about that! I guess in two ways. One, I guess we know that good teaching is that which engages our learners. But I think there's always been a tension between the art and science of, of teaching, especially I think in the postsecondary world. So I think for me I know it's good teaching when I feel that strong sense of engagement and I can see that gleam in students' eyes. And so I think that when done well and we continually challenge each other—students and faculty alike. It's learning for all involved.MW: And when it comes to good teaching at MRU, where do you see it? How do you define it? How do you seek it out?TR: Well, I think for me, I came to Mount Royal University because of its reputation as an undergraduate intensive university and being student-centered. And I have been so impressed with the faculty members and contractors that I have spoken with, in terms of their commitment to teaching. I have not had the opportunity since being here to visit Mount Royal classrooms—to witness this.Although the other day I did have the opportunity to, I guess have a little bit of teaching in the Riddell Library and Learning Center. I watched one of our colleagues kind of give a little mini intervention there for a visiting minister. And it was fantastic and I could see the passion in her eyes. So I think one of the challenges for me is going to be to be able to connect in that manner. And I don't know that every faculty member is going to necessarily want to invite the president into their classroom.MW: Yeah. Let me get a bit more classes under my belt and then I can invite you. But I guess you're already sort of hinting at that idea by being an administrator. You support teaching. You obviously have been a teacher, you've done that work, but now you're, you're sort of looking at the business and on other end of teaching, but not getting a chance to necessarily engage with it yourself. So what are some of the challenges that come with that in your role and things that you were sort of trying to address?TR: Well, I think maybe one of the first challenges for me is that I didn't come up the ranks at Mount Royal university. So I have to draw on my experience from other institutions. Obviously, other institutions do have classes and they do have professors and they do good work. I think for me one of the challenges in representing Mount Royal is to be able to have real experiences to draw on. So that will be something I'll have to work on.I think part of that is for me to make it very evident to all involved in this is that universities are places of collegial governance and, with respect to the good and honest hard work that faculty do, I see myself as their peer. I don't see myself set apart and they tell that story of good instruction and, and I'll have to learn from them and piggyback on their stories at MRU.MW: What are some of the, you mentioned just the, the culture of MRU as you've come in. What would you say are some elements that are defining it that are something that you're, you're engaging with maybe for the first time or in a different way?TR: Some elements of the culture related to teaching and learning?MW: Yeah.TR: I think for me, one of the things that stood out for me was a commitment to the scholarship of teaching and learning. I did have the opportunity to go to some workshops on that earlier, in my time. It is very refreshing to be able to chat with those faculty members who are engaged in that scholarship. My doctoral degree was very much related to that.MW: Some of your research and published work has been around diversity within that, within like the importance of it I guess in teaching and learning. How do you sort of define that? I mean, it's so easy to say something like diversity is good, but for you, what does it mean to see diversity in education and what are its tangible values?TR: So I guess I would define diversity in its broadest terms. I think that MRU is, not to sound too much like a president and to go completely on brand, but you belong here. The brand actually speaks to me. Because I think that when we talk about diversity, for me that speaks to people of different experiences. It speaks to learning styles. It speaks to age, it speaks to gender, it speaks to origin. Certainly the work we're trying to do on reconciliation.So, you know, there's certainly a lot of dialogue about the challenges of whether or not you have to adapt or it's universal design or how you approach teaching and learning with such a diverse body of learners. So, you know, my work and my interest have really focused on internationalization and first-generation students. I think those groups actually have a fair bit in common.I think that for domestic students who don't have parents who have been to postsecondary, it is a cultural shift for them to come into the postsecondary. Similarly, I think for new Canadians or people who are coming here on study visa, I think it's a huge eye-opener for them. And there's, you know, good research from back in the 60s that talks about student-institutional match. I think that students perceive that and in order to have them stay engaged and to retain them in the school that there has to be that match.I think inside the classroom we need to approach our teaching by understanding that there is a diversity of learning styles. And that we do have students who have disabilities. Now that's not necessarily, you know, the big banner that we put outside the front gates, you know, “give us your poor, your huddled masses and we will educate them.” But I think that in fact, all of us, when we are presented with this diversity of students in our classroom, you know, we have an obligation, an ethical obligation to do our very best to teach what's before us and to help them succeed.MW: From your experience, I know it's Simon Fraser, you were working specifically in the areas of student and international. Are there any, I guess, moments that have stuck out for you either there in, in your work of I'm seeing that sort of diversity in action or being able to see, teach good teaching that was able to bring in groups that may have been left behind otherwise?TR: Well, I think in terms of salient memories, probably, I would point to some of my colleagues who felt challenged by educating international students, understanding that perhaps they need to change their practice in some ways to accommodate those students. And to see their evolvement, how they over time, began to embrace this and saw how that teaching made them a better teacher across the board. So certainly when you do that kind of work there's a good deal of faculty development that has to happen.I think that means you yourself have to learn a little bit. There are some issues of cultural competency that I think you have to learn whether you're in the classroom or you're an administrator or you're supporting students. So for me that kind of work, I think, has certainly been very meaningful. And then I guess my mind jumps to particular cases.You know, students who encountered some adversity. I mean I have lots of those cases, whether those are international students or domestic students. But I think that when you’re working with a student who has had life experiences that are so different than your own. I also did some work with faculty members who were displaced from Syria, and these are academics. And you know, I remember being invited to a dinner and sitting across from some academics who are telling me about their siblings or their parents who were killed as a result of conflict. And just kind of how my own mind just kind of reeled to think about how one presses on and you're so dedicated to your discipline and your profession that it's such a part of your identity that you, you carry on. So yeah, those kinds of stories I think are very meaningful to me.MW: One of the elements that comes with diversity within a university is, that if we look at the roots of universities and maybe some of the governance or policies or the way it's come through, they've come within a very specific context that doesn't always, I would say play well with diversity or bringing in diverse groups. I'm thinking, in a previous episodeI interviewed Patti and Spirit and they do a lot of work in indigenous work and they say that sometimes they're finding challenges in university policies, just trying to get everything to line up, both covering the university side and covering what they need to do in their responsibilities and their research. And I guess I'm curious to hear your thoughts on where are some ways that the university could improve or where are some areas that it needs to work on to really help encourage diversity?TR: I think that one of the tensions that we often have in universities is our ability to be adaptable. We're not known for it. I think we are known for being reasonably resilient, but that's a bit different than adapting to the needs of those people who, who come to our institutions. I think we see that over the years, we see some generational differences and universities and colleges have half a chance at making those kinds of adaptions because we have a longer runway, more time to do that. I think when it comes to the individual needs or group needs, I think we are a little bit more challenged.MW: One of the other elements in terms of bringing more people into a university is looking at access to education and access to the university. What do you think are some key things that the university needs to be considering? Maybe challenges that right now we're looking to overcome to improve access for students?TR: Well, I think I have my political answer first as a new Albertan and then a president of a university, I think the first thing I would say about access is having enough seats. And so we know that in Calgary that we do have a deficit in seats. So in order to consider that more broadly, I think we need to look at that capacity issue. Then I think my own mind turns to people and their own conceptions about who they are and what their skills are and what's for them.I think there's a very strong agenda right now for jobs, trades and I will never speak against jobs and trades. Obviously, those are very important things, but they're not for everyone. And I think some of the concerns that I have had for a number of years has to do with some of our potential students who don't see themselves as having a future in postsecondary education. Research shows us that they, those students and their parents in particular, overestimate the costs and underestimate the benefits of a postsecondary education. And so why we often have the dialogue about student loans and finances.And we hear a lot from students who are in the universities about the challenges they have, the long hours they work. And I'm not unsympathetic. I lived that life myself. I think there is a broader dialogue about those people who don't see themselves and who would never consider coming to a university. And, and I think that's something that as a society we need to think about.MW: In your experience, what encourages access? I mean obviously having seats is a good place to start, I'm thinking of if we're reaching out to new communities or have you seen anything that's worked well?TR: I think that some programs, I don't know that they're necessarily well-researched, but anecdotally, you know, if people are bringing their kids to summer camps on university campuses or. So they see their parents pursuing postsecondary education going back to school re-skilling you know, these are things that I think can be motivational and can help. I think that, you know, in the, in the good old world of education and in psychology and public policy we know issues around maternal education have a huge impact on the education of young people.And that's a bit of a challenge for us in the postsecondary world in terms of the return on investment. I think there's a strong argument to be made that, you know, putting money into kindergarten classrooms has a huge impact, sometimes dollar for dollar. You know, people don't perceive as having the same impact at the postsecondary level.That being said I do think that obviously the transformational power of a postsecondary education changing the way people think and approach the world. It changes them and I think it can have such a positive impact on our society.MW: And so now, I mean, I'm not saying that you don't have your hands full, you know, full time being the president and a vice chancellor, but do you think you might consider going back to the classroom while you're here at MRU?TR: So that's an interesting question. There's quite a debate. And I've been reading about that recently in the chronicle of higher education between presidents who thinks it's essential for you to be in the classroom, and for those presidents who say, “Hey, look, you have a full-time job. Other people can do that, like make room for others.” I don't know where I fall on that scale. I have been for the last almost eight, nine years, exclusively been teaching at the graduate level. So not that much time has passed since I've been in the classroom, but I already miss it. I am going to have to find ways to get into the classroom somehow.Hopefully I can at least do a guest lecture here and there. And I'd actually be happy to take a course if I could work that in. I'd love to take your podcast and of course, for example, or I recently was learning about some medieval literature the other day from one of our colleagues. And I thought that's fascinating. I've never been exposed to that. I guess I'm still a learner at heart. Maybe I'll be able to work my way into doing some work or be on some graduate student committees or something to keep an oar in that water.MW: Wonderful. Thank you so much for chatting with me.TR: It's been a pleasure. Thank you.MW: That was Dr. Tim Rahilly, President and Vice Chancellor at Mount Royal University. You can follow him on Twitter @TimRahilly. Teaching Strides is produced by Hadeel Abdel-Nabi and me, Meg Wilcox, in conjunction with the Academic Development Center at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.We're proud to broadcast from the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe, Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3) We look forward to sharing the stories and experiences of the many people who live, learn and teach in the treaty seven region. You can find us wherever you podcast at teachingstrides.ca. 

I'll bet some of my previous podcast guests know a thing or two about past life experiences, but something tells me Dr. Lindsay Weisner was a standup comic in a previous life...or maybe will be in a future one? She had me laughing so much during our interview with her quick wit and impeccable comic timing. You get the full effect when you listen to her and her buddy Sharone in their podcast, "Neurotic Nourishment." (This was her dialing it down on my show!) But, swearing or not, she's got a lot of interesting things to say, so I'm sure when her book comes out, it will be a "must-read". Her perspective on life is simply fascinating. You would think that someone who counsels depressed and suicidal patients would see such a dark side of the world; instead, she shows you that there's always hope and light. There are no illusions here, though-she calls it as she sees it. She told me she likes podcasting because it gives her the chance to meet new people....but this time, the pleasure was all mine. Here's hoping we get to work together again. While I'm still older than her.... Lindsay's info: Podcast-Neurotic Nourishment; Twitter-@PsychShrinkMom; Instagram-@pyschshrinkmom, @neuroticnourishment, #tenstepstofindinghappy Lindsay's faves-Jillian's Podcast, Five Guys, Cultivated Conversations; Cheesecake & Crying, Coffee Meets Vodka Sherpa Suggestions: The Overwhelmed Brain; Happiness Spells; The Science of Happiness' Happiness at Work; Earn Your Happy; Happiness Abound That's it for The Sherpa Sheet this week. I've got interesting shows coming your way. Catch my interview with Brandon, co-host of "10ish" next week. Maybe I'll do a Top 10 for that week...hmmm, how about "Top 10 numbers under 11?" See you then! #VivaLaSherpalution! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jim-the-podcast-sherpa/message

Brian Anderson:               The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. Ralph Nader. I am Brandon Anderson and I'm a Tri-Cities influencer. Paul Casey:                         And if we must assume the only thing I would say is to assume positive intent. So if there's a gap between why that person behaved as they did and you don't know the answer, fill in that gap with positive intent and check it out. Speaker 3:                           Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington, it's the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. Welcome to the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast where Paul Casey interviews local leaders like CEOs, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives to hear how they lead themselves and their teams so that we can all benefit from their experiences. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services, coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey:                         Thanks for joining me for today's episode with Jane Winslow. She is the creative director and brand strategist of WinSome, Inc. And a fun fact about Jane, she said, if we really get her laughing, we might get a snort. Well, before we begin, let's check in with our Tri-City Influencer sponsors. Neal Taylor:                        Hello. My name is Neil Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's commercial transactions team. The CT team helps business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it Derek. Derek Johnson:                 Thanks Neil. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington State simply don't have handbooks, employee policies, or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees even if the employee isn't properly performing or causing issues at work. Even if an employer fires someone for performance issues, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. We build strong, predictable and protective employee policies to protect our client's business. Josh Bam:                            That's true. Thanks Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policies, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today, www.gravislaw.com Paul Casey:                         Thank you for your supportive leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well, welcome Jane. I was privileged to meet you... Boy, how many years ago has that been now? Maybe like eight, seven or eight years ago. Jane Winslow:                   I don't do dates well, so probably. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I was doing these events called The Edge, where a guy named Preston House who was one of our very first podcast guests. He said, "Let's combine pizza and professional development." And I went, wow, I've never thought of that. But he goes, "I want to platform you and the good stuff you're doing." I thought, wow, I'm just so humbled that you'd be, that sacrificial about it. And we had Edge number one, I think there ended up being 15 of them and Edge number one, he introduced you to me and me to you. Jane Winslow:                   Yes he did. Paul Casey:                         We've been friends ever since. Jane Winslow:                   Yes absolutely. Paul Casey:                         Very cool. Well let's help our Tri-City influencers get to know you. So take us through your past positions that led up to where you are right now. Jane Winslow:                   All right. Well I think my very first job was I had a coloring job at home. I would color pictures for my dad and we would have meetings when he got home from work. My sister was my secretary. I used to file them under the cushions in the couch, but that was my first job. And then he would check in with me at the end of my day. How was your day? And I would, you know, I would ask my dad, how was your day Raymond, because I think I was three possibly at the time. So I have always worked with a lot of different entrepreneurs. Jane Winslow:                   So when I got started working, you know, my dad owned a small business. It was a small family owned insurance company. They've been in business over 110 years now. It's still in the family. I think we're on generation five. And so I'd hear my dad talk about working with small businesses and some of the challenges and things. And as I grew one of my first jobs kind of in my field because I've done a lot of things. I worked for a glass and ceramic decorator, I worked for a truck driving school in the textbook printing division. And when I moved to the Tri-Cities I worked for Eagle Printing. So I kind of came up through print and my degrees in graphic design, and at the time, before Al Gore invented the internet, print was the thing. Paul Casey:                         What did you learn from influencers along the way at some of those positions? Were you associated with some people who became like mentors to you or gave you good advice? Jane Winslow:                   I was really fortunate in my opinion, really fortunate to work with pretty much all small businesses. And when you work in a small business you have the opportunity to work directly with the owner and you get a real sense for what's happening in the business. They share things with you, and they make sure a lot of times, at least the ones that I worked with, they make sure that you understand why what they've asked you to do is important. You know, it may be go clean the conference room table and reset the chairs before this meeting. Why? Why can't somebody else do that? Well, because it makes a difference to make a great first impression. Jane Winslow:                   You know, why should I send this proof to them again? Because they said they needed this by a certain date and that they don't sign off on the artwork, we can't get it ready in time. That's why. So really great communication and all through the way. When I moved to the tri cities and I worked for Dude Bodie and Dave Henry who owned Eagle Printing, worked a lot with Dude Bodie and he said to me, "I want you to treat this division, this department," which was graphic design and fairly new for them, "I want you to run it like it's your own business. You make the decisions, you work with the customers, you send the invoices and you get to collect the money." That part I didn't like so much, but I learned how to do it and he said, "I trust you and when you run into a problem you come to me." Paul Casey:                         I love how you shared a leadership principle there of giving people the why, because if you just bark out orders, people are wondering in their head why anyways, so give them that upfront. That answer, which again creates more of the purpose. It's also like delegating vision where if you just delegate a task, well they might just bang that out, but they're going to be going, "Why am I doing this?" Jane Winslow:                   Exactly. Exactly. And you know, without telling me as you know, this minimum wage employee with absolutely no skill, not at Eagle, but in Indianapolis when I started working, you know, it gave me a bit of a sense of purpose. I felt that the job I was doing was important, that if I wasn't there, there was a noticeable difference. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. Connect tasks to the greater purpose. And that's why people stay engaged at work. And when they're disengaged at work, that's usually a disconnect there. Jane Winslow:                   It's pretty much always the boss' fault. Paul Casey:                         That's right. People keep leaving their bosses, not their companies. Jane Winslow:                   Yes. Paul Casey:                         Well, when you created this business, what was your original vision and then how has that sort of morphed along the journey? Jane Winslow:                   You know, it's been interesting. So I quit my job at Eagle Printing and I quit because I wanted to do more design work, the kind of design and the kind of printing that Eagle wasn't doing in house, but that the customers were asking for. So I saw a need that they couldn't actually fulfill. So I left and I thought, well, this will be great. Maybe I'll start a family, you know, I'll do all these things. Well, inside 10 months, I had a few clients that followed me, and inside 10 months we were so busy, I had hired five people. We were working in an eight by eight, I'm bad with measurements, could have been 10 by 10, bedroom in my house. Jane Winslow:                   When one person had to get up and leave the room, everybody had to get up and leave the room in single file. It was really that hilarious. But I thought start a family. So we finally had to move out. Eagle Printing actually came to me and offered me my old space to run my business because the person they hired to replace me was leaving and they knew I was looking for space. So they actually let me come back and run my business in my old office, which was kind of cool. Little did I know I was pregnant. Had no idea. Jane Winslow:                   So it's really morphed into something completely different. You know, we've been very fortunate that our clients have come to us over 22 years through other client referrals and things that they've seen people, people have seen us doing in the community. So we haven't had to do a lot to drive business. And a lot of times I really feel like I'm holding onto the tail of a wild animal that is dragging me. And sometimes it's really nice when it slows down enough that I can say, "Okay dog, we're going this way." You know, and kind of make a few more strategy plans where you say more, I want more of this kind of customer and less of this kind of customer and so you start navigating. But it has been quite the whirlwind, which is funny because it's been 22 years of whirlwind. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, that's a great way to describe the entrepreneur journey. Holding onto the tail of a wild animal. We're along for this ride. But that's what makes it fun too, right? Every day is different. Jane Winslow:                   Every day is different. Every day is a new challenge. Every day is a new adventure and I'm the kind of person that I love challenges. I'm not somebody that is afraid of change or challenges. I love challenges. Let's solve a problem. I love puzzles. Paul Casey:                         What are you most passionate about in your business right now and why? Jane Winslow:                   My team. I have the absolute best people surrounding me. They're multi talented, hardworking, they care about each other, they care about me, they care about the business, they care about the client, they care to be engaged with the client. Every one of my people treats the business as though it is their own. In fact, frequently I have been introduced by a client to someone else who introduces my staff member as the owner because they think that they're working with the owner when it's- Paul Casey:                         That's cool. Jane Winslow:                   One of my staff members and it just, and it's awesome. And I don't usually correct them, plus it's important and somebody had to sign a check. But you know, I think it's fantastic. I get such incredible reviews from my people. Different people lead different projects and I get so much great feedback from them. They love each other, they love the company, they love me, they love the clients. And that creates an incredible atmosphere to work in. Paul Casey:                         It does. And how did you get such great people? I mean what did you look for in the hiring process? And we're not going to say their names because then they're going to get poached away. No, no, just kidding. Just kidding. Just kidding. Jane Winslow:                   Stay off my website. Paul Casey:                         But what do you look for to create a culture that you have this wonderful team right now? Jane Winslow:                   Well, I can tell you I've done it wrong a lot of times. Frequently I have hired for resume experience or the look in their portfolio and those things. But what I have found is that if I hire for fit and I know they have the skills, everything else falls into play. You know, I need people that feel the way that I do about them, that feel the way that we all feel about each other and that feel good about coming to work and putting their skills to the best possible use for the client. Because we've got a culture and I don't know, a work environment of everybody is willing to pitch in at any time. Jane Winslow:                   If somebody finds themselves with kind of a lack of things to do in the afternoon because so many things are out with clients waiting bids, they visit every single person. "Do you have anything that I can help you with?" Every single day. It's awesome. It's really an awesome experience and I haven't always had that. You know, I've had people that are secretive, that are undermining, that allow their personal life to come in and dominate the workplace and it's just... It pulls everybody down. Paul Casey:                         So those people were not in the right seat on the bus as Jim Collins would say. Jane Winslow:                   True. Paul Casey:                         And so how did that come to your attention where you realize this is not a good fit? This does not fit the culture I'm trying to create here? Jane Winslow:                   Well, when I start seeing my staff struggle to tell me something because you know, I do have an office, it is an environment, I am the boss. And so sometimes they struggle with, do I really want to tell her she made a bad decision here, you know? And I have always encouraged them to be open and honest with me and I've told them sometimes I'm going to do what I want to do anyway. But just like I tell my clients when I advise them and they say, "I'm going to do the thing you told me not to do anyway." When it blows up, they come back to me and say, "You were right." Well, same thing in the office. So if I make a bad call, they find sudden... Well subtle ways to let me know that this isn't working. And if they're very concerned, they come out and tell me and we can either try to work with that person or that person needs to go. I've gotten a lot better about pulling the trigger on the person just needs go. Paul Casey:                         Mm-hmm (affirmative). Very difficult day to let somebody go. Jane Winslow:                   It is. It is. But I can tell you that most of the time when I have let someone go, they have come back and thanked me for it, which is a weird position to be in, but it's nice. Because I don't, not an angry fire person. I'm not. It's just not the right fit. It's not working for what we need at this time. And you know, we try to mitigate some of those things beforehand, but if it just isn't going to work, it isn't going to work. And ultimately people spend most of their life at work. You need to be doing the things that make you happy. You need to be doing the things that you're good at and you need to feel valuable and you need to feel part of a team. Jane Winslow:                   And if you don't feel that way, if you're not happy going to work, you don't really want to be there anyway. It's not about the paycheck. It's really about cultivating a life that you want to live. So you're dragging me down and we're dragging you down. This isn't working. You know, I know you need a job, we all need a job. I would be happy to give you a great recommendation and a great reference and I'll help you find something if I can. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, that probably means you did it well. If they come back and thank you after getting let go. Jane Winslow:                   Hopefully. We're all learning, we're always learning. Paul Casey:                         Well I'll take that rabbit trail. So then there's people on your team that do fit the culture. But they might be in the wrong seat on the bus. In other words, you've probably had to move people into different roles, responsibilities. Talk to me about maybe situations where that happens. Jane Winslow:                   So one of the tools that my coach gave me- Paul Casey:                         Who's that? Jane Winslow:                   Who may or may not be Paul Casey. So one of the tools that you recommended a long time ago was the StrengthsFinder test and a long time ago was probably a year ago. So you recommended that we do that. And so my whole team did it and we found it really, really cool. We're all nerds at heart, we love data, we love compare, contrast, those kinds of things. I mean we're designers so a little bit of friction is good, right? So we came up with our top five strengths, excuse me, we put them all out on a board. We looked at where people matched and where people were standing alone in a strength. Alysha, who's my office manager, printed out top five strengths for every single person with a picture and our name on it. And it sits on everybody's desk every single day and we've all learned what all those strengths mean and so it's been really, really nice to figure out and apply to our work what skills are needed for this type of project. Jane Winslow:                   Why when I say Lynette thinks differently than I do, how awesome that is because I don't want people that think exactly like me on a creative team. I want more ideas because more ideas is better options for the client and better results, right? So we've got more things to choose from. So it has really helped. And then conversely, if I've tried to ask an employee who seem to have more time or bandwidth to do something that I needed to delegate and then comes back to me and says, "I'm really not strong in this area, I want to help tell me which pieces I should do and then when to hand it off, because I think that Vanessa would be better than this, or Michael or Nathan." And it's been great. It's been really great. It's been a great communication tool and a great learning tool. Paul Casey:                         Let's stay on that staff topic. How do you keep your staff inspired and affirmed? Jane Winslow:                   So one thing is, two of the people on my team decided to make themselves into the sunshine committee, which is awesome because everybody needs a little joy or a lot. And so they plan monthly events for staff. Now, depending on where we are and how busy we are or what budget is, you know, sometimes they're office potlucks and they'll have a theme or sometimes we go out, we'll go to a movie, we're all nerds. So we all went and saw the Spider-Man movie together. We also saw the Men in Black movie together, you know, we also seen Avengers: Endgame. We had to see that in stages. But you know, we go out and we do things, we go to the Americans game and we go out to dinner and we do things together. Jane Winslow:                   We all really like each other, which we have been told, I've been told numerous times by clients and vendors both, it's really weird how much you all actually get along. I'm so used to going into offices where everybody's super happy and then they're dissing each other, you know, on the back. And that doesn't happen with these people. That doesn't happen with my team and that's reiterated with clients. The other thing is transparency. I am overly open and honest with my team about exactly what's going on in the business. Good, bad, ugly, all of it. They know. I personally believe because I have been on the receiving end of this as a staff person, when the boss is really upset, the boss is in a bad mood, the boss is constantly locking themselves in their office or storming in and out and it doesn't have time for anybody. You're short with people. I don't ever want to be that person. Jane Winslow:                   I've worked for horrible managers, none of whom I've talked about today, so don't go looking. I've worked for those people and I don't like it. I don't like the culture. I don't like going into work scared every day. I don't want to be afraid for my job. I want people to know. And what's great about this is that when my team knows, my team all pulls together to help every way they can. And when it's a great thing, they are all on board with celebrating. Everybody loves to party. But they get it and they get that work comes first and they get that this is how we have fun and we have lots of opportunities and we want to do something that everybody will enjoy. But we also want to push people to try new things. So, it's good. Paul Casey:                         A spirit of celebration. Jane Winslow:                   Yes. Paul Casey:                         Well no one wants to get stale in their leadership. So how do you stay relevant? How do you stay on the cutting edge yourself and how do you foster innovation in a creative company? Jane Winslow:                   So as I said, we're all nerds, so we all are looking and trying to develop new skills, looking into other uses for software. We all love to look at different marketing trends and we all kind of do that in our own way. Look at different creative tools, look at different drawing tools. You know, what are the trends and not that I care really what the trends are because I would rather be different. You know, but looking at what's going on and even different industries because we do a lot of work in healthcare, we do a lot of work in construction, we do a lot of work in arts and in education. So looking at what things are going on there, so in terms of research and just being aware. I'm in your mastermind group, the small business mastermind, which I absolutely love. I'm in a BNI chapter, I'm in the dream team right now, but I know and network with several of the other chapters as well. Jane Winslow:                   I'm in several different Facebook groups that are groups for entrepreneurial women or local business owners or graphic designers or restaurant groups because we've got a product that's specifically for restaurants and entertainment venues. I do some of the more laid back networking events like chamber and Link and just some different things. And then I've got a network with my clients. I talk to my clients. I love to learn what's going on in their industries and how it can apply to my industry or how I can put that client with another client and come up with something new. And then I've got a really great group of fellow business owners that I call brain trust and it's good to just really look, and I use the mastermind group that way as well, as these people that are leaders in their fields who are seeing different things that I'm seeing. We look at trends, we look at, you know, buying habits. We look at all kinds of different things, but they're just great resources. Paul Casey:                         People, people, people. I mean you just really- Jane Winslow:                   Yeah there's always people. Paul Casey:                         I mean you just mentioned dozens of people in your life that you surround yourself with to grow from. Jane Winslow:                   Yes. Yes. I am an active learner. I am a hands on, active learner. I love to read, but I don't make time for it anymore because I would rather be able to ask questions back because that's how I process information. I process it best that way. My brain is already engaged and I want to know why. And so instead of writing a thousand questions in the margins of a book as I go through it or talking to the air or my dog on a podcast, I am an active, engaged networker. Paul Casey:                         Extrovert, you. Jane Winslow:                   Yes, maybe a little. Paul Casey:                         Well, before we head to our next question on what makes a great day at work and at home for Jane, let's shout out to our sponsors. Paul Casey:                         Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Jason, what is the biggest pushback you get about life insurance? Jason Hogue:                     Hey Paul. Yeah. One of the biggest push backs I get from life insurance is from folks that are single. They usually ask me, "Why do I even need this? I don't have kids. I don't have, you know, any dependents or a spouse. Why do I need this?" Ultimately whenever you pass on, there's going to be somebody there to pick up the pieces. There's going to be somebody to deal with your affairs and I would say it's your responsibility to make sure that there is funds, that there's money there so that person can take the time needed to go through it properly and not make it their responsibility. Paul Casey:                         Awesome, Jason. So tell us how can our listeners get in touch with you? Jason Hogue:                     You can swing by our office on Road 68 and Pasco, or give us a call. (509) 547-0540. Paul Casey:                         So Jane, what makes it a good day? Just overall for you personally and on a good day at work, you look back at the end of the day and you go, "It was really a good day today." What happened in that day? Jane Winslow:                   I love new client meetings, absolutely love new client meetings. I love to learn about a business. I don't care if I have five clients or 10 clients that do the same thing. I love to learn about a business. I love to learn their story. I love to learn their why, because those are the things that truly make marketing a unique experience for them. You know, we work with a lot of real estate agents and I asked them what makes you different? And they all tell me exactly the same thing. Exactly. Well, excellent service and I'm very attentive to detail. And they are. They are. So I don't want to belittle that, but that's not what makes them different. Jane Winslow:                   What makes different is why they chose real estate. What is their passion? Give me some stories of your favorite customers because now we get back to the why. You know, in the mortgage industry and the banking industry and the insurance industry, in education, it doesn't matter what it is. We all believe the brochure copy that we're doing, all the script, not the copy I wrote, by the way, we all believe we're doing this great service. But at the end of the day, your passion for why you do what you do is what makes you unique. It is what makes you special. And it is the thing that people respond to. Paul Casey:                         It's not that I've been in business since 1985? Jane Winslow:                   It is actually not. In fact, if you have a meeting with me, and you give me that information as something you'd like in your brochure. What are the words I will say to you, Paul? Paul Casey:                         Nobody cares. Jane Winslow:                   Nobody cares but you. Paul Casey:                         So that's a great reminder. It's the why. Jane Winslow:                   It's the why. Paul Casey:                         It's the why. So it makes it a good day for you when you get to meet with those clients and brainstorm and attack their challenge and- Jane Winslow:                   Yes. Yes. And it's energizing. I absolutely love it. That's my favorite part of it. Paul Casey:                         Well, take us behind the scenes of your life a little bit. What's your best habit and what's your worst habits? Jane Winslow:                   All right. Personally or professionally? Paul Casey:                         Yes. Jane Winslow:                   Oh no. Okay. So personal best habits, I drink a ton of water, I eat clean, I take my vitamins and I have a wicked awesome skin care regimen. So those are good things. You know the things every woman is supposed to do. But my worst habits, I'm a pack rat, not hoarder level, but I do have all of my projects from college. I graduated a thousand years ago and I still have all of them there. Yeah, it's kind of ridiculous. I'm not hoarder level, but it could get that way. Paul Casey:                         You've given stuff to Goodwill, I know this. Jane Winslow:                   I have, I have, I've gotten rid of a lot of clothes. So professionally I am very honest. I'm very honest with clients and I do, I can usually tell when they kind of are not ready for the truth but they're asking me my honest opinion and I tell them, "You are paying me for my advice and my recommendations. This is what I see, this is what I recommend." And if they come back at me and say, "Yeah, no, I really want to do it this way." That is okay. You're the client, it's your budget. We're going to do the best we can in that direction. Jane Winslow:                   And then if it doesn't work and they come back and, "You were right, we should probably do the other thing instead." And sometimes I'm wrong. It has happened a couple of times. Not totally wrong, but kind of a, well this was pretty amazing that this works. Let's try that again and let's grow this way now because we saw some increase in revenue, let's add this other strategy and see what happens. And 11 times out of 10, the second strategy takes off way better than the first one. But it's important that the business owner is engaged. They know more about their business than I ever will. And that's important. I only want to work with people that are engaged in their businesses and care about the direction it goes and their why. It is their why. And that's important. And if their big why is that we've been in business since 1920, I will work with it. I can absolutely work with it. Paul Casey:                         But you found the direct approach is the best approach. You're not going to schmooze them, you're not going to try to sell them other stuff. You're going to shoot straight with them. Jane Winslow:                   Exactly. Paul Casey:                         This is what I think is going to make you successful. Jane Winslow:                   Exactly. And I'm really good at leaving money on the table quite frankly. I would rather somebody come to me with a realistic budget and then we say, in fact, I had a client meeting today and she gave me her budget and I said, "I know you can do a lot of the pieces, the execution work that I'm going to recommend and what I would like to do is factor that into my proposal to say, you'll handle this once I give you the tools to do it and use your budget for these other things that I know you can't do. But I don't want to just take all this for you and have you at the end of the day say I could have done 75% of that myself." So trying to help people use their budget and hire the experts for the pieces that they can't do or don't want to do or just have me make it easier for you to deploy it. That's what I want. Paul Casey:                         Those are three good outsourcing rules of thumb. You said can't do, don't want to do and was the third one? Jane Winslow:                   Well, it takes too long. I mean, I like to make it easier for them. It's like, let's just tighten this up and make it easier for you so that it is super easy for you to create that brochure within these tools that I've given you. Paul Casey:                         How about a favorite quote, Jane? Jane Winslow:                   Favorite quote? Well, this is on my screen at my office is, "Empowered women empower women." And I am, not that I have anything against you guys out there, I totally don't. I have a lot of male clients too so, and colleagues, but women business owners are a very strong vertical who don't believe enough in themselves. And as a female entrepreneur doing far more than I ever thought that I would as far as growth in my business. And, and I mean sideways and vertically because I mean, you know, I've got a lot of different pieces going on. But we all struggle, men and women actually, with this self doubt and we need each other to hold each other up and support each other and learn from each other and network with each other. And I think women in particular don't want to be seen as vulnerable or failing or anything else. Jane Winslow:                   Men don't either, but it's a little bit different because women an awful lot of the times, you know, we have to be successful mom, we have to be successful wife, we have to be successful boss, business owner, networker, colleague, vendor, salesperson, all the things. And I think that our ownership of all the things as a woman is different than the ownership of all the things for men. I think that men see them as different size responsibilities and women see them all as huge and full-time. Paul Casey:                         And that can be overwhelming. Jane Winslow:                   Yeah, absolutely. So I mean I know I struggle with it and I've got a great team of people around me and that is the secret. Paul Casey:                         And that's why we have to keep pumping each other up because who knows that that positive comment, "You can do this," is going to take that person and push past that obstacle. Jane Winslow:                   Exactly. Exactly. Paul Casey:                         How about favorite book that everybody should read? Jane Winslow:                   So my favorite book or the one that has I think impacted my style first and foremost is Eat That Frog, which is what, 12 pages? Paul Casey:                         Oh yeah. Jane Winslow:                   I think it's maybe, you know. It's a super fast read, but of course the gist is, do the hard, awful thing first. You know, if you get up every day and eat the frog and just do the worst possible thing, the thing you're dreading first and get it out of the way, the rest of the day is so much easier. And it's hard because sometimes that eating the frog thing, it's the really long thing that you can't make time for and you have made it up into this giant thing in your head. And if you just get through it, everything else is so much easier. Paul Casey:                         Yup. I'd rather cross off all those little things that give us the endorphin rush. But if we get the one big thing done, oh. Then we get so much more done after that. Jane Winslow:                   That's true. Paul Casey:                         It's just like a snowball effect in a good way. How about an influencer in town that Tri-Citians should meet? Jane Winslow:                   So I don't spend a lot of time looking at other business people and what they're doing and how they're doing it and try to figure it out and modeling myself after that. I'm just not that person. I've never been that person. And I try to not get externally competitive. I'm very competitive with myself. So I asked some friends, you know, it's like, okay, I know Paul's going to ask me this question, what should I say? And four out of five of them said, "You, it's you." Okay, so we're just going to answer this way. Well, thanks. But why? I'm like, okay, really? It's like, yeah, why me? Jane Winslow:                   They said, "Well, you're a power networker and you see solutions that other people can't see. And your ability to collaborate and put people together to make something completely different happen is unlike anybody else in the Tri-Cities. What you do with your clients and your friends and your power groups is completely different. And it sends businesses in a completely different direction and elevates them in a way that traditional marketing can't do and doesn't do or hasn't done." Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I would totally describe you as a connector. Totally. Jane Winslow:                   Thank you. Paul Casey:                         Totally. This person, I know this person over here. And of course that's how BNI is built. Givers gain. Jane Winslow:                   It is. Well, and that's what attracted me to BNI. Dana Mundy and I started BNI in the Tri-Cities, so a thousand years ago. I'm bad with dates, so I don't know however long it's been in the Tri-Cities, Dana and I started it. And really Dana started it. She researched networking groups and she came to me and called me and said, "Hey, would you join this?" I'm like, yeah, sure. I'll come and check it out. I didn't realize I was the second call and that we were doing this together, so I- Paul Casey:                         And nine chapters later or whatever it's at now- Jane Winslow:                   I don't know how many there are now. But it was a natural fit for me. It was just a natural fit because that's how I work anyway. So yeah, I would be a power connector in BNI. Paul Casey:                         If you left a letter on your desk for the leader who comes after you at WinSome, Inc., what would it say? Jane Winslow:                   Run! No. Seriously, if I were to leave my desk tomorrow, with the current team in place, I would tell the new me to love these people, trust them, encourage them and be honest with them that they will push this company to new heights and you just get to enjoy the view and ride the wave. Paul Casey:                         Great letter. All right. Finally, what advice would you give to new leaders or anyone who wants to keep growing and gaining more influence? Jane Winslow:                   Well, I think it's kind of been the theme of this podcast and that would be network. Get out of your own head. I frequently when in our masterminds, we've got a couple of people in the masterminds that are really good at telling me that I am the one in my own way. And it's really hard as a business owner because we're responsible for everything. We're product, we're development, we're staff, we're office, we're bills, we're management, we're vision, we're mission, we're everything. We're absolutely everything. We are the lifeline. Jane Winslow:                   So get out of your own head to get out of your way. Surround yourself with people that you trust, who look at things differently than you do and have a different skillset. There's no business that can succeed by itself in a vacuum. You can't be successful personally and professionally doing everything yourself, you know? So create that brain trust. When I worked for Eagle Printing, my boss said to me, you know, "You need to surround yourself with people who can do things that you can't do." You know, ask them questions and let them ask you questions because you are an expert in your field. Ask them questions. Work together. Don't be afraid of the competition. Learn how to work with the competition. Jane Winslow:                   We all have our own whys. I have a lot of competition in the Tri-Cities, but I do things differently than they do even though we technically, just like a real estate agent, offer exactly the same services. You know, why work with me? You've got to understand who your brain trust people are and they'll be honest with you, especially if you're sharing with them and they're sharing with you. Be honest with me. Tell me when I'm in my own way and I've got some great people that are really good at that. Paul Casey:                         Fantastic. Well, how can our listeners best connect with you? Jane Winslow:                   So you can find, let's see. I don't even know the answer to that question. So we've got a website winsomedesign.com W-I-N-S-O-M-E design.com. We've got a Facebook page, WinSome, Inc., and my phone numbers are on there. My office is at 1201 Jadwin in Richland. There. Paul Casey:                         Excellent. Well thanks again for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Jane Winslow:                   Thank you. Paul Casey:                         Let me wrap up our podcast today with a leadership resource to recommend, actually it's more of a personal resource to recommend and some of the clients I have are thinking about, well I just need a hobby. You know, I just need something to lighten up my life. And so I found a website that's called notsoboringlife.com. notsoboringlife.com/list-of-hobbies. List of hobbies. And it's like 308 hobbies. If you're just thinking, I have got to try something new, I've got to stop working, not be a workaholic anymore. I need a new hobby. Check out notsoboringlife.com, list of hobbies. And don't forget to consider patronizing our sponsors of Tri-City influencer, Gravis Law and Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Finally, one more leadership ticket for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." Keep growing forward. Speaker 3:                           If you enjoyed this podcast or it piqued your interest in learning more about leadership and self leadership, you can continue to glean from Paul and his Growing Forward Services. Check out Paul's blog and the products, tips and tools on his website at www.paulcasey.org and opt in to his Target Practice inspirational e-newsletter. You'll get his 33 top tips for becoming a time management rockstar when you subscribe and consider buying one of his three books. The most recent one being Leading the Team You've Always Wanted. Paul Casey:                        This podcast has been produced by Bonsai Audio at Fuse Coworking Space.  

This is Episode 94. Today, again, it's just you, me, and the microphones. So please, please please let me know if you like this format. I’d love to know if you prefer these or prefer interviews or coaching type strategy sessions. Without your feedback, I'm going to go off of the latest feedback from whoever came before you right now. People tell me to just educate, educate, educate and that's what I'm trying to do. So today's episode is really inspired by my own business. I've shifted using my tech tools to be able to be more mobile available. And when I say mobile available, I mean that I still primarily do my work at my desk with my laptop, which is connected to a nice big huge screen with a separate mouse and separate keyboard. So I have two screens, and that's where I do most of my work. Then, there's also the times where I take my laptop with me and I go sit at a coffee shop or the library, or I go and sit somewhere that I don't necessarily even need WiFi. And in those times, I sit in front of just the laptop and don't use the external mouse or external keyboard. Maybe I'll use the mouse depending on what I'm doing. But I never take my keyboard with me. That was a long way of saying that my laptop is very portable. My laptop is the crutch of what I use for my business. And on my laptop, I have a variety of tools. Most of the tools that I use, I use within my Chrome browser. So I use Slack for communication within my team. And I use Trello for project management. I use GSuirte, so I use my Google Mail for my inbox. And I use Google Docs and Google Sheets for spreadsheets and documents and things like that. What I have found is that sometimes when I'm out, I just don't want to get out my laptop. And I am so glad that those tools that I just shared with you, Slack, Trello, all of the Google Suite products, all have apps that I can use on my phone and continue to be productive to move my business forward and continue to work even if I haven't pulled out the laptop. But in the past week or so, I have been really watching my daughter at gymnastics, rather than going to a coffee shop. And balancing the laptop on my lap while I'm watching gymnastics isn't always the most convenient. So I've gone to my phone. I can easily use Trello from my phone. I've been using that for several years it feels like, but I've been using Trello on my phone pretty regularly to stay in touch with client projects and other things like that. I use Slack pretty regularly on my phone as well so that I can communicate with my team. But what I hadn't done is writing or a lot of spreadsheets. So I hadn't really explored the value of Google Docs and Google Sheets from the perspective of using them on my phone. I am working on a brand new funnel, a new summit, and a bunch of other new stuff that I cannot wait to share with you. And these are the things that I worked on from my phone. It was so amazing that I could just sit there, write my emails for the funnel, and then go and look up and see my daughter flipping and doing whatever she was doing at the time, and then look back down and write something else. So what I have done is, I have created myself a little bit of a system as to how I use Google Docs, in particular, to actually create an entire flow. It's really funny because most of the time when I work with clients, they will provide me with a Google Doc that they're cutting writer has created with all of the copy. It's got a beautiful table of contents, headings, and it's really clear and really easy for me to navigate as the tech implementer, getting those pieces into the software where it needs to be. But I had never been the creator of those. And when I went to Google Docs to create this for myself, I had started it on my laptop. So I had started the Table of Contents by using the different headings. And I went to my phone and said, “Okay, so how do I create headings?”. It was so, so easy! You just scroll down a little bit and you get a menu bar at the top, you click a button, and you have all sorts of options for formatting. I was won over by that. And it's so funny because here I am such a tech nerd and someone who wants to just make technology work for myself and for my clients and for anybody who's listening, and I had resisted using Google Docs on my phone.  I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to do enough. I took a step back. And I opened up the application and saw what I was able to do. So again, that just won me over. So I'm really, really excited about the potential for drafting content from my phone. And I hope that you are too. Just because you run a business doesn't mean that you can't do a huge amount of work or pre work from your phone. I'm going to go back to Trello a little bit. Trello is a very different experience on the phone versus on the desktop. On the phone, you obviously have much less real estate. So they've consolidated things. And things are in a few different spots. When I was first using Trello on my phone, I would use it just to kind of see what had been sent over. But I wouldn't actually make a whole lot of action or do a whole lot of work with the Trello board with the project and moving pieces forward, because I just felt that it wasn't as intuitive. I would go back to the browser version in Chrome and look at it on my screen with my laptop open and I would do the work there. Even simple things like moving a card. Now, I'm at the point where it's not a matter of just moving a card that I do only on the computer. I actually do everything, I’ll set up brand new boards for clients. I will create checklists and copy this from that and all sorts of other really functional things that helped me move my business forward. And I'll do that from my phone. I'm going to talk about one more thing that I do on my phone that I actually prefer to do on my phone than on the desktop or on the browser version. That is to process the promotional emails. So you know, we all sign up for newsletters and information and things like that coming from email. And I've mentioned it before on the podcast that I generally read through my emails when I'm on my phone.  I love how the Gmail app works where all you have to do is swipe to get rid of something to delete it. I am subscribed to a lot of newsletters. Which is a good thing because I like to stay on top of things for my own business for my clients businesses. But sometimes there are emails that come in that are wrap up emails that I don't need to read. Or there's emails that come in that are in conjunction with a podcast. And I've actually listened to that podcast and I don't need to read it. So I can easily swipe them away. I find that that is a very effective way of staying on top of those promotional update emails and not feeling like they're bogging me down. And I find that it's actually faster to do it on my phone versus on the desktop browser. Another application that I just started using on my phone is my Adobe Acrobat Reader. I pay for Adobe Acrobat so that I could have signing and a few other functions on there. And I connected the app with my Adobe account. Now I have access to all of the documents that I send out for signature right there on my phone. I'm able to easily check the status of things or reset or add on or things like that. So that's another app that I never really thought was going to be practical to us from my phone. But I embraced it. And I am so so glad that I did. That brings me to apps that may not work as well as you'd like them to. I use Photoshop pretty regularly on my laptop. And I use it for creating artwork and for editing things that I need to put on websites. A lot of times they use it for resizing images. There are Photoshop apps that are available for the phone. I don't use any of those because I haven't found a way to translate what I do on my phone with those pictures or graphics into something that is tangible. I'd rather take a time block, use Photoshop on that time block, and do it on my laptop. It's just one of those things that sometimes the apps work really, really well and I wanted to share with you that not every app is going to do something and help you move your business forward. We're getting close to Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the holiday season. You know, Christmas and New Year's is right on our doorstep. I would encourage you to understand and embrace the business of this time of year and look at the apps that you use on your browser or on your laptop or on your desktop and say, “Which one of these can I leverage the mobile version of, so that I can be productive in times that I just can't get my laptop out?” I encourage you to play with it.  See where you can go! Definitely hit me up on Instagram and let me know what you're using. You know what snap a picture of your screen when you're using one of these apps and tag me in your story. I would love that. Hit me up, I am @Techofbusiness. I will be back with an interview next week. So if you are interested in more interviews, let me know. If you love these solo episodes where I share just how I do my business, how clients do their business, or how to use a specific software tool, let me know that as well. Thank you so much for being part of the Tech of Business community. If you haven't already joined us inside the Facebook group, which you can access at techofbusiness.com/community join us now. There we talk all about expanding your business. Thanks for listening to the Tech of Business podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share, rate, and review on Apple podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Overcast, or wherever you download your favorite shows. You can also check out the show notes and learn more about me at techofbusiness.com. I'll see you next week. Connect with Jaime: Instagram: @techofbusiness Twitter: @techofbusiness Facebook: @yourbiztech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeslutzky/ Email: jaime@techofbusiness.com

I recently had a conversation with a friend and realized, as much as I intellectually know the phrase, life is a journey. I really don’t want it to apply to me! In other words, I want there to come a time where I figure it all out, I reach the mountain top of self-actualization and I don’t have to do anymore ”self-reflective work”!! Is that too much to ask!? I also know I would be robbing myself of a ton of wonderful life experiences however, I still fantasize about it. In my experience, life is ever-evolving and there's always something new to uncover. I'm not exempt from falling short. Quite frankly, I've come to the humbling realization that, I expect to fall short... And there in lies the real problem. On a side note, I have just discovered that you can ask me a question or leave comment about the podcast by leaving a voicemail. So, if you’d like to comment, ask a question or maybe even be on one of my podcast, leave me a voicemail. Maybe I'll figure out how to use it!

Hitting you with a bonus here because I realized I forgot an entire job I did. I was also drunk after watching UFC 243 and pretty riled up about it. Don't even remember what I said here, so you'll be listening for the first time along with me. Maybe I'll get black out drunk and record a commentary track over it (kidding...?).