Podcasts about mcdonald

2025 REVIEW QUIZ:True or False: Nearly half of directors think their board adds insufficient value.What percentage of directors said their board adds no value at all? A) 10% B) 18% C) 31% D) 69% (nice)True or False: Women run 11% of Fortune 500 companies in 2025.True — 11%. Don't clap.Women hold 24% of CEO pipeline roles but only ___% of promotions. A) 24% B) 16% C) 8% D) 0%, if the board had its wayWhich company plans to automate up to 90% of privacy and societal risk reviews using AI? A) OpenAI B) Meta C) Google D) Twitter (sorry, “X”)Why did BlackRock get removed from Texas' boycott list? A) Legal challenge B) Accounting error C) ESG retreat D) They promised not to say “climate” out loudWhy did PepsiCo say it delayed its net-zero target from 2040 to 2050? A) The board miscalculated emissions B) Shareholders voted against climate goals C) A change in climate accounting rules D) “The systems around us” weren't readyTrue or False: UK financial regulators scrapped mandatory rules because “DEI paperwork is annoying.”True: UK financial regulators scrapped mandatory DEI rules citing regulatory burden.The new acronym JPMorgan prefers over “DEI” is:D&IEDIDOI“Diversity, Opportunity & Inclusion”“Please Stop Asking”Which word even became unsafe during federal climate language purges? A) Sustainability B) Climate C) Resilience D) All of them, cowardWhich CEO criticized ISS and Glass Lewis as “incompetent”? A) Elon Musk B) Jamie Dimon C) Larry Fink D) All men eventuallyWhich phrase best describes modern CEO accountability? A) Robust B) Improving C) Optional D) DecorativeHaw many women have founded and led a Fortune 500 company?oneBonus: Who was that woman?Marion Sandler: Co‑founder and co‑CEO (with her husband Herbert Sandler) of Golden West Financial. True or False: Board gender diversity plateaued around 30%.True — Progress hit a ceiling and called it success.What % of Russell 3000 boards have 50% women?6%15%22%Enough to declare victoryTrue or False: MI6 appointed its first female chief in 2025.True — MI6 got there before corporate America. Blaise MetreweliWhich ESG metric disappeared first from earnings calls?Diversity statisticsEmissions targetsHuman rights languageAll of the above, but quietlyThe most common excuse for oversized boards:ComplexityGlobal reach“We need all these people”Founder feelingsWhich industry saw the biggest rollback in ESG commitments?EnergyFinanceConsumer packaged goodsTech pretending it's neutralWhat's the fastest-growing category of CEO compensation?Cash bonusesStock optionsPerformance shares“Retention” awards for stayingWhat's the most common DEI rebrand in 2025?BelongingCultureTalent strategyRisk managementWhat actually drives CEO pay upward during stock declines?Peer benchmarking“Retention risk”Board discretionFearWhy are women overrepresented in “glass cliff” roles?Risk toleranceCrisis opticsLimited pipelineConvenient scapegoatingWhat is the most accurate definition of “independent director” in 2025?No financial tiesNo employment tiesNo visible conflictNo intention of rocking the boatScoring Rubric23–25 correct: “Governance Adult” You actually listen. Disturbing.18–22 correct: “Proxy Advisor Apologist” You skimmed. You nodded. You missed the point.13–17 correct: “Boardroom Vibes Guy” You believe independence is a feeling.8–12 correct: “CEO Whisperer” You think pay packages are earned and boards try their best.Below 8: “Kimbal Musk” Please stop hosting the showWhich of these headlines are most likely to occur in 2026:Elon Musk announces Groxxx69, the latest iteration of Grok AI dedicated entirely to porn, 69, weed, pro wrestling, Call of Duty, and matchbox cars: 2DoorDash announces a 12 year $8.4bn pay package for CEO Tony Xu: 9DoorDash announces cutting staff 80% due to AI: 8Costco Caves to Trump, Cuts DEI: 1ISS and Glass Lewis announce new zero page voting policy: 5Brian Cornell resigns from Target board: 7CEO of McDonald's refuses to resign after admitting to affair with other executives: 8Sam Altman says he is terrified: 6Shareholders overwhelming vote out directors early in proxy season: 9Tim Cook announces retirement in 2028: 1

In early 2025 KFC released a disturbing commercial featuring references to witchcraft, cults, cannibalism and ritual baptisms. In December 2025, McDonald's released a disturbing commercial made with AI. The ad showed how terrible cooking, family, and Christmas really are, prompting viewers to visit McDonalds instead. Coca-cola, on the other hand, released an AI commercial for Christmas focusing on nostalgic imagery of Christmas and Santa, alongside baby animals. The question is, does a Coca-Cola commercial made with AI, but embodying positive holy day spirit, fair better than a commercial with real humans and a little CG, but one focused on cannibalism and essentially mocking religion? *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.WEBSITEFREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVE-X / TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMYOUTUBERUMBLE-BUY ME A COFFEECashApp: $rdgable PAYPAL: rdgable1991@gmail.comRyan's Books: https://thesecretteachings.info - EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / rdgable1991@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

Dan Cable was doing his job and getting compensated for it, but there was a problem: he was going through the motions with no growth, learning, or sense of excitement. He knew he needed to make a change to excel. By exploring the neuroscience behind thriving at work, Dan has since used his experience to help companies like Coca-Cola and Twitter (now X) optimize employee conditions. In this revisited episode, Dart and Dan discuss the neuroscience of enthusiastic employees, the practices that shut people down, and what we can do to set them free.Dan Cable is a researcher, author, and Professor of Organizational Behavior at the London Business School. He is the author of Alive at Work and uses his expertise to assist clients like Coca-Cola, Twitter, McDonald's, and Prudential. In this episode, Dart and Dan discuss:- Dan's book, Alive at Work - The biology behind enthusiastic employees- How Dan helped reduce a company's turnover by 30%- Why experimentation and play at work are essential- Creating conditions for experimentation without risking company goals- What stifles employee energy- Playing to the strengths of your team- The type of leadership that creates thriving employees- How managers can create personalized work- And other topics…Daniel M. Cable is a researcher, author, and Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. He uses his expertise to assist clients like Coca-Cola, Twitter, McDonald's, and Prudential, among others. He has won the London Business School's Excellence in Teaching Award and was selected for the 2018 Thinkers50 Radar List.Dan holds a BA from Penn State University and an MS Ph.D. from Cornell. He has published three books – Change to Strange, Alive at Work, and Exceptional – as well as more than 50 articles in top scientific journals. His work has been featured in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC.Resources Mentioned:Alive at Work, by Daniel Cable: https://www.amazon.com/Alive-Work-Neuroscience-Helping-People/dp/1633697665Design for Belonging, by Susie Wise: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Belonging-Inclusion-Collaboration-Communities-ebook/dp/B0998BMN9HConnect with Dan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-cable-a0b581a0/ Twitter: @dancable1Website: www.dan-cable.comWork with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what's most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Marc opens the show fuming over another early-morning McDonald's disaster before shifting gears to a packed lineup featuring Todd Pyro, Mark Walters, and an update on the Tesla vandalism case. He then shares a powerful story of generosity—a $1,000 Christmas tip for a hardworking single mom—followed by Kim's “On a Whim” segment on the Pennsylvania bus driver fired for banning Spanish to stop bullying, sparking a fiery debate over discipline and DEI overreach. The hour closes with Marc's sharp defense of America's First Amendment freedoms, warning that nations like Australia and the U.K. are sliding into thought control. #MarkCoxShow #FreeSpeech #ChristmasKindness #SchoolBusControversy #McDonaldsFail

On today's episode, we discuss how rapidly advancing home robotics could lead to “robot crime,” from hacked cleaning bots to liability questions when autonomous machines injure people or pets. The hosts dive into drone and cyber vulnerabilities, including Chinese-made DJI drones, surveillance cameras sending data back to China, and why Washington is pushing to rebuild secure, domestic supply chains for both drones and naval shipbuilding. They explore the economic shock of a Tyson meatpacking plant closure in rural Nebraska, using examples from Louisiana to show how one-factory towns can hollow out and whether education, tax policy, and new industries can save them. Finally, the conversation ranges from Sonic vs. McDonald's competition strategy and the great “pickle placement” debate, to SpaceX bulk-buying Cybertrucks, China's AI chip race, Trump's new “Golden Fleet” of warships, and drone-heavy future warfare after recent U.S. strikes on 71 ISIS-linked targets in Syria. Don't miss it!

Here's the top 10 most popular podcast from 2025. DescriptionFrom dogs illegally registering to vote, to cobras escaping bath tubs in South Dakota, to a cruise ship gambler who thought diving into the ocean was a solid financial plan—the Rizz Show proves the world is stranger (and dumber) than fiction. The crew also breaks down Weird Al bucket lists, deli slicer betrayals, psychedelic hiking fails, and what happens when Rizz tries to cosplay as a "Cops" fugitive to scare his neighbors. Sprinkle in Madonna signing the Deftones 30 years ago, McDonald's salads as government secrets, and a sports fan ranking that puts Missouri on par with Wyoming (ouch)… and you've got the kind of Bolivian Marching Powder Quadratic Equation chaos only The Rizzuto Show can solve.Follow The Rizzuto Show @rizzshow on all your favorite social media, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and more. Connect with The Rizzuto Show online at 1057thepoint.com/rizzSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ever heard of EFT tapping and wondered if it actually works... or if it's just "woo woo"? I sat down with tapping expert Jackie McDonald to break down this evidence-based technique that combines acupuncture points with emotional processing. Jackie shares her powerful origin story: how tapping found her at her worst as a 19-year-old new mom dealing with multiple traumatic losses to how she's completely transformed her life and built a business with EFT! She also shares a personal story about using  tapping to help her critically ill father sit up and walk after being bedridden in the hospital. This isn't just "woo" - there's real science behind why tapping works, and Jackie explains it all in an accessible, practical way. In This Episode, You'll Learn: What EFT tapping actually is and how it works How it lowers cortisol, calms the amygdala, and regulates your nervous system in minutes Exactly where to tap and what to say (including a live tapping session during the episode) How to use tapping while driving, in meetings, or anywhere you need quick anxiety relief Mistakes people make when starting to use tapping Bonus: Jackie walked me through a real-time tapping session, proving how accessible and effective this technique can be for anyone willing to try it. (This begins around 17 minutes and lasts for about 10 minutes). I highly recommend you revisit the episode (you can also watch the video version on my youtube) and follow along to experience it yourself!  Whether you're skeptical, curious, or ready to add another technique to your mental health toolkit, Jackie will change how you think about managing stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm.   FOLLOW Jackie's Instagram her website: JackieMcDonald.ca host: @loristreator my therapy practice: @solairetherapy   Support the podcast with these 2 things: Share it with one friend who needs to hear this Leave a 5-star review and tell me your biggest aha-moment from today Your support helps more women find their way here.

Good morning, afternoon, and good evening, everybody! Scott Carson here, and boy, are you in for a treat! As we roll into the New Year, many of you are resolving to dive deeper into real estate investing, but that old excuse "I don't have any money" always seems to pop up. Well, prepare to have your mind blown (and your excuses obliterated!) by today's special guest!We've got Lisa Ferris from Georgetown, Texas – a real estate investment legend who's been crushing it for years. She's a master of creative financing, fix & flips, short-term rentals, and leveraging private money. And the best part? She's written a book revealing all her secrets: "How to Find and Fund Any Real Estate Deal: How to Buy Real Estate Without Using Your Own Cash or Credit." Forget the banks; Lisa proves you don't need 'em!Here's what you'll learn from Lisa Ferris (and why you need her book!):The "Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired" Origin Story: Lisa, a 20-year realtor, shares how being "broke" and presented with a "POS house" forced her to embrace creative financing. Her first deal? Wholesaling a property in three hours for $17,000 profit – and she's never looked back!Ron LeGrand's Legacy & Realtor Superpowers: Lisa credits a Ron LeGrand course for igniting her creative financing journey. As a seasoned realtor, she leverages deep market knowledge (knowing which two blocks to avoid and where to buy!) to quickly run numbers and make offers, giving her a serious edge in Central Texas (Belton, Temple, Taylor, Fort Hood) – everywhere but Austin!Win-Win Negotiations for Distressed Sellers: Learn Lisa's approach to seller financing: always offer a higher purchase price and sell the payment amount (never the interest rate!). She focuses on creating win-win scenarios where sellers feel heard and get flexible solutions, even for those with no equity or facing tough situations.Private Money Magic: Just Ask! Lisa's secret to raising capital? Simply ask! Her first private lender was a good friend at McDonald's (true story!). She views it as offering an opportunity for investors to make their money work for them, not begging. Her deals average $200K-$300K and offer 12%+ returns, because as she says, "if you have a good deal, the money is the easiest part."Why Diligence & Community Matter: Lisa uses tools like RehabValuator and creates professional reports (Canva, anyone?) to make her deals attractive. She emphasizes proactive communication with lenders (even using platforms like SiteWire for draws). Plus, she champions local networking with her Centex Dealmakers Group, bringing integrity, training, and real-world deals to Austin's real estate community.Lisa Ferris is living proof that you don't need deep pockets to build a thriving real estate business. Her humor, humility, and rock-solid strategies make her an inspiration. Stop making excuses and start making deals happen!Grab a copy of her game-changing book, "How to Find and Fund Any Real Estate Deal: How to Buy Real Estate Without Using Your Own Cash or Credit," available soon on Amazon. Connect with her on Facebook (Lisa J Ferris) or via email: lisa@ljepropertysolutions.com. Subscribe to the podcast, leave a five-star review, and go out and become a Dealmaker!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join Note Night in America community today:WeCloseNotes.comScott Carson FacebookScott Carson TwitterScott Carson LinkedInNote Night in America YouTubeNote Night in America VimeoScott Carson InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Please take 12 seconds to rate and review the podcast because it helps us find new listeners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐FREE RESOURCES✅ Get a free digital copy of my bestselling book for a limited time, Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings. Get it here: https://www.choicehacking.com/free-book/ ✅ Get FREE weekly marketing psychology insights when you join my newsletter, Choice Hacking Ideas: Join the 10k+ people getting daily insights on how to 2x their marketing effectiveness (so sales and profit 2x, too) using buyer psychology. Join here: https://www.choicehacking.com/read/✅ Connect with host Jennifer Clinehens on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok @ChoiceHacking and @BuildwithChoiceHackingWORK WITH ME✅ Corporate Training: Get your team up-skilled marketing psychology and behavioral science with a workshop or training session. Choice Hacking has worked with brands like Microsoft, T-Mobile, and McDonalds to help their teams apply behavioral science and marketing psychology.Learn more here, and get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of the page: https://www.choicehacking.com/training/✅ Get your own Chief Marketing Copilot for your business when you my new program. Get live Skill Sessions, Implementation Sessions, and one-on-one time with me.Learn more here: https://choicehacking.academy/pro/✅ Buy my book in Kindle, paperback, or audiobook form: "Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings": https://choicehacking.com/PodBook/ ★ Support this podcast ★

For those Jets fans rooting for draft position above all, today was a good day.  Anyone hoping to see improvement from rookie quarterback Brady Cook in his second pro start however, will be less enthusiastic. https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/69160346/download.mp3 Following a relief appearance and a start last week in which Cook showed some signs of life in  his first NFL action, the undrafted free agent out of Missouri struggled mightily in his second effort. Now, in fairness to Cook, we saw the return of dumb Jets penalties as Gang Green committed one infraction after another, repeatedly costing the offense first downs or at least moved them from short yardage situations to much longer distances needed to convert. The Jets committed 7 penalties for 54 yards with five of them counting for 44 yards on offense.  John Simpson was flagged for the 10th and 11th times this season with his first flag wiping out a third-down conversion on a 3rd & 1 Brady Cook sneak.  But this doesn’t mean Cook was without blame. Several times we saw a hesitant Cook hold on to the football for too long and take a sack.  There were also several plays in which Cook tried to get away from pressure and ran himself right into a defender. On the day, New Orleans got to the rookie eight times, bringing his total to seventeen sacks in just three games. Asked after the game if he thought about going to veteran Tyrod Taylor in the second half, head coach Aaron Glenn said that he did not, as the Jets continue trying to evaluate the signal caller ahead of  next season. Things weren’t much better on defense where the Jets surrendered 29 points to a Saints team that had no running game to account for.  Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough dropped back to pass fifty times and got off 49 attempts for 308 yards.  For the second week in a row, the folks at PFF had linebacker Quincy Williams down for allowing three touchdowns, bringing his total on the year to eight. There were some bright spots in that Jamien Sherwood played what may have been his best game of the year under new coordinator Chris Harris, while Jowon Briggs, Malachi Moore, Dean Clark, Jordan Clark and Will McDonald flashed at times.  In fact, Ross Tucker who was calling the game for CBS, was effusive in his praise for Sherwood early on, and then for McDonald as he dialed it up a few notches in the second half.The post Jets at Fourth Spot in Draft Following Nola Drubbing appeared first on JetNation.com - New York Jets Blog & Forum.

In this episode of PWTorch ‘90s Pastcast, Patrick Moynahan and Alex McDonald discuss issue #365 of the PWTorch including how the media is covering UFC, Jim Cornette likely joining WWF's booking team, WCW considering a new Miss Elizabeth, Alex and Patrick consider how Vince would answer things on truth serum, and much more. Contact us with questions, reactions, and more at torchpastcast@gmail.com.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

Gugs Mhlungu chats with Thinus Ferreira, TV and entertainment critic about the role of AI in film and television, including its growing use in advertising following Disney’s announcement allowing its characters to be used in AI-generated videos, sparking a the debate around authenticity, job security, creativity, and the broader impact on talent and storytelling. 702 Weekend Breakfast with Gugs Mhlungu is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, on Saturdays and Sundays Gugs Mhlungu gets you ready for the weekend each Saturday and Sunday morning on 702. She is your weekend wake-up companion, with all you need to know for your weekend. The topics Gugs covers range from lifestyle, family, health, and fitness to books, motoring, cooking, culture, and what is happening on the weekend in 702land. Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Weekend Breakfast with Gugs Mhlungu. Listen live on Primedia+ on Saturdays and Sundays from 06:00 and 10:00 (SA Time) to Weekend Breakfast with Gugs Mhlungu broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/u3Sf7Zy or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/BIXS7AL Subscribe to the 702 daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of a long day, Jonah Goldberg lights a Montecristo and reflects on the passing of Norman Podhoretz, Megan McArdle's weighty abortion article, the limits of ideas, originalism and Burkeanism, Trump's egomania, and his pride in The Dispatch. Shownotes:—Tevi Troy on Norman Podhoretz—GLoP Culture Pod—“My Negro Problem—And Ours”—Friday's Dispatch Pod—Megan McArdle's article—Tuesday's Dispatch Pod on Megan's article—Suicide of the West—Jonah - “The Specter of McDonald's”—Jonah - “Cocaine Is Not Mustard Gas”—MillionPodcasts.com—Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right—Yarvin tweet—AO Pod - Burkeanism and the Administrative State—The Rest Is History—Law, Legislation and Liberty—Last weeks' Ruminant—Excalibur—Dispatch Junto program The Remnant is a production of ⁠The Dispatch⁠, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including access to all of Jonah's G-File newsletters—⁠click here⁠. If you'd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Johnny Mac shares five uplifting Christmas stories, including: McDonald's pulling a generative AI ad after negative feedback; The Guardian testing if AI can recommend thoughtful gifts; Santa's scheduled HAM radio event at the University of Scranton; Operation Christmas Drop delivering essentials to remote islands.  Parents are warned to keep kids away from story number five.John also hosts Daily Comedy NewsUnlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media!  For Apple users, hit the banner which says Uninterrupted Listening on your Apple podcasts app. FSubscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories' with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

In episode 1983, Jack and Miles are joined by author of Cry For Me, Argentina: My Life As A Failed Child Star, Tamara Yajia, to discuss… COLDPLAY KISS CAM LADY SPEAKS! Phone Bans Actually Work??? What’s The Worst Christmas Movie Of All-Time? And more! The Ritual Shaming of the Woman at the Coldplay Concert Coldplay kisscam HR boss Kristin Cabot on 16 seconds that ruined her life Phone Bans Actually Work??? Our picks for the worst Christmas movie ever Tim Allen's Critically-Panned 21-Year-Old John Grisham Movie Adaptation Is Now Dominating Streaming Charts The Worst Christmas Movie Ever Is About To Leave Netflix The Worst Christmas Movies of All Time I watched the worst-rated Christmas film ever made - with a very bizarre message Santa Claus: The Movie at 40 – how a box office flop became a ‘pure panto’ British Christmas staple Revisiting Santa Claus: The Movie ‘Santa Claus: The Movie’ (1985) [McDonald's Clip] Halloween's John Carpenter almost made this cult Christmas movie Jack's Piece of Media: "I only come on here to watch this now" LISTEN: Living Through a Lense by Vincent McRae TrioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travis teams up with his producer Eric to react to a wild news story about two Dairy Queen franchise owners in Long Island who got hit with a $6 million lawsuit over a technical payroll violation. Using their situation as a springboard, Travis unpacks the often invisible risks of small business ownership, the realities of razor-thin margins, and why the legal and regulatory environment can feel stacked against entrepreneurs. On this episode we talk about: The Dairy Queen “DQ sisters” case—how paying employees every two weeks instead of weekly triggered a multi‑million‑dollar lawsuit under an old New York pay‑frequency law. Why lawyers, not workers or owners, often walk away with the biggest payday from these kinds of class actions. The myth that small business and franchise owners are “rolling in cash” versus the reality of 12–16% profit margins and massive fixed costs. How minimum wage pressures, government regulations, permits, and franchise fees compound the financial strain on brick‑and‑mortar businesses. Why demanding higher pay without building new skills can backfire as automation and robotics become more attractive than hiring entry‑level labor. Top 3 Takeaways Small business owners—especially franchise operators—often operate on thin margins and can be wiped out by unexpected legal or regulatory hits, even when they're acting in good faith. Many “worker protection” lawsuits end up benefiting attorneys far more than employees, while leaving owners financially devastated and sometimes out of business. The most reliable way to increase your income is not to rely on lawsuits or mandated wage hikes, but to build valuable skills, increase your earning power, and keep extra cash reserves for the inevitable surprises of business and life. Notable Quotes "People think business owners are taking their workers to the cleaners, but a lot of them are barely keeping the lights on." "You might feel like you're suing ‘McDonald's,' but in reality you're wrecking the local franchisee who leveraged their house to open that one store." "We need a skill‑building mindset, not a ‘demand more money for the same work' mindset, or we'll just price ourselves right into being replaced by robots." ✖️✖️✖️✖️

Jimmy Jam is on Celebrity Jobber with Jeff Zito this week. What type of work would Jam be doing if not for being an R&B/pop songwriter and record producer since the 1980s with various artists like Lionel Richie, Herb Alpert, TLC, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, Usher, Chaka Khan, and more? Many celebrities will tell you that if not for that one lucky break or meeting, they would have been working at McDonald's, like Rachel McAdams, or teaching middle school drama, like Jon Hamm. In other words, they may have been just a jobber.

This week on the podcast, we're taking a trip back to one of the most infamous family films of the '80s — Mac and Me (1988). Often remembered for its blatant product placement, bizarre choices, and cult status, we break down what went wrong, what somehow works, and why this movie still refuses to be forgotten.Joining us for this wild ride is special guest Dusty from the Flick and Friends Podcast, who helps us dig into the movie's strange legacy, unintentional comedy, and place in pop culture history. From the alien designs to the McDonald's dance number, nothing is off-limits.Is Mac and Me truly one of the worst movies ever made, or does it deserve its cult following? Hit play and find out.Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more deep dives into horror classics and cult favorites.Follow Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/video_villa_entertainment TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@videovillaentmt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086204155260&mibextid=LQQJ4d Website: https://www.videovillaentertainment.com

The time is drawing short! Take advantage of this deal quickly, before it goes away! sign up for Audible, using our affiliate link! When you sign up for Audible between November 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 and get a great savings. Your first three months will be $0.99 before resorting to the regular price of $15. In the process you will be helping out our podcast, and the “Terry goat fund.” Quick recap The podcast episode featured Keith, Jill, and Terry discussing various Christmas-themed topics, including car theft, holiday traditions, and Christmas carols. They shared personal anecdotes and jokes, and Jill presented a list of unusual Christmas words. The hosts engaged in a trivia quiz about classic Christmas carols and movies. They also read listener emails and shared humorous Christmas jokes. The episode concluded with a reminder for listeners to check out their webpage for recent shows and to take advantage of an Audible book affiliation link before it expires on December 31st. Summary Keith, Jill, and Terry discussed recent events, including a mysterious incident involving Robin’s van being damaged and driven 120 miles by an unknown person. They explored options for securing their property with security cameras and discussed a device called the Harman Spark for tracking vehicles. News of the Week Terry tries to share some light-hearted news stories, including a reindeer that escaped from an event in England and a man who encountered a bear while adjusting his security camera, until we realize that Jill Artie shared the stories previously. Jill shared an unusual news story, about a record-breaking kissing event under a mistletoe in St. Louis. Keith had a story about an Oklahoma state trooper helping deliver a baby on the side of the highway. Terry's next news item is about a National Highways report of over 40,000 abandoned items found on roadsides in England. They also shared stories about a woman giving birth in a Waymo taxi and a Michigan mother delivering her fourth child in a McDonald’s parking lot, with the baby receiving the nickname “McTilly.” It was a remarkable story of a woman who gave birth in a McDonald’s parking lot, with no complications for either her or the baby, and shared the family’s experience on social media. They also talked about a deer that broke into a Christmas-themed store in Tennessee, causing a bit of chaos before being freed. Jill's Weird Words Jill introduced several Christmas-related words, including “wassail,” “Hanukkah,” and “Kwanzaa,” explaining their origins and meanings. The conversation touched on the Festival of Lights and the Jewish miracle it represents, as well as the made-up holiday Kwanzaa. The group continued to discuss various holiday traditions and origins, including Kwanzaa, Yule, Christmas, Boxing Day, and Santa Claus. They explored the history and cultural significance of these celebrations, with Keith and Jill sharing interesting facts about their origins. Terry's Top 10 List Terry shared a humorous top 10 list of things children ask Santa Claus for, highlighting whimsical and imaginative wishes. The conversation concluded with a trivia quiz about classic Christmas carols, with Jill participating in answering a question. Anchor Topic Instead of our usual segment on blindness related issues, Keith led a Christmas-themed trivia session with Jill and Terry, covering carols, movies, and songs. They discussed various Christmas songs and their origins, including “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” and “White Christmas.” Keith also asked questions about Christmas movies, such as “The Polar Express” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Email and Final Thoughts Keith talked about a story from Dudley Renfro about an encounter with a Native American chief. He also read one from a lady who encountered an elderly couple in the park. Finally, we share a voicemail. It's about Santa having an accident while delivering his toys. The final word from our AI companion The group shared Christmas-themed jokes and humor, with Terry and Jill contributing heavily to the laughter. Keith announced that this would be the last episode before Christmas, encouraging listeners to check their webpage for recent shows and to take advantage of an Audible book affiliation link that closes on December 31st. The conversation ended with a reminder of their voicemail number for listener engagement. AI can make mistakes. Review for accuracy. PS: sorry the show runs a little long, because a couple of minutes about takes it in you might not want to miss. Sponsored by: Retro Radio Podcast. Bringing you family-friendly entertainment through classic, old-time radio. Episodes are posted daily. Keith and his Retrobots share everything in his collection from the days of vintage radio. Adventure, comedy, detective, westerns, and lots in between. If you don't hear your favorite show, just ask Visit the web page today, https://retro-otr.com

Jody McDonald joins the show to provide the Eagles' perspective on their upcoming matchup with the Commanders. The conversation covers Saquon Barkley's resurgence, the Eagles' struggling offense, what they need to do to fix it, and a wide range of other insights into team strategy and performance.

White Guy Stands his ground after calling Man's Wife a B@tch in McDonald's!

In episode 1982, Jack and Miles are joined by host of Go Home Bible, You're Drunk and White Homework, Tori Williams Douglass, to discuss… Vivek Ramaswamy - The Boy Who Thought The Racists Would Accept Him…, Trump Plays WMD Card In War On “Drugs", Okay...The Grinch Is Officially Ruined and More! Vivek Ramaswamy goes to a Turning Point USA event in Ohio and quickly finds out that he is not on the team. What Is an American? Trump declares fentanyl a 'weapon of mass destruction' with executive order The US is already at war with Venezuela Jon Stewart Likens U.S. Aggression Toward Venezuela To Iraq In The 2000s: “Saddest Part … Is That Dick Cheney Won’t Be Around To See It” U.S. Overdose Deaths Decrease Almost 27% in 2024 What’s behind the significant drop in opioid overdose deaths CDC Reports Nearly 24% Decline in U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Exclusive: Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight Trump Administration Proposes Defunding Federal Narcan Distribution Program Trump administration praised ‘life-saving’ naloxone, then proposed cuts Trump Signs Law to Unlock Billions for Drug Addiction Recovery Charted: Shifts in America's leading causes of death Trump administration shuts down LGBTQ youth suicide hotline NIH Funding Cuts Disrupt Clinical Trials, Affecting 74,000 Participants White House uses 'Grinch' poster and quote to criticize Democrats on healthcare policies Trump’s Education Goon Releases Ultra-Cringe ‘Christmas’ Video How Dr. Seuss Gave Us One of the Most Complex, Socially Important Heist Stories Ever Walmart Serves Walton Goggins as The Grinch To Warm Up Black Friday Welcome to the Grinchʼs Walmart The Grinch is more popular than ever. There's a new McDonald's meal and tons of Christmas merch. Here's why it happened. Why the 'dank, eerie, weird' Grinch movie became a millennial Christmas classic How How the Grinch Stole Christmas Stole Christmas LISTEN: Wandering by Oscar PetersonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

McDonald's yanks its AI Christmas ad after backlash. Pat, Tom, and the team break down why it upset people, whether the humor actually worked, and what this says about sensitive audiences and modern marketing.

It's Still A Crispy Pickle! Gettin' hiipoojiggy with it. Just in Time for Christmas with Monica. Old Man Yells At iClouds. Mcfurious johnson! Friggin' Fraggin' Vegas Guy. Her Lady Name. Goo Today, Gone Tommorrow. Van Full Of Swag. Michael Blue Blah Bley. What Cream of Soup is in Your Wallet? I Don't Like Mall Weeeeeeeeed. Simply Hating A Terrible Christmas Song. Take me to McDonald's! Mouth To Mouth With Wendi and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hidden Lightness with Jimmy Hinton – At the end of the day, Kempczinski argued, your career is your responsibility and yours alone. Kempczinski's advice landed almost simultaneously with comments from actress Amanda Seyfried, who described socialism as a “gorgeous idea” and acknowledged that socialism doesn't work perfectly, but framed it as a system rooted in collective care...

It's Still A Crispy Pickle! Gettin' hiipoojiggy with it. Just in Time for Christmas with Monica. Old Man Yells At iClouds. Mcfurious johnson! Friggin' Fraggin' Vegas Guy. Her Lady Name. Goo Today, Gone Tommorrow. Van Full Of Swag. Michael Blue Blah Bley. What Cream of Soup is in Your Wallet? I Don't Like Mall Weeeeeeeeed. Simply Hating A Terrible Christmas Song. Take me to McDonald's! Mouth To Mouth With Wendi and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Giannis Antetokounmpo Episode! Giannis sits down with Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Tony Cartagena on Gruber Law Office's Thanalysis. Giannis' appearance is presented by Arena Club. In addition to opening Arena Club Slab Packs, rippin' the brand new Topps Chrome, and chasing a Giannis Rookie Card, the trio discuss winning a Bronze Medal for Team Greece in EuroBasket, and Giannis offers an inside look at his infamous workout with Kobe Bryant. Gruber Law Office's Thanalysis is also presented by Potawatomi Casino Hotel, The Prisoner Wine Company and McDonald's.

Have you ever wondered, “What's the last food you ate in your car—and did you regret it?”

Just weeks ago, OpenAI declared a code red. This week, they are rolling out announcements of new partnerships all over the place. Where does AI go from here? Will it bust or continue to grow. We discuss a bunch of interesting stories on the AI front. Plus we get you caught up on other tech news and have some tips and picks to help you get out there and tech better. Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) Amazingly Awkward Christmas Playlist (02:40) MAIN TOPIC: The State of AI: bust, boom, or bologna? (04:35) Sam Altman issues 'code red' at OpenAI as ChatGPT contends with rivals The Architects of AI Are TIME's 2025 Person of the Year Adobe Announces Image and PDF Integration with ChatGPT The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI Reach Landmark Agreement to Bring Beloved Characters from Across Disney's Brands to Sora Disney Accuses Google of Using AI to Engage in Copyright Infringement on 'Massive Scale' Apple Music is coming to ChatGPT, OpenAI announces Not lovin' it: McDonald's pulls AI-generated Christmas ad after social media backlash DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Selectively Copy Messages Text (22:55) JUST THE HEADLINES: (28:15) Merriam-Webster's 2025 word of the year is 'slop' Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri Authorities intercept drone carrying crab legs, Old Bay seasoning, weed for prison inmates Russia continues tech crackdown by blocking Snapchat, FaceTime access Texas sues TV makers for taking screenshots of what people watch RAM is so expensive, Samsung won't even sell it to Samsung Hollywood director found guilty of blowing $11 million Netflix budget on crypto and Ferraris TAKES: Robot vacuum Roomba maker files for bankruptcy after 35 years (34:15) SpongeBob and PowerWash Simulator headline today's six additions to Apple Arcade (37:35) BONUS ODD TAKE: Alien Baby Name Generator (42:10) PICKS OF THE WEEK:  Dave: Insta360 X5 8K 360 Action Cam (47:15) Nate: INKEE GC12 Portable LED Photography Light Wand,Bi Color Magnetic Handheld Video Wand Stick 2700K-6500K,2500mAh Built-in Rechargable Inflatable Light for Video Recording Dimmable Camera Light Tube (50:55) https://notpicks.com/2025-gadget-gift-guide-for-geeks/ (54:20) RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (55:55)  

Erik and Chris talk about spicy fantasy novels, the McDonald's AI-generated ad, and Erik upgrading to an Alaskan King Bed and much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Go to http://ritual.com/sip for 25% off your first month! Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/SIP. Promo Code SIP  Check out https://www.squarespace.com/SIP to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code SIP Go to http://zocdoc.com/thesip to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today! 

Description:Today's guest is someone who instantly made an impression on Jen when they met at a recent Hello Sunshine event in LosAngeles, when she moderated a Shine Away panel with Jen and beloved 9010 star and recent For the Love guest, Jennie Garth. Within five minutes Jen thought, “Okay… she's one of us.” Warm, sharp, steady — Kanika Chadda-Gupta has this grounding presence that makes a whole room exhale. An award-winning former CNN journalist and producer, Kanika built a thriving career in television news before motherhood rerouted her life in the most profound way. Born in India and raised in the U.S., her story is braided with themes so many of us know intimately: immigration and bicultural identity, the expectations women inherit, the invisible labor we carry, and the endless negotiation between ambition, caregiving, and our own becoming. Today, Kanika is the creator and host of the beloved Total Mom Sense podcast, where she distills her lived experience — raising children while caring for aging parents, navigating mental and emotional load, reinventing purpose in midlife — into practical wisdom for women who are doing it all and feeling all of it. In this conversation, we talk about what happens when life asks us to reevaluate our pace, our priorities, and the stories we've been handed about success. We discuss staying rooted inside seasons of huge responsibility, finding yourself in the middle of caregiving, and reclaiming a sense of agency and identity in motherhood and beyond. If you've ever felt stretched thin between generations, pulled in every direction, or unsure how to follow your own calling while caring for everyone else — Kanika's clarity and compassion will feel like a deep breath. This one's for all of us standing at the intersection of who we were, who we are, and who we're still becoming. Thought-provoking Quotes: "I like getting the gold star from all of my teachers. I did all the AP classes. I hung out with my teachers at lunchtime. We had open lunch, and it was like you could go to McDonald's, or you could go across the street to the pizza place. But I would go sit with Ms. Townsend, my biology teacher, and just kick it.” – Kanika Chadda-Gupta "It may be, the only headlights that you see heading to the eye of the storm are the first responders and the reporters. And I thought, I want to be in the eye of the storm. I belong here. I need to be here. I need to prove myself. And so then I stayed.” – Kanika Chadda-Gupta "I was most surprised by how your kids will make you face your childhood trauma head on. My dad and I get along great now, but when we were younger, he would say things that really just shot my self-esteem. And those are the first things that come up when my kids do something wrong and I'm like, wow, I gotta reframe." – Kanika Chadda-Gupta Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Hello Sunshine Shine Away Conference 2025 – https://shineaway.hello-sunshine.com/event/eddb3575-ec80-4812-a371-354c900d7cbf/summary Jim Gaffigan, comedian – https://www.jimgaffigan.com/ Mom Brain with Hilaria Baldwin and Daphne Oz - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mom-brain/id1438292826 Guest's Links: Website - https://kanikachaddagupta.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kanikachaddagupta/ Twitter - https://x.com/KanikaChadda Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kanikachaddagupta/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgkOq_AmLsvu6YJsKglQvSw TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kanikachaddagupta?lang=en Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/kanikachaddagupta/ Podcast - https://kanikachaddagupta.com/podcast/ Connect with Jen!Jen's Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmakerJen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmakerJen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In episode 1981, Jack and Miles are joined by co-host of Pod Yourself A Gun & Mad Yourself A Man, Vince Mancini, to discuss… FBI F**king Up The Brown Shooter Investigation, A Brief History Of Donald Trump Not Giving A Fuck About People Dying, Erika Kirk to Bari Weiss - Everyone Is Tripping Amirite? Okay, McDonald’s Is Just Trying To Kill Us Now, The Trailer For Spielberg’s New Alien Movie Just Dropped and more! FBI F**king Up The Brown Shooter Investigation WATCH: Trump defends reaction to Rob Reiner killing despite GOP criticism MAGA breaks with Trump on mocking Rob Reiner's killing MAGA Is Having a Hard Time Defending Trump Mocking Rob Reiner — But It Sure Is Trying You Won’t Believe How Trump Just Spun Charlie Kirk’s Death … Twice Donald Trump Once Boasted He Could Have 'Nailed' Princess Diana — But Only If She Passed an HIV Test On 9/11, Trump pointed out he now had the tallest building in Lower Manhattan. He didn’t. Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’ Donald Trump Shared a Hilarious Story About Not Wanting to Help a Dying Man Like Father, Like Son: President Trump Lets Others Mourn Why A Former McDonald's Chef Thinks the Fast Food Chain Could Be Bringing Back 'Super Size' How Morgan Spurlock’s ‘gross-out’ ‘Super Size Me’ pushed McDonald’s to change its menu McDonald's has launched an XXL shareable version of their fries called "Fans Fries" in Malaysia McDonald’s XXL Fries Now Available in This Country The Trailer For Spielberg’s New Alien Movie Just Dropped Steven Spielberg’s UFO Movie Starring Emily Blunt & Josh O’Connor Unveils Trailer & Title LISTEN: Almost Like Being In Love by Red GarlandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Today’s Show: Distorted View Daily – Wednesday, December 17, 2025 (Sideshow tease + Distorted News)Promo: Get $5 off the “Satan Away” t-shirt in the DV store — use promo code SATANAWAY (today only).Keywords: Distorted View Daily, Tim Henson, DV Sideshow, Satan Away shirt, Frankie McDonald AI, Zootopia 2 snake trend, Indonesian pit viper, Florida […] The post Satan's Steamy Phone Sex Chat + Frankie McDonald, AI, and the Epstein Question – Distorted View Daily Comedy Podcast first appeared on Distorted View Daily.

What happens when a man calls 911 to report a wrong-way driver… and discovers he is the wrong-way driver? In this episode of The Shallow End, Schnebly and Tom share a jaw-dropping true story of drunk driving irony, a listener's unforgettable fast-food bathroom disaster, and a late-night McDonald's drive-thru in Florida that escalates from impatience to gunfire. Real stories. Bad decisions. Maximum shallow end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back when I first worked with Jana Werner at Tesco Bank, I saw firsthand how a crisis could be a crucible for innovation and transformation. Her ability to unlock potential in even the most challenged teams was unforgettable. Now, teaming up with Phil Le-Brun—a transformational leader I came to know through his work at McDonald's—they've co-authored The Octopus Organization, a guide for thriving in an age of continuous transformation.In this episode, we go behind the scenes of their book and explore the anti-patterns that hold organizations back, the behaviors leaders must unlearn, and the mindset shifts required to succeed when change never stops. Whether you're a CEO, change agent, or team lead, you'll leave with small, actionable experiments to start evolving your organization—today.Key TakeawaysUnlearning blame-based leadership: Shifting focus from fixing people to fixing systems unlocks performance and trust.Spotting anti-patterns in everyday behavior: Habits like jargon, silos, and avoidance subtly block progress.Embracing uncertainty in leadership: Probabilistic thinking builds better decisions and psychological safety.Driving transformation through small experiments: Distributed action outperforms top-down mandates.Leading with curiosity in the age of AI: Execs must actively engage with tech to stay relevant and credible.Additional InsightsBehind the book: Why The Octopus Organization centers on 36 anti-patterns and how they uncovered themReal-world leadership stories: Lessons from Tesco Bank, McDonald's, Amazon, and FerrariTransformation fatigue is real: Overengineered change efforts often create fear and resistanceAlignment breakdowns in leadership teams: Many transformations fail because leaders aren't truly on the same pageReframing performance: Asking “what did you stop doing” reveals deeper impact than traditional goalsEpisode Highlights00:00 – Episode RecapJana Werner shares how she took over a struggling tech team, discovered their true strengths, and transformed their performance by rebuilding culture and trust. Phil Le-Brun describes the importance of creating a culture of trust in organizations, allowing people to test ideas and make a real difference.02:46 – Guest Introduction: Jana Werner & Phil Le-BrunBarry O'Reilly introduces guests Jana Werner and Phil Le-Brun, describing their collaboration during times of crisis at Tesco Bank, their leadership backgrounds, and their shared vision for adaptive, purpose-driven organizations as captured in their new book.04:36 – Revitalizing a Demotivated Team at Tesco BankJana Werner narrates how she took over a demotivated technology team, overcame her initial preconceptions, and transformed the group into a top-performing unit by changing culture, empowering individuals, and shifting organizational dynamics.07:07 – Lessons from McDonald's: Balancing Centralization and AgilityPhil Le-Brun explains McDonald's transformation journey, the need to unify local and corporate efforts, and the financial impact of building trust and alignment.10:16 – Learning from Industry LeadersPhil recounts interviews with CEOs like Indra Nooyi and Benedetto Vigna, highlighting that true leadership requires humility, storytelling, and ongoing curiosity.14:14 – Unlearning the Need for CertaintyJana Werner discusses shifting away from needing all the answers and embracing uncertainty, drawing on insights from Annie Duke and other...

Most companies plateau. Brad shows you why and how to break through. In this episode of The $100M Entrepreneur Podcast, Brad Sugars explains the real ceilings businesses hit at $1M, $3M, and $10M and what it actually takes to push past each one. He breaks down the “million-dollar founder ceiling,” where everything still runs through you; the $3M systems ceiling, where the business is trapped in people's heads instead of documented processes; and the $10M leadership ceiling, where growth stalls because you haven't built leaders who can build the next phase.Brad also dives into the biggest enemy of scale: complexity. He explains why simplifying products, narrowing focus, and doing the one thing you can be the best in the world at is the fastest path to $100M. He shares lessons from Apple, McDonald's, and even Cheesecake Factory to show how modularization and clarity unlock leverage.From there, Brad walks you through the real choke points that stop companies from scaling, and how each one suffocates growth if you don't solve it early. He then lays out the path forward: building systems at $1M, building leaders at $3M, and building strategy at $10M, so you can scale from there to $100M and beyond.If you want to understand exactly why businesses stall, and what to do next, this is the episode for you. See you next week, on the 100M Entrepreneur Podcast, new episode every Wednesday.About Brad SugarsInternationally known as one of the most influential entrepreneurs, Brad Sugars is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the #1 business coach in the world. Over the course of his 30-year career as an entrepreneur, Brad has become the CEO of 9+ companies and is the owner of the multimillion-dollar franchise ActionCOACH®. As a husband and father of five, Brad is equally as passionate about his family as he is about business. That's why, Brad is a strong advocate for building a business that works without you – so you can spend more time doing what really matters to you. Over the years of starting, scaling and selling many businesses, Brad has earned his fair share of scars. Being an entrepreneur is not an easy road. But if you can learn from those who have gone before you, it becomes a lot easier than going at it alone.Please click here to learn more about Brad Sugars: https://bradsugars.com/Learn the Fundamentals of Success for free:The Big Success Starter: https://results.bradsugars.com/thebigsuccess-starter

Liz Thompson is an investor, philanthropist, and CEO of the Café Group, whose story embodies ambition, faith, and love in action. From her beginnings in Chicago's Cabrini Green to co-founding Cleveland Avenue with her husband, former McDonald's CEO Don Thompson, Liz has built a legacy around pouring into people and proving that love is a strategy for leadership, not a sentiment. In this inspiring episode of So Ambitious, Liz opens up about what it means to take leaps of faith, navigate “no's” as data points, and use abundance as a guiding force. She shares lessons on mentorship, marriage, and building both billion-dollar businesses and impact-driven communities, rooted in faith, excellence, and purpose. “No is a data point. It's information that makes you stronger for the next yes.” – Liz Thompson Through personal stories of resilience, risk-taking, and radical love, Tune in as Liz reminds us that the real work of leadership isn't about titles… it's about sending the elevator back down and bringing others up with you. KEY POINTS  - Growing up in Cabrini Green and learning the value of love, resilience, and self-worth - Starting college at 16 and tackling the challenges of being “the only one” in the room - Lessons from corporate life at Ameritech: excellence, humility, and constructive feedback - Taking the leap from corporate to purpose - founding City Year Chicago - The story behind Cleveland Avenue and The Café Group: building wealth and impact - Love as leadership: why “I am the elevator” became Liz's life mantra - The power of mentorship, faith, and being in relationship with your community - Turning rejection into growth: “No is a data point.” - Redefining abundance and what it means to lead, give, and build with love - The urgency of investing in education and betting on overlooked genius in our communities  QUOTES  “Genius is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We invest in the people closest to the answers.” – Liz Thompson “Love is a strategy. Nothing of any importance will happen without it.” – Liz Thompson “Abundance has always existed—it's our limitations that stop us from touching it.” – Felecia Hatcher RESOURCES Liz Thompson  Website | www.thecafe.org/  Felecia Hatcher IG | @feleciahatcher Black Ambition IG | @blackambitionprize So Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media 

A conversation with CEO and Producing Director, Bryce McDonald, and Artistic Director, Britt Hancock, about our 2026 Season! Support the show

California Pizza Kitchen has a new ownership group. Some McDonald's franchisees are upset about the chain's new pricing strategy. And new economic data presents a less-than-rosy view of the restaurant industry. This episode of Restaurant Daily is sponsored by O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream. Visit ⁠⁠⁠https://www.okeeffescompany.com/restaurantdaily⁠⁠⁠ and use code NRN for 15% off your first order.

In today's episode, I sit down with entrepreneur Troy Smith, CEO and co-founder of Chop Chop, to talk about a delivery model built to actually support restaurants, drivers, and customers. I walk through why so many restaurants lose money using traditional platforms, and Troy breaks down how his flat-fee, no-commission system restores control to the people doing the work. We get into the razor-thin margins he experienced as a young McDonald's franchisee, the broken incentives that push fees higher, and why communities benefit when restaurants can serve their own customers again. It's a straightforward approach focused on fairness, transparency, and long-term sustainability.

In “Sean Combs: The Reckoning Pt 3 — Closing Remarks”, Ern & Iso wrap up the entire Diddy discussion with their final thoughts and a bigger convo about accountability, “trickle-down” success, and why public opinion flips depending on who's on the hot seat.They break down why it feels like everybody wants one person to carry the whole blame, even though whole teams, execs, and insiders benefited when things were good. They also talk about the jury outrage, the Cassie situation, and why people often prefer the more entertaining lie over the truth. From there, the conversation expands into the ugly realities of the music business: bad contracts, 360 deals, “opportunity” vs fair pay, and why artists keep signing anyway.They close with a real message: fame can make people accept deals and compromises they'll regret later, and in the end—knowledge, lawyers, and accountability matter.Tap in, and let us know in the comments: is the culture being consistent… or just picking sides?Support the show: Like

WA employers cut 14,500 jobs in September and the unemployment rate held at 4.5%, which is still higher than the national average. Actor and Director Rob Reiner and his wife were tragically murdered in their LA home last night. The suspect is their son Nick Reiner. Guest: State Representative Chris Corry (R-Yakima) on the state’s response to the flooding and the anti-business climate in Washington. // Big Local: In a surprising move, King County Executive-elect Girmay Zahilay is cutting the equity and racial and social justice office. Some communities near Highway 2 are concerned about the flooding damage’s impact on the local economy. A very fortunate gambler near Tacoma turned a $2 bet into over $60k. // You Pick the Topic: The CEO of McDonald’s gave some ‘tough love’ to young workers.

DAMION1In our 'Oracles are fine but emperors and popes are icky' headline of the week. Charlie Munger Warned That BlackRock Holds Too Much Power And Didn't Want Larry Fink Becoming An 'Emperor'“We have a new bunch of emperors, and they're the people who vote the shares in the index funds. Maybe we can make Larry Fink and the people at Vanguard Pope.”In our 'What we do is totally ok but what they do is totally icky' headline of the week. Schwab CEO Rick Wurster Draws a ‘Bright Line' Between Investing and Gambling In our 'Bob Iger Says "Water skiing is the new productivity"' headline of the week. Europe's Alps on track to lose 97 percent of glaciers by century's end"Creativity is the new productivity": Iger used this phrase during interviews to reframe how AI is reshaping work and entertainment, suggesting that while AI handles efficiency, human creativity becomes the primary value driver.In our 'You're going to love Will. He's really good at kickball.' headline of the week. Union Pacific Appoints Will to Board of DirectorsUnion Pacific appoints CF Industries CEO Tony Will to board of directorsIn our 'First they were better at ice cream and now they are better at board independence? Show-offs' headline of the week. Ben & Jerry's Plans to Set Board-Term Limit, Removing Three DirectorsMATT1In our 'Milestones include dinner with tech bros, phone calls with tech bros, giving gold plated fake awards to tech bros, hiring other tech bros' lawyers, and bricking your old phone' headline of the week. Tim Cook's $74.6M 2024 Pay Ranks 7th Among US CEOs Amid Apple MilestoneIn our 'To put that into context, Tim Cook is JUST shy of 30 PBS's' headline of the week. Arkansas becomes first state to cut ties with PBS, saying $2.5 million membership dues ‘not feasible'In our 'Also, climate change will make your backyard irrelevant.' headline of the week. Sorry, six-figure earners: Elon Musk says that money will ‘disappear' in the future as AI makes work (and salaries) irrelevantIn our 'Also fading: cakes on birthdays, barbecues on July 4th, giving thanks on Thanksgiving, and water in water coolers.' headline of the week. The taboo against holiday layoffs is fading.In our 'When 2034 is just too soon.' headline of the week. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary plans to step down by 2035DAMION2In our 'Ryanair board is officially told it doesn't matter' headline of the week. Michael O'Leary to Step Down from Ryanair Leadership by 2035In our 'Hey Ma, Fortune ripped off those dumb dudes at Free Float! Tell Dad!' headline of the week. Apple CEO Tim Cook out-earns the average American's salary in just 7 hours—to put that into context, he could buy a new $439,000 home in just 2 daysIn our 'McDonald's median employee delivers blunt reaction to career advice from McDonald's CEO that may 'hurt his feelings' in new Instagram video: "Fuck you and your 1,014:1 pay ratio."' headline of the week. McDonald's CEO delivers blunt career advice that may 'hurt your feelings' in new Instagram videoMcDonald's median employee for 2024 had total compensation of $17,492.In 2021, Kempczinski addressed the shootings of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams and 13-year-old Adam Toledo to Lightfoot, who had visited McDonald's headquarters earlier that day. Kempczinski wrote: “p.s. tragic shootings in last week, both at our restaurant yesterday and with Adam Toldeo [sic]. With both, the parents failed those kids which I know is something you can't say. Even harder to fix.”In our 'Actor becomes more powerful voice than entire ESG industry' headline of the week. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt wonders why AI companies don't have to ‘follow any laws'In our 'Freddy Fiffle and Billy Boffle named as interim CEOs while Donny Duffle has been named independent lead director' headline of the week. Barry Biffle Steps Down as Frontier Airlines CEOMATT2In our 'Remember, no one cares as much about you as you. In fact, I don't care at all about you or your career. I'll take it a step further: I hate you, you're basically the worst. This might hurt your feelings, but your mother hates you, too. You might as well be Hitler. But this is just tough love if you want your career to flourish as a cashier at McDonald's. Also, you're fired.' headline of the week. McDonald's CEO delivers blunt career advice that may 'hurt your feelings' in new Instagram video"The advice I would give is: remember, nobody cares about your career as much as you do," Kempczinski said. "So this idea that there's somebody out there who's looking out for you, who's going to make sure that you get that opportunity, who puts you in the right thing — great if it happens — but at the end of the day, nobody cares more about your career than you do."In our 'Man who said “You should fire the assholes,” “I have a lot of friends who are Democrats, and they're idiots,” and "I'm not mad at you. You can be mad at me. It's a free country, you can walk with your feet." says emotional intelligence and communication are keys in AI future' headline of the week. Jamie Dimon says soft skills like emotional intelligence and communication are vital as AI eliminates rolesIn our 'Is AI an immigrant? Does that count?' headline of the week. Rich, western countries face a stark choice: 6-day workweeks or more immigration, top economist warnsIn our 'Most people aren't fretting about an AI bubble. What they fear is mass layoffs' headline of the week. ‘A very hostile climate for workers': US labor movement struggles under TrumpIn our 'Trump issues executive order 323: the Banning of Woke Sea Grasses' headline of the week. A secret weapon for fighting climate change comes surging backCapturing carbon 35 times faster than the Amazon, seagrasses have faced centuries of decline. Now restoration projects across North America are seeing their meadows quadruple in size.

The State of Presales and Demo Technologies, and What's Coming in 2026 In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Justin McDonald, Co-founder and CEO of Saleo, to discuss how demo automation technology is transforming the presales landscape. They explore the evolution of presales over the past 20 years, the hidden costs of demo preparation (the "demo tax"), and how AI is revolutionizing how solutions engineers create and personalize demonstrations. Justin shares insights on building relational capital, the importance of in-person meetings, and why the future of presales lies in leveraging technology to spend more quality time with buyers. Thank you to Saleo for sponsoring this episode! Visit Saleo.io to learn more. Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/ Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Justin McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcdonald-21a3aa6/  Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack Saleo: https://saleo.io/ Mockaroo (dummy data generator): https://mockaroo.com/ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 04:24 How has presales evolved over 20 years 09:20 Demo tax 13:37 The importance of in-person meetings 15:55 Breaking down the demo tax components 24:47 AI and Demo Data Agents 26:42 Trends reshaping presales in 2026 Key Topics Covered The Evolution of Presales Technology From manual data creation with tools like Mockaroo to automated demo environments The rise of presales as a respected profession with executive leadership Shift from multi-week prep and constant travel to efficient Zoom-based demos The Demo Prep Tax Multiple departments impacted: DevOps, product, engineering, and SEs Hard dollar costs: hosting demo tenants can cost millions at scale Demo data degradation: perfectly prepared demos degrade over time SE time is expensive, and hours spent on manual data preparation adds up Building Relational Capital Only 17% of sales time is spent with buyers (even less for presales) In-person interactions unlock opportunities that Zoom calls cannot EQ and relationship-building will separate good from great in the age of AI AI-Powered Demo Automation Demo Data Agent: generates personalized demo data with a single prompt Token-based customization for industry, vertical, and use case adaptation Data injection technology allows real-time demo personalization The Future of Presales AI will expand automation across the entire sales cycle Agentic and asynchronous AI tools will support SEs 24/7 SEs won't be replaced, their time will be used differently The demo data is the story: great storytelling requires great demo data  

Get our AI Video Guide with 5+ prompts and real results: https://clickhubspot.com/rhk Episode 89: How big of a leap is the latest generation of AI video models—and do they really live up to the hype? Matt Wolfe (https://x.com/mreflow) and Maria Gharib (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maria-gharib-091779b9), an AI writer and newsletter creator, dive into hands-on testing and candid discussion about the brand-new Runway 4.5, Kling AI, and more. In this episode, Matt and Maria put early-access Runway 4.5 through its paces, experiment with quirky video prompts, and compare outputs from the top AI video tools including Kling's latest models. Is Runway 4.5 a massive leap forward, or just playing catchup with VEo and Sora? What kinds of content can creative teams actually produce with these new generative video AIs? Plus, Matt and Maria get real about the mixed reactions to AI-driven brand ads—like the recent McDonald's spot—and discuss where this fast-evolving field is headed. Check out The Next Wave YouTube Channel if you want to see Matt and Nathan on screen: https://lnk.to/thenextwavepd — Show Notes: (00:00) AI Video Innovations Podcast (03:53) Monkey on Roller Skates (07:22) AI Prompt Success Evolution (12:00) Nano Banana: Still Superior (13:56) Incremental Update, Limited Impact (17:32) AI Video & Image Editing (20:27) Lip Sync Test Analysis (25:50) Domino Effect Gone Awry (27:29) Kling's Dragon Feels Cinematic (31:21) Image-Based Video Generation Preference (34:02) Drone Flight Through Watch (37:38) Why Can't Video Models Work? (39:20) Rubber Hose Tap Dance Fail (44:30 AI as Assistive, Not Primary (46:03)  Podcast Feedback Wanted — Mentions: Nano Banana Pro: https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/ Sora: https://openai.com/sora/ Runway 4.5: https://runwayml.com/research/introducing-runway-gen-4.5 Kling: https://klingai.com/global/ Midjourney: https://www.midjourney.com/home Veo: https://gemini.google/overview/video-generation/ ModelScope: https://www.modelscope.ai/ Get the guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/tnw — Check Out Matt's Stuff: • Future Tools - https://futuretools.beehiiv.com/ • Blog - https://www.mattwolfe.com/ • YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@mreflow — Check Out Nathan's Stuff: Newsletter: https://news.lore.com/ Blog - https://lore.com/ The Next Wave is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Production by Darren Clarke // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano

Hello you! This is epsiode 3 and today we're talking about AI in advertising, not the hype, but the consequences. Specifically, how two of the most sophisticated brands in the world, Coca-Cola and McDonald's, used AI in recent campaigns and still managed to trigger backlash. This isn't a story about technology failing. It's a story about strategy failing, about what happens when brands confuse efficiency with meaning, and novelty with value. Tell us your views on AI created ads, we would love to hear from you!

How can you be more relaxed about your writing process? What are some specific ways to take the pressure off your art and help you enjoy the creative journey? With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre. In the intro, Spotify 2025 audiobook trends; Audible + BookTok; NonFiction Authors Guide to SubStack; OpenAI and Disney agreement on Sora; India AI licensing; Business for Authors January webinars; Mark and Jo over the years Mark Leslie LeFebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as nonfiction books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Mark and Jo co-wrote The Relaxed Author in 2021. You can listen to us talk about the process here. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why the ‘relaxed' author Write what you love Write at your own pace Write in a series (if you want to) Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. You can find Mark Leslie Lefebvre and his books and podcast at Stark Reflections.ca Why the ‘relaxed' author? Joanna: The definition of relaxed is “free from tension and anxiety,” from the Latin laxus, meaning loose, and to be honest, I am not a relaxed or laid-back person in the broader sense. Back in my teens, my nickname at school was Highly Stressed. I'm a Type A personality, driven by deadlines and achieving goals. I love to work and I burned out multiple times in my previous career as an IT consultant. If we go away on a trip, I pack the schedule with back-to-back cultural things like museums and art galleries to help my book research. Or we go on adventure holidays with a clear goal, like cycling down the South-West coast of India. I can't even go for a long walk without training for another ultra-marathon! So I am not a relaxed person — but I am a relaxed author. If I wanted to spend most of my time doing something that made me miserable, I would go back to my old day job in consulting. I was paid well and worked fewer hours overall. But I measure my life by what I create, and if I am not working on a creative project, I am not able to truly relax in my downtime. There are always more things I want to learn and write about, always more stories to be told and knowledge to share. I don't want to kill my writing life by over-stressing or burning out as an author. I write what I love and follow my Muse into projects that feel right. I know how to publish and market books well enough to reach readers and make some money. I have many different income streams through my books, podcast and website. Of course, I still have my creative and business challenges as well as mindset issues, just like any writer. That never goes away. But after a decade as a full-time author entrepreneur, I have a mature creative business and I've relaxed into the way I do things. I love to write, but I also want a full and happy, healthy life. I'm still learning and improving as the industry shifts — and I change, too. I still have ambitious creative and financial goals, but I am going about them in a more relaxed way and in this book, I'll share some of my experiences and tips in the hope that you can discover your relaxed path, too. Mark: One of the most fundamental things you can do in your writing life is look at how you want to spend your time. I think back to the concept of: ‘You're often a reflection of the people you spend the most time with.' Therefore, typically, your best friend, or perhaps your partner, is often a person you love spending time with. Because there's something inherently special about spending time with this person who resonates in a meaningful way, and you feel more yourself because you're with them. In many ways, writing, or the path that you are on as a writer, is almost like being on a journey with an invisible partner. You are you. But you are also the writer you. And there's the two of you traveling down the road of life together. And so that same question arises. What kind of writer-self do you want to spend all your time with? Do you want to spend all your time with a partner that is constantly stressed out or constantly trying to reach deadlines based on somebody else's prescription of what success is? Or would you rather spend time with a partner who pauses to take a contemplative look at your own life, your own comfort, your own passion and the things that you are willing to commit to? Someone who allows that all to happen in a way that feels natural and comfortable to you. I'm a fan of the latter, of course, because then you can focus on the things you're passionate about and the things you're hopeful about rather than the things you're fearful about and those that bring anxiety and stress into your life. To me, that's part of being a relaxed author. That underlying acceptance before you start to plan things out. If the writing life is a marathon, not a sprint, then pacing, not rushing, may be the key. We have both seen burnout in the author community. People who have pushed themselves too hard and just couldn't keep up with the impossible pace they set for themselves. At times, indie authors would wear that stress, that anxiety, that rush to produce more and more, as a badge of honor. It's fine to be proud of the hard work that you do. It's fine to be proud of pushing yourself to always do better, and be better. But when you push too far — beyond your limits — you can ultimately do yourself more harm than good. Everyone has their own unique pace—something that they are comfortable with—and one key is to experiment until you find that pace, and you can settle in for the long run. There's no looking over your shoulder at the other writers. There's no panicking about the ones outpacing you. You're in this with yourself. And, of course, with those readers who are anticipating those clearly communicated milestones of your releases. I think that what we both want for authors is to see them reaching those milestones at their own paces, in their own comfort, delighting in the fact their readers are there cheering them on. Because we'll be silently cheering them along as well, knowing that they've set a pace, making relaxed author lifestyle choices, that will benefit them in the long run. “I'm glad you're writing this book. I know I'm not the only author who wants peace, moments of joy, and to enjoy the journey. Indie publishing is a luxury that I remember not having, I don't want to lose my sense of gratitude.” —Anonymous author from our survey Write what you love Joanna: The pandemic has taught us that life really is short. Memento mori — remember, you will die. What is the point of spending precious time writing books you don't want to write? If we only have a limited amount of time and only have a limited number of books that we can write in a lifetime, then we need to choose to write the books that we love. If I wanted a job doing something I don't enjoy, then I would have remained in my stressful old career as an IT consultant — when I certainly wasn't relaxed! Taking that further, if you try to write things you don't love, then you're going to have to read what you don't love as well, which will take more time. I love writing thrillers because that's what I love to read. Back when I was miserable in my day job, I would go to the bookstore at lunchtime and buy thrillers. I would read them on the train to and from work and during the lunch break. Anything for a few minutes of escape. That's the same feeling I try to give my readers now. I know the genre inside and out. If I had to write something else, I would have to read and learn that other genre and spend time doing things I don't love. In fact, I don't even know how you can read things you don't enjoy. I only give books a few pages and if they don't resonate, I stop reading. Life really is too short. You also need to run your own race and travel your own journey. If you try to write in a genre you are not immersed in, you will always be looking sideways at what other authors are doing, and that can cause comparisonitis — when you compare yourself to others, most often in an unfavorable way. Definitely not relaxing! Writing something you love has many intrinsic rewards other than sales. Writing is a career for many of us, but it's a passion first, and you don't want to feel like you've wasted your time on words you don't care about. “Write what you know” is terrible advice for a long-term career as at some point, you will run out of what you know. It should be “write what you want to learn about.” When I want to learn about a topic, I write a book on it because that feeds my curiosity and I love book research, it's how I enjoy spending my time, especially when I travel, which is also part of how I relax. If you write what you love and make it part of your lifestyle, you will be a far more relaxed author. Mark: It's common that writers are drawn into storytelling from some combination of passion, curiosity, and unrelenting interest. We probably read or saw something that inspired us, and we wanted to express those ideas or the resulting perspectives that percolated in our hearts and minds. Or we read something and thought, “Wow, I could do this; but I would have come at it differently or I would approach the situation or subject matter with my own flair.” So, we get into writing with passion and desire for storytelling. And then sometimes along the way, we recognize the critical value of having to become an entrepreneur, to understand the business of writing and publishing. And part of understanding that aspect of being an author is writing to market, and understanding shifts and trends in the industry, and adjusting to those ebbs and flows of the tide. But sometimes, we lose sight of the passion that drew us to writing in the first place. And so, writing the things that you love can be a beacon to keep you on course. I love the concept of “Do something that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.” And that's true in some regard because I've always felt that way for almost my entire adult life. I've been very lucky. But at the same time, I work extremely hard at what I love. Some days are harder than others, and some things are really difficult, frustrating and challenging; but at the end of the day, I have the feeling of satisfaction that I spent my time doing something I believe in. I've been a bookseller my entire life even though I don't sell books in brick-and-mortar bookstores anymore—that act of physically putting books in people's hands. But to this day, what I do is virtually putting books in people's hands, both as an author and as an industry representative who is passionate about the book business. I was drawn to that world via my passion for writing. And that's what continues to compel me forward. I tried to leave the corporate world to write full time in 2018 but realized there was an intrinsic satisfaction to working in that realm, to embracing and sharing my insights and knowledge from that arena to help other writers. And I couldn't give that up. For me, the whole core, the whole essence of why I get up in the morning has to do with storytelling, creative inspiration, and wanting to inspire and inform other people to be the best that they can be in the business of writing and publishing. And that's what keeps me going when the days are hard. Passion as the inspiration to keep going There are always going to be days that aren't easy. There will be unexpected barriers that hit you as a writer. You'll face that mid-novel slump or realize that you have to scrap an entire scene or even plotline, and feel like going back and re-starting is just too much. You might find the research required to be overwhelming or too difficult. There'll be days when the words don't flow, or the inspiration that initially struck you seems to have abandoned you for greener pastures. Whatever it is, some unexpected frustration can create what can appear to be an insurmountable block. And, when that happens, if it's a project you don't love, you're more likely to let those barriers get in your way and stop you. But if it's a project that you're passionate about, and you're writing what you love, that alone can be what greases the wheels and helps reduce that friction to keep you going. At the end of the day, writing what you love can be a honing, grounding, and centering beacon that allows you to want to wake up in the morning and enjoy the process as much as possible even when the hard work comes along. “For me, relaxation comes from writing what I know and love and trusting the emergent process. As a discovery writer, I experience great joy when the story, characters and dialogue simply emerge in their own time and their own way. It feels wonderful.” — Valerie Andrews “Writing makes me a relaxed author. Just getting lost in a story of my own creation, discovering new places and learning what makes my characters tick is the best way I know of relaxing. Even the tricky parts, when I have no idea where I am going next, have a special kind of charm.” – Imogen Clark Write at your own pace Mark: Writing at your own pace will help you be a more relaxed author because you're not stressing out by trying to keep up with someone else. Of course, we all struggle with comparing ourselves to others. Take a quick look around and you can always find someone who has written more books than you. Nora Roberts, traditionally published author, writes a book a month. Lindsey Buroker, fantasy indie author, writes a book a month of over 100,000 words. If you compare yourself to someone else and you try to write at their pace, that is not going to be your relaxed schedule. On the other hand, if you compare yourself to Donna Tartt, who writes one book every decade, you might feel like some speed-demon crushing that word count and mastering rapid release. Looking at what others are doing could result in you thinking you're really slow or you could think that you're super-fast. What does that kind of comparison actually get you? I remember going to see a talk by Canadian literary author Farley Mowat when I was a young budding writer. I'll never forget one thing he said from that stage: “Any book that takes you less than four years to write is not a real book.” Young teenage Mark was devastated, hurt and disappointed to hear him say that because my favorite author at the time, Piers Anthony, was writing and publishing two to three novels a year. I loved his stuff, and his fantasy and science fiction had been an important inspiration in my writing at that time. (The personal notes I add to the end of my stories and novels came from enjoying his so much). That focus on there being only a single way, a single pace to write, ended up preventing me from enjoying the books I had already been loving because I was doing that comparisonitis Joanna talks about, but as a reader. I took someone else's perspective too much to heart and I let that ruin a good thing that had brought me personal joy and pleasure. It works the same way as a writer. Because we have likely developed a pattern, or a way that works for us that is our own. We all have a pace that we comfortably walk; a way we prefer to drive. A pattern or style of how and when and what we prefer to eat. We all have our own unique comfort food. There are these patterns that we're comfortable with, and potentially because they are natural to us. If you try to force yourself to write at a pace that's not natural to you, things can go south in your writing and your mental health. And I'm not suggesting any particular pace, except for the one that's most natural and comfortable to you. If writing fast is something that you're passionate about, and you're good at it, and it's something you naturally do, why would you stop yourself from doing that? Just like if you're a slow writer and you're trying to write fast: why are you doing that to yourself? There's a common pop song line used by numerous bands over the years that exhorts you to “shake what you got.” I like to think the same thing applies here. And do it with pride and conviction. Because what you got is unique and awesome. Own it, and shake it with pride. You have a way you write and a word count per writing session that works for you. And along with that, you likely know what time you can assign to writing because of other commitments like family time, leisure time, and work (assuming you're not a full-time writer). Simple math can provide you with a way to determine how long it will take to get your first draft written. So, your path and plans are clear. And you simply take the approach that aligns with your writer DNA. Understanding what that pace is for you helps alleviate an incredible amount of stress that you do not need to thrust upon yourself. Because if you're not going to be able to enjoy it while you're doing it, what's the point? Your pace might change project to project While your pace can change over time, your pace can also change project to project. And sometimes the time actually spent writing can be a smaller portion of the larger work involved. I was on a panel at a conference once and someone asked me how long it took to write my non-fiction book of ghost stories, Haunted Hamilton. “About four days,” I responded. And while that's true — I crafted the first draft over four long and exhausting days writing as much as sixteen hours each day — the reality was I had been doing research for months. But the pen didn't actually hit the paper until just a few days before my deadline to turn the book over to my editor. That was for a non-fiction book; but I've found I do similar things with fiction. I noodle over concepts and ideas for months before I actually commit words to the page. The reason this comes to mind is that I think it's important to recognize the way that I write is I first spend a lot of time in my head to understand and chew on things. And then by the time it comes to actually getting the words onto the paper, I've already done much of the pre-writing mentally. It's sometimes not fair when you're comparing yourself to someone else to look at how long they physically spend in front of a keyboard hammering on that word count, because they might have spent a significantly longer amount of a longer time either outlining or conceptualizing the story in their mind or in their heart before they sat down to write. So that's part of the pace, too. Because sometimes, if we only look at the time spent at the ‘writer's desk,' we fool ourselves when we think that we're a slow writer or a fast writer. Joanna: Your pace will change over your career My first novel took 14 months and now I can write a first draft in about six weeks because I have more experience. It's also more relaxing for me to write a book now than it was in the beginning, because I didn't know what I was doing back then. Your pace will change per project I have a non-fiction work in progress, my Shadow Book (working title), which I have started several times. I have about 30,000 words but as I write this, I have backed away from it because I'm (still) not ready. There's a lot more research and thinking I need to do. Similarly, some people take years writing a memoir or a book with such emotional or personal depth that it needs more to bring it to life. Your pace will also shift depending on where you are in the arc of life Perhaps you have young kids right now, or you have a health issue, or you're caring for someone who is ill. Perhaps you have a demanding day job so you have less time to write. Perhaps you really need extended time away from writing, or just a holiday. Or maybe there's a global pandemic and frankly, you're too stressed to write! The key to pacing in a book is variability — and that's true of life, too. Write at the pace that works for you and don't be afraid to change it as you need to over time. “I think the biggest thing for me is reminding myself that I'm in this to write. Sometimes I can get caught up in all the moving pieces of editing and publishing and marketing, but the longer I go without writing, or only writing because I have to get the next thing done instead of for enjoyment, the more stressed and anxious I become. But if I make time to fit in what I truly love, which is the process of writing without putting pressure on myself to meet a deadline, or to be perfect, or to meet somebody else's expectations — that's when I become truly relaxed.” – Ariele Sieling Write in a series (if you want to) Joanna: I have some stand-alone books but most of them are in series, both for non-fiction and for my fiction as J.F. Penn. It's how I like to read and write. As we draft this book, I'm also writing book 12 in my ARKANE series, Tomb of Relics. It's relaxing because I know my characters, I know my world; I know the structure of how an ARKANE story goes. I know what to put in it to please my readers. I have already done the work to set up the series world and the main characters and now all I need is a plot and an antagonist. It's also quicker to write and edit because I've done it before. Of course, you need to put in the work initially so the series comes together, but once you've set that all up, each subsequent book is easier. You can also be more relaxed because you already have an audience who will (hopefully) buy the book because they bought the others. You will know approximately how many sales you'll get on launch and there will be people ready to review. Writing in a non-fiction series is also a really good idea because you know your audience and you can offer them more books, products and services that will help them within a niche. While they might not be sequential, they should be around the same topic, for example, this is part of my Books for Authors series. Financially, it makes sense to have a series as you will earn more revenue per customer as they will (hopefully) buy more than one book. It's also easier and more relaxing to market as you can set one book to free or a limited time discount and drive sales through to other books in the series. Essentially, writing a book in a series makes it easier to fulfill both creative and financial goals. However, if you love to read and write stand-alone books, and some genres suit stand-alones better than series anyway, then, of course, go with what works for you! Mark: I like to equate this to no matter where you travel in the world, if you find a McDonald's you pretty much know what's on the menu and you know what to expect. When you write in a series, it's like returning to hang out with old friends. You know their backstory; you know their history so you can easily fall into a new conversation about something and not have to get caught up on understanding what you have in common. So that's an enormous benefit of relaxing into something like, “Oh, I'm sitting down over coffee, chatting with some old friends. They're telling me a new story about something that happened to them. I know who they are, I know what they're made out of.” And this new plot, this new situation, they may have new goals, they may have new ways they're going to grow as characters, but they're still the same people that we know and love. And that's a huge benefit that I only discovered recently because I'm only right now working on book four in my Canadian Werewolf series. Prior to that, I had three different novels that were all the first book in a series with no book two. And it was stressful for me. Writing anything seemed to take forever. I was causing myself anxiety by jumping around and writing new works as opposed to realizing I could go visit a locale I'm familiar and comfortable with. And I can see new things in the same locale just like sometimes you can see new things and people you know and love already, especially when you introduce something new into the world and you see how they react to it. For me, there's nothing more wonderful than that sort of homecoming. It's like a nostalgic feeling when you do that. I've seen a repeated pattern where writers spend years writing their first book. I started A Canadian Werewolf in New York in 2006 and I did not publish it until ten years later, after finishing it in 2015. (FYI, that wasn't my first novel. I had written three and published one of them prior to that). That first novel can take so long because you're learning. You're learning about your characters, about the craft, about the practice of writing, about the processes that you're testing along the way. And if you are working on your first book and it's taking longer than planned, please don't beat yourself up for that. It's a process. Sometimes that process takes more time. I sometimes wonder if this is related to our perception of time as we age. When you're 10 years old, a day compared to your lifetime is a significant amount of time, and thinking about a year later is considering a time that is one-tenth of your life. When you have a few more decades or more under your belt, that year is a smaller part of the whole. If you're 30, a year is only one-thirtieth of your life. A much smaller piece. Just having written more books, particularly in a series, removes the pressure of that one book to represent all of you as a writer. I had initial anxiety at writing the second book in my Canadian Werewolf series. Book two was more terrifying in some ways than book one because finally, after all this time, I had something good that I didn't want to ruin. Should I leave well enough alone? But I was asked to write a short story to a theme in an anthology, and using my main character from that first novel allowed me to discover I could have fun spending more time with these characters and this world. And I also realized that people wanted to read more about these characters. I didn't just want to write about them, but other people wanted to read about them too. And that makes the process so much easier to keep going with them. So one of the other benefits that helps to relax me as a writer working on a series is I have a better understanding of who my audience is, and who my readers are, and who will want this, and who will appreciate it. So I know what worked, I know what resonated with them, and I know I can give them that next thing. I have discovered that writing in a series is a far more relaxed way of understanding your target audience better. Because it's not just a single shot in the dark, it's a consistent on-going stream. Let me reflect on a bit of a caveat, because I'm not suggesting sticking to only a single series or universe. As writers, we have plenty of ideas and inspirations, and it's okay to embrace some of the other ones that come to us. When I think about the Canadian rock trio, Rush, a band that produced 19 studio albums and toured for 40 years, I acknowledge a very consistent band over the decades. And yet, they weren't the same band that they were when they started playing together, even though it was the same three guys since Neil Peart joined Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. They changed what they wrote about, what they sang about, themes, styles, approaches to making music, all of this. They adapted and changed their style at least a dozen times over the course of their career. No album was exactly like the previous album, and they experimented, and they tried things. But there was a consistency of the audience that went along with them. And as writers, we can potentially have that same thing where we know there are going to be people who will follow us. Think about Stephen King, a writer who has been writing in many different subjects and genres. And yet there's a core group of people who will enjoy everything he writes, and he has that Constant Reader he always keeps in mind. And so, when we write in a series, we're thinking about that constant reader in a more relaxed way because that constant reader, like our characters, like our worlds, like our universes, is like we're just returning to a comfortable, cozy spot where we're just going to hang out with some good friends for a bit. Or, as the contemplative Rush song Time Stand Still expresses, the simple comfort and desire of spending some quality time having a drink with a friend. Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Mark: What we do as writers is quite cerebral, so we need to give ourselves mental breaks in the same way we need to sleep regularly. Our bodies require sleep. And it's not just physical rest for our bodies to regenerate, it's for our minds to regenerate. We need that to stay sane, to stay alive, to stay healthy. The reality for us as creatives is that we're writing all the time, whether or not we're in front of a keyboard or have a pen in our hand. We're always writing, continually sucking the marrow from the things that are happening around us, even when we're not consciously aware of it. And sometimes when we are more consciously aware of it, that awareness can feel forced. It can feel stressful. When you give yourself the time to just let go, to just relax, wonderful things can happen. And they can come naturally, never feeling that urgent sense of pressure. Downtime, for me, is making space for those magic moments to happen. I was recently listening to Episode 556 of The Creative Penn podcast where Joanna talked about the serendipity of those moments when you're traveling and you're going to a museum and you see something. And you're not consciously there to research for a book, but you see something that just makes a connection for you. And you would not have had that for your writing had you not given yourself the time to just be doing and enjoying something else. And so, whenever I need to resolve an issue or a problem in a project I'm writing, which can cause stress, I will do other things. I will go for a run or walk the dogs, wash the dishes or clean the house. Or I'll put on some music and sing and dance like nobody is watching or listening—and thank goodness for that, because that might cause them needless anxiety. The key is, I will do something different that allows my mind to just let go. And somewhere in the subconscious, usually the answer comes to me. Those non-cerebral activities can be very restorative. Yesterday, my partner Liz and I met her daughter at the park. And while we quietly waited, the two of us wordlessly enjoyed the sights and sounds of people walking by, the river in the background, the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees above us. That moment wasn't a purposeful, “Hey, we're going to chill and relax.” But we found about five minutes of restorative calm in the day. A brief, but powerful ‘Ah' moment. And when I got back to writing this morning, I drew upon some of the imagery from those few minutes. I didn't realize at the time I was experiencing the moment yesterday that I was going to incorporate some of that imagery in today's writing session. And that's the serendipity that just flows very naturally in those scheduled and even unscheduled moments of relaxation. Joanna: I separate this into two aspects because I'm good at one and terrible at the other! I schedule time to fill the creative well as often as possible. This is something that Julia Cameron advises in The Artist's Way, and I find it an essential part of my creative practice. Essentially, you can't create from an empty mind. You have to actively seek out ways to spark ideas. International travel is a huge part of my fiction inspiration, in particular. This has been impossible during the pandemic and has definitely impacted my writing. I also go to exhibitions and art galleries, as well as read books, watch films and documentaries. If I don't fill my creative well, then I feel empty, like I will never have another idea, that perhaps my writing life is over. Some people call that writer's block but I know that feeling now. It just means I haven't filled my creative well and I need to schedule time to do that so I can create again. Consume and produce. That's the balance you need in order to keep the creative well filled and the words flowing. In terms of scheduling time to relax instead of doing book research, I find this difficult because I love to work. My husband says that I'm like a little sports car that goes really, really fast and doesn't stop until it hits a wall. I operate at a high productivity level and then I crash! But the restrictions of the pandemic have helped me learn more about relaxation, after much initial frustration. I have walked in nature and lain in the garden in the hammock and recently, we went to the seaside for the first time in 18 months. I lay on the stones and watched the waves. I was the most relaxed I've been in a long time. I didn't look at my phone. I wasn't listening to a podcast or an audiobook. We weren't talking. We were just being there in nature and relaxing. Authors are always thinking and feeling because everything feeds our work somehow. But we have to have both aspects — active time to fill the creative well and passive time to rest and relax. “I go for lots of walks and hikes in the woods. These help me work out the kinks in my plots, and also to feel more relaxed! (Exercise is an added benefit!)” –T.W. Piperbrook Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle Joanna: A lot of stress can occur in writing if we try to change or improve our process too far beyond our natural way of doing things. For example, trying to be a detailed plotter with a spreadsheet when you're really a discovery writer, or trying to dictate 5,000 words per hour when you find it easier to hand write slowly into a journal. Productivity tips from other writers can really help you tweak your personal process, but only if they work for you — and I say this as someone who has a book on Productivity for Authors! Of course, it's a good idea to improve things, but once you try something, analyze whether it works for you — either with data or just how you feel. If it works, great. Adopt it into your process. If it doesn't work, then discard it. For example, I wrote my first novel in Microsoft Word. When I discovered Scrivener, I changed my process and never looked back because it made my life so much easier. I don't write in order and Scrivener made it easier to move things around. I also discovered that it was easier for me to get into my first draft writing and creating when I was away from the desk I use for business, podcasting, and marketing tasks. I started to write in a local cafe and later on in a co-working space. During the pandemic lockdown, I used specific playlists to create a form of separation as I couldn't physically go somewhere else. Editing is an important part of the writing process but you have to find what works for you, which will also change over time. Some are authors are more relaxed with a messy first draft, then rounds of rewrites while working with multiple editors. Others do one careful draft and then use a proofreader to check the finished book. There are as many ways to write as there are writers. A relaxed author chooses the process that works in the most effective way for them and makes the book the best it can be. Mark: When it comes to process, there are times when you're doing something that feels natural, versus times when you're learning a new skill. Consciously and purposefully learning new skills can be stressful; particularly because it's something we often put so much emphasis or importance upon. But when you adapt on-going learning as a normal part of your life, a natural part of who and what you are, that stress can flow away. I'm always about learning new skills; but over time I've learned how to absorb learning into my everyday processes. I'm a pantser, or discovery writer, or whatever term we can apply that makes us feel better about it. And every time I've tried to stringently outline a book, it has been a stressful experience and I've not been satisfied with the process or the result. Perhaps I satisfied the part of me that thought I wanted to be more like other writers, but I didn't satisfy the creative person in me. I was denying that flow that has worked for me. I did, of course, naturally introduce a few new learnings into my attempts to outline; so I stuck with those elements that worked, and abandoned the elements that weren't working, or were causing me stress. The thought of self-improvement often comes with images of blood, sweat, and tears. It doesn't have to. You don't have to bleed to do this; it can be something that you do at your own pace. You can do it in a way that you're comfortable with so it's causing you no stress, but allowing you to learn and grow and improve. And if it doesn't work but you force yourself to keep doing it because a famous writer or a six-figure author said, “this is the way to do it,” you create pressure. And when you don't do it that way, you can think of yourself as a failure as opposed to thinking of it as, “No, this is just the way that I do things.” When you accept how you do things, if they result in effectively getting things done and feeling good about it at the same time, you have less resistance, you have less friction, you have less tension. Constantly learning, adapting, and evolving is good. But forcing ourselves to try to be or do something that we are not or that doesn't work for us, that causes needless anxiety. “I think a large part of it comes down to reminding myself WHY I write. This can mean looking back at positive reviews, so I can see how much joy others get from my writing, or even just writing something brand new for the sake of exploring an idea. Writing something just for me, rather than for an audience, reminds me how much I enjoy writing, which helps me to unwind a bit and approach my projects with more playfulness.” – Icy Sedgwick You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. The post The Relaxed Author Writing Tips With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.

In this episode of PWTorch ‘90s Pastcast, Patrick Moynahan and Alex McDonald discuss issue #364 of the PWTorch including World War 3 and a ridiculous finish, Savage wins WCW title, SMW dies, Steve Austin on his way to WWF, and much more. Contact us with questions, reactions, and more at torchpastcast@gmail.com.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Vin Baker sits down with Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Tony Cartagena on Gruber Law Office's Thanalysis. They discuss the NBA in the 1990's, epic stories from Milwaukee and Seattle and Baker's incredible story from "rock bottom" and Starbucks back to the league. Gruber Law Office's Thanalysis is presented by Potawatomi Casino Hotel and McDonald's.