Podcasts about mcdonald

Fresh off the long Thanksgiving weekend, Jim and Lauren crawl out from under their leftover Pilgrim sandwiches to talk about Zootopia 2 absolutely owning the holiday box office, how that might shape Disney's sequel strategy, and the must-have merch that is already slithering into the parks. They also dig into McDonald's massive 70th anniversary Happy Meal promotion, Disney's official holiday book guide, and a couple of doorstop tomes that are now living in the Hersey household. In the back half, Jim takes Lauren on a whirlwind tour through nearly 80 years of Disney's talking-animal history - from Song of the South all the way to Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. NEWS • Zootopia 2's Thanksgiving opening pulls in a projected 156 million dollars domestically and around 400 million dollars overseas in just five days - more than half a billion total and one of the biggest Thanksgiving hauls ever. • How those numbers stack up against Wicked for Good and last year's Moana 2, plus why Universal probably is not panicking while it waits for the inevitable Wicked sing-along edition and a newly announced Galinda prequel novel. • The debut of Gary the Snake - a gloriously weird Zootopia 2 sipper at Disneyland - and Jim's crusade to track down Nog the snow seal pup plush that was gifted to Disney Television Animation staffers. • McDonald's 70th celebration Happy Meal, featuring 70 different Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and classic character toys with two figures per box - plus online grumbling over who made the cut (hello, Clarabelle) and who suspiciously did not (sorry, Cinderella). • Disney Parks Blog's holiday book guide, from deep-dive art and history titles like the X Atencio tribute and John Landau's memoir to Moana's “What if she stole the heart?” Twisted Tale, kid-friendly atlases, scratch-n-sniff adventures, and the giant Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks and Bring the Magic Home books currently threatening Lauren's fingernails. FEATURE • A crash course in Disney's history with anthropomorphized animals - starting with the animated sequences in 1946's Song of the South and why so many artists remembered that era as their happiest time at the studio after returning from World War II. • The rise and fall of the abandoned Chanticleer project, the “Roy's Boys” money feud with Walt, and how that detour accidentally sent Mark Davis to Imagineering where he helped create icons like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. • How The Aristocats, Robin Hood, and even The Jungle Book paved the way for modern animal worlds - including the infamous animation recycling in Robin Hood's “Phony King of England” sequence that sharp-eyed fans still spot today. • The long development path from the shelved spy thriller Savage Seas, starring Jack Savage, to the fully realized animal metropolis of Zootopia - including John Lasseter's notes, Jared Bush's CIA family background, and the last-minute decision to swap Nick Wilde out for Judy Hopps as the true lead. HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Lauren Hersey - IG: @lauren_hersey_ | X: @laurenhersey2 FOLLOW • Facebook: JimHillMediaNews • Instagram: JimHillMedia • TikTok: JimHillMedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency SPONSOR This episode of I Want That Too is brought to you by our friends at UnlockedMagic.com - the same trusted team behind the DVC Rental Store and DVC Resale Market. If you are planning a trip to Central Florida to visit Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando, the Unlocked Magic crew has some of the best deals on tickets, so do yourself a favor and use UnlockedMagic.com to make your next vacation just a little more magical. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00:00:00 – Tech issues, opening banter, and intro to the American Sasquatch film 00:04:45 – December declared Bigfoot Month; setup for deep-dive Bigfoot discussion 00:09:16 – Alex Jones Clips of the Week and commentary detours 00:14:14 – Transition back into monsters and paranormal talk 00:17:59 – Breaking down the American Sasquatch documentary's approach to portals and Bigfoot lore 00:22:15 – Multidimensional Bigfoot theories; Native American accounts and early history 00:33:38 – Bigfoot DNA claims, contamination arguments, and Nephilim lineage speculation 00:38:04 – Portals, Skinwalker Ranch entities, dire wolves, humanoids, and congressional Bigfoot believer 00:43:01 – English witness story: beam of light, red mist, and small red-eyed creatures 00:48:00 – UK teen Bigfoot documentary "My Life With Bigfoot" and autism-overcoming narrative 00:52:31 – Twilight vampires tangent and celebrity-fleeing-Trump discussion 00:57:24 – Ellen/Portia UK move and gossip segment 00:58:56 – Alice in Chains pressured by PETA to rename themselves "Betty in Chains" to promote elephant rescue 01:03:53 – Circus ethics debate; ranting about animal-free circuses and PETA's tactics 01:06:41 – Pete Hegseth controversy: SignalGate, Yemen strike allegations, media pressure campaign 01:14:26 – Follow-up criticism of Hegseth: drinking, misconduct allegations, Senate confirmation issues 01:18:15 – Predictions on political fallout and Trump's response to Hegseth pressure 01:23:17 – Shift to Cratchit's segment: sociology graphs, paranormal belief rates, AI jailbreaks via poetry 01:32:42 – Malaysia Airlines MH370 search updates and portal speculation 01:37:34 – Word-of-the-Year roundup: rage-bait, aura-farming, parasocial terms 01:46:24 – Japanese KFC Christmas traditions and Colonel Sanders lore detour 01:51:19 – News block: raccoon gets drunk in a liquor store 01:56:21 – Raccoon follow-up stories, dead-raccoon McDonald's incident, and closing banter toward sign-off   Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: http://obdmpod.com ► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/obdmpod ► Full Videos at Odysee: https://odysee.com/@obdm:0 ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/obdmpod ► Instagram: obdmpod ► Email: ourbigdumbmouth at gmail ► RSS: http://ourbigdumbmouth.libsyn.com/rss ► iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-big-dumb-mouth/id261189509?mt=2  

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr recap what they heard from Ryan Day, Julian Sayin, Kayden McDonald, Kenyatta Jackson, and Jaylen McClain following interviews Wednesday night. Daniels talked about dominating Michigan. Sayin was asked about the Heisman. McClain discussed his role as the last line of defense. McDonald shared his appreciation for where he's at, and much more.

Luigi Mangione has spent the last few days in court as his defense team fights for a fair trial and questions how Luigi Mangione was arrested and if it will jeopardize his rights to a fair trial. Welcome to Surviving the Survivor, the show that brings you the #Bestguests in all of #truecrime. In this STS episode, Emmy Award-Winning Host Joel Waldman updated STSNation on the latest developments inside the NYC federal courtroom. Luigi Mangione, accused of fatally shooting Brian Thompson — the former CEO of UnitedHealthcare — in a high-profile December 2024 Midtown Manhattan killing, is back in court as prosecutors and defense attorneys spar over what evidence can be used at trial. Prosecutors have played chilling 911-call audio and surveillance footage of the killing and of Mangione's arrest five days later at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania, while the defense argues key evidence — including a 9 mm handgun, a notebook with alleged motive writings, and statements made by Mangione — should be excluded because they were obtained without a warrant or timely Miranda warning.Support the show & be a part of #STSNation:Donate to STS' Trial Travel: Https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/GJ...VENMO: @STSPodcast or Https://www.venmo.com/stspodcastCheck out STS Merch: Https://www.bonfire.com/store/sts-store/Joel's Book: Https://amzn.to/48GwbLxSupport the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SurvivingTheSurvivorEmail: SurvivingTheSurvivor@gmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A fast, funny Thanksgiving-weekend show where you and Tom unpack why a tiny handful of stocks drive the S&P's returns, revisit forgotten winners like Hormel and McDonald's, explain why “you can't pick them in advance,” and tie it all back to building global, diversified portfolios. Listener calls cover early-retirement withdrawals with 72(t), whether AVGV should replace AVGE, a Thanksgiving relative obsessed with dividends, and a listener being pitched a 1.24% Fidelity “wealth management” upsell. 0:06 Thanksgiving haze, Manhattans, overeating, and setting up the show 2:24 Magnificent 7 vs S&P 493 and how concentrated returns distort hindsight 4:49 1985's shock winners: Hormel, Lowe's (the other one), Franklin Resources 7:41 The 1980–1990 decade: Hormel and McDonald's huge runs and why none were predictable 8:10 Why you need small, value, and international beyond the S&P 500 10:58 Caller: retiring at 56, 72(t) rules, penalties, and whether IRA vs 401(k) location matters 14:28 Correction: SEPP applies only to the chosen account, not all pre-tax assets 16:36 Travel while you can: knees, age, lie-flat flights, and holiday banter 20:21 Caller: AVGE vs AVGV, value tilts, the overlap, and whether it's worth the swap 22:49 Why AVGV exists (and why advisors may not need it) 27:35 Thanksgiving email: dividend-obsessed relative critiques VXUS payouts 29:53 What dividends really mean—and don't—and why payout “stability” is useless 35:49 Voicemail: Fidelity wants 1.24% to “manage” half a 401(k); is it worth it? (No.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The prosecution says Luigi Mangione ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk, fled the city, and was caught days later in a McDonald's with a backpack containing a gun and a notebook outlining an anti-health-care-industry ideology. The defense says that backpack shouldn't even exist in this case. They claim officers searched it illegally, questioned Mangione without Miranda, and collected statements while he was isolated in a Pennsylvania prison under constant watch. If a judge agrees, prosecutors could lose the alleged murder weapon, the writings on motive, and the statements tying it all together. This isn't just a murder case anymore. It's a fight over the Constitution — what police can do, what they can't, and whether a death-penalty prosecution can proceed if the evidence at the center of it was obtained the wrong way. Tonight, we break down the shooting, the arrest, the surveillance, the suppression hearing, the federal death-penalty push, and the extraordinary fallout if the judge throws out the evidence prosecutors are depending on. #LuigiMangione #BrianThompson #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #LegalFight #SearchAndSeizure #DeathPenalty #CourtHearing #NYC #TonyBrueski Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

The prosecution says Luigi Mangione ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk, fled the city, and was caught days later in a McDonald's with a backpack containing a gun and a notebook outlining an anti-health-care-industry ideology. The defense says that backpack shouldn't even exist in this case. They claim officers searched it illegally, questioned Mangione without Miranda, and collected statements while he was isolated in a Pennsylvania prison under constant watch. If a judge agrees, prosecutors could lose the alleged murder weapon, the writings on motive, and the statements tying it all together. This isn't just a murder case anymore. It's a fight over the Constitution — what police can do, what they can't, and whether a death-penalty prosecution can proceed if the evidence at the center of it was obtained the wrong way. Tonight, we break down the shooting, the arrest, the surveillance, the suppression hearing, the federal death-penalty push, and the extraordinary fallout if the judge throws out the evidence prosecutors are depending on. #LuigiMangione #BrianThompson #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #LegalFight #SearchAndSeizure #DeathPenalty #CourtHearing #NYC #TonyBrueski Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Kaelin talks about how her dad is prepared for an apocalypse! Plus, Fred spills hot coffee on himself and mentions the McDonald's lawsuit where a woman recieved thrid degree burns from a hot coffee spill. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

McDonald's AD | The Grinch Meal is available nationwide for a limited time only, head to your nearest McDonald's, or download the McDonald's app to try it for yourself! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mcdonalds.app.uk&hl=en_GB&pli=1Grace is joined by Diversity legends Jordan & Perri for the most unhinged Christmas episode yet, from disastrous childhood Xmas stories to the world's most questionable festive snacks!

Somewhere along the way, we stop letting ourselves be kids—yet the freedom we're craving might be buried inside the parts of us we told ourselves to outgrow. Show Notes — "Find Your Happy Meal" In this episode, Baylor shares a hilarious yet profound moment sparked by McDonald's new Grinch meal. One impulsive run to the drive-thru with his dog turned into an unexpected reminder of something adults forget far too often: Joy matters. Impulse matters. Fun matters. Baylor unpacks why so many people lose their spark as they get older, trading curiosity and excitement for seriousness and rigidity. He explains the neuroscience behind behavioral rigidity—the mental shift that happens as we age where the fear of losing what we have outweighs the excitement of chasing what we want. This episode encourages you to reconnect with the childlike parts of yourself: the dreamer, the explorer, the person who believed anything was possible. Not because you should be childish, but because the energy, creativity, and imagination you abandoned might be exactly what you need to move forward again. By revisiting the small things that used to bring joy—your metaphorical "happy meal"—you reconnect with a part of your identity that adulthood slowly pushed into hiding. This is a reminder that growing up doesn't mean growing dull. What You'll Learn Why adults stop dreaming the way kids do The psychology behind behavioral rigidity How risk-of-loss thinking limits your potential Why playful impulses are actually productive How to rediscover creativity and curiosity Why narrowing your life with "blinders" keeps you stuck How revisiting old joys reignites motivation A practical way to reconnect with what made you feel alive Featured Quote "You didn't outgrow your joy — you just convinced yourself you had to."

Alistair Macrow, former CEO of McDonald's UK & Ireland, joins the IPA Effectiveness Files podcast to discuss his journey from CMO to CEO, the value that marketing brings to a business, his advice for agencies and much more.

In 1998, a polite and oddly courteous criminal known as "Roofman" began a crime spree across nine states, targeting mostly McDonald's restaurants. Jeffrey Manchester, a former Army paratrooper, would cut holes in the roofs of buildings, wait for employees to arrive, and then rob them at gunpoint—after politely telling them to grab a jacket before locking them in the freezer. After being caught and sentenced to 45 years, he escaped prison by hiding under a truck.   For six months, he lived inside the walls of a Toys "R" Us in Charlotte, North Carolina, surviving on baby food and entertaining himself with remote-controlled cars. He even started a new life, complete with a girlfriend and a church community who knew him as "John Zorn." This is the unbelievable true story of the criminal who turned a toy store into his personal hideout and the bizarre double life he led before his final capture.     New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday!   Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries   Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries   Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com   #TrueCrime #Podcast #JeffreyManchester #Roofman #RooftopRobber #ToysRUs #CharlotteNC #CrimeSpree #PrisonEscape

In hour three, Dolphins vs Steelers likely won't be flexed. Frustrated with McDonald's after they changed their McFlurry Cups. Doug Plagens joins the show live at the Amerant Bank Arena for an update on the Florida Panthers.

The Science of Trauma & Joy with Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald - Trauma Researcher, Speaker and Author

On today's show, we're diving into one of our most wide-ranging episodes yet. We kick things off by decoding the internet's latest relationship label — what exactly is a non-Demi-curious-semi-binary relationship? From there, we react to Erin Andrews' latest headline moment, and then ask the big holiday question: Is a Home Alone legacy sequel actually a good idea or Hollywood madness?We also break down Paul Heyman's impact on wrestling storytelling, run through Variety's Top 100 Funniest Comedies list, and talk about why McDonald's prices keep climbing (and how fans are reacting). Plus, the Clippers' announcers got into an on-air argument… and we have thoughts.As always, we wrap with our Question of the Day and a bold Nuclear Opinion that might spark a debate of its own.Tap into Episode 654 of the Productive Conversations Podcast—available now on all podcast platforms and YouTube.What is a Non-Demi-curious-semi-binary relationship? (5:10)Erin Andrews (13:45)Strangers Things (18:00)Home Alone Legacy Sequel? (22:30)Paul Heyman (29:00)Variety top 100 funniest comedies(33:38)McDonald's Rises Prices (40:45)Clippers announcer argues with each other (55:45)Question of the day (59:12): What is the best Christmas song?                                  (1:11:02) What is the best Christmas Movie?Nuclear opinion (1:25:00)------#trending #sports #news #entertainment #culture #popculture #podcast Best way to contact our host is by emailing him at productiveconversationspodcast@gmail.com or mbrown3212@gmail.comThis show has been brought to you by Magic Mind!Right now you can get your Magic Mind at WWW.MAGICMIND.COM/ PCLT20 to get 20% off a one-time purchase or up to 48% off a subscription using that code PCJUNE. Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/productive-conversations-with-matt-brown/id1535871441 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7qCsxuzYYoeqALrWu4x4Kb YouTube: @Productive_Conversations  Linktree:https://linktr.ee/productiveconversations

Andy kicks off the hour with the wild story of a 500-pound bear who decided to move into an Altadena home like it pays rent. Then Andy rewinds the clock to the pre-AI internet, before the “slop era,” deepfakes, and unverified nonsense that now floods your feed. At 9:35, it’s chaos in Queens: a McDonald’s in Flushing has officially hired a McBouncer after 2,000 local students turned the restaurant into a daily brawl zone. Andy wraps with crosstalk with George Noory and a few KTLA highlights before signing off.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

08 02-12-25 LHDW Gastronomía: La polémica en Santander por abrir un McDonald's en el mercado tradicional de Puertochico

We talk about McDonald's Monopoly, casino comps, & more! www.junkiosity.com

08 02-12-25 LHDW Gastronomía: La polémica en Santander por abrir un McDonald's en el mercado tradicional de Puertochico

Recently X101’s John Harrison had an opportunity to talk with Jefferson McDonald about his upcoming show at the Cortland Repertory Theater “Great Jingle Balls of Fire”. See the show Saturday[Read More...] The post Jefferson McDonald Puts a Christmas Spin on a Classic Show at the Cortland Repertory Theater appeared first on X101 Always Classic - WXHC.com.

In this episode of PWTorch ‘90s Pastcast, Patrick Moynahan and Alex McDonald discuss issue #361 of the PWTorch including the low morale in WWF, the rise of the Clique, first look at the In Your House 5 card, WCW rushing Sting vs. Hogan, 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.

Our friends at McDonald's dropped off their brand new Grinch-themed meal, but Brian isn't able to have any of it because of a medical predicament. Chicago’s best morning radio show now has a podcast! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and remember that the conversation always lives on the Q101 Facebook page. Brian & Kenzie are live every morning from 6a-10a on Q101. Subscribe to our channel HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@Q101 Like Q101 on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/q101chicago Follow Q101 on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/Q101Chicago Follow Q101 on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/q101chicago/?hl=en Follow Q101 on TikTok HERE: https://www.tiktok.com/@q101chicago?lang=enSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab our breakdown of the 5 Low-Cost Businesses That Make $1 Million: https://www.franchiseempire.com/lowcost?utm_source=FENov302025Also, if you liked this video, but don't think the food industry is for you, check out this tool shop business breakdown: https://youtu.be/5jqCWyUq8ccIf you liked this video, but think a food franchise is too expensive, check out this video to find a better opportunity for you: Ever wondered how much money McDonald's franchise owners actually make? In this video, we reveal what it really costs to open a McDonald's, how much franchisees are paying in royalties and rent, and the surprising way McDonald's makes most of its money (hint: it's not burgers). We'll also break down how their average $4M revenue stacks up against other fast food giants and whether owning one is worth the $2 million+ investment.If you're considering investing in a fast food franchise or exploring business opportunities with big potential, this one's a must-watch.------------------Considering Investing In A Franchise?

This hour dives into the post-Thanksgiving business and consumer scene, covering record-breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, future job growth, and evolving retail strategies at Target and Walmart. The conversation shifts to national security and immigration, analyzing the DC shooting, refugee vetting challenges, and potential government responses. Geopolitical tensions in Venezuela are also explored. Lighter stories include McDonald's chicken nugget debates, the Supreme Court music piracy case against Cox Communications, and a Canadian family expecting six boys. The hour balances economic insight, policy discussions, and quirky human-interest moments for a full-spectrum look at current events.

Heidi Harris navigates a packed hour covering politics, personal finance, and cultural trends, starting with Trump's tax and stimulus talk, property and car tax frustrations, and the importance of staying politically informed. She moves through driving concerns for seniors and teens, exploring independence, safety, and evolving social norms, before diving into AI, creativity, and the changing landscape of movies and streaming. The show then turns to post-Thanksgiving commerce, record-breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, and the future of retail, blending economic insight with lighter stories like McDonald's nuggets and a Canadian family expecting six boys. National security and immigration are debated, from DC shootings to border enforcement and viral ICE bar antics, while education gets a spotlight with school choice, charter co-ops, and public school frustrations. Finally, sports fans get the latest on the Chiefs' playoff chances and Missouri's newly legal sports betting, all wrapped in Heidi's mix of humor, personal anecdotes, and sharp commentary on politics, policy, and pop culture.

"Three Things You Need to Know"...the long weekend in review...Nick Saban has two more car dealerships...McDonald's needs a McBouncerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#podcast #politics #Michigan #progressive #Democrats #Elction2025 #DataCenters #BigTech #DTE #ConsumersEnergy #CorporateDonations #CorporateGreed #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #WorkingClass #AttorneyGeneral KarenMcDonald #EliSavit #Authoritarianism #Democracy #LeftofLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musing" for December 1, 2025. Thanks to great reporting from Tom Perkins in Michigan Advance, we learned that top lawyers for Michigan's utility monopolies, DTE and Consumers' Energy, have given multiple donations to Karen McDonald, who's running in the Michigan Democratic Party's Attorney General primary race.  This is important since one of the main jobs for Michigan's Attorney General is to represent working class Michiganders against the utility monopolies that keep seeking massive energy rate hikes. Even more, with Big Tech invading Michigan to build its energy and job-sucking A.I. data centers across the state, the AG is expected to fight on behalf of working class Michiganders, who are against these data centers.  Why are individuals from DTE and Consumers giving to Karen McDonald? Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES: "Utility lawyers' donations to Michigan AG candidate raise conflict-of-interest concerns." By Tom Perkins of Michigan Advance "Oakland Co. Prosecutor Karen McDonald is top fundraiser among candidates for Michigan AG." By Paul Egan of The Detroit Free Press

Kevin M. Yates is known in the global training, learning, and talent development community as the L&D Detective®. He solves measurement mysteries and investigates how training and development as an experience and L&D as a function contribute to the workplace performance ecosystem. Kevin uses facts, clues, and evidence to uncover the truth about impact, focusing on collective contributions that influence business and human performance. He has used his measurement expertise in roles with world-renowned brands including Grant Thornton, Kantar, McDonald's, and Meta (Facebook). He is also president and founder of Meals in the Meantime, a nonprofit providing free, fresh, healthy, and high-quality food for people in need through pop-up pantries in the Chicagoland south suburbs.Website: kevinmyates.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinmyatesFacebook: facebook.com/kevmyatesThis episode is very kindly sponsored by The Content Consultancy, founded by Content Confidence Coach, Kate Llewellyn. Tell me, are you a business owner who finds content creation overwhelming or inconsistent?It's time to stop doing what you think you "should" or "must." It's time to start doing your marketing, your way!Kate helps serious entrepreneurs and business leaders cut through the noise to build a powerful content strategy that actually drives growth.Join her membership, The Confident Content Creators Club, for the structure and clarity you need to Plan with Purpose and Create Content with Confidence.Ready for an immediate mindset shift?Grab Kate's free, four-day Content Confidence Audio Series. It's designed to instantly help you identify your limiting beliefs and the specific barriers stopping your content creation success.Sign up today and stop letting self-doubt drive your business marketing: thecontentconsultancy.com/content-confidence-audio

For years, a mass exodus of believers has been leaving the Church, particularly amongst young people. Although there are hopeful signs that this trend is shifting, it remains a significant challenge for the North American Church, as a generation grapples with important questions about faith, church, and culture. In this podcast, Chris sits down with pastor and author Nicholas McDonald to discuss and unpack his new book The Light in Our Eyes: Rediscovering the Love, Beauty, and Freedom of Jesus in an Age of Disillusionment. Nicholas spent years helping people work through serious questions about faith and church. He quickly realized that what these people needed—and what he really needed—was not merely apologetics answers but the good news that speaks to their deepest dreams: love, beauty, and freedom—the very things Jesus promises to those who follow Him. For the many who have felt disillusioned with certain aspects of church culture, this book is a lifeline for navigating the cynicism of both conservative and progressive beliefs to find real hope in the life and mission of Jesus. Join us for this important conversation!   Website: https://impactus.org/ Check Our Resources for Men: https://impactus.org/resources/  ---------------------------------------------- Follow us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter This Is Me TV

Welcome to the first episode of The Sidebar, where Leise Winny & Royce mix pop culture, politics, and petty Black millennial commentary.This week, we break down DMV vs ATL culture, whether AI music is ruining creativity, $20 Happy Meals, Offset & Cardi's drama, relationship “closure,” gym weirdos, the wild Epstein emails, and why Nicki Minaj was randomly at the UN.Grab a seat and slide into the Sidebar.00:00 — Intro1:00 — Who we are + What's the DMV?7:12 — Is AI music bad?13:22 — Trans athletes & sports20:22 — McDonald's $20 Happy Meal25:41 — Offset's album + Cardi drama30:14 — Relationships & “closure”55:14 — Gym chaos1:05:32 — Epstein emails (…did he do THAT?)1:14:11 — Nicki Minaj at the UN1:19:34 — Outro

What do you think is the one ingredient that can transform an ordinary marriage into an extraordinary one? McDonald's has its Big Mac sauce, Shake Shack has its Shack sauce, and even What-A-Burger guards its spicy ketchup recipe. These “secret sauces” give each restaurant its competitive edge. But there's also a secret sauce to marriage that isn't secret at all. It's found in the word love. Now, this isn't Hollywood's love that evaporates when your spouse gains weight or loses their job. This is the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13, often called “The Love Chapter,” describing the hard work of what real love is and what real love does. As we study it, you can discover the answer to this question: Can two people who fall in love before marriage really stay in love after marriage? The answer depends entirely on what kind of love you're talking about. The 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love doesn't quit when your husband forgets your birthday. It doesn't walk out when your wife criticizes you in front of friends. This is the kind of love that makes it to the finish line, not because it's easy, but because it comes from the God who never fails.

The Haunted McDonald's by Lucas by 826 Valencia

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to take a deep dive into Donald Trump's relationship with food. From his legendary buffets at Mar-a-Lago and his fast-food devotion to McDonald's, Jimmy John's, and oversized desserts, Wolff maps out the culinary habits that reflect Trump's personality and comfort zones. They discuss the White House dining struggles, state dinners he barely touches, and the unusual quirks—from eating in his bedroom to a Diet Coke button at his desk. Along the way, Wolff unpacks how Trump's palate, fears, and routines give a window into his larger-than-life persona. Thanksgiving at Mar-a-Lago has never been more telling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why did the leader of the opposition call the chancellor 'spineless' and 'shameless'?Kemi Badenoch joins Nick in the Political Thinking studio to reflect on what lay behind the personal and political debates around Budget Day.How can she emulate Margaret Thatcher's regeneration of the Conservative Party?How did anger help drive her into politics? And why do her kids wish she still worked at McDonald's?Producer: Daniel Kraemer Research: Chloe Desave Editor: Jonathan Brunert Sound: Ged Sudlow and Andrew Mills

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Emilee F. DeMartino, SVP and Chief People Officer for McDonald's International Operated Markets, to explore how one of the world's biggest employers keeps a people first culture alive across more than 120 markets. Emilee shares how values like serve, inclusion, integrity, community, and family guide everyday decisions in a world of constant change.She breaks down how AI is fixing real problems for restaurant teams. Hiring that once took 3 days now takes 3 minutes, applications have nearly doubled, and managers get 5 to 6 hours back each week to focus on their crew and customers instead of chasing admin.If you care about building a workplace people actually want to be part of, this episode is worth your time. It shows what happens when culture is not a slogan but a system, and why teams that listen, learn, and adapt will always outrun the ones stuck in old habits.

In this episode, host Nick Portillo speaks with David Youngberg, CEO of Stonefire Grill, for an insightful conversation about the vast opportunities in the food service industry. Drawing on a career that spans more than 40 years, Youngberg shares how a commitment to operational excellence has been the cornerstone of his success. He reflects on his early days as a grill cook at McDonald's, where he first developed a deep understanding of restaurant operations.Together, Nick and David explore the evolving food service landscape, highlighting both time-tested practices and innovative strategies that are key to thriving in today's market. RESOURCESPortillo SalesCONTACT Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

Barbara trifft auf Michael Patrick Kelly – einen Mann, der schon alles erlebt hat: Weltruhm, Kloster und jetzt auch die höchste Düne der Welt… Er verrät, warum er immer noch kein Geld mit Instagram verdient, weshalb Disney und McDonald's bei ihm abgeblitzt sind, und wieso er als 20-Jähriger ein Hotelzimmer verwüsten wollte. Außerdem erzählt er von Fans mit exotischen Haustieren, seinem Leben als Friedensbotschafter und davon, warum er manchmal sein eigener schlimmster Feind ist. Kurz gesagt: Eine Folge voll Weisheit, Witz – und der beruhigenden Erkenntnis, dass selbst Michael Patrick Kelly ganz normal aufs Klo geht.

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Tensley Almand, President and CEO of Atlanta Mission, the largest and longest-running provider of services for people experiencing homelessness in the Atlanta metro area. Founded in 1938 as a soup kitchen during the Great Depression, Atlanta Mission now operates four campuses, serving over 800 men, women, and children nightly through programs that provide housing, recovery support, and Christ-centered transformation. How do you lead through complexity while staying true to your calling? Tensley shares leadership lessons from his transition from church ministry to leading a $20 million nonprofit—insights that apply to every pastor or church leader navigating growth, complexity, or change. Moving beyond shelter to transformation. // While many think of Atlanta Mission as only an emergency shelter, over 60% of its beds are dedicated to long-term transformational programs that address root causes of homelessness. The yearlong program includes counseling, trauma recovery, life skills, and vocational training. Clients complete a four-week “Next Steps” program focused on relational, emotional, and workplace health. The results are remarkable: 70% of graduates maintain stable housing and employment a year later. Learning to lead by listening. // When Tensley stepped into his CEO role, he faced the challenge of succeeding a leader who had guided the organization from crisis to stability. Rather than arriving as the expert, Tensley began as what he calls the “Chief Question Officer.” He met with every employee to ask four key questions: What's right? What's wrong? What's missing? What's confusing? The responses revealed a clear need for strategic focus. Building clarity and focus. // Using that input, Tensley led a yearlong process to create a strategic roadmap—a seven-year plan that defines the organization's mission, values, and measurable outcomes. When there's clarity in an organization, saying ‘no' becomes easy and saying ‘yes' becomes difficult. The new strategy gave Atlanta Mission a unified framework for decision-making, with every initiative measured against the same mission. Measuring what matters. // Data fuels care. In order to better track client progress, the team at Atlanta Mission built dashboards, measuring not only how many people they serve but how lives are changing. When graduation rates dipped from 70% to 45%, they discovered the cause wasn't program failure but economic change. That same approach can transform church leadership. Churches measure nickels and noses, but what if we measured progression—how many first-time guests become group members, or how many volunteers grow into leaders? Partnership through presence. // Atlanta Mission thrives through partnerships with churches across the city. Tensley explains that relational poverty—people lacking healthy connections—is as debilitating as material poverty. Rather than only focusing on “do for” service projects, he encourages churches to create “be with” opportunities: hosting birthday parties, sharing meals, or building relationships with families at Atlanta Mission. Encouragement for leaders. // Reflecting on his own journey, Tensley reminds church leaders who feel stretched or uncertain that often you’ll overestimate what you can accomplish in 90 days, but underestimate what you can do in a year or two. Take time to listen, build unity, and stay faithful in the process. Over time, that faithfulness becomes transformation—both in the people you lead and in yourself. To learn more about Atlanta Mission, visit atlantamission.org or email to connect or schedule a visit. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. I am so glad that you have decided to tune in. We’ve got a real honored to have an incredible guest on today’s episode. We’ve got Tensley Almand with us. He is the president and CEO of Atlanta Mission. Rich Birch — Now, if you don’t know Atlanta Mission, I’m not sure where you’ve been. You really should know. This organization was founded in 1938 as a soup kitchen to feed men who were displaced by the Great Depression. And they just keep chugging along. They do incredible work. They now serve Metro Atlanta’s largest homeless population and bring hope in the face of homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Rich Birch — Prior to serving at Atlanta Mission, he was in vocational ministry for 20 plus years, the last 12 of those, as we were just saying in the pre-call. He said, felt like he had the the best job in the world, was a lead pastor at Decatur City Church, one of the eight Atlanta City, Atlanta area campuses of North Point Ministries. Tensley, welcome. So glad you’re here. Tensley Almand — Man, so good to be here. Thanks so much for having me. I’ve been looking forward to this conversation. Rich Birch — No, this is going to be good. I’m excited. Why don’t you kind of fill in the picture? Tell us a little bit more of your background and tell us a bit more about Atlanta Mission, that kind of thing. Just help set the table. Tensley Almand — Yeah, so I’m a native Atlantan. I grew up here, born and raised just north of the city. Yeah. Only child. Parents still live north of the city in the same town that I grew up in. Rich Birch — Nice. Tensley Almand — My wife and I, we have four kids. We have been married now, just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary… Rich Birch — Congratulations. That’s great. Tensley Almand — …which makes me feel old, but it’s it’s it’s all good. So four kids, three boys, little girl, they’re all just amazing, doing great things and in their worlds. We live over in city of Decatur. So ah for those that don’t know, just kind of just right outside of downtown Atlanta. So we feel like we’re living in the heart of the city. Rich Birch — Cool. Tensley Almand — Like you said, I spent 20 plus years on the church side of ministry, which you had told younger me that that was going to be my future, I probably would have laughed at you. Grew up in a family that church just frankly, wasn’t that important to us. My mom gets mad if I say I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, um, which, you know, looking back, I think is really true. I just grew up in a home that we didn’t feel like the church was for us. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so, um, after, you know, meeting Jesus in college, giving my life to him, which is a whole nother really cool story, started down the path towards ministry. And eventually several years into that kind of looked up and thought, I don’t know what I’m doing. Like I’m working at these churches that I don’t even want to attend. Tensley Almand — Like remember this very pivotal meeting in my life where our pastor asked us, he’s like, if I didn’t pay you to go to church here, is this the church you would attend? Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — And every one of us said no. Rich Birch — Oh, gosh. Oh, my goodness. Tensley Almand — And they were all okay with it. Rich Birch — Oh, no. Tensley Almand — And I just like something broke in me. Rich Birch — Oh, no. Oh, no. Yeah. Tensley Almand — And I remember going home and I told my wife, I was like, I can’t do this anymore. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so I started the process of just trying to find a job. But the problem is I’ve genuinely felt called by God to ministry. And so God used that to, to lead us down the path of starting Decatur City Church. And, um, our whole dream was just to create a church that people who didn’t like church would love to attend. Tensley Almand — And so, which is really cool. Again, it’s probably a whole other episode, but really cool because we got to do that in one of the most unchurched cities in Atlanta. 70% of the people who live in Decatur ah don’t go to a church. And Decatur, for those who don’t know, small little town right outside of a big city. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — But literally, there’s over 600 churches in that town. So we used to say all the time, nobody wakes up on Sunday wondering where a church is. They just wake up wondering if church is for them. Rich Birch — Right, right. Tensley Almand — And so that’s, that’s the thing we tried to solve. Right. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so did that for 12 years, thought I would do that with my whole life. Just an amazing season. And then God called me out of there to Atlanta Mission. And so for those who don’t know, and we can get into that story here if you want to, but, for those who don’t know, Atlanta mission, like you said, it’s the largest and longest running provider of services… Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — …for men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in our city. So for perspective, what that means is on any given night, we’ll have about 800 men, women, or children who are staying with us. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. That’s a significant operation. That’s, that’s incredible. Tensley Almand — It’s a significant operation. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — It represents that in our city, that represents about 35 to 40% of all the shelter beds in Atlanta. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Tensley Almand — So that’s, it’s a, it’s pretty remarkable opportunity that we do that across three campuses in downtown Atlanta. Rich Birch — Okay. Tensley Almand — One for men, two for women and children. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And then we have this really cool drug and alcohol addiction facility out near Athens, which is about an hour outside of town, on 550 acre farm that is just beautiful ah for men who are in recovery from addiction. Rich Birch — Wow. Oh my goodness. Huh. Tensley Almand — So yeah. Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s, that’s incredible. i’m I’m glad you started with the kind of community size that you’re you’re serving. That’s, that’s amazing. Give me a sense of the operation from like a, you know, total number of staff, other kinds of metrics. Like I’m just trying to, I know, you know, you’re not a kind of person that’s going to brag about that kind of stuff, but just trying to help people kind of place, because this is a significant operation, friends. Atlanta Mission is it’s a world-class organization doing great work and honored to have you on this the show. But people might not be ah kind of aware of the the scale of it. Give us a bit more sense of that. Tensley Almand — Yeah, no, it’s a, it’s a good question. I appreciate you asking. Cause yeah, I definitely don’t, I don’t want to, I don’t like going there, but… Rich Birch — Yes. And it’s even just, it’s a funny thing to, it’s a funny thing to even like, it’s like, well, we’re really good. It’s like, it’s like, well, yeah, it’s a tough thing you’re doing. So it’s like, man, it’s a weird thing to kind of try to but get ah your arms around. How, how do we talk about this? Yeah. Tensley Almand — Yeah. So let me kind of give you scope and then let me talk a little bit about what we’re doing. So scope is ah we’re we’re about a $20 million dollars a year organization. Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. Tensley Almand — And so just like every church out there, that means, you know, we start July as the start of our fiscal year and we start at zero… Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — …and then we go and raise $20 million dollars… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …to meet the need of our expenses. And we do that through mainly private and and corporate donations. And so… Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — …we’re almost a hundred percent privately funded this year. Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Tensley Almand — We, we, we took our very first government grant. Rich Birch — Huh. Tensley Almand — But I mean, it’s a $250,000 grant, which is not insignificant, but on the scope of 20 million. So that kind of gives everybody an idea. So you’re talking about, uh, you know, thousands of donors who come alongside of us to partner with us, which is just amazing. Rich Birch — Yeah. Amazing. Yeah. Tensley Almand — We serve about 800 men, women, and children, like I said, Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And we have right at about 180 staff… Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — …who are who are either you know full-time equivalents basically here with us. And that’s across four different campuses. So we’re essentially like a multi-site operation. So I’m sitting here at my office today, which is basically our mission support center. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — So your accounting, HR, development team, all of your infrastructure, and we support the work that’s happening all over our city. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And then we also have three thrift stores across Northeast Georgia that’s included in that head count. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — And so a little bit of that 20 million that I was telling you about that that revenue comes from sales as well. And so, so yeah, it’s pretty broad organization. And then what we do, a lot of people think about you know Atlanta Mission, especially here in our city, and they just think emergency shelter. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Certainly what we do. But of those 800 beds, roughly only 40% of those go towards emergency shelter. And so if you… Rich Birch — Oh, really? OK. Tensley Almand — Yeah. And so if you show up at our door and you just need safety, security, stability, um, you’re just trying to like get off the street… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …we have a program called Find Hope… Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — …and it’s a 30-day program. You can stay with us rent free 30 days. You know, bed meals, showers, really, really, really, really low expectation on those clients. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — It’s just like, hey, we’re here to meet your needs. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. Tensley Almand — The other 60% of our beds go towards what we call our transformational model… Rich Birch — Okay. Tensley Almand — …where we provide complete wraparound services. It’s about a year long program. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — You show up and we’re going to try to help you get healthy relationally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, vocationally. We’ve got counselors, we’ve got advocates, we’ve got social workers. You have a whole team… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …that works with you, walks with you for a year… Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — …depending on really your core traumas, what’s caused your homelessness. And our main goal, our mission is to transform through Christ the lives of those who are experiencing homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Tensley Almand — And so what we want to do, what that means to us is over the course of that year, Um, we want to give you the tools to identify your traumas, understand those traumas and ultimately break the cycles so that you don’t ever have to come back to our doors again. We we tell our clients, we love you, but we don’t ever want to see you again. Like this is just like, like, how do we… Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. This was a phase of your life, hopefully, right? Tensley Almand — Yeah. Rich Birch — That’s the goal. Tensley Almand — How do we end that for you? And so our program goes through all the counseling, all the services, and it wraps up in a vocational training program we call Next Steps that… Rich Birch — Wow. That’s amazing. Tensley Almand — …that gives our clients the soft skills they need to not just get a job. Because here’s here’s what’s really cool. You you would get this. Our clients are really good at getting jobs. But like so many people out there, we’re terrible at keeping a job. Rich Birch — Right. Right. Right. Yes. Tensley Almand — Like people don’t know the skills needed to like keep a job. Like how do you manage conflict? Rich Birch — Right, right. Tensley Almand — What do you do with that boss who’s just overbearing? How do you have normal workplace conversations? Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — And so we have a ah four week training program that gives our clients those skills. And what we’re finding is that for the clients who go all the way through our program, 70% of those who graduate our program, they still have a house or a living situation a year later. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — And they are maintaining that job a year later. Rich Birch — Wow. That’s incredible. Tensley Almand — And so it’s just been a remarkable, remarkable journey. And so we’ve got some transitional housing in there… Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — …where you graduate our program, you stay with us, we help you save up and and we help you find an apartment. And then when you’re ready financially and you’re you’re stable, we help you move into that that apartment. Tensley Almand — And what’s really cool, probably one of my favorite things is for alumni is that year after you graduate, you get a retention coach with us and they walk with you. And they just help you navigate life because, man, when you’ve stayed somewhere for a year and then you kind of come back in and you’re like, oooh, the pressures of the world are on me. That first year is so tough. Rich Birch — So hard. Yeah. Tensley Almand — Yeah. Yeah. Rich Birch — Well, that’s cool. I appreciate you sharing that. and And yeah, even church leaders that are listening in, um man, ah there whether if you’re in the Atlanta area, you definitely should reach out to Atlanta Mission. Rich Birch — But even in your neighborhood, like there are, this is why you shouldn’t be trying to invent this yourself as a church. There are these are incredibly complex issues that you know when I heard all of the the different things you’re doing to surround people, try to help them, um that’s that’s inspiring. That’s amazing. Rich Birch — Well, I’d love to pivot and talk about kind of your experience as you’ve transitioned in, like some try to extract some leadership lessons. It’s been said that one of the first things that leaders do is define reality or gain clarity for their for their organization. Rich Birch — When you first started early on in your role, what were you listening for or look for that told you, maybe there’s some areas here that just aren’t very clear? What did you see as you were, you know, we got to bring some more clarity in the organization? Were there things you kind of saw that that made you think, oh, we maybe this is some areas we need to gain some better clarity as an organization? Tensley Almand — Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think, you know, every leadership transition is different. One of the advantages I had is that what my predecessor was leaving me was so much different than what he inherited. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And so he inherited an organization that was in crisis. He handed me an organization that was thriving. But, that organization really was, and he was, and it’s it’s all kind of wrapped up in our story, is that it was time for him to retire. It was time for him to move on. And so the whole organization was asking what’s next. And so that’s, that’s one advantage I had is that there was this collective, like, well, like what what is next for us? That was helpful. Tensley Almand — The other advantage I had, and I did not think this was an advantage. But, you know, I, I came out of church ministry. I didn’t know how to lead a nonprofit. I didn’t know anything about homelessness. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Tensley Almand — I didn’t know much about social services. And so, yeah I truly believe God called me into this, but I couldn’t come in like an expert. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so I literally was forced to, my I tell people my door said CEO, but I think I was really the chief question officer. I mean, my my first year… Rich Birch — Help me understand. Help me understand. Tensley Almand — …was, yeah, asking questions. I can I can vividly remember our clinical director coming into my office and saying, hey, we’ve got this massive clinical decision that we need to make and there’s this and this and this. And you know and then like trying to leave that way. What do you think we should do? And I’m like… you’re the clinical director. Like, what do what do you mean? Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — But that was again, and this is and he would say this if he was sitting here, my predecessor had an organization that was in crisis. And so every decision had to center on him. And I needed to come in and teach our team how to have a decentralized leadership. How like, hey, look you’re the clinical director I’m going to support you, I’m to remove obstacles for you. But if I have to make clinical decisions, we’re we’ve got a really big problem because I’m not qualified to make that decision. Tensley Almand — And so um really pushing leadership down… Rich Birch — yeah Tensley Almand — …asking a lot of questions, understanding what we do. And so that was that was a huge advantage that that i think a lot of people probably, they can like I did, they they think about the things that are stacked against them. To me, it’s like you don’t know anything about the space. That’s a big obstacle. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Well, maybe lean into those obstacles because it’s a really good way to to get underneath the hood. And so it forced me to ask questions, forced me to listen. And then what I did is I I truly went on a just a listening tour. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — I set up a meeting, I think, with every employee of our organization. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Tensley Almand — And I asked everybody what’s right, what’s wrong, what’s missing and what’s confusing. Rich Birch — Huh. Tensley Almand — And I still have that notebook. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — I mean, my assistant like cataloged answers for days. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And what was so cool to me was that without having the same language, almost everybody in the organization identified the same rights, wrongs, missings and confusions. And so I was able to then take that and really come back to our senior team and say, hey, what should we do about this? Like we all… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — We all agree this is a problem. like What should we do do? And I think a colleague of mine, I remember walking into his office and he had this drawing on his board. I’m like, what is what is that? He’s like, well, is how I feel about our organization. I remember it was ah it was a circle. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And all the arrows were pointed in every direction around the circle. And he’s like, that’s us. Like, we’ve got the right idea… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …but everybody’s pulling in a hundred directions to try to figure out how to do that idea. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — and I said, man, we need to take that circle and get all those arrows on one side. Cause if we can collectively pull… and that just kind of became our quest. And so we took all those answers and, you know, basically the the big thing was, um you know, and I don’t know where I learned this, but I feel like when there’s clarity in an organization, ‘no’ is really easy and ‘yes’ is is really difficult. It’s like really easy to say no. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And what I found at Atlanta Mission was we were just saying yes to everything. And the reason we were saying yes to everything is because there was no strategy, there was no clarity. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And so we took that first year and a half, wrote our strategic plan, identified who we want to be and why we want to be that. And then what would it look like to be that organization? And so we just kind of built it backwards. And that’s the journey we’ve been on now for the last four years since I’ve been here. Rich Birch — Wow. That’s, ah yeah, that’s incredible. I love that that feeling. In fact, i I took over a nonprofit ah kids camp and much smaller scale than what you’re running. But I remember those early days where there yeah people are looking at you and and and there is this sense of like, okay, so like you got to tell us where we’re going. What is the thing we’re doing next? Like and it’s easy to like… the easy thing is, let’s try this. Let’s try that. Let’s do a bunch of different things. And that can lead to that pulling, those hundred different, you know, it’s lots of activity, but it’s not focused. Tensley Almand — Yeah. Rich Birch — And trying to get everybody on a kind of a shared page of or shared picture of what the future looks like, man, that’s great through this, this process of kind of we’re going to do a strategic plan over a year. What, what would you, what would you say to a leader that is feeling the pressure of like, Hey, I want to define the future now, as opposed to that feels like a step back. We’re going to year and a half and define this stuff. What would you say to a leader? Why should we slow down? Talk us through why that, how that benefited now that you’re on the other side of all that. Tensley Almand — Yeah, I think the first thing I would say is it’s it’s totally worth it. I mean, it it was hard. It was challenging. It it does feel like a step back. But I don’t know how to step forward without without clarity, you know. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And that’s, you said at the beginning, I got to ah got to be one of the campus pastors at North Point Community Church for years. I can remember Andy always saying, The beauty of North Point wasn’t that we got to start with a blank page, just that we started on the same page. Rich Birch — That’s good Tensley Almand — And I just think that like that, that is always set with me. And so when I when I started here, I realized like, hey, I don’t I don’t get the luxury of a blank page. I mean, this organization has been around since 1938. You know, when I when I started Decatur City, it was so easy because I just told everybody what we were doing and why we were doing it and there was nothing else we were doing. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so it was just like… But here it’s like, OK, if I can’t get to a blank page, the best thing I can do is we’ve got to get on the same page… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …or else we’re just we’re going to spin our tires. And, and you know, I think I’ll I’ll this story probably sums it up and maybe somebody can relate to this. I have a monthly breakfast with our board chair and our vice chair. And the very first breakfast I went to in this role, it was my predecessor’s last breakfast and my first. And so we’re all so it’s him, it’s me and it’s a board chair a vice chair, all of which have been around this organization 3x the amount of time I had at that point, I had been there like three days. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Couple weeks. Tensley Almand — And and we got this email the night before the breakfast, and it was from a developer. And they were offering $14 million dollars for the piece of property that my office sits on, which is a widely underused piece of property… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …that we’ve always kind of wrestled with, like, what do we do with this thing? Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — $14 million dollars. Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — That’s almost our entire year’s budget. Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — And I remember showing up to this breakfast with this LOI and I asked the question, should we take it or should we not? Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And nobody could answer my question. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Tensley Almand — Nobody knew if it was a good idea to take $14 million dollars or to walk away from $14 million dollars Rich Birch — And if that group doesn’t know, nobody else in the organization is going to know, right? Tensley Almand — And that’s exactly what I said. I was like, if you don’t know, and I don’t know… Rich Birch — Yeah. Yes, exactly. Tensley Almand — …nobody knows. Rich Birch — Yes, yes, yes. Tensley Almand — And so I started with that small group and I said, hey, would you give me the freedom to to take however long it takes for us to make sure we can answer that question? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Tensley Almand — And so in our first board meeting, I raised my hand and I just said, hey guys, I know I’m new, I know I just started. But I shared the story and I said, hey, we have to be able to answer questions like this. Or we’re never going to get anywhere. We may do a lot of good things, but we are going to have no idea if we did the best thing. Rich Birch — Right, right. That’s good. That’s good. So kind of double clicking on that, continuing to kind of focus in on this. You know, there are churches, organizations that will do the strat plan or roll. We go away for the big retreat. We come up with the new value statements. It’s got great strategy on paper. But it doesn’t end up translating into practice. What are you doing at the mission to try to make sure that we’re going from that wasn’t just a great document that’s like in a nice book somewhere, but it’s actually rolling out. Maybe give us some examples of that. And what are those kind of rhythms, cadences, all that? How how are you making that happen? Tensley Almand — Yeah, it’s wish I could really tell you we’re crushing it in this area. It’s this is a new habit for us. Rich Birch — Sure. Sure. Good. Tensley Almand — And so we’re I’m four years in. We just finished our first full fiscal year under our new strategy. And so I can tell you what we’ve learned. Rich Birch — Hey, that’s good. Yeah, good. Tensley Almand — One, once you get it built you have to start small. We, I wish I could remember the exact number, I think as a senior team we committed and told our board we were going to do 392 new initiatives or something in year one, you know. Rich Birch — Wow. Right. Tensley Almand — And this is a seven-year plan… Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — …we’re like we got almost for it and I think we got 100 through of the 392. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And we celebrated like crazy at the end of the year because it was like, that’s 100 things that were all in alignment that we’d never done before. We learned so much. So, start small. Tensley Almand — The other thing is we built our plan. And I was I was very intentional about this because of what you just said. I did not want another notebook that was going to sit on my shelf. And so our strategic plan is really a strategic roadmap. And what I have told our board, what I’ve told our staff is I want an organization that knows how to think. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And our our plan is really a roadmap for how we should think. It’s not overly prescriptive in necessarily what that means. Because it’s it’s designed to take us all the way through 2030. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Well, I have no idea what’s going to happen between now and 2030. Rich Birch — Right. Right. Tensley Almand — But I do know that if what we said we want to accomplish, we’re accomplishing, however that looks, by 2030, we’re on the right track. And so that would be the other thing is just like, I would build, I wouldn’t make it so prescriptive that it tells you like, Hey, next week you’re doing this. And the week after… It needs to teach the organization how to think, how to act so that the person who’s brand new on the front line, if I’m not in the room, they don’t need to spend any time going like what, what would Tensley want me to do? They just, this is who we are as an organization. It’s how we think. Tensley Almand — And then we at a senior level and then we pushed it all the way down to our organization. We built a meeting cadence around it. Rich Birch — Nice. Tensley Almand — And so we have our senior team meets once a week. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — That’s my six direct reports and plus my admin. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And we, one, so we do that on Tuesday morning, one, the first Tuesday of the month is a strategy meeting. We talk all about the strategic plan. That’s like a, how how are you doing and your department doing towards what you said you were gonna do? Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And we have a dashboard to measure that against. And then the next Tuesday is an operations meeting. And it’s just like, hey, what are what are we working on? We can’t live at 50,000 feet all the time. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Let’s get down to 1,000 feet or whatever it is. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And so we have that operations cadence. And then the third meeting is kind of like a catch-all, like, hey, what you know what needs to happen? And then our last meeting of the month is a monthly ministry review with the entire, not just my direct reports, but all the managers that sit under my direct reports. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s cool. Tensley Almand — And they lead that meeting. I listen in that meeting. And I get to hear what’s happening at every campus, what’s going on. And I get to hear how people are implementing or not implementing the strategy. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And then the very next meeting, if you’re keeping up, is then our strategy meeting. Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — So then I’m like, hey… Rich Birch — Here’s some stuff I heard. Tensley Almand — …tell me more about this. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Tensley Almand — Or I didn’t hear like, Hey, I thought we were working on this. Why is that not happening? And so we have dashboards. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Tensley Almand — We’ve never had those before. We have data that we can follow. We have metrics we’ve identified as a, as a team, our wins. And so it’s like, Hey, how are we tracking towards those wins and just have created a layer of accountability that didn’t exist probably three years ago. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Let’s talk a little bit more about the data thing. I’ve, or data thing. We, I’ve, I’ve said with younger leaders, you know, spreadsheets are the language of leadership. Like you’re going to have to get used to this stuff. This is just… Tensley Almand — Yep. Rich Birch — …this is how we care for people at scale is, is that is what it looks like. So data can either inspire or intimidate. How do you track outcomes? How do you, how do you how have you seen, you know, data over this last year actually change behavior and move things, improve care, better outcomes, all that kind of stuff. Talk us through what, cause you know, what we measure can get, can, you know, steer us in the wrong direction or steer us in the right direction. Help, help us think through that. As we’re thinking about what numbers should we pay attention to? Tensley Almand — Yeah. So again, when I started, that was a big question I had. So if you were to look at our numbers, you would see that we serve, you know, let’s, these are rough, but right at about 3000 people a year come through our doors. Rich Birch — Okay. Tensley Almand — Right. Which is huge. Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — You’re like, man, that’s amazing. Well, then I, as I walk you through that, by the time you get to the end of our vocational training a year later, we may graduate like 400. And then 70% of those 400 are still doing well the the next year. And so, you know, on paper, you’re like, man, is that good? Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Tensley Almand — Like that, that there’s a lot of attrition there. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Like should, is, is, are we fail… And that was, again, when I started, that was a question nobody could answer for me is, Hey, is that good? Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so even backing up before we built our strategy, our senior team spent so much time defining our outcomes. And we had all of these statements, you know, but it was like we want somebody to be healthy vocationally. Tensley Almand — It’s like, okay, what does that mean? Crickets in the room. Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — Wait, if you don’t know what it means and I don’t know what it means, does the person who’s leading that program know what it means? Better question: does the person who’s receiving our services know if they’ve actually achieved help in that area? Tensley Almand — And so we went through, defined all of those terms so that there was a clear outcome to it… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …so that we could then measure it. And then we built both a one-page dashboard that our senior team could look at at a high level. So I could I can open this dashboard on any Monday morning. It’s just in Tableau, so nothing super you know exciting. Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. Tensley Almand — And I can just see, i can see progression through our program. I can see healthy exits. We’ve defined what are healthy exits. I can see, ah you know, are people getting stuck? That was a big thing we were we were learning is like, people are just getting stuck in our program and we’re committing to somebody. You’re going to be at this phase of the program 30 days. Well, then they spend 60 days. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And what we were finding. We were, so this, this probably long winded way of saying this, but what we, we didn’t know what was happening or why it was happening and it felt good. But you know, you’re like, I don’t know. Tensley Almand — And so what we were finding is it’s like, Hey, so that’s an example. Like, somebody gets stuck in our program. We promised them 30. It takes 60. All of a sudden, we were able to track that, hey, there’s a certain amount of fallout rate at this stage of the program. Why is that happening? Oh, people are stuck. They’ve been here too long. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — We got to fix that. And so it it enabled us to know what needed to be fixed and and not fixed. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Tensley Almand — And probably the the best real-time example of that is just recently. So I keep telling you the 70% number of graduates are successful. That’s kind of our historical data. Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. Tensley Almand — Well, this year, that number fell for the first time ever. It’s gotten better every year. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — This year it fell and it fell like dramatically. And this is one of those I don’t like to talk about it because it doesn’t look good. Rich Birch — Interesting. Yes. Tensley Almand — I mean, like it fell down to almost like 45, 50 percent. Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Tensley Almand — You’re like, what’s happening? Rich Birch — Almost inverse. Yeah, yeah. Wow. Tensley Almand — Exactly. And so at first, you’re like, our program is no good. We got rewrite our program. Well, thankfully, we had been tracking all of the kind of whys and we understood what was happening in people’s lives. And what we have found out is no, like the economy shifted. You can’t get a job in 30 to 60 days anymore. Rich Birch — Interesting. Tensley Almand — And so a gate in our program is when you graduate, you have 60 days to get a job. If you don’t get a job, you can’t move into our transitional housing because if we just allow you to stay, beds back up and then more people can’t get in. Tensley Almand — Well, our clients then would stop taking our advice and stop waiting for a good job. And at day like 50, they would just go get that job that doesn’t pay well. Rich Birch — Ohhh. Tensley Almand — And they knew it wasn’t going to be a career builder job. It was just going to keep them sheltered. Rich Birch — Right, right. Tensley Almand — And so it was our our like metrics were actually driving a behavior we didn’t like. Rich Birch — That’s interesting. Tensley Almand — And so we’re in the process now of like, hey, we’ve got to change this. The length of time it takes to get a job now takes longer. and Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — The job market’s more you know fierce right now. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so we don’t want nothing against these types of jobs. We don’t necessarily want our client leaving to go get a job at McDonald’s Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — But for them, leaving it to go get a job at McDonald’s versus not having a place to stay, I’ll take the McDonald’s job… Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Tensley Almand — …even though I know I’m only going to be there three months. Rich Birch — Right. Right. Tensley Almand — And so it was throwing off all of our numbers and it’s because we were incorrectly driving a behavior that we don’t want to drive. So. Rich Birch — Wow. That’s cool. That’s a great, very vivid example. And there’s lots of that in the church world. I know you I know you know that. There was a church I was doing some work with last year, large church, 10,000-person church. And they were we were talking one of the numbers I obsess with my clients over is documented first-time guests, the actual number of people that come every single weekend. And I was convinced that this church was just was missing a whole bunch of first time guests. And so they were telling me about how great their, their, their assimilation numbers were. They were like, Oh, this is so great. And I was like, I just don’t believe it. I’m like, because, because if you are not capturing the number of, of documented first time guests, then yeah and you’re comparing against half of what you probably actually have coming into your church, then then every number be below that, all your integration stuff looks twice as good as it actually is. Tensley Almand — Yeah. Rich Birch — And you know that that happens in lots of places across our numbers. We’ve got to get real clear and benchmark against other people. Tensley Almand — If I could go back and if I could go back, no, no, it’s just, like I’ve often thought like, what would I do different if I was a church leader now? Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s a good question. Tensley Almand — And I would I would measure so much differently. Rich Birch — Yeah, interesting. Tensley Almand — You know, historically we’ve measured nickels and noses, right? Like how much money’s coming in and how many people are sitting in the pews. But it’s like, those are important. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — I wouldn’t stop measuring them, but I would pay attention to like this. I would try to find a way to measure progression, you know. Rich Birch — Yes, 100%. Tensley Almand — It’s like to your point how many first-time guests are you having okay well then of those first-time guests how many of them are actually moving to your small groups. Rich Birch — Yeah, 100%. Tensley Almand — Of those who moved your small groups do any of them ever volunteer like and and really understand the behaviors you want. And then measure to those behaviors and i think especially in a world where just church attendance looks so much so much different, we could gauge health of our churches so much more effectively if we were Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so true. I’d love to I’d love to kind of pivot for a few minutes in a slightly different direction. Tensley Almand — Okay. Rich Birch — So we have a lot of church leaders that are listening in and I’d love to understand how Atlanta Mission partners with churches. What does that look like? How do you work together? So specifically at Atlanta misha, and then what would you, Mission, and then what would you say to churches in general? Hey, um what advice would you give now that you’re on this side of the equation of actually partnering with an organization like Atlanta Mission? How can you be kind of the best partner? How do we what are what are people on your side of the table actually looking for from a church like ours? Because I’m sure there’s all kinds of stories of like, yeah, that didn’t work well. Talk us through what that looks like, partnerships specifically, and then kind of in general, how can we be better at that? Tensley Almand — Yeah, and partnership is one of our pillars of our strategic plan. I think I think for nonprofits, especially when you’re large and you’re self-funded, you can it’s easy to get siloed. And we we fell into that category, not just with outside partners that wanted to come in and help us, but also with other service providers across the the, you know, continuum of care in our city. is It’s just it’s easy to kind of put your head down and do your own thing. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so this is a huge emphasis for us, mainly because it’s really woven into the vision of our organization. Our organization is a community that’s united to end homelessness one person at a time. Well, I mean, it’s like partnership has to be built into that. Rich Birch — Right. Yes, baked into it. Yeah. Tensley Almand — So what who are we to then go get siloed? Like, that’s like, wow, you can’t even accomplish what you said you wanted to do. And so um we… I’ll back into this answer by telling you one of the things we’ve discovered at Atlanta Mission is that this isn’t this, you know, this isn’t novel, but, you know, material poverty, we all know is debilitating. Relational poverty is just as debilitating as material poverty. Rich Birch — That’s so true. Tensley Almand — And what we find with our clients is that almost 100 percent obviously are struggling with some version of material poverty, but they are just relationally broken and poor. They are void of healthy relationships. And so this is this is so much where partnership comes in, because we we literally have a metric that we track of how many healthy contacts does a client have in their phone before they graduate our program. And what we were finding is I mean we were their only healthy contact. Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Tensley Almand — And it’s wait this is this is not good. And this is such a great place for churches to partner with us because we have so many opportunities that we just call we call them “be with” opportunities there’s like there’s “do for” service projects but there’s also “be with” service projects. And they’re just designed for you to establish healthy community with our clients, build relationships, throw a birthday party for somebody… Rich Birch — That’s so good. Right. Tensley Almand — …have a Christmas party at one of our shelters. Come, you know, we’re moving into the holiday season, you know, come and build gingerbread houses together with our kids who are staying with us and just create an hour in somebody’s life that’s normal. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And I feel like churches are better at this than anybody. Our corporate partners are fantastic at the “do for” projects. They can then come in and beautify our campuses in 30 minutes in a way that none of us can. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — You know, Home Depot comes in and it’s like, we’re going to transform your landscape. Great. This is awesome. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Tensley Almand — I love it. But a church can come in and just be authentic and be real and be with our clients. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And you would be amazed at how different somebody’s life looks after just that hour. And so, and I think that’s a huge thing. And then what I would tell churches, I think even as a church leader, I I probably overlooked how vital we were to nonprofits. You just you know, you think it’s an hour, but you know, even the day of, you know, you wake up that morning and you’re like, they don’t really need me. Like, I don’t know. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — This is, am I not really going to make a difference? Yes, you are. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — You are going to make a huge difference. It is worth the hour. It is worth the drive. Tensley Almand — And we we tell people all the time, and I’ve seen this in my own life. The thing that happens at Atlanta Mission is there’s always two stories of transformation happening. There’s the story of transformation that’s happening in a client’s life. But God transforms my life every day. Rich Birch — That’s so true. Tensley Almand — And it’s that’s the part I didn’t expect, Rich, is that… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …my life is being changed as much as anybody else’s. And so I would, I would tell a church, Hey, our clients need you. But you need this as well. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Tensley Almand — Like God’s going to do something in your life. Tensley Almand — And then the other is just, um I think, especially for really big churches, it’s easy to think like, I bet they need my expertise. It’s like, actually, that’s not like. We need your partnership. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Tensley Almand — You know, we, we know how to do this. Come put wind in our sails. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, Tensley Almand — Come just serve, be a part of what we’re doing. Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. That’s super helpful. Love love that. Well, just as we’re coming to land, any kind of final words or encouragement you’d you’d say to church leaders that are listening in today that are, you know, wrestling with maybe clarity or wrestling with some of the stuff we’ve talked about today? This has been a really fruitful conversation. Thank you for it. Tensley Almand — Yeah, I think the, you know, probably the biggest thing I would say, and I have to tell myself this all the time. I mean, I’m an entrepreneurial type A. I’m going to like, you know, go conquer the world in a day is that, you know, remind yourself, you know, more than likely what you can accomplish in 90 days is nowhere near what you think it is, you know. But what you can accomplish in a year or two years is probably way more than you ever imagined you could. Rich Birch — Right. So true Yeah, that’s good. Tensley Almand — And so just again, kind of back to the strategy thing, it takes time. It’s messy. You know, you’re going to feel like, is this worth it? It creates conflict on your team. It feels uncomfortable. We were, we were joking as a senior team the other day. There was, it was about a year where I just, every Tuesday morning, I thought I want to cancel this meeting because I just didn’t enjoy, like we were just, we were at conflict because we were… Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Tensley Almand — …hashing out who we are and why we exist and what are we going to do and why are we going to do it? Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — But now it’s my favorite hour of the week. Like, I just love it. And so, you know, I would say that… Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — …you know, and I think, yeah, I don’t know that I have anything, you know, much more. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — Yeah. Rich Birch — No, that’s good. Well, I really appreciate being on the show today. Where do we want to send people if they want to connect with you or with Atlanta Mission? Where are the best places for us to send people online? Tensley Almand — Probably the easiest place is just our website, atlantamission.org. You can find everything you want to about us. If you want to know more, you can email info@atlantamission.org. And that actually goes right to my assistant and we’ll get you connected to the right person. And you can, you know, next time you’re in town, you partner with us. You can help us. You can be happy to give you a tour, show you what we do. Rich Birch — That’s great. Thanks so much, Tensley. Appreciate you being here today. Tensley Almand — Thanks.

Comparing McDonald's current prices to 6 years ago, building the perfect Thanksgiving meal with $15, which Spiderman made the most money, Gamestop's greatest idea ever, and more!----------0:00 MCDONALDS PRICE INFLATION!4:44 MAKESHIFT UPDATES!6:49 $15 PERFECT THANKSGIVING MEAL!11:33 WHICH SPIDERMAN MADE THE MOST MONEY?16:43 PAST 5 WORDS OF THE YEAR20:20 WHAT SHOULD BE WORD OF THE YEAR?24:04 SALARY TO AFFORD AVERAGE HOMES?28:33 DECEMBER 6TH GAMESTOP'S BEST DAY!32:33 MORE POWERFUL COUNTRY, CHINA OR USA?36:18 BRIAN'S MONOLOGUE COMES BACK!37:58 LEAST HARMFUL ALCOHOLIC DRINK!41:17 MEMBER SHOUTOUTS AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Art Bell - Wm. Louis McDonald - Autism and the Grays

Starbucks bestellt fast keine Kaffeemaschinen mehr, und Mc Donald's hält einen neuen Grossauftrag zurück: Der 39-Prozent-Zollhammer stellt den Betrieb der Kaffeemaschinenherstellerin Thermoplan in Weggis LU auf den Kopf. «Mit 39 Prozent Strafzoll sind wir out of business», sagt Adrian Steiner ernüchtert. Er ist Geschäftsführer der Firma Thermoplan in Weggis LU, die exklusiv Kaffeemaschinen für Starbucks weltweit produziert. Die Kamera begleitet Steiner und seine 520 Angestellten durch die Krise. Die Zuschauenden erleben mit, wie Kundinnen und Kunden in den USA viel weniger Kaffeemaschinen bestellen, wie die meisten Angestellten in Kurzarbeit geschickt werden, und dass sich der Plan der Verlagerung eines Teils der Produktion nach Deutschland viel komplizierter herausstellt, als gedacht. Erstausstrahlung: 27.11.2025

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to take a deep dive into Donald Trump's relationship with food. From his legendary buffets at Mar-a-Lago and his fast-food devotion to McDonald's, Jimmy John's, and oversized desserts, Wolff maps out the culinary habits that reflect Trump's personality and comfort zones. They discuss the White House dining struggles, state dinners he barely touches, and the unusual quirks—from eating in his bedroom to a Diet Coke button at his desk. Along the way, Wolff unpacks how Trump's palate, fears, and routines give a window into his larger-than-life persona. Thanksgiving at Mar-a-Lago has never been more telling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00:39 — Trump's Genesis Act Hands Treasury to AI Knight exposes Trump's “Genesis Act” as a massive transfer of financial authority and surveillance power to artificial intelligence, bypassing constitutional structures. 00:01:22 — FBI Director Cash Patel Threatens Thomas Massey Knight reveals that FBI leadership attempted to intimidate Rep. Massey into supporting Israel policy, demonstrating the bureau's role as a foreign-aligned political weapon. 00:06:23 — TSA's Real Mission: Conditioning Americans to Obey Physical Control Knight argues that TSA's invasive procedures aren't about security but about training citizens to accept bodily control and warrantless government intrusion. 00:10:41 — McDonald's Inflation Exposes the Collapse of Living Standards Knight highlights runaway food inflation as proof that lockdowns and fiscal manipulation under Trump and Biden have permanently degraded American living standards. 00:13:43 — USDA's Fake Bird Flu Testing Drives Food Shortages Knight details how PCR-driven poultry culling is artificially tightening meat supplies, worsening price spikes and creating government-manufactured scarcity. 00:23:23 — U.S. Military Cancels Christmas Leave for Venezuela War Prep Knight reports that the Trump administration has put troops on wartime footing for a Venezuela operation that lacks congressional approval and constitutional justification. 01:01:56 — Speaker Johnson Moves to Silence Rank-and-File Knight outlines Johnson's plan to change House rules to block discharge petitions, consolidating power and suppressing internal dissent within Congress. 01:04:17 — FBI Threatens Massey's Staff Over Foreign Policy Knight reveals that Cash Patel's office threatened Massey's staff with prosecution to force alignment on Israel and Ukraine, underscoring federal coercion. 01:20:16 — Gaza, War, and Manufactured Popularity for World Leaders Knight argues that foreign conflicts are routinely used by failing leaders—such as Netanyahu—to revive approval ratings through war sentiment. 01:39:45 — Tether, Stablecoins, and the Coming Digital Dollar Takeover Knight warns that Tether and Trump-aligned financiers are constructing a private-sector CBDC system, backed by gold, that would centralize digital money under corporate control. 02:00:39 — Christians Must Reject Zionist Propaganda Knight explains that modern Christian Zionism is a 19th-century theological invention that distorts scripture and pressures believers into supporting state violence. 02:21:41 — Trump's Genesis Mission Hands America to Technocrats Knight says the broader Genesis Mission will give AI systems unprecedented power over communication, authentication, and governance, forming the backbone of a permanent technocracy. Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

This week, Disneyland After Dark events announced for 2026, a chance to see a new documentary before the general public, Dick Van Dyke is turning 100, D23 2026 member gifts announced, mobile order changes at the resort, purchasing tickets might become less predictable, we finish our conversation with Paul Briggs, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. Check out all of our current partners and exclusive discounts at https://www.dlweekly.net/promos. News: Disneyland After Dark is coming back for 2026, with a new nite, along with some returning popular nites. New for 2026 will be Disneyland After Dark 70 Years of Favorites, which Disney describes as “weaving together the best of Disneyland happenings, including nods to favorite musical moments, shows, and characters.” Returning nites include Sweetheart's Nite, Disney Channel Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Pride Nite. Sweetheart's Nite will take place on 9 nights from late January to February 17th, with a new “Celebrate Love Cavalcade” and “Once Upon a Dream – A Musical Journey Through the Disney Songbook” featuring live singers and Disney royalty that ends with a ball underneath the stars. 70 Years of Favorites will take place on March 3rd and 5th, and feature swing dancing at Royal Theatre in Fantasyland, a Videopolis Dance Party at Tomorrowland Terrace, line dancing at The Golden Horseshoe, sentimental photo opportunities, and characters from days gone by. Tickets for both these events go on sale for Magic Key holders on December 9th, with general ticket sales starting on December 11th. Disney Channel Nite will take place on April 12th, 14th, and 16th, Star Wars Nite will span 4 dates on April 28th, April 30th, May 4th, and May 6th. Finally, Pride Nite will happen on June 16th and June 18th. - https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/dates-and-details-for-disneyland-after-dark-events/ https://www.micechat.com/427679-disneyland-news-holiday-hights-lows-pricing-woes-talking-tree/ Leslie Iwerks has a new documentary on Disneyland coming out named Disneyland Handcrafted. The documentary will premiere for general audiences on Disney+ later this winter, but D23 members can see it early in January! Tickets to the event include a conversation with Leslie Iwerks and other Disney Company people prior to the screening, a screening of Disneyland Handcrafted in the main theater on the Disney Studios Lot, an after-screening reception with light snacks and refreshments, and a commemorative event credential. To get tickets, visit the link in the show notes. Tickets go on sale December 5th. - https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-parks/d23-premiere-disneyland-handcrafted-documentary/ Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke will be turning 100 in December! Fans are organizing a Dick Van Dyke 100th Birthday Fan Meetup at Disneyland on December 21st. Guests can dress up to honor the legend, with a group photo at 11am at Sleeping Beauty Castle, a group ride on King Arthur's Carousel at 11:30, lunch at Jolly Holiday at noon, and the Pearly Band at 1pm. - https://www.instagram.com/p/DRP3jSuknT6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== D23, the Official Disney Fan Club, has announced the member gifts for 2026. Members at the D23 Gold Choice or Complete plan will receive the 2026 membership kit, plus their choice of exclusive D23 premium items. These items include a Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey Mouse Collector Statue, Loungefly x Disney Oswald Backpack & Ears Bundle, RSVLTS x Disney Shirt, or D23 Gold Member 10-Piece Pin Box Set. D23 Memberships are available as Gold Member Essential, which for $49.99/year gets the membership kit only, Gold Member Choice at $119.99/year gets the membership kit and one premium item, or the Gold Member Complete at $329.99/year, which gets the membership kit and all four premium items. - https://d23.com/d23-in-2026-epic-events-outstanding-offerings-and-memorable-moments-to-come/ Mobile order has expanded over the last few years to a lot of locations at the Disneyland Resort. This past week, locations were removed from the service. Disney's Wonderful World of Sweets in Downtown Disney, Pooh Corner, and Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen in Disneyland, Bing Bong's Sweets, and Trolley Treats in Disney California Adventure are no longer using the system. - https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2025/11/22/news-mobile-order-removed-from-some-locations-on-disneyland-app/ Buying tickets to the Disneyland Resort might start to look more like booking tickets on an airline in the coming years. Dynamic pricing, or the ability for Disney to change the pricing depending on several factors throughout the day, week, or year, is already in place at Disneyland Paris, and according to Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston, might be coming to the US parks. Ultimately, this will remove flat-rate pricing for specific days, and go to a range of prices for a day, which can vary based on attendance and weather, to name a few. - https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-parks/disney-parks-dynamic-pricing-coming-to-domestic-parks/ As the expansion to Avenger's Campus continues, Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the recent progress, which includes the canopy connecting Avenger's Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab being assembled. There is still no official opening date for these additions, but progress is moving quickly. - https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2025/11/20/new-behind-the-scenes-look-at-disneys-avengers-campus-expansion/ Weeklyteers who like Disneyland and McDonald's Happy Meals are in for a treat! To continue the 70th anniversary celebration of Disneyland, the two giants are partnering to offer 70 Happy Meal toys starting on December 2nd. Two toys will be provided in each Happy Meal and should run through January 12th. The toys feature figures from Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. A couple of parks specific toys are the Hatbox Ghost, and Sleeping Beauty Castle in regular and gold variations. - https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-parks/disneyland-70th-happy-meal-toys/ Walt Disney Imagineering is helping communities rebuild after the devastating fires that burned through the region earlier this year. $5 million dollars are being allocated to Altadena's Charles White Park, which will feature a new community center, and an enhanced playground. Enhancements will include play areas inspired by Altadena's Deodar Cedar pinecones, a splash pad, bridges, boulders, slides, swings… and what looks like a grove of giant clovers which might be from the old Bug's Land. - https://www.micechat.com/427679-disneyland-news-holiday-hights-lows-pricing-woes-talking-tree/ Olaf coming to Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoPN02bmzrE https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRcmtaHChvF/?igsh=MXN2d2t1aHBiaGxw SnackChat: Disney Recipe Ideas for Thanksgiving Leftovers - https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/disney-eats-thanksgiving-leftovers-recipes-from-disney-parks/ Lunch coming to River Belle Terrace - https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-parks/disneyland-river-belle-terrace-adds-lunch/ TriviaLand: Pirates of the Caribbean ride through - https://youtu.be/SakgAjh6xc4?si=FsCigo3y89B7dePE Discussion Topic: Director, Animator, and Tiki Enthusiast Paul Briggs - https://instagram.com/paul_briggs_tiki https://archive.org/details/the-illusion-of-life-disney-animation Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

00:00:39 — Trump's Genesis Act Hands Treasury to AI Knight exposes Trump's “Genesis Act” as a massive transfer of financial authority and surveillance power to artificial intelligence, bypassing constitutional structures. 00:01:22 — FBI Director Cash Patel Threatens Thomas Massey Knight reveals that FBI leadership attempted to intimidate Rep. Massey into supporting Israel policy, demonstrating the bureau's role as a foreign-aligned political weapon. 00:06:23 — TSA's Real Mission: Conditioning Americans to Obey Physical Control Knight argues that TSA's invasive procedures aren't about security but about training citizens to accept bodily control and warrantless government intrusion. 00:10:41 — McDonald's Inflation Exposes the Collapse of Living Standards Knight highlights runaway food inflation as proof that lockdowns and fiscal manipulation under Trump and Biden have permanently degraded American living standards. 00:13:43 — USDA's Fake Bird Flu Testing Drives Food Shortages Knight details how PCR-driven poultry culling is artificially tightening meat supplies, worsening price spikes and creating government-manufactured scarcity. 00:23:23 — U.S. Military Cancels Christmas Leave for Venezuela War Prep Knight reports that the Trump administration has put troops on wartime footing for a Venezuela operation that lacks congressional approval and constitutional justification. 01:01:56 — Speaker Johnson Moves to Silence Rank-and-File Knight outlines Johnson's plan to change House rules to block discharge petitions, consolidating power and suppressing internal dissent within Congress. 01:04:17 — FBI Threatens Massey's Staff Over Foreign Policy Knight reveals that Cash Patel's office threatened Massey's staff with prosecution to force alignment on Israel and Ukraine, underscoring federal coercion. 01:20:16 — Gaza, War, and Manufactured Popularity for World Leaders Knight argues that foreign conflicts are routinely used by failing leaders—such as Netanyahu—to revive approval ratings through war sentiment. 01:39:45 — Tether, Stablecoins, and the Coming Digital Dollar Takeover Knight warns that Tether and Trump-aligned financiers are constructing a private-sector CBDC system, backed by gold, that would centralize digital money under corporate control. 02:00:39 — Christians Must Reject Zionist Propaganda Knight explains that modern Christian Zionism is a 19th-century theological invention that distorts scripture and pressures believers into supporting state violence. 02:21:41 — Trump's Genesis Mission Hands America to Technocrats Knight says the broader Genesis Mission will give AI systems unprecedented power over communication, authentication, and governance, forming the backbone of a permanent technocracy. Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

We Like Shooting Episode 638 This episode of We Like Shooting is brought to you by: Midwest Industries, Primary Arms, Night Fision, Die Free Co., Mitchell Defense, Rost Martin, and Swampfox Optics   Welcome to the We Like Shooting Show, episode 638! Our cast tonight is Jeremy Pozderac, Aaron Krieger, Nick Lynch, and me Shawn Herrin, welcome to the show! Sponsor Black Friday Deals - Gear Chat Nick - 1911 Project News 1911 project update Shawn - Lights Out for Bright Lights Cloud Defensive EPL Shawn - TitanX: The Future of Laser Training Weapons The article presents the TitanX, a new inert training pistol designed for realistic dry fire training, incorporating features like a resetting trigger and laser for instant feedback. It aims to improve shooting skills through advanced training analysis via the MantisX app. The introduction of the TitanX may enhance training for gun owners across all skill levels, providing a cost-effective tool for skill development while maintaining a focus on familiarity with popular firearm models. Bullet Points Shawn - Comparing Shooters Global SG Timer Models: GO vs 2 Shooters Global has launched two new shot timers, the budget-friendly SG Timer GO and the premium SG Timer 2, each designed for different types of shooters. Both come with advanced smart sensor technology and integrate with the Drills app for enhanced training features. The SG Timer GO is priced around $164.99, while the SG Timer 2 costs $329.99, reflecting their respective target markets. The article highlights a Black Friday sale for potential buyers. The introduction of these timers is likely to attract various shooters, offering more accessible options for improving training techniques. Shawn - Walther Halts PPK Series Production Walther Arms, Inc. has suspended production of its PPK, PPK/S, and PP handgun lines as part of a long-term modernization program, marking a pause in nearly a century of manufacturing. This break is intended to update the production processes while maintaining the traditional characteristics of the firearms. Existing stock will become the last available units for an extended period, potentially increasing interest and demand among collectors and users of the PP-series. No timeline for the release of updated models has been provided. Shawn - Primary Arms Launches Exciting Golden Ticket Giveaway Primary Arms is hosting a significant giveaway event from November 24 to December 1, 2025, offering customers a chance to win one of five premium LaRue rifle packages valued over $4,000 each with every purchase made. This promotion aims to enhance customer engagement during their Black Friday sales and may stimulate interest and participation within the gun community. Savage1r - Gideon Optics swag bag Gun Fights Step right up for "Gun Fights," the high-octane segment hosted by Nick Lynch, where our cast members go head-to-head in a game show-style showdown! Each contestant tries to prove their gun knowledge dominance. It's a wild ride of bids, bluffs, and banter—who will come out on top? Tune in to find out!   Agency Brief Agency171.com Dred Scott v. Sandford  "If Black people were citizens, they'd have the right to keep and carry arms wherever they went." That's not me talking. That's Chief Justice Roger Taney in 1857, explaining why the Supreme Court couldn't let Black Americans be citizens. Think about that. The Court admitted the Second Amendment was an individual right. They just didn't want certain people exercising it. So they ruled an entire race had zero constitutional rights. This is the story of how fear of an armed population led to the worst Supreme Court decision in history—and why it matters for every gun owner today. What's really on the line: Can the government decide who counts as "the people" with rights? If courts can strip rights from one group, who's next? Will slavery expand nationwide, or can it be contained? Does the Second Amendment mean individuals can bear arms, or just militias? Hidden stake: Southern states terrified of armed free Black people The entire future of constitutional rights—and the Union itself—hangs on one family's lawsuit. 1846: Dred and Harriet Scott sue for freedom in St. Louis Their owner took them to free territory (Illinois + Wisconsin) Missouri law = "once free, always free" Their real motivation: Keep their daughters from being sold away 1850: They win at trial. Declared free. 1852: Missouri Supreme Court reverses—protecting slavery politics over precedent 1856: Case hits U.S. Supreme Court Nation boiling over slavery and states' rights 7 of 9 justices appointed by pro-slavery presidents Initially planning narrow ruling—then they get greedy THE CONSPIRACY: President-elect Buchanan secretly contacts Justice Catron: "When will you rule?" Catron leaks insider info back Buchanan pressures Justice Grier: "Join the Southern majority" Grier caves March 4, 1857: Buchanan's inauguration—he promises the Court will "settle" everything He already knows the outcome March 6, 1857—THE BOMBSHELL: 80-year-old Chief Justice Taney delivers a 200-page ruling designed to end the debate forever: Black people can never be citizens—not even free Black people in Northern states They have "no rights which the white man was bound to respect" Congress can't restrict slavery anywhere—Missouri Compromise unconstitutional Here's the 2A moment: Taney writes that if Black people were citizens, they'd have the right "to keep and carry arms wherever they went." He uses this as proof they can't be citizens—the idea of armed Black Americans was too dangerous. What this reveals: The Court understood the 2A as an individual right, not just militia They feared an armed population—specifically armed Black Americans Gun control was a tool of racial oppression from day one They chose to strip citizenship rather than allow armed equality THE EXPLOSION: North erupts in fury Republicans see it as proof of "slave power conspiracy" (they're right) Abraham Lincoln rises: "What's next—making free states into slave states?" Four years later: Civil War begins 600,000 dead THE FIX: 13th Amendment (1865): Abolishes slavery 14th Amendment (1868): Overturns Dred Scott—declares all Americans are citizens This becomes the foundation for applying the Bill of Rights—including the 2A—to state governments THE 2A CONNECTION Why every gun rights advocate should know this case: ✓ SCOTUS explicitly tied citizenship to the right to bear arms—they admitted it was individual, not militia-based ✓ The Court's fear of armed citizens drove their decision—they'd rather strip citizenship than allow armed Black Americans ✓ Gun control as racial control—disarming populations has always been about power, not safety ✓ The 14th Amendment's purpose: Overturn Dred Scott and protect rights against state infringement ✓ McDonald v. Chicago (2010): Supreme Court incorporated 2A against states by citing the 14th Amendment's reversal of Dred Scott and how Southern states disarmed free Black people THE 14TH AMENDMENT - Ratified July 9, 1868—specifically to overturn Dred Scott Section 1 (the critical part): "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." What this did: ✅ Overturned Dred Scott — Declared ALL people born in the U.S. are citizens ✅ Protected rights against state infringement — States can't "abridge the privileges or immunities" of citizens ✅ Applied the Bill of Rights to states — Before this, only the federal government was bound by the Bill of Rights ✅ Made the 2A enforceable against states — This is why state gun bans can be challenged in federal court The 14th Amendment's Framers on the Right to Bear Arms: During congressional debates over the 14th Amendment, Republicans repeatedly cited Southern states disarming free Black people as a reason the amendment was necessary: Senator Jacob Howard said the amendment would protect "the personal rights guarantied and secured by the first eight amendments of the Constitution; such as...the right to keep and to bear arms" Congressmen cited "Black Codes" that banned Black Americans from owning firearms The amendment was designed to prevent states from doing what Dred Scott enabled: stripping constitutional rights based on race Modern Impact: McDonald v. Chicago (2010) — Supreme Court incorporates the Second Amendment against state and local governments Justice Alito's majority opinion: Cited the 14th Amendment as overturning Dred Scott Discussed how Southern states used gun control to oppress freed slaves after the Civil War Concluded the right to bear arms is a "fundamental right" protected by the 14th Amendment's guarantee that states can't abridge the "privileges or immunities" of citizens The direct line: Dred Scott says Black people aren't citizens and can't have rights (including arms) Civil War fought partly over this 14th Amendment passes to reverse Dred Scott and protect all citizens' rights 150+ years later, that same amendment is used to strike down state gun bans THE LESSON: The Constitution protects "the people"—not "some people." When courts decide rights don't apply to certain groups, nobody's rights are secure.

The Daily Beast's unmissable guest, Dr. John Gartner, joins Joanna Coles to break down what key moments reveal about Donald Trump's cognitive decline. From trouble saluting at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to odd noises at a McDonald's event, Gartner explains patterns of psychomotor decline, word salad, and disinhibited behavior. They discuss how stress, existing personality issues, and potential dementia intersect, offering a rare psychological lens on the president's bizarre behavior. This episode peels back the curtain on what's really happening inside Trump's brain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 450 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Lawrence McDonald, the founder of The Bear Traps Report and the author of a recently published book about the risks and investment opportunities present in today's radically reshaped economy titled "How to Listen When Markets Speak." In today's conversation, Demetri and Lawrence discuss how social media and the gamification of investing have amplified behavioral biases and fueled the AI boom, as well as the growth of crypto and other "tertiary" assets. They then zoom out to examine how the macro environment has changed since the Covid 19 pandemic, and how the government's response to both the GFC and covid crisis have sent investors scrambling for new frameworks to help them understand government's role in the economy and how to position themselves and their client's portfolios for a radically new world—one that you will not learn about in financial text books or most macroeconomics courses. Kofinas and McDonald also explore the "dark side of passive investing," the extreme concentration risk present in a handful of AI-linked mega-caps, the risk to markets of more capricious government trade policies, and why Lawrence McDonald believes that one of the most underappreciated opportunity sets in AI lies not at the intersection of semiconductors and AI companies, but in the physical energy and delivery infrastructure needed to power them. Subscribe to our premium content—including our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports—by visiting HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you'd like to join the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community—with benefits like Q&A calls with guests, exclusive research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners—you can also sign up on our subscriber page at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you enjoyed today's episode of Hidden Forces, please support the show by: Subscribing on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, CastBox, or via our RSS Feed Writing us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Joining our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe and support the podcast at https://hiddenforces.io. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 11/17/2025

Coca-Cola is… sugar water. And somehow it's also America, Christmas, summertime, friendship and happiness. Today we tell the story of how The Coca-Cola Company amazingly transmogrified a beverage into emotion in all of our collective psyches, and ALSO built one of the most incredible scale economy businesses of all-time. And oh yeah, there's also cocaine, WW2, Mad Men, Warren Buffett, James Dean, Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson, Michael Ovitz, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, McDonald's and Monsanto. So cozy up to the fire with your favorite images of Santa Claus and Polar Bears and enjoy an ice-cold episode of Acquired — always delicious, always refreshing.Sponsors:Many thanks to our fantastic Fall ‘25 Season partners:J.P. Morgan PaymentsWorkOSShopifySentry — Link to ACQ Cassette Players, use code “audiophile”Links:Sign up for email updates and vote on future episodes!The Hilltop ad / Mad Men finalePepsi Challenge commercialsPepsi's Michael Jackson commercialsCoke's Bill Cosby commercialsTwo liter bottles inflatingWorldly Partners' Multi-Decade Coca-Cola StudyFor God, Country, and Coca-ColaSecret FormulaAll episode sourcesCarve Outs:SkiErgSuper Smash Bros. UltimateClaudeNike Vomero PlusHermanos GutiérrezMore Acquired:Get email updates and vote on future episodes!Join the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Check out the latest swag in the ACQ Merch Store!‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.